Studio Policies

Please use the Swap List (provided to each student) for any unavoidable conflict (i.e. your student has a sporting event, doctor’s appointment, birthday party). Use the

Teacher Responsibilities:

• Provide a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere for learning and encourage a feeling of success at each student’s individual rate of learning.
• Offer multiple performance and enriching activities with a balanced program of theory, technique, sight-reading and performance opportunities.
• Continue to further her teaching skills and music knowledge by belonging to professional organizations, attending workshops, reading professional publications, and engaging in other activities leading to professional growth.

Parental Responsibilities:

• Provide a piano in the best possible condition (most keyboards and organs are not appropriate).
• Set aside a regular time for practice each day (this can be done all at once or divided into two or more daily practice sessions) to develop self-discipline and good practice habits. Younger children especially need help from parents with their practicing.
• Encourage progress! Many small steps throughout the year yield great results! Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend lessons at any time.
• Check your child’s notebook, Studio website (www.leavittpianostudio.com) and Facebook page weekly for pertinent information.
• Provide a metronome, 3-ring binder and repertoire/method books. Photocopied materials are illegal and will not be used unless the original music is no longer in print and we have permission from the copyright owner.
• Provide a place allowing quiet and uninterrupted practice.
• Provide a practice environment that is free from interruptions (family, friends, TV, computer or phone).
• Be financially responsible. Pay tuition on time. For account questions, please contact Shauna directly.
• Also, communicate any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s progress.
• Be helpful, interested and supportive!

Student Responsibilities:

• Arrive at each lesson punctually, well-prepared, and with all necessary materials. If you arrive five minutes late, your lesson is five minutes shorter. You reserve the time slot, not the number of minutes.
• Practice! In order to progress satisfactorily, daily quality practice is necessary and required.
• Participate in Studio activities. Youth students will participate in a minimum of two performances per year. Students will also have the option of additional performance opportunities if desired.

Tuition and Fees

Commitment:

When students enroll, they are reserving their placement in the studio for the entire school year (September – June). Tuition is charged monthly for the student’s whole course of music study, payable in 10 monthly installments from September through June.

Registration Fee:

An annual registration fee of $75 is due July 1, 2017 to cover the costs of recital venue, tuning, Spring Festival, studio lending library and incentive rewards/programs. Other optional events offered throughout the year have additional registration fees (Baroque Festival, Holiday Concert, etc.) Student materials and music are not included in this fee.

Tuition:

Tuition is based upon enrollment for 34 weeks of private instruction (September – June), Two studio recitals, one studio performance class, and a fall studio party (grade 1-8). The monthly tuition for  2017/2018 is $130 for 30-minute lessons and $185 for 45-minute lessons. Tuition is nonrefundable. Payment for piano lessons is due in full whether the student attends each scheduled lesson or not. Each student is scheduled for a specific weekly time slot. Your payment reserves that time slot. Student materials and music are not included in this fee.

Payment Due Date/Late Fee: 

You will receive a Paypal invoice via email prior to the due date on the 1st of each month.  There is a late fee of $10.00 for each week payment is past due. Please include the late fee with your late payment.

What Else Tuition Covers: 

• Tuition covers not only the contact time spent with the student, but also the time spent in preparation for the student.
• An individualized plan for the student’s course of study
• Development of teaching materials
• Recitals, including preparation of programs and refreshments
• Professional organization memberships to enhance teaching skills and provide students with opportunities for competitions, exams, and festivals
• Piano tuning and repairs
• Continuing education

Terminating Lessons:

The teacher may terminate lessons due to negative behavior, failure to practice, or failure to comply with studio etiquette.  Terminating lessons before the end of the year (September – June) must be by mutual agreement between the teacher and parent.  Any termination initiated by the parent or student requires at least 1 month written notice.

Cancellations and Make-up Lessons

The tuition you pay reserves an exclusive weekly time in the schedule for your child. Unlike a doctor or a hairdresser, Shauna cannot re-sell that time nor will she create extra teaching time in which to give lessons. It is essential to maintain consistent instruction with your student to keep progress and motivation on track. The studio is run at full capacity so if a lesson is cancelled by the student rescheduling it may not be possible. However, you may check the Studio Calendar to see if another student has canceled.

• No payment credit will be provided for missed lessons. Due to the teacher’s limited availability, no makeup lessons will be offered for any reason. Be sure to choose a lesson time that is one in which you feel confident that you will have no other conflicts. In the unusual event of Shauna canceling a lesson, she will gladly reschedule at the earliest possible time.
• Swapping with another family are great solutions for not missing lessons.

Unavoidable Conflicts and Swap List:

Please use the Swap List (provided to each student) for any unavoidable conflict (i.e. your student has a sporting event, doctor’s appointment, birthday party). Use the Swap List if you do not want to forfeit that lesson. The family that is exchanging the lesson needs to let Shauna know the exchange information. No credits are given for lessons the student chooses to miss.

• The student exchange roster is given only to those families who have opted in.
• All exchanges must be done parent to parent. The teacher will not arrange changes for any student and students are never to arrange them for themselves.
• The parent who requested the exchange is responsible to email, text, or call Shauna within 24 hours.
• If two families show up for the same lesson time because the exchange was not confirmed properly, priority will go to the normally scheduled student(s) with no refund or rescheduling for the other student(s).
• Exchanges are not obligatory, they are reciprocal. If someone says NO to an exchange request, please respect that. If someone exchanges with you, however, be kind and return the favor when possible.
• The exchanges list is never to be used to solicit funds for schools or any other organization for any purpose including any kind of spam. Those who do so will be removed from the exchange list privilege. Please respect other’s privacy.

Makeups:

When you register for lessons, you are reserving your weekly lesson time for the teaching year. Shauna does not offer makeup lessons and or refunds for lessons cancelled by students.

Rescheduling: 

If another studio cancels their lessons it will posted on the Studio Calendar page. If there is a suitable time available, simply register for the time. Rescheduling must take place within 5 days of the cancelled lesson, otherwise the lesson is forfeited. A Swap List is also offered to allow you to trade times with other students when unavoidable conflicts occur.

Written Notice for Cancellations:

It is expected that a parent will give written notice by email if a lesson is going to be cancelled. The more advance notice you give, the more you are helping other families find rescheduling solutions.

Inclement Weather:

The studio will be open if roads are passable and weather permits. Please come if you are comfortable driving. Otherwise, please notify Shauna that you will not be coming, and the lesson will be made up at a mutually convenient time convenient. Students will not have a makeup lesson if the roads are passable and a student opts not to attend his or her lesson.

Audio, Video & Photographs

During private/group lessons and performances, the teacher reserves the right to use video/audio recordings or take photographs of students for use in lesson demonstration, advertising materials, and Studio-owned Websites. Photos taken by the teacher or that are shared with the teacher by other parents or students become the property of the studio and can be used at the discretion of the teacher in regards to the Studio.

Location and Parking

The studio is located in Herndon in the Kingstream neighborhood near Herndon High School.