Attendance Policies
Attendance at Private Lessons / Missed Lessons Policy
By enrolling in lessons at the ISA, it is expected that students adhere to their assigned weekly lesson and group class time. It is also expected that teachers maintain those times. Consistency is important for a student's development and reinforces good technical and practice habits. Knowing that at times situations may occur that require lessons to be rescheduled by either the student or the teacher, the ISA has adopted the following policies:
Remote Learning for Students
In the instance where local officials declare a Public Health Stage in which in-person learning is not safe, online instruction will continue, according to the dates in our Academic Calendar. The ISA will ensure that faculty have adequate devices and platforms to use for continuity of online lessons and classes.
Self-Isolation or Exclusion from ISA Physical Environment: In the instance that an enrolled family is required to self isolate or be excluded from the physical ISA environment, lessons and classes will continue online. The ISA Attendance at Private Lessons/Missed Lessons Policy remains intact with regard to student make ups, teacher cancellations, and teacher illness/personal days.
Student Make-Up Lessons
Students are allowed one make-up lesson per semester during Make-Up Week. The First Semester is from August – December and the Second Semester is from January – May. Once a semester has passed, that option expires if not used. Teachers are not required to accommodate students’ requests for additional make-up lessons during the semester. No tuition refunds will be offered.
Teacher Cancellations
The ISA expects its teachers to attend scheduled lessons every week with an exceptional dedication to their students. The ISA understands that many faculty members have professional commitments outside of their private students at ISA. We consider this a benefit to the quality of teaching at ISA and believe that faculty keeping a well-rounded balance of professional commitments improves their quality of teaching. Therefore, this professional balance will be considered in terms of teachers needing to reschedule lessons on an occasional basis.
Teacher illness/personal days
Teachers are permitted to reschedule one (1) private lesson per student per semester for illness or personal reasons with short-term notice (12-48 hours). It is expected that those make-up lessons will occur within a timely fashion (within two weeks if possible). The rescheduled time must be mutually agreed-upon by the teacher and the student/family. If the teacher offers at least three (3) reasonable make-up times (one of which may include a make-up during make-up week) and no possible time is acceptable to the family, then the family forfeits that lesson.
Teacher professional commitments (with advance notice)
If a teacher needs to reschedule a lesson during the semester for professional commitments, advance notice must be given to students/families as early as possible, but no later than one week in advance. Families shall be asked to make reasonable accommodations to honor faculty’s other professional commitments. Faculty are expected to keep this rescheduling to a minimum, not to exceed four times per year (or 10% of lessons). For each rescheduling request, faculty must offer at least three (3) reasonable make-up times (or a lesson during make-up week). If three (3) reasonable make-up times have been offered and a student/family refuses any of the options, they will forfeit that lesson and no refund will be offered. If a family believes that a teacher has rescheduled an excessive number of lessons without adequate make-up options, they may petition the Executive Director (or ISA Board if necessary) for a refund or lesson credit(s) for a future month. Teachers will only be paid for lessons that are successfully rescheduled.
Virtual Lessons
Virtual lessons are an appropriate substitute for in-person lessons if both parties are in agreement to conduct the lesson via an online platform. To maintain the highest quality of instruction and interaction between student, teacher, and parent, in-person lessons are the preferred method of teaching for the ISA.
Illness Policy
In order to protect faculty and other students from contagious diseases, we request that students, parents and siblings with a contagious illness to refrain from entering the Academy until they are well. Teachers reserve the right to not teach lessons to students who are ill, or appear to be suffering symptoms of the flu, colds, etc. The same applies to parents or siblings accompanying the student. In the case of illness, please make every attempt to notify your Teacher at least 24 hours in advance. In the event of illness, the following options will be available for makeup lessons: 1) makeup weeks provided on the ISA Academic Calendar; or 2) forfeit the lesson. There are no refunds or credits given in the event of illness.
NOTE: ISA considers “illness” to include fever or diarrhea/vomiting within the previous 24 hours, and/or excessive “productive” coughing/sneezing/sniffling at the time of the lesson. Additionally, if the student has had chicken pox or a similar breakout, sores must be completely “crusted over” for at least 24 hours. In the case of lice, the student must be completely free of both lice and nits for at least 24 hours. Please note that all of the above guidelines also apply to parents and siblings attending lessons.
COVID-19 Related Guidelines
The ISA Board of Directors and Staff is dedicated to the safety and health of our students, families and staff. COVID-related protocol and procedures can be found here.
https://www.indysuzukiacademy.org/covid-19-policies.html
Parent Involvement, Attendance & Practice
Our faculty is excited to partner with you and your child in developing character through learning to play an instrument. The parent, child, teacher relationship is described as the Suzuki Triangle and is one of mutual respect, encouragement, and collaboration. The teacher's job is not only to teach the child but equip you as the parent to be the teacher at home. The Suzuki method is founded on the idea that "every child can" given the right environment. Your job is to create that environment throughout the week including, daily practice times, listening, and lots of encouragement.
We expect a parent to be present for lessons and group class and be actively engaged in their child's practice at home. You will work with your child's teacher to decided when and how much independence to give your child in lessons and practice. This often happens around age 12.
Group Classes
Community that happens in group class both for children and families is an essential component of the environment that makes the Suzuki method successful.
Children learn from other children. “As any parent who has more than one child will testify, children are strongly motivated to learn new skills by watching and listening to other children. There seems to be an instinctive recognition that a task mastered by another person of a similar age must be desirable, achievable and worth pursuing.” (Every Child Can, by Suzuki Association of the Americas, Inc, p A4).
Goals for group class:
Attendance expectations:
General Policies
Building Use and Parking
Please clean up after yourself and leave our space even better than you found it. Let’s take care of the space together. The parking lot is reserved for faculty and staff. Please park on the street.
Instrumental Rental & Maintenance
Families are required to rent or purchase an instrument appropriate for their student to use for daily home practice. Please consult your private teacher before making any rental, repair, or purchase decision.
Violin, Cello
Having an appropriately sized instrument allows the student to develop good technique and play with ease. It is better for the instrument to be a little small than a little too big. You may need to try different chin rests and shoulder rests to find the best fit for your child. At least once a year, string students should consider re-hairing their bow and changing strings. Contact Indianapolis Violins at 317-624-0441 or [email protected] for assistance.
Piano
Students enrolled in piano lessons are expected to obtain an acoustic piano or a high quality digital piano, which will enable the student to learn the proper key action and tone production. A keyboard is not sufficient. Contact Piano Solutions (www.pianosolutions.net) for assistance.
Harp
Students enrolled in harp lessons are expected to obtain and maintain a quality harp through Lyon and Healy (www.lyonhealy.com) or through Vanderbilt Music (www.vanderbiltmusic.com).
Trumpet
Suzuki trumpet teacher, Larry Powell, will assist each student in securing the appropriate equipment and instrument. ([email protected] )
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law.
Withdrawal Policy
Out of consideration for the Academy, and specifically your Teacher, a student may withdraw from the academic year only during one of two Withdrawal Periods listed below.
December 1 withdrawal date
July 1 withdrawal date
For example, a student wishing to end lessons on October 15, will be responsible for tuition through the end of the December 1 withdrawal date, regardless of number of lessons. They will be responsible to pay tuition on October 15, November 15 and December 15.
These enrollment and withdrawal periods have been identified in order to support our faculty who have chosen to make this their livelihood.
Parents are responsible for tuition through the end of their withdrawal date, regardless of number of lessons they prefer to have with their teacher.
If a teacher owes a makeup lesson to the student for a cancellation by the teacher, the student will receive their makeup lesson prior to the last lesson date.
Dismissal
The Academy takes seriously its commitment to an exceptional program and reserves the right to dismiss any student due to frequent tardiness or missed lessons, behavioral problems, lack of improvement, delinquency in payment of fees, failure to abide by policy, or other serious misconduct.
By enrolling in lessons at the ISA, it is expected that students adhere to their assigned weekly lesson and group class time. It is also expected that teachers maintain those times. Consistency is important for a student's development and reinforces good technical and practice habits. Knowing that at times situations may occur that require lessons to be rescheduled by either the student or the teacher, the ISA has adopted the following policies:
Remote Learning for Students
In the instance where local officials declare a Public Health Stage in which in-person learning is not safe, online instruction will continue, according to the dates in our Academic Calendar. The ISA will ensure that faculty have adequate devices and platforms to use for continuity of online lessons and classes.
Self-Isolation or Exclusion from ISA Physical Environment: In the instance that an enrolled family is required to self isolate or be excluded from the physical ISA environment, lessons and classes will continue online. The ISA Attendance at Private Lessons/Missed Lessons Policy remains intact with regard to student make ups, teacher cancellations, and teacher illness/personal days.
Student Make-Up Lessons
Students are allowed one make-up lesson per semester during Make-Up Week. The First Semester is from August – December and the Second Semester is from January – May. Once a semester has passed, that option expires if not used. Teachers are not required to accommodate students’ requests for additional make-up lessons during the semester. No tuition refunds will be offered.
Teacher Cancellations
The ISA expects its teachers to attend scheduled lessons every week with an exceptional dedication to their students. The ISA understands that many faculty members have professional commitments outside of their private students at ISA. We consider this a benefit to the quality of teaching at ISA and believe that faculty keeping a well-rounded balance of professional commitments improves their quality of teaching. Therefore, this professional balance will be considered in terms of teachers needing to reschedule lessons on an occasional basis.
Teacher illness/personal days
Teachers are permitted to reschedule one (1) private lesson per student per semester for illness or personal reasons with short-term notice (12-48 hours). It is expected that those make-up lessons will occur within a timely fashion (within two weeks if possible). The rescheduled time must be mutually agreed-upon by the teacher and the student/family. If the teacher offers at least three (3) reasonable make-up times (one of which may include a make-up during make-up week) and no possible time is acceptable to the family, then the family forfeits that lesson.
Teacher professional commitments (with advance notice)
If a teacher needs to reschedule a lesson during the semester for professional commitments, advance notice must be given to students/families as early as possible, but no later than one week in advance. Families shall be asked to make reasonable accommodations to honor faculty’s other professional commitments. Faculty are expected to keep this rescheduling to a minimum, not to exceed four times per year (or 10% of lessons). For each rescheduling request, faculty must offer at least three (3) reasonable make-up times (or a lesson during make-up week). If three (3) reasonable make-up times have been offered and a student/family refuses any of the options, they will forfeit that lesson and no refund will be offered. If a family believes that a teacher has rescheduled an excessive number of lessons without adequate make-up options, they may petition the Executive Director (or ISA Board if necessary) for a refund or lesson credit(s) for a future month. Teachers will only be paid for lessons that are successfully rescheduled.
Virtual Lessons
Virtual lessons are an appropriate substitute for in-person lessons if both parties are in agreement to conduct the lesson via an online platform. To maintain the highest quality of instruction and interaction between student, teacher, and parent, in-person lessons are the preferred method of teaching for the ISA.
Illness Policy
In order to protect faculty and other students from contagious diseases, we request that students, parents and siblings with a contagious illness to refrain from entering the Academy until they are well. Teachers reserve the right to not teach lessons to students who are ill, or appear to be suffering symptoms of the flu, colds, etc. The same applies to parents or siblings accompanying the student. In the case of illness, please make every attempt to notify your Teacher at least 24 hours in advance. In the event of illness, the following options will be available for makeup lessons: 1) makeup weeks provided on the ISA Academic Calendar; or 2) forfeit the lesson. There are no refunds or credits given in the event of illness.
NOTE: ISA considers “illness” to include fever or diarrhea/vomiting within the previous 24 hours, and/or excessive “productive” coughing/sneezing/sniffling at the time of the lesson. Additionally, if the student has had chicken pox or a similar breakout, sores must be completely “crusted over” for at least 24 hours. In the case of lice, the student must be completely free of both lice and nits for at least 24 hours. Please note that all of the above guidelines also apply to parents and siblings attending lessons.
COVID-19 Related Guidelines
The ISA Board of Directors and Staff is dedicated to the safety and health of our students, families and staff. COVID-related protocol and procedures can be found here.
https://www.indysuzukiacademy.org/covid-19-policies.html
Parent Involvement, Attendance & Practice
Our faculty is excited to partner with you and your child in developing character through learning to play an instrument. The parent, child, teacher relationship is described as the Suzuki Triangle and is one of mutual respect, encouragement, and collaboration. The teacher's job is not only to teach the child but equip you as the parent to be the teacher at home. The Suzuki method is founded on the idea that "every child can" given the right environment. Your job is to create that environment throughout the week including, daily practice times, listening, and lots of encouragement.
We expect a parent to be present for lessons and group class and be actively engaged in their child's practice at home. You will work with your child's teacher to decided when and how much independence to give your child in lessons and practice. This often happens around age 12.
Group Classes
Community that happens in group class both for children and families is an essential component of the environment that makes the Suzuki method successful.
Children learn from other children. “As any parent who has more than one child will testify, children are strongly motivated to learn new skills by watching and listening to other children. There seems to be an instinctive recognition that a task mastered by another person of a similar age must be desirable, achievable and worth pursuing.” (Every Child Can, by Suzuki Association of the Americas, Inc, p A4).
Goals for group class:
- Having fun with our instrument and peers
- Learning from and being inspired by peers
- Learning to play together as an ensemble
- Reviewing and reinforcing technique learned in private lessons
- Performing for one another in a safe environment
Attendance expectations:
- Regular attendance is expected in order to support this community that helps all of our children learn.
- 70% attendance is required to be eligible to participate in the Annual Concert in March. (Violin/Cello/Trumpet - 8 or fewer absences. Harp/Piano - 2 or fewer absences)
General Policies
Building Use and Parking
Please clean up after yourself and leave our space even better than you found it. Let’s take care of the space together. The parking lot is reserved for faculty and staff. Please park on the street.
Instrumental Rental & Maintenance
Families are required to rent or purchase an instrument appropriate for their student to use for daily home practice. Please consult your private teacher before making any rental, repair, or purchase decision.
Violin, Cello
Having an appropriately sized instrument allows the student to develop good technique and play with ease. It is better for the instrument to be a little small than a little too big. You may need to try different chin rests and shoulder rests to find the best fit for your child. At least once a year, string students should consider re-hairing their bow and changing strings. Contact Indianapolis Violins at 317-624-0441 or [email protected] for assistance.
Piano
Students enrolled in piano lessons are expected to obtain an acoustic piano or a high quality digital piano, which will enable the student to learn the proper key action and tone production. A keyboard is not sufficient. Contact Piano Solutions (www.pianosolutions.net) for assistance.
Harp
Students enrolled in harp lessons are expected to obtain and maintain a quality harp through Lyon and Healy (www.lyonhealy.com) or through Vanderbilt Music (www.vanderbiltmusic.com).
Trumpet
Suzuki trumpet teacher, Larry Powell, will assist each student in securing the appropriate equipment and instrument. ([email protected] )
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law.
Withdrawal Policy
Out of consideration for the Academy, and specifically your Teacher, a student may withdraw from the academic year only during one of two Withdrawal Periods listed below.
December 1 withdrawal date
- Required Notice of withdrawal is due no later than December 1.
- Last monthly payment would be processed December 15.
- Last Lesson would occur no later than December 24, or earlier upon mutual arrangement of the teacher and student.
July 1 withdrawal date
- Required Notice of withdrawal is due no later than July 1.
- Last monthly payment would be processed July 15.
- Last Lesson would occur no later than the 7 summer lessons through August 5, or earlier upon mutual arrangement of the teacher and student.
For example, a student wishing to end lessons on October 15, will be responsible for tuition through the end of the December 1 withdrawal date, regardless of number of lessons. They will be responsible to pay tuition on October 15, November 15 and December 15.
These enrollment and withdrawal periods have been identified in order to support our faculty who have chosen to make this their livelihood.
Parents are responsible for tuition through the end of their withdrawal date, regardless of number of lessons they prefer to have with their teacher.
If a teacher owes a makeup lesson to the student for a cancellation by the teacher, the student will receive their makeup lesson prior to the last lesson date.
Dismissal
The Academy takes seriously its commitment to an exceptional program and reserves the right to dismiss any student due to frequent tardiness or missed lessons, behavioral problems, lack of improvement, delinquency in payment of fees, failure to abide by policy, or other serious misconduct.
Inclement Weather Policy
Inclement Weather Closings
This policy applies to a situation where the entire ISA must close due to inclement weather.
Communication About Closures or Delays
When ISA closes, has late openings, or early dismissals for inclement weather, students and parents will be notified in the following manner:
In case of closure parents will be notified as soon as practical. Additional notices will go out for special circumstances as needed.
Please use your best judgment in regard to travel for lessons. If the Academy remains open but you consider it unsafe to drive during a storm, please inform your teacher that you will miss your lesson.
No make-up lessons or credits apply when the school remains open and the teacher is present to teach.
Private lessons
In the event of a building closure due to weather conditions, the private lesson will convert to an online lesson according to the teacher’s original schedule. In the instance of building closure where the student is unable to accommodate a switch to an online lesson due to weather closure, there will be no make-up lessons offered.
In the event that a student is unable to convert their lesson to an online lesson at the originally scheduled time, the following policy will apply. There are 3 different procedures, one for each time we must close on the same day of the week, (e.g. each time there is a snow day on a Tuesday).
--> First snow/cold day on a specific day of the week (e.g. first Tuesday snow day): Student does
not receive a credit. Teacher is paid. (The student bears the cost.)
--> Second snow/cold day on the same day of the week (e.g. second Tuesday snow day): Student
receives a financial credit. Teacher is paid. (Academy bears the cost.)
-->Third snow/cold day on the same day of the week (e.g. third Tuesday snow day): Student
receives a credit. Teacher is not paid. (Teacher bears the cost.)
Group classes
In the event of a building closure due to weather conditions, group classes will be canceled. There will be no make-up class offered for the first group class canceled for weather, nor will a student receive a credit. If the same group class must be canceled a second time in an academic year, an additional class session will be offered at a future date to students whose class was canceled.
This policy applies to a situation where the entire ISA must close due to inclement weather.
Communication About Closures or Delays
When ISA closes, has late openings, or early dismissals for inclement weather, students and parents will be notified in the following manner:
- The announcement will be made on the homepage of IndySuzukiAcademy.org
- An e-mail will be sent to all enrolled families.
In case of closure parents will be notified as soon as practical. Additional notices will go out for special circumstances as needed.
Please use your best judgment in regard to travel for lessons. If the Academy remains open but you consider it unsafe to drive during a storm, please inform your teacher that you will miss your lesson.
No make-up lessons or credits apply when the school remains open and the teacher is present to teach.
Private lessons
In the event of a building closure due to weather conditions, the private lesson will convert to an online lesson according to the teacher’s original schedule. In the instance of building closure where the student is unable to accommodate a switch to an online lesson due to weather closure, there will be no make-up lessons offered.
In the event that a student is unable to convert their lesson to an online lesson at the originally scheduled time, the following policy will apply. There are 3 different procedures, one for each time we must close on the same day of the week, (e.g. each time there is a snow day on a Tuesday).
--> First snow/cold day on a specific day of the week (e.g. first Tuesday snow day): Student does
not receive a credit. Teacher is paid. (The student bears the cost.)
--> Second snow/cold day on the same day of the week (e.g. second Tuesday snow day): Student
receives a financial credit. Teacher is paid. (Academy bears the cost.)
-->Third snow/cold day on the same day of the week (e.g. third Tuesday snow day): Student
receives a credit. Teacher is not paid. (Teacher bears the cost.)
Group classes
In the event of a building closure due to weather conditions, group classes will be canceled. There will be no make-up class offered for the first group class canceled for weather, nor will a student receive a credit. If the same group class must be canceled a second time in an academic year, an additional class session will be offered at a future date to students whose class was canceled.
