Missed Lessons & Termination Policy
I am contracted to be at the studio, to teach your student(s), for 33 lessons between September and June.
Because specific times are set aside for specific students, a student who does not attend a lesson will simply miss the benefit of that lesson. I will then use that time, or other times, to plan for the student’s progress, locate material, provide a progress report to the parent, etc. Please be assured that your tuition pays for far more than the time spent with your child. See “What Does My Tuition Pay For?”
There are no refunds, discounts, or make-up lessons given unless I am unable to teach the contracted number (33) of lessons. However, feel free to take advantage of the following alternative options that I provide if your student misses a lesson. These alternatives are NOT to be used just because a student (or parent) does not feel like coming to his or her lesson.
Please be assured that your tuition is always working for your child as I spend countless hours outside of actual lesson time choosing repertoire, planning, strategizing, attending competitions and festivals, and continuing my own music teaching education. So, even if you have to miss a lesson and cannot use an alternative offered, you don’t have to worry about receiving less for your tuition.
Alternative #1 – Swap Lessons Each parent will have the option of signing up to be on the SWAP LIST. This list will include the parent’s name, phone number, and email address, plus the day, time/length of their student’s lesson. You can sign up to be on the SWAP LIST when you fill out the Student Information Form. Here are the Swap Lesson Rules:
Contracted lesson day and time:
I reserve the right to release a student from studying piano at my music studio under the following conditions:
Because specific times are set aside for specific students, a student who does not attend a lesson will simply miss the benefit of that lesson. I will then use that time, or other times, to plan for the student’s progress, locate material, provide a progress report to the parent, etc. Please be assured that your tuition pays for far more than the time spent with your child. See “What Does My Tuition Pay For?”
There are no refunds, discounts, or make-up lessons given unless I am unable to teach the contracted number (33) of lessons. However, feel free to take advantage of the following alternative options that I provide if your student misses a lesson. These alternatives are NOT to be used just because a student (or parent) does not feel like coming to his or her lesson.
Please be assured that your tuition is always working for your child as I spend countless hours outside of actual lesson time choosing repertoire, planning, strategizing, attending competitions and festivals, and continuing my own music teaching education. So, even if you have to miss a lesson and cannot use an alternative offered, you don’t have to worry about receiving less for your tuition.
Alternative #1 – Swap Lessons Each parent will have the option of signing up to be on the SWAP LIST. This list will include the parent’s name, phone number, and email address, plus the day, time/length of their student’s lesson. You can sign up to be on the SWAP LIST when you fill out the Student Information Form. Here are the Swap Lesson Rules:
- The parent who is arranging a swap must text or email me the details of the swap, and cc the person with whom they are making the swap. This way, all parties are on the same page. Make sure that you are swapping for the same amount of lesson minutes, unless it is absolutely not possible. For example, try to swap a 45-minute lesson with another 45-minute lesson student.
- No make-up lessons will be given if any confusion and/or no-show happens from a swap.
Contracted lesson day and time:
- Whenever a parent needs to swap lessons between siblings, arrangements must be made in advance. Notification should be given before the day of the lesson.
- If a student comes to lessons having forgotten his or her books and if I have an extra set of your student’s books on hand, we can use those for his or her lesson. If not, we may just sight-read or play theory or music history games.
- Please, do not send a student to lessons who has a contagious cold or illness. Germs spread quickly in a music studio. If a student is sneezing and coughing but is not deemed contagious, please be aware that playing the piano may be difficult as they can’t keep their hands on the piano while covering their mouths.
I reserve the right to release a student from studying piano at my music studio under the following conditions:
- If a student expresses a consistent negative attitude in regards to his or her lessons, and has been warned about that attitude, and it has been discussed with a parent, and the attitude does not change, the student may be released. No credit will be issued. A negative attitude consists of a blatant disregard for the lesson assigned (choosing NOT to do something just because they don’t want to), disrespectful communication, or any type of verbal or physical abuse.
- If a student appears to be making no progress and doesn’t seem to care about making any progress, I reserve the right to release the student from music lessons at this studio. This will not occur without plenty of discussion with a parent or parents. Sometimes a student will blossom under a different teacher who may use different teaching techniques. I do not want a personality or teaching-style conflict to keep a student from progression.
- If a student (parent) consistently neglects to pay their tuition on time, said student may be released. Consistently means more than twice, and twice is too many.
- A student who shows a blatant disrespect for my home and/or family may be released. Disrespect means moving furniture and/or décor around or from my home, eating food that has not been designated for students, purposely damaging landscape, etc.
- If a student consistently comes to lessons unprepared, having had very little or no practice, he/she will be placed on probation. Probation means keeping a practice log that must be signed by a parent. Probation may last from 2 to 4 weeks. At that time, the student’s progress will be evaluated. If a student regresses back to the poor choice of no practice, the student may be terminated.