Water safety at Kittatinny

NEWTON — A water safety program was undertaken at four elementary schools in the Kittatinny Regional School District at the Kittatinny pool every spring. Each school conducts a hands-on training course about the importance of following the rules of safety in the water along with some basic lifesaving skills to use if they find themselves in a situation where it is needed. “Our swimming and basic water safety program is one of the most important units of instruction and the students love it,” said Patti Falotico, a physical education teacher at the Marion E. McKeown school in Hampton. At Kittatinny, Joe Mate is in charge of the pool and serves as the on-site lifeguard for the classes. The program runs in the months of April, May and June so that students will have learned the safety rules before they hit the beaches, lakes and pools on their summer vacation. As an American Red Cross authorized provider, Kittatinny also offers lifeguarding courses through their adult school and during the summer months swimming lessons are taught to children of all ages. For more information about Kittatinny swim programs, call 973-383-1800, ext. 1511.