Elizabeth Perez stood with her sandals in the sand on a perfect beach day in Manasquan watching her three children play at the ocean's edge. They had buckets to collect shells and dig out sand crabs near the water. A few ventured in up to their ankles, but most were wet only from the splashing of their classmates and the waves.
The kids were part of a larger group of elementary school students from the Manasquan Elementary School who, unlike their classmates, were treated to a school day at the beach as part of a swimming safety program.