PARENT HANDBOOK
The following describes the Suzuki School of the Arts policies and classes/lessons in detail. Please familiarize yourself with these policies and articles to gain the most benefit from your lessons.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Suzuki School of the Arts is a private, non-profit, 501c(3) organization offering a quality music program that provides instruction in violin, viola, cello, guitar, and piano. Students receive private lessons once a week with the exception of a group class that is held in lieu of a private lesson once a month. Instrumental instruction is open to anyone ages three through adult on a first come basis.
SSA does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, national or ethnic origin, disability, or socioeconomic status.
TUITION AND PAYMENTS
Tuition pays for a time slot in the teacher's schedule, not individual lessons. Should the student choose to discontinue lessons before the completion of the academic year, all fees are due and payable for that year. Tuition must be paid as a one-time fee due before September 1st, or in the case of later enrollment, before the first lesson. Easy payment plans are available, the most popular being 4 installments due the first of September, November, January, and March. Many parents find it helpful to arrange for their bank to automatically write the check each month. Please contact the Suzuki office to work out an individualized payment plan.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising covers a wide variety of school projects such as
100 days practice club trophies
Performance Venue fees
School equipment upkeep (such as music stands and pianos)
Recital reception supplies
Accompaniment
Scholarships for students in financial need.
Staff Development
Please support our school by participating in these fundraisers.
Concert Program Advertising
We will have a concert program this year which will be used for all SSA concerts. The middle pages with the student’s names, and the actual program will change but our ad sponsors will be in all concert programs for the entire year. Please have your business take advantage of this terrific advertising opportunity.
CONDUCT
Students and family members of Suzuki School of the Arts are expected to uphold the standards that Dr. Suzuki embodied towards others. Our organization has kind, respectful, and helpful people. Suzuki School will not tolerate any actions that are considered violent, threatening, and/or humiliating towards others. If there is any indication of such behavior, please notify a teacher or the Executive Director so that the situation can be handled in a swift and peaceful manner.
LESSONS
Visitors and Siblings
Please feel free to bring brothers, sisters, friends, relatives and other visitors to lessons. An appreciative audience is a welcome addition to any lesson; however, we ask that anyone coming to the lesson MUST STAY WITH YOU AT THE LESSON. We need to be especially considerate of others in the building. Please help us keep the building quiet and the noise to a minimum. If a sibling or visitor is disruptive, your student will not receive the most benefit from the lesson.
Missed Lessons
There will be one make-up lesson per year only. Lessons missed for reasons other than illness will not be made up. Lessons missed by the teacher will be rescheduled. If you know in advance that you must miss a lesson, call someone else on your teacher's schedule and switch lesson times for that week. The last week of the year is the make-up week. This takes a tremendous load off of the teacher and assures that you won't have to miss a lesson.
Communicating with Teachers
Please feel free to call your teacher at home for any messages you need to convey. You may also call the school number and leave a message for your teacher. Please keep in mind that not every teacher checks by the school every day, so there may be a delay in getting messages. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE FOR YOUR TEACHER except in cases of extreme emergency. The church does not have the staff to track us down and deliver messages.
Recording Your Lesson
Many families have found it especially effective to record the lesson. This can be done by using a cell phone, a video camera, or by just taking lots of notes. Whatever is best for you is what we want. At home, you can refer to these items and if questions or discrepancies arise as to what the teacher actually requested, it is documented and very easy for the student to see or hear. Recordings, both audio and video are every effective since they afford the student a way to hear examples again and again making practice easier and more productive.
Illness Policy
If you or your child is too sick to attend work/school then you are too sick to attend your lesson. Please refer to the Missed Lessons policy above. It keeps everyone healthy!
Inclement Weather
Contact your teacher in case of inclement weather. You may contact the Suzuki Office as well. IF THE TEACHER IS TEACHING, NO LESSONS WILL BE MADE UP.
Teacher Studio Policies
Every SSA teacher has their own studio policies that help create structure for their students. It is the teacher’s responsibility to let their students know how to enter the studio, how to practice, and how to contact them in case of emergency.
SCHOLARSHIPS
SSA offers a limited number of partial scholarships to students proving financial need. Financial need is assessed through written application annually. To apply, please call the SSA office. Students receiving financial aid are responsible for attending all activities of the school and participating fully in the program. They are also responsible for participating in all fundraisers of the school. Failure to comply with the terms of the scholarship will result in revocation of the scholarship and student will be billed for the regular cost of lessons for the entire year.
DONATIONS
The school has enjoyed a strong history of community support. Donations and gifts made to SSA greatly enhance the quality of the program by enabling the school to provide rich and varied experiences for its students and assists students who are unable to afford classes. SSA welcomes and appreciates your support. Please consider joining our team of supporters.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors act as the governing body of SSA. It is made up of parents, teachers, and interested citizens from the community on a volunteer basis. Meetings are held once a month. The SSA Board of Directors volunteer their skills and support fundraising to sustain the excellence which the school offers the community. Terms are on a two-year rotating basis.
OTHER SCHOOL PROJECTS
Workshop
Every fall SSA hosts a workshop to benefit the students in the North Carolina and surrounding state areas. This event is not included with the academic year tuition. Master teachers from all over the US are invited to teach the participating students over a two-day weekend which ends with a group concert for everyone to enjoy. All SSA students are encouraged to participate in this educational and joyous event.
Tour Group
SSA occasionally tours nationally and internationally to bridge new contacts and share our music performance skills. Students and teachers fundraise separately from Suzuki School’s regular fundraisers to help pay for travel and lodging expenses associated with tour group.