School Year 2018-19 Handbook Guidelines, Policies, and Procedures for Students and Parents
Handbook for Students and Parents Welcome to Studio 814 School of Performing Arts. We offer lessons in music, dance and drama to students age 3 and up. We are a part of the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park, and we welcome students from our school as well as outside our campus to come develop their performance talents with us. Studio 814 Aims DELIVER high-quality learning and teaching experiences. INSPIRE our students to become lifelong learners in the performing arts. PROVIDE our community with highly qualified teaching artists. MOTIVATE our student artists through performance opportunities. Overview This handbook details our policies and procedures. By signing up for lessons with us, you agree to abide by these guidelines as part of participating in our programs. 1. Scheduling 2. Types of Scheduled 3. Cancellation Policy 4. Fees & Payments 5. Student Supervision and Pick-Up 6. Music Books and Materials 7. ABRSM Exams 8. Recitals 9. Practice Policy 10. Instrument Policy 11. Open Mic Nights and Talent Show 12. 2018-19 Studio 814 Calendar Pages 5 and 6 Questions? Contact us at studio814@bischicagolp.org. Handbook - Page 1 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018
Handbook for Students and Parents 1. Scheduling (View the 2018-19 Studio 814 calendar on pages 5 and 6) a. Requests for scheduling lessons should go to the Studio 814 office at studio814@bischicagolp.org. b. Any changes to your students schedule must be arranged through the Studio 814 office. c. Students are not permitted to arrange lessons with Studio 814 teaching artists offsite without direct permission from the Studio 814 office. d. may be scheduled on any available dates listed on the handbook calendar (page 5) during any of our open hours: Monday to Thursday 3:30pm to 8:00pm, Fridays 3:30pm to 6:30pm, and Saturdays 9:00am to 2:00pm. 2. Types of Scheduled There are a few different types of scheduled lessons named based on their agreements. There may be slightly different expectations based on the type of lesson scheduled, and you will see these referred to later throughout the handbook. a. Termly Contracted are weekly lessons agreed for the duration of a school term. b. Optional are individual lessons scheduled outside of a weekly routine schedule. (Note: given during any school break times, such as spring or summer break, are considered optional lessons) i. Drop-in may be offered if a student has a current contract with Studio 814 and requests a lesson with late or no notice to the Studio 814 office. Teachers may now accommodate these lessons at their discretion at adjusted lesson rates, listed in section 4, Fees & Payments. c. Teacher Make-Up are individual lessons which account for a missed lesson due to a teacher absence. d. Student Make-Up are individual lessons which account for a missed lesson due to a student s absence. Student make-up lessons are only given based on teacher availability, and are not guaranteed. 3. Cancellation Policy a. Termly Contracted i. There will be no refunds or lesson credits for a cancellation unless it is a result of a teacher absence or school closure. ii. If the student is unwell on the day and unable to attend their lesson, please contact the school by phone at 773-506-2097 to inform us of their absence. missed due to student illness may receive a Student Make-Up Lesson if the instructor has availability, but this cannot be guaranteed. iii. You may declare a maximum of ONE (1) date as planned absence from contracted lessons. If you declare any date of absence before the second lesson of the contract, you will not be charged for this date. b. Optional and Make-Up i. may be cancelled up to one (1) week prior to a planned lesson at no additional fee or usage of lesson credits. ii. For cancellations made later than one (1) week prior to a lesson, there will be no refunds or lesson credits unless the cancellations is a result of a teacher absence. Handbook - Page 2 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018
iii. If the student is unwell on the day and unable to attend their lesson, please contact the school by phone at 773-506-2097 to inform us of their absence. 4. Fees & Payments a. The regular rates for private lessons with Studio 814 are below. These rates apply to all types of lessons scheduled with proper agreements/contracts submitted to Studio 814. i. 30-minute lessons: $40 each ii. 45-minute lessons: $60 each iii. 60-minute lessons: $80 each b. Drop-in : Under certain circumstances, we may make accommodations to our scheduling policy and accept students with current lesson contracts to attend additional lessons without submitting a form or contract agreement. In this case, the lesson may be completed without additional approval documents. Drop-in lesson rates are: i. 30-minute lesson: $50 each ii. 45-minute lessons: $70 each iii. 60-minute lessons: $90 each c. All payments must be received in full before the student begins attending the agreed lessons. d. Payments may be completed by credit card through the online payment system or by check made payable to BISC-LP. Please be sure to indicate the students name in the memo of your payment. e. An administration fee of $50 will be charged for any returned check. 5. Student Supervision and Pick-up a. For our primary school students taking lessons, it is required that students are supervised at all times. b. Students at school before a lesson without parent supervision must attend after-care, which is offered for Studio 814 students free of charge. c. Students being dropped off to a lesson by a parent must be escorted to the lesson room to confirm the teaching artist is present before the parent leaves. (Supervision and pick-up continued on following page) d. Parents should plan to pick their child up in the hallway outside the lesson room directly at the end of each lesson, unless other arrangements have been made to have the child attend after-care. Please do not wait inside classroom spaces while your child finishes their lesson. 6. Music Books & Materials a. It is the student s or parent/guardian s responsibility to provide the student with books and other lesson materials for study. These will be specified by the student s teacher. 7. ABRSM Exams a. If a student would like to pursue certification of their musical skills through the ABRSM exam program, your student can be entered for the exam by Studio 814. b. Fees for any exams entered will be paid by the school and billed to your student account. Pricing is based off the exam entry fees listed on the ABRSM website. c. We must abide by the submission deadlines set forth by the ABRSM company, so if you wish to enter your student to an exam, please let us know prior to the submission dates listed on the ABRSM website. d. To learn more about the ABRSM Exams, please visit https://us.abrsm.org/ Handbook - Page 3 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018
8. Recitals a. While not required, recitals are an integral part of the Studio 814 School of Performing Arts. Performance opportunities not only give students something to strive for but also a chance to celebrate their achievements and the achievements of their peers. b. Recitals will be held twice annually with dates announced in the handbook calendar (page 5) at the start of the year. The Studio 814 office will reach out by e-mail when it is time to confirm the pieces each student plans to perform for the recital. c. Program pieces must be submitted at least one (1) week prior to the recital date or your student may not be listed in the recital program. 9. Practice Policy a. We believe in responding to the needs of students as individuals. The teaching artists may ask for more or less at-home practice from students depending on what the student wants to achieve. The teaching artist will communicate directly with students or parents about their expectations, and we encourage parents to ask their teaching artists how they can best support their student s practice. 10. Instrument Policy a. For any students who wish to start instrument lessons but do not have an instrument of their own, Studio 814 will provide an instrument for the first trial lesson. If lessons continue after the trial, students will be expected to provide their own instrument according to their teaching artist s specifications. b. For piano students, we understand that you do not carry your instrument to each lesson, however, for developing keyboard skills it is very valuable to have a practice keyboard or piano at home. 11. Open Mic Nights & Talent Show a. Our Open Mic Night events are hosted in the school s drama studio and are open for any types of performances by anyone, including students, teachers, parents, and community members. Content must be appropriate for all ages. If there is a performance with inappropriate content, the performer may be asked to leave at the discretion of the event organizers. b. To perform in the BISC-LP talent show, students must fill an application and show their intended talent show performance at one of the open mic night events. There are a limited number of spots in the talent show and a final list of performers will be released closer to the event. Questions? Contact us at studio814@bischicagolp.org. Turn the page for our full year calendar >> Handbook - Page 4 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018
Studio 814 Lesson Calendar, 2018-19 Autumn Term Autumn Term Begin Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Thursday, September 6, 2018 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Thursday, October 4, 2018 Autumn Half-Term Break Monday, October 22 Monday, October 29, 2018 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Thursday, November 1, 2018 Winter Recital (Optional lessons only) Saturday, November 10, 2018 Thanksgiving Break: No lessons available Wednesday, November 22 Saturday, November 25, 2018 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Thursday, December 6, 2018 Final Day of Autumn Term Saturday, December 22 Winter Break for all dates except school closure dates CLOSED: Christmas Holiday - December 24, 25, 26 OPEN: December 27 29 & January 3-5 CLOSED: New Years - January 1, & 2 Spring Term Spring Term Begin Monday, January 7, 2019 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Wednesday, January 9, 2019 School Closed: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 21, 2019 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Spring Half-Term Break Monday, February 18 - Saturday, February 25, 2019 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Wednesday, March 6, 2019 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Wednesday, April 3 Final Day of Spring Term Saturday, April 13 Spring Break Monday, April 15 Saturday, April 27, 2019 Summer Term Summer Term Begin Monday, April 29, 2019 Open Mic Night (5:00 PM) Wednesday, May 1, 2019 Summer Recital (Optional lessons only) Saturday, May 18, 2019 Summer Half-Term Break Monday, May 27 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 School Block Party: No Friday, June 14, 2019 BISC-LP s Got Talent! Wednesday, June 19, 2019 School Sports Day: No Friday, June 21, 2019 Final Day of Summer Term Saturday, June 22, 2019 Handbook - Page 5 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018
Studio 814 Lesson Calendar, 2018-19 Autumn Term Summer Term Optional Color Key Spring Term Recital Day No *All contracted lesson are subject to teacher availability October (31) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 January (30) (31) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 April (31) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Handbook - Page 6 of 6 Updated August 23, 2018