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Studio
Policies 2011/2012
These policies are meant to enhance the studio experience for
all concerned. They are in place to safeguard the interests of
both the student and the studio. Please take the time to read
thoroughly and keep for future reference.
LAD reserves the right to change this policy at any time
without prior notice. Any changes to the Studio Policies and
Dress Code will be posted online and in the studio.
Student
Placement
The studio director and instructors will determine the proper
level classes for each student. Dancers are placed according
to the level of technique they can demonstrate in various
disciplines. Students learn and progress at different rates,
and this is further affected by class attendance – i.e. poor
class attendance (less than 80%) means that the student has
missed out on vital technical instruction. In addition, the
effort put forth by students is a tremendous factor. Also,
teaching methods and standards vary greatly from school to
school. For reasons such as these, the number of years a
student has danced is not the deciding factor. Each student
will be placed in classes which ensure optimum growth.
Attendance
Regular attendance is mandatory! A dancer’s progress is
directly related to strong attendance. Excessive absences from
weekly classes may require a student to be moved to a lower
level class. If a student misses a class, it cannot be made
up. There are no refunds or pro-rating for classes missed due
to personal vacations, illness, schedule conflicts, or
terminations during the month. If students cannot participate
due to injuries, we ask them to attend class anyway so as to
be able to observe, learn choreography and receive teachers’
verbal instructions. Students are expected to arrive for class
on time.
- For
our Combo Classes: If
3 or fewer students attend class on a given day, the class
will be held of 30 minutes.
- Excellent
attendance
is crucial for the recital.
After January 1st, any student absent from a given
class for three weeks in a row will not be eligible to
perform that class’s dance in the Spring recital. In
addition, students may not miss more than 6 classes of a
given class after January 1st in order to perform in the
recital. This policy, as with all policies, is at the
discretion of our staff. Parents will remain responsible
for any remaining balances of those costumes, and no
refunds will be given for tuition or costumes.
PICKING
STUDENTS UP AFTER CLASS
Parents need to be prompt when picking up children!
Classes run back-to-back, and for safety reasons, dancers
are advised to wait inside the studio until their parent
arrives. We have had some issues in the past in which a
teacher was late to an appointment because a parent was up
to 20 minutes late picking their child up from class at
the end of our evening. We respect our teachers and
realize that we cannot expect them to stay for these
unexpected, long periods of time without compensation. To
help curtail this problem, we will now be charging a $10
fee to parents who are 15 or more minutes late to pick up
their child(ren) at the end of a night or Saturday
afternoon. This is absolutely not to generate income for
the studio, but rather to encourage parents to pick
children up on time.
Discontinuing
Classes
If you wish to discontinue a class that you have already
paid annually for, refunds will be given only up until
October 1, 2011. No cancellation fee will be charged. We
will accept new students until this time. After October 1,
2011, no refunds will be given. For those paying in
monthly installments, a $40 per registered class
cancellation fee will be charged to those who withdraw
from a class, as their reserved spots will not be able to
be filled.
tuition
INFORMATION
Tuition Schedule: Our tuition is payable in nine (9) equal
monthly payments:
Registration, September 1st, October 1st, November 1st,
December 1st, January 1 (2012), February 1 (2012), March 1
(2012) and last payment on April 1 (2012). All
tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and
considered late on the 5th. Your payment must be
postmarked no later than the 4th of the month.
A $10 late fee will be applied to your account if
payment is not postmarked/ received by these due dates.
Annual Payment Note: For those who would like to pay the
year’s tuition in one lump sum, you may pay for your
year and receive a 5% discount if paid in full by July 15,
2011. Please note that to receive the 5% discount, all
payments must be received or postmarked by July 15, 2011.
Snow
Days
In case of inclement weather, please call the studio at
560-4000. WE DO NOT GO BY ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT CLOSINGS. To
check on cancellations for morning classes, please call after
8:30am. To check on the status of late afternoon / evening
classes, please call after 2:00pm. If no message is on our
machine, you can assume that classes are still on. However, we
urge you to use your own judgment before venturing out in
questionable weather. Classes cancelled by the studio due to
bad weather or teacher illness will be rescheduled.
Studio
Etiquette
Lititz Academy of Dance wishes to maintain a professional, yet
family-friendly studio environment. We encourage all students
to be supportive and respectful of fellow dancers and their
family members. This includes taking responsibility in keeping
the studio neat and clean. Dancers are expected to hang
jackets on available hooks and organize their belongings into
neat piles in their dance room. Students must be sure that
trash and water bottles are thrown away and all personal
belongings are taken home at the end of each class.
No
gum is allowed in the studio, this includes the lobby! Parents, please review this with your dancer, as this has
been an ongoing problem.
Thank you!
Lititz Academy of Dance is not responsible for lost or stolen
items! We highly recommend labeling your child’s dance shoes
and apparel. Parents and students should check the lost and
found bin regularly. Lost and Found items are donated twice a
year – December and June. Please check bin prior to these
dates.
Parents are welcome to remain in the lobby during classes. We
do ask, however, that you do not distract the children by
tapping on windows, taking pictures, ENTERING the classroom
etc. We will designate days for pictures and videos, but
please not on the first day of class, as this is extremely
distracting for the children. Concentration and understanding
are much easier when the class can proceed without
interruption. There may be times when we will need to close
the blinds so that children may focus more easily. Although we
understand the need to bring younger siblings to the studio,
please supervise them so that the classes and office staff are
not disrupted. Children who are running or being unusually
loud will be asked to sit quietly. No one should be in a
classroom without a teacher present. Please do not allow
children to play in classrooms. Please feel free to bring a
quiet activity for them to enjoy while in the lobby.
ONLY STAFF MEMBERS ARE PERMITTED BEHIND THE COUNTER. PERSONAL
AND CONFIDENTIAL FILES IN ADDITION TO PERSONAL BELONGINGS ARE
MAINTAINED IN THIS OFFICE AREA. THIS POLICY, ALONG WITH SO
MANY OTHERS, IS FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR ENTIRE STUDIO
FAMILY, AND NEEDS TO BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Annual
Recital
Our 2012 Spring Recital will take place in May. Recital
details, along with dress rehearsal dates, will be announced
in September 2011. Recital participation is encouraged, but
NOT MANDATORY. We recommend parents and dancers seriously
consider the financial and time requirements necessary to
engage in a professional dance recital, which will be two
nights. This includes: excellent class attendance* including
mandatory rehearsals, costume/shoe and ticket
purchases, and a lengthy dress rehearsal(s) at the
auditorium. Due to scheduling constraints, dress rehearsal may
take place on a school night. A Commitment Contract will be
sent home with Costume Deposit information (see below) in
October. Before committing to performing in the recital,
students and parents must agree to commit to Dress Rehearsal
(still being able to leave when student’s final number is
over) and recital (ENTIRE SHOW), as well as other studio
rehearsals. These dates are few, and given months in advance.
All must agree to follow backstage and performance rules. With
the exception of our youngest dancers (Pre-K / K) having the
option of leaving at intermission, dancers must stay in
dressing room area for the entire show. STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE DURING THE SHOW. All of these
guidelines are for the safety and well being of all. Parents
must notify teachers no later than November 1, 2011, if your
child will not be participating in the recital.
Excellent attendance
is crucial for the recital. After
January 1st, any student absent from a given class for three
weeks in a row will not be eligible to perform that class’s
dance in the Spring recital. In addition, students may not
miss more than 6 classes of a given class after January 1st in
order to perform in the recital. This policy, as with all
policies, is at the discretion of our staff. Parents will
remain responsible for any remaining balances of those
costumes, and no refunds will be given for tuition or
costumes.
Costume
Purchases and Deposits
Students participating in the recital will be committed to
purchasing a costume for each class performance. Certain
costumes required a specific shoe as well. Shoe requirements
will be announced after January 7, 2012.
A deposit of $50.00 per costume will be due by November 15,
2011. There are no refunds on costume deposits after this
date. Costume balances are due by February 1, 2012. A $10.00
late fee will be applied if payment is received after February
2, 2012. Please note
that there is only 1 day grace period on costume balances. No
exceptions. Studio teachers will hand out costumes as they
come in. Once they are in your possession, you are responsible
for them. Students are not allowed to wear costumes for any
non-studio performance prior to the recital. Lititz Academy of
Dance encourages its students to perform at school shows,
however, use of current costumes for talent shows is forbidden
due to the risk of damage and/or loss of a costume or
accessory. Students are encouraged to use past costumes for
those performances.
Studio
Communication
It is very important that parents know what is happening
throughout the year. Studio newsletters, announcements, and
reminders can be found on our website at
www.LititzAcademyofDance.com. There will also be copies
available in the studio. Each family has a folder which
contains pertinent information. Parents are asked to check
their folders and the studio bulletin board at least once a
month. If your child is absent 2 or more weeks in a row,
please call us so that we do not worry about you! You may also
receive a call from our office to check on your dancer.
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