Meet Our Instructors

Anya
​Anya discovered she has a passion for teaching children while working for the YMCA in high school. Later in 2012, she transitioned to teaching swimming when she became an American Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructor. Since then, she has enjoyed working with kids on a variety of swimming skills from beginner to stroke development. When Anya isn’t in the water with her students, she is working as a Registered Behavior Technician helping children with developmental disabilities. This will be Anya’s second year with Annette’s Swim School and we are lucky to have her onboard.

Elyssa
In addition to being an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Elyssa is an elementary school teacher specializing in students with autism. She has a degree in special education and a tremendous passion for helping children succeed. Elyssa’s attention to detail and patience with her students allows her to build a strong, trusting relationship with them. Elyssa distracts her students with fun games & songs that secretly teach her students the skills necessary to be a good swimmer. This will be Elyssa’s third season with Annette’s Swim School and we are lucky to have her back. Elyssa will be available for lessons starting June 11th.  

Jamie
Jamie is an incredibly talented teacher who is coming back for her fifth season at Annette's Swim School. Jamie has a BA in Early Childhood development, she’s a full-time teacher at Temple Beth El and she’s an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor. Jamie has a passion for safety and for teaching children. She has a natural talent for building trust with her students which equates to a ton of success in the pool. She is so much fun in the water, I know her students are just as excited as she is to get back to work. Jamie will be available for lessons starting In June.

Milly
​Milly has dedicated the last twelve years of her life to the development and safety of children. In addition to her American Red Cross Water Safety credentials, she has also completed the Infant/Toddler Instructor Education course. Milly draws on this experience to individually tailor her approach to each child. She builds trust with her students by using a consistent routine and a warm & friendly attitude. Milly has had a lot of success reintroducing the joy of swimming to traumatized children by slowly building their confidence in their swimming skills. With a warm smile & a confident demeanor, Milly has helped many kids learn to love the water. Milly will be available for lessons starting in May.

Misty
Misty will be returning for her third season with Annette’s Swim School in June. She was inspired to get certified as an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor soon after her son's first swimming lesson. Watching her son gain confidence as he improved was so much fun! Misty did a little research & became concerned about the high number of children who drown every year in Florida. Now, even though Misty is a busy mommy, she still finds time to help her community by teaching children how to swim, the fun way.

Lisa
Lisa may be new to Florida, but she is completely at home in the water. For the past five years, Lisa has been working for a day camp in New York as their Assistant Aquatics Director & Pool Supervisor. She not only taught swim lessons, but she was also instrumental in developing the camp’s swimming program. Much of Lisa’s experience in working with young children began with her teaching at a preschool. Lisa is a Certified Water Safety Instructor through the American Red Cross and is excited to be joining the team.