Below is the policy for lessons and classes with ESMA. If you have any questions or concerns with the policy, please feel free to contact us.
Policy and Procedure for Lessons
This policy is provided for you in order to have a clear understanding of what is expected from you and your child as well as what is expected from your teacher. By following these guidelines we will optimize the lesson time and keep the learning enjoyable and productive. Thanks!
Lessons
- Please arrive in advance of the scheduled lesson time with all needed materials for the lesson. Lesson time will not be extended for those who are not ready to begin on time.
- The parent must accompany children to all lessons. Parent participation is an integral part of the Suzuki Method.
- When the student and parent arrive for the lesson they are allowed to enter the studio and wait quietly as the other lesson finishes. Observing other lessons can motivate students and fosters learning. If there is any risk of disrupting the other student’s lesson, please wait outside until it is your turn.
- Parents are encouraged to find child care for younger siblings during lessons. If this is not a possibility please provide quiet activities for the sibling to do during lessons.
- Parents must be an active part of the lesson with or without siblings.
- Please turn cell phones off or on vibrate during lessons. Calls may be taken outside only.
- Please bring a notebook to take detailed notes during the lessons to ensure practice goals are met at home.
- Gum chewing, eating, drinking, and snacking are not allowed.
- Please take care of business at the beginning of the lesson and not at the end (e.g., anticipated absence, paying of bills, updating information, etc.)
Billing
Lessons will be paid for in advance or at the lesson. Payment is due at the beginning of the term/month. Payments are due on the 1st of the month. A late fee of $20 will be assessed for late payments outside of a 10-day grace period that ends at 5 p.m. on the tenth day of the same month. During the coronavirus pandemic, we are waiving late fees.
Behavior
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous, respectful, and cooperative manner. Since many students are still very young, we ask the help of parents to ensure that their child behaves well so that we maximize learning and fun.
Parking
For lessons, parking is available on the street and in the neighborhood areas around each teacher’s studio.
For classes and events at Friendly Street Church, free parking is available in the church’s parking lot. If parking is unavailable in this lot, additional streetside parking spaces is available.
Home Practice
- The parent is the young child’s teacher at home. Parents are responsible for seeing that the child learns the new notes to their pieces. Parents must make the effort to learn to read music if they do not do so already. This is keeping with the philosophy of the Suzuki Method. In this way, lesson time is devoted to developing fine musicianship and technique.
- Parents are asked to establish and maintain a consistent practice area and time.
- Assignments and practice are expected to have the same priority as homework.
- Establishing regular listening to the recording is essential. Recommended listening times are at bedtime, while driving in the car, while eating breakfast, etc. Listening should be double practice time.
- If your instrument slips out of tune and you are not able to tune it, you are still expected to practice. Please contact your teacher so your instrument can be tuned, or have your instrument tuned at a local instrument shop or by someone who knows how to tune. If the problem persists the instrument may need repair.
Materials
We recommend that the student has a dedicated tote bag to carry required music, shoulder rest and any other supplies for lessons, which may include: Notebook, pens, pencils, highlighter, markers, music, note reading books and special assignments.
Graduation
A graduation recital/party can be organized at the end of each book. This is an event that can be celebrated between family, friends and teachers. This recital will be organized close to the completion of the book.
Hygiene
Students will come to lessons (in-person or virtual) with clean hands and clipped nails, and will be appropriately dressed.
Recitals
- Recitals are a special event for the family and are a landmark in your child’s musical growth. Students, parents, friends and family should dress respectfully for these occasions. Ask if you have questions about how dressed up to get.
- Students will regularly perform in recitals. We have 3 programed recitals during the school year and each student should plan to perform in at least 2 recitals. Please check dates with your family calendar early in the year to avoid missing out on these opportunities.
Video Lessons
- Schedule your video lesson ahead of time (as much as possible) and have time approved by your teacher
- Tune violin before lesson
- Make sure camera is at a good level and angle so teacher can see the whole student
- Larger screen (such as a tablet) is preferred so that communication is as easy as possible
- Prior to the lesson, let your teacher know your preferred video platform (such as Skype or FaceTime)
- Share your video chat contact information with your teacher prior to your lesson
- If an adult is normally in the lesson, then an adult should be present
- Your teacher will call you at the start time of the lesson
Illness
Please stay home if you or your child exhibit any of the following symptoms. You should stay home until your or your child’s symptoms are totally gone for 24 hours (or, if appropriate, treated with antibiotic medication for 48 hours).
- Fever greater than 100.5ºF
- Vomiting
- Sore or reddened throat with fever (e.g., strep throat)
- Rash (with or without fever)
- Unusual behavior change (such as unusually cranky, sleepy, or sluggish)
- Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
- Diarrhea (2 or more watery or loose stools in a 4-hour period), with or without fever
- Mouth sores with drooling (with or without fever)
- Skin sores that are “weeping” (fluid or pus-filled)
- Colored drainage from eyes or ears
- Brown, yellow, or green drainage from nose with fever
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Serious, sustained cough
- Abdominal pain that continues for 2 or more hours
- Chills or profuse sweating
- Live lice or nits
- Any contagious illness (e.g., measles, mumps, pertussis, chickenpox, scabies, impetigo)
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease
- Stiff neck or headache with one or more of the above symptoms
- Too tired or too sick to participate in daily activities
This policy is designed to help keep us all healthy. Thank you for your help with this goal!
Cancellations and Make-up Policy
- Care is taken to schedule the student at a mutually convenient time. A specific time is reserved weekly for you that is exclusively yours. This is the special nature of private study.
- If you are not able to make your lesson time, please give as much advance notice of the missed lesson as possible. This makes it easier to schedule a make-up lesson in the event of a cancellation. Please feel free to notify your teacher by phone or email.
- If a week or more advanced notice is given, top priority for make-up lesson times will be given.
- If 24 hours notice is given in the case of sickness, every effort will be made to schedule a make-up lesson time.
- If 24 hours notice is given in the case of a scheduling conflict, discretion of whether a make-up is possible is given to the teacher.
- If same-day notice is given, discretion of whether a make-up is possible is given to the teacher.
- If the student does not show up to lesson and no advanced notice is given, the lesson will not have the opportunity to be made up.
- If the teacher misses a lesson, every effort will be made to schedule a make-up lesson time that is mutually convenient.
- If a missed lesson is to be replaced with a make-up lesson, the make-up lesson must take place during the same term the original lesson was missed (i.e., a missed Winter Term lesson must be made up during Winter Term).
- Missed lessons will not be refunded.
- If our time together is considered valuable, rescheduling and working out schedules will not be a problem.