From the Aquatic Director
September 17, 2021
As we look forward to re-opening and launching new and old Fall Programs, we need to make you aware of some cancellations for the week of September 20.
- Water Fitness Class at 11:00am, M-Th is CANCELLED
- Tot Time at 10:00am, M-Th is CANCELLED.
- Lap Swim at 10:00am, 11:00am and 12:00pm, M-Th is CANCELLED
- Family Swim on Monday & Wednesday from 12:00pm-1:30pm is CANCELLED.
We hope to resume these programs on September 27. We are unable to provide staff during this next week, as too many are out with illness and we have no others to fill in. We know you wish good health on all our employees, so while we know this is a frustration, it is also a reality. We will always do our best to be fully open, but without our amazing staff, sometimes we must limit what we can do.
During our closure, we had UV (Ultra Violet Light) installed on the pool circulation system. The UV will work alongside the chlorine to further disinfect the pool water and keep our swimmers healthy and safe. This project was made possible by our Director applying for incentives by the Oregon Energy Trust, prioritizing it in our budget and getting Board approval. The UV was an upgrade that has been years in the making. Our staff is very excited for the addition.
Moving forward, we are limiting the number of patrons allowed in the building. Please plan to send one parent or guardian with your child for swimming lessons. For our Family Swims, we encourage you to swim with your family rather than sit on the deck. Every person 5 years of age and older who isn’t swimming is required to wear a mask while sitting. Masks are required to enter the facility, and worn throughout, including in the locker rooms. When you are ready to enter the water, you may remove the mask. Staff will be enforcing the policy, so please be prepared to put it on to be in our building.
While the mask mandate is in place, we have decided to postpone all private parties, pool rentals and birthday party packages until it is lifted or conditions improve. Plan to reserve a spot in one of our Family Swims and enjoy time with your loved ones. We would like to remind you that anyone age 7 and younger requires an adult to be in the water swimming; anyone, regardless of their age, wearing a life jacket requires an adult to be in the water with them. Please make sure you have a plan for swimming before you register! Call the Front Desk with any questions you may have.
We are launching a new registration platform that we hope will be easier to navigate. You will no longer be able to access your old account. Please visit the website for instructions on how to create a new one. As always, if you have any questions, please call the front desk.
This Fall we have launched a Before & After School MAC Kids Club. As a Park & Recreation District we are License Exempt and can help with before and after school supervision. Our Kids Club will receive homework help, snacks, swimming and play while they are with us. For now, kids must be K-5 attending an MRSD elementary school. We will be offering camps on No School Days for a drop-in rate. We still have space if you are looking for a place for your child either before school, after school or both. Kids must pre-register by emailing Melissa at Melissa@MolallaAquaticCenter.com.
We continue to take requests for Private Swimming Lessons. The form is available on our website, or you can pick one up in person. Private Lessons are scheduled by looking at the instructor availability, the pool programs and what the customer requests. You will receive a phone call from one of our staff when we are ready to schedule your lesson. Due to the high demand, we are not making up missed classes, pro-rating sessions or offering refunds. Simply put, if a class is missed it will be forfeit. Look at your calendar prior to requesting to make sure you will be able to attend all or nearly all of the classes.
Group Swimming Lessons are being finalized and Registration will be up on our website soon. We are limiting the number of participants and spectators, and class times. Please stay patient as we get up and running safely for your little swimmers. We will continue to edit and change class times and levels to meet the need of our community. We are offering financial assistance for the group swimming lessons, so if you need a little extra help, you can let our staff know and we will get it taken care of. Financial Assistance will be extended to one child per year, so that we may serve as many kids as possible. This has been made possible by a generous donation from one of our families. We are so thankful for their help and support to get all of our kids swimming safely.
Look for more emails as we build and add programs back that used to be here! Thank you for your ongoing support and participation at our facility. Our staff is doing the best that we can to keep your family safe and healthy. We will see you back next week!
Melissa Georgesen
Executive Director
Pool Fall Schedule
August 13, 2021
From the Director:
This summer is quickly coming to a close, and what a summer it has been! We had great success with the MRSD summer school program. We have been adding back what we can, although it feels like a slow process. I am working hard to hire lifeguards and instructors for our Fall Programs. The Learn-to-Swim Program will be back (group swimming lessons) and families will have several options to choose from. We will also continue to offer Private Lessons for those wishing to continue or to start. Please make sure we have an updated request form on file.
We will close the Aquatic Center from Sunday, September 5 through Sunday, September 19. This closure is for staff training, pool cleaning and to install UV light onto the pool’s circulation system. We will not be scheduling any rentals, birthday party requests or lessons during the closure. For those of you who have reached out to book a birthday party, we are launching those for after we reopen in September. I am truly sorry if this has caused an inconvenience, but as we transition from one software system to a new one, it has been the easiest to keep things as they are through summer.
Also returning in the fall will be our Private Facility Rentals and Birthday Party Packages. We will have updated policies and pricing on our website soon. I am adding back water fitness classes and additional lap swim times for our swimmers, as well as more Tot Times and Family Swims. Thank you for your patience and support through summer.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions about the Fall Programs. FrontDesk@MolallaAquaticCenter.com or 503-759-7665. We are happy to assist you with your fall planning.
I cannot predict where the fall will take us, but we will continue to utilize reservations and deep clean each day. The reservations allow us to track usage, schedule additional staff and keep track of the overall attendance better. It only takes a few minutes to create an account online, so please try it or call our Front Desk staff and they will assist you over the phone. While you cannot wear a mask in the water, you are once again required to wear one while in the building. Children 5 years of age and older are also required to wear a mask in the building. You will see our staff wearing them as well. We will continue to abide by the Oregon Health Authority rules so in the event of an incident, our insurance will support our team. Thank you for your understanding on this topic.
Enjoy these last few weeks of the summer! I hope you and your family stay healthy and have fun before the mad dash of back to school begins.
Sincerely,
Melissa Georgesen
Aquatic Director
Aquatic Director, Melissa, holding her son following the mask mandate.
July 5, 2021
How old do the kids need to be to swim without you? What’s the policy?
- Anyone under 7 years and younger requires a parent/guardian in the water swimming with them. Plan to dust off your suit, ditch your excuses and get in with your little swimmers.
- Children 8-12 years old who can pass our swim test may swim with you in the building and not in the water. So you can sit on deck- actively watching your children. Our lifeguards are watching everyone, so we expect you know what your swimmers are up to.
The swim test is:
- Jump into the pool.
- Swim on their stomach with arm and leg action halfway down the pool.
- Float or tread on their back for 30 seconds.
- Swim on their back with arm and leg action back to where they started.
*A lifeguard will administer the test and determine if the swimmer is competent to swim without a PFD.
- Children 13 and older who are not needing a lifejacket may swim without a parent or guardian. They must follow all posted rules and listen to the staff or they will be asked to leave and we will contact you for follow up.
- Regardless of age, any swimmer who is wearing a lifejacket requires a parent/guardian in the water swimming with them. Please do not tell our staff, “they can swim without it but like to wear it.” If they can swim, they shouldn’t be wearing a floatation device. Meaning, you are in the pool. Not on deck.
Melissa Georgesen
Aquatic Director
Lifeguard Colin showing a poorly fitted PFD.
July 1, 2021
Hi Swim Families,
I know you have all stayed up to date through our ups and downs. Many of you are feeling frustrated with the lack of programs, the limited hours and the continuing restrictions. I have been saying the same things and you are probably sick of hearing it again.
I had to place our staff on unemployment on not one, but two separate occasions through the COVID closures. After the first lay off, most of the staff sought other employment. Then I asked them to come back. Then I laid them off again. More had to leave and get jobs that would not lay them off. I am not exaggerating when I tell you we lost nearly 75% of the workers here.
Then I was unable to hold trainings to get new employees certified. We were operating under restrictions to the best of our abilities. It wasn’t enough.
This isn’t just happening for me at our pool. This is nationwide and across our state. My friends who run nearby pools and I have been meeting throughout COVID, sharing best practices and sharing staff. The staff you see are exhausted and trying their best to fill multiple spots. Hence the breaks in the schedule. Hence the limited program options. We are all doing our best. If Canby or Silverton has a program that suits you better, please go!
I know it isn’t enough. I know we don’t have the time your family wants. We aren’t offering the swimming lessons your children need. Please believe me when I say I am doing my best to find quality employees to train for these programs. I sincerely hope the fall looks different for all of us.
Sign up for one of our family swims and bring in your kids. Jump in the water with them and teach them what you know. I know we are all tired, but this is one thing you can do. Come in and see what we have that works, and have fun with your children.
Melissa Georgesen
Aquatic Director
April 30, 2021
Navigating through these waters...
Hi Swim Families,
I want to reach out and let you know how the move to extreme risk affects our swimming pool. We are considered an indoor fitness establishment, and as such we can only have six people in the facility at any given time. This presents a little bit of a situation for us. We are not able to host family swims, water fitness classes, tot time and are limited on the private lessons. We will continue to offer lap swim by reservation only and at a limited capacity of six people. To accommodate having less programs and less amount of people in the pool, we have added additional lap swim times throughout the day. We know this does not fix or make your situation any easier and we are so sorry for that. Thank you for your continued support as you hang with us through all of these transitions.
We have been told that being in extreme risk may only last for one week. We continue to be hopeful that that is the case and early in May we can move back to offering family swims, water fitness classes and everything else.
We want you to know that your membership will not be affected. We will fully refund any pass or prolong any membership that needs to do to this added closure. We appreciate your trust while we navigate through these waters.
At the end of the day staying open for six at a time seemed a better option than closing a third time. We hope you support our decision. Please reach out at any time with questions we are happy to help.
Melissa Georgesen
Aquatic Director
