Jewell’s Pool Swim Lessons

Many kids on the Westbank have learned to swim at Jewell’s Pool– and for good reason. Jewell and her daughter Jessica run their small company out of a large pool in the backyard of a house on Alcide Drive– which is set up specifically to handle swim lessons. (so it’s not like going to someone’s house, really– it feels more like a country club pool or somesuch– lots of chairs for the parents, a shaded area to sit in, a restroom in case the kids suddenly remember they need to go just before or in the middle of a lesson)
Classes are divided up into age and skill level– each group has one instructor teaching somewhere between 3 – 7 kids in small groups all around the pool. There are usually multiple sessions throughout the summer and each session is 8 classes. They do classes in the mornings and afternoons. If you miss one, they’re really flexible about making it up at one of their other scheduled classes.
My son– age 4– joined the absolute beginner little kids group, which Jessica teaches, and he absolutely loves his swimming class. They learn to do a basic dog paddle, hold their breath and blow bubbles underwater, pick up rings from the bottom of the pool at the shallow end, lie on their backs in the water, open their eyes underwater to wave at another kid they’re paired with, jump off the side of the pool and swim to the instructor and even jump off the diving board to the instructor. (At least one other parent mentioned that some other swim schools don’t insist on the child putting their entire head in the water or opening eyes underwater– I really like that they do insist on those things here.)
The instructors really know what they’re talking about, too– some of the little kids were crying or freaked out the first day and Jessica told everyone «give them 3 days and they’ll be fine” — by the third day every single kid (including the one who was crawling under her mom’s chair to hide on the first day) was doing great and the tears were all gone.
Parents are allowed to stick around during the lesson– so you can take pictures of your little one swimming or jumping off the diving board.
The place isn’t too hard to find– it’s just off Barataria on Alcide. There are two areas to park– one in a lot/​field next to the pool entrance (where there is also a set of swings and slide/​playset over in the corner that some of the kids, including mine, insist on going on before we leave after our lesson) and another parking area just after the turn-​in on Alcide in a separate grassy area.
Another small thing to note– because they handle all of the lessons and arrange the classes as well, it can be difficult to get in touch with them to enroll during the summer when classes have already begun. Just keep calling– 12 or 12:30 seems to be the best time to get an answer so you can schedule a lesson.
All in all, I thoroughly recommend Jewell’s Pool for anyone on the Westbank looking to enroll their child in swim classes.