Mount Nittany Middle School & Park Forest Middle School
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SCASD INTRAMURAL KAYAKING PROGRAM Mount Nittany Middle School & Park Forest Middle School |
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The State College Area School District intramural (IM) program is offering kayaking for middle school students (grades 6–8). Transportation will be provided from your child’s school to the paddling sites: Bald Eagle State Park and Spring Creek in Bellefonte (Sunnyside Slalom Course). Parents are welcome to observe all sessions.
We will offer the program to students from Park Forest Middle School on Tuesdays and students from Mount Nittany Middle School on Thursdays.
Practices will be:
PARK FOREST MIDDLE SCHOOL - Tuesdays
Bald Eagle State Park (near swimming area)
11, 18 & 25 September
Sunnyside Slalom Course on Spring Creek in Bellefonte
2, 9, 16 & 23 October
MOUNT NITTANY MIDDLE SCHOOL - Thursdays
Bald Eagle State Park (near swimming area)
13, 20 & 27 September
Sunnyside Slalom Course on Spring Creek in Bellefonte
4, 11 & 25 October
Practice times are from 4:20pm - 6:00pm.
Students must sign up in the school office each morning that they plan to paddle. A van driven by a coach will pick up students after school, leaving promptly at 4:00pm or students may provide their own transportation.
After the Bald Eagle State Park or Spring Creek sessions parents may pick up students either on site at 6:00pm (with prior notification to Joan) or at their student's school at approximately 6:30pm.
Please be prompt!
Parents/guardians must sign out their student at the end of the day.
Directions to the sites can be found here.
We will provide kayaking equipment.
Due to van size, safety considerations and the size of the stream, IM Kayaking will be limited to nine (9) paddlers per school. We will have a waiting list if we have more interested students. Please include your E-mail address on the information sheet. You will receive a confirmation E-mail.
There will be two (2) coach/chaperones with the students at all times. The coaches are familiar with paddling and rescue techniques and will help paddlers get in and out of boats. All coaches are SCASD employees and have clearances.
IM Lead Coach Joan Geleskie is an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor Trainer, ARC Water Safety Instructor and ARC Wilderness First Aid Instructor. She is certified by the American Canoe Association as an Instructor for Level 2 River Kayaking and Level 2 River Canoeing. She has also taken Advanced River Rescue through the ACA. Mrs. G started paddling when she was in high school and has enjoyed many rivers and lakes since then. She has taught paddling for both the Girl and Boy Scouts and Centre Region Parks & Rec as well as the IM program.
Note: Kayakers will be required to do a “wet exit” before paddling in moving water. A “wet exit” is when a kayaker flips his or her boat and then gets out while upside down. While a wet exit is not difficult, it can be frightening the first time it is done. Kayakers can do their “wet exit” at Bald Eagle State Park or in one of the calm pools on Spring Creek with a coach. Students may bring nose clips to avoid getting water up their noses while wet exiting.
Locations:
Bald Eagle State Park
Sunnyside Slalom Course on Spring Creek in Bellefonte.
Van transportation is provided from both middle schools to the practice site. From Bald Eagle State Park and Sunnyside the students will be driven back to the originating school.
Please review the information on this web site and in the IM packet, then send in the Intramural Permission Form and the Personal Information Form to your Middle School Office.
 joan@imkayaking.com +1.814 234-3317 evenings |
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