Lesson Fees

Payment in full, is due in time for our first class. Manda's Minnows accepts cash, check (made to: Amanda Shapiro), venmo (amanda-shapiro-18), zelle or Apple Pay (813-541-9302).

Refund Policy

Manda's Minnows does not issue refunds for any of its programs. All unused funds paid to Manda's Minnows shall become credit for future use toward additional swimming lessons; during the current calendar year. This includes medical reasons, moving, or missed lessons.

Weather Policy

Our lessons take place in outdoor pools, Manda's Minnows must suspend/delay or cancel lessons during cloud-to-ground lightning, remaining lessons typically resume within a short amount of time. When this occurs, we will offer a make-up lesson (if available) or move the missed lesson to the end of the lesson session.

Make-up Lessons

We allow for 2 make-up lessons during each lesson session. All absences/cancellations must be reported to Manda's Minnows ahead of the missed class to qualify for make-up lessons. When we are aware of an absence ahead of time, we can offer more flexibility/availability to families for scheduling make-ups. An unexcused absence/cancellation is when you fail to notify us within 12 hours of said lesson time. All unexcused absences will not be eligible for make-up. Make-up lessons are not guaranteed but are based on availability. We encourage you to attend lessons regularly to ensure retention of skills learned and continued forward progress toward safe, efficient swim skills.

Holiday Schedule

If your lesson falls on a holiday on which Manda's Minnows is closed, your lesson will be added to the end of the session; this will help in the overall number of make-up lessons. Manda's Minnows is closed for the following holidays: Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 3rd-4th), Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s; Manda’s Minnows is also closed on June 27 and June 30th, October 23rd (afternoon classes) - 30th.

General Guidelines

• Please be sure the student is prepared to begin the lesson, 5 minutes prior to start time. Our lessons run back-to-back so late arrivals or entries into the water count as unexcused lesson time and will not be eligible for make-up lesson time.
• We encourage students to wear goggles during lessons; practice in the bathtub to help the child become comfortable wearing them but not to be dependent on them for safe swimming.
• All swimmers, regardless of age, must wear a swimsuit.
• Children who are not completely toilet-trained MUST wear a reusable swim diaper, disposable swim diapers must be covered by a plastic swim cover. Please have older students use the restroom prior to the start of class.
• To avoid the spreading of illness, please keep your student home if they have a fever, diarrhea, or other contagious illness. Please do not continue lessons until the illness has subsided and your student is fever and contagious symptoms-free for 24 hours. If you are unsure, please consult your doctor for the proper course of action.

Flotation Devices

Use of flotation devices such as floaties, water wings, etc. is not permitted or encouraged by Manda's Minnows.

1. Floaties, also known as water wings, can pop and deflate or slide off, leaving your child helpless and susceptible to drowning.
2. They give parents and children a false sense of safety and make the child believe that it is okay and safe to be near the water without adult supervision.
3. They teach the child to be in a vertical position in the water, adding months to the learning process; this position is an unnatural position for swimming. When learning to swim, it is important that the student become comfortable with being horizontal in the water; this is the natural position for both swimming and floating. For most students, learning to get a breath and float can be some of the hardest tasks for them to learn; floaties make learning these behaviors even harder.
4. "Floaties" can make a parent too comfortable with their child in the water. They may feel that the floaties are keeping their child safe and that they do not need to be actively watching them.
5. They make your child believe that they "know how to swim." Time and again, children who are used to wearing flotation devices have jumped into the water without them, thinking they have the ability to swim, when they do not.
6. Floaties are not Coast Guard approved. In short, floaties are considered a toy because they can be blown-up and easily deflated.
7. They do not replace swim lessons or proper instructions from a trained instructor. Many parents believe that their child will naturally learn to swim once they use floaties and gain comfort in the water. There are many ways to become more comfortable in the water; safely explored during swim lessons, with a trained instructor.