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Brandywine Music ~ Piano Program ~ Studio Policies

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If you are interested in pursuing piano lessons for your child or yourself, please contact me to schedule a meet-and-greet. Once we have determined that we are a good fit, lessons can be scheduled.

 

LESSONS are scheduled on Fons.com (or Fons.app). Simply log onto the site and click on the day and time you wish to reserve. To go directly to Fons, click

on the Schedule button. If you need help with scheduling on Fons,                                    please contact me.

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YOUR LESSON TIME is reserved for your exclusive use every week, whether it is used or not. If you cannot attend a lesson, please cancel on Fons and notify by text or email as soon as possible.   RESCHEDULING: Lessons are eligible for rescheduling, regardless of reason, IF you notify AT LEAST TWO HOURS before your lesson time. Two hours allows me to check messages and use lesson time constructively, as I don’t look at my phone during lesson time.                                                                                                                                                   RESCHEDULING OPTIONS:                                                                                                                         BEST: An online lesson  at your regular time (please see Online Lesson Tips)                          SECOND: Reschedule during an open slot in the schedule if available: please check the schedule on Fons and choose there.     

THIRD choice: reschedule during a FLEX WEEK. If you have NOT missed a lesson, you will be off during Flex Week. Flex Weeks coincide with the following holiday weeks: Thanksgiving, M. L. King Day, Easter, the end of the school year, and the end of summer, and can be used in advance of a planned absence.       

OR VIDEO LESSONS: After a missed lesson, student may video their working pieces and send them to me. I will review them and send back a video with instructions. This can be done in lieu of rescheduling.                                                                                                         Please check Program Calendar or website to see if studio is open on holidays, etc. ONE rescheduled lesson per Flex Week. Missed rescheduled lessons cannot be rescheduled again. Reschedules expire at the end of each Flex Week. I will try my best to reschedule missed lessons, but cannot guarantee it.  I reserve two paid/non-rescheduled lessons per year for when I need to cancel.     

                   

TUITION FEES REMAIN THE SAME REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY LESSONS ARE ATTENDED. Please see Membership Subscription/Tuition Fees page for more information. Tuition fees are kept affordable in consideration that not all missed lessons can be rescheduled.                                                                                                                                                                            ILLNESS: Anyone planning to enter who has ANY type of symptoms is asked to revert to online lessons or reschedule if there is an opening. Visibly ill students who attend will be asked to return home. No fever, frequent coughing/sneezing, or diarrhea/vomiting within 24 hours. Please also see Covid Protocols page.                                                                    INJURIES: Injury of a hand or arm is not necessarily a reason to take a break from lessons. The student can work with the uninjured hand, listening skills, music theory, rhythm, etc.                                                                                                                                         SNOW POLICY: If schools are closed or driving conditions are unsafe, PLEASE notify if you are canceling, as some schools may be closed and not others, some parents may drive in snow, and road conditions may improve during the day. I will close if my driveway has not been cleared. Online lessons are usually done on snow days, but if not possible, ONE snow day may be rescheduled per school year.                                                                                  LESSON LENGTH may vary. For example, a 30-minute lesson may only have 25 minutes of instructional time due to getting child settled in, restroom breaks, online technical difficulties, etc.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    PARKING: Please park diagonally on the right. Also, if you can back into the space, it makes it easier to pull out when leaving.  In consideration of other parents, please do not block the driveway. Children must be supervised outside; please keep them away from the road.                                                                                                                                                RESTROOM: The restroom is URGENT USE ONLY. Please have students use the restroom before leaving home or school. We have a “vintage” septic system which requires water conservation. Thank you for understanding.    

WAITING/DROPPING STUDENTS OFF: A parent of students under age 9 or special needs students must sit in on lessons; other parents/family please wait in the car or in the back yard if weather permits. ONE parent and ONE additional child may accompany a student if indoors. I cannot be responsible for students before or after their lesson time, or for siblings at any time. Please, no food or drinks in the studio except water, thank you.

BINDERS: Please supply a 3-ring binder for sheet music, practice notes, handouts, etc.                                                                                                                                                                                  DISCONTINUING: Please speak with me if student is showing decreased interest. A change in approach, different music, books, and activities usually help. Taking action early is best, and taking a break is usually counterproductive. Let me know if you need motivational ideas! Every student will stop taking lessons at some point. Please make this decision thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can end with a positive sense of closure.  A student may be asked to discontinue lessons at any time if they have unpaid tuition or an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they refuse to cooperate during lessons or have behavioral issues.            

                    

POLICIES are subject to change every September.                                                    Rev. 9/2022

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