Overview
- Instructor: Stefanie Swinnard & Erin Michell
- Class Time:
- Tuesday | Music & Art | 9:00-11:30am | Stefanie
- Thursday | Dance & Art| 9:00-11:30am | Erin
- Friday | Drama & Art | 9:00-11:30am | Stefanie
- Contact: stefanie@thestagenewwest.ca | erin@thestagenewwest.
- Where: Lorne Street Studio | 230-50 Lorne Street New Westminster BC
Specific Class Materials
For this class we ask that you bring:
- water bottle already filled for the day
- allergen free, easy to eat snack.
GRADUAL ENTRY
*Covid Considerations*
Because of Covid we are trying our best to eliminate the number of parents in our lobby. This means that our gradual entry process needs to be adjusted.
If your child feels secure enough on the first day, one of our friendly staff will transition them from you at the door and into their spot to get ready for their class.
If your child struggles with separation anxiety we will allow parents to remain on specific places in the lobby so as to accommodate social distancing. Parents will not be allowed to enter the studio space but rather must remain in the lobby if your child needs support.
Parents must wear masks and sanitize hands.
*A Gentle Note*
We recognize, deeply, that this entry strategy could be difficult for some students. You may find that your child is unable to join the class for the first day, maybe even the second, but we encourage you to continue coming to the class and allow the adjustment time to occur. Even under normal circumstances first day jitters are completely normal but with enough support students will adjust.
Under Normal Circumstances
The process for our gradual entry into our Ballet/Tap Combo program classes is as follow:
Class #1 – Parents are invited to stay in the class provided that they do not engage with their child in a distracting way. It will be important to be there as a comfort for your child but not an alternative source of entertainment. We ask that you keep conversation with your child to a minimum and instead remain focussed on the class and watch the activities.
Class #2 – Parents are welcome to remain in the hallway and the door will remain open.
Class #3 – We will try and close the door to start the class. If we have a student that is unable to calm themselves for within the first 10 minutes we will open the door again and repeat step two. Step 3 (and subsequently 3) will be repeated as needed.
BATHROOM
Please note that your child must be “pro-potty” before beginning a 3+ years class. We are not equipped to deal with diapers or pull-ups in an independently attended class. Please speak to the office if you have concerns about your child’s journey on the road to toilet mastery.
This class will take a bathroom break part way through the morning.
Please click here to access our Bathroom Policy
RECITAL/FINAL PRESENTATIONS
*Covid Considerations*
Because of the Covid restrictions on number of people in our rooms we will be rethinking how we wrap up our classes with presentations this year. As soon as our plans are in place we will inform you. It is our goal to ensure that every student has a chance to perform their work at the end of each term.
Under Normal Circumstances
This class will have an opportunity to perform their term’s work at an informal recital/presentation on the last day of their class. Parents will be invited in to be the audience and we will celebrate all the hard work our students have accomplished.
In some cases some classes will have a formal recital as part of our WinterFest StageFest presentations in December and June respectively.
Your class presentation will always be on the last day of the program unless your class is participating in WinterFest or StageFest in which case you will receive additional dates.
EXAMPLE OF DAILY SCHEDULE
**Please know that all activities have been redesigned to accommodate Covid safe practices.**
This schedule may change based on the day and the mood of the classroom. Sometimes we will need longer for art, or perhaps snack time was shorter. We will adjust to the needs of our students as required.
9:00-9:15am – Arrival and Tinker Tray
- Students can take their time settling in to the day with a tray full of different materials to design and build with. This gathering time gives students a chance to warm into the day and have discussion with their friends before circle time.
9:15-9:30am – Welcome Circle
- Students are invited to join the teacher at our Welcome Circle where we do a hello song and do a little bit of “business”. We learn about the days of the week, calendar numbers, months of the year and the weather. When time allows we also include a short activity like letter writing trays, memory games or stories.
9:30-10:25am – Class Time
- Depending on the day of the week this is the time when we participate in our music, dance or theatre class.
10:25-10:30am – Quiet Time
- This part of the class is used to transition students from their class time and into the second half. Students enjoy the 3-5 minutes of peaceful music on their own blanket to calm their bodies and ready their ears before moving on. (Oddly this becomes one of the most requested activities!)
10:30-10:40am – Bathroom Trip (please read the section about the Bathroom below)
- Students and their teachers take a quick trip to the bathroom located down the hall from our main studio door. All students are encouraged to try so that snack and art aren’t interrupted with emergency trips to the bathroom.
10:40-11:00am – Snack Time
- Playing is hungry work and now’s our time to refuel! Parents provide students with a nutritious, allergen free snack, and a refillable water bottle to keep us going!
11:00-11:25am – Art
- Students will explore a variety of different, age appropriate art and craft activities. Sometimes our projects will take a couple sessions to complete and other days we will get to take them home right away. Anything that is kept is put into an art book to enjoy at the end of the term.
11:25-11:30am – Goodbye Circle
- Here we discuss our favourite activity of the day and sing a goodbye song to booked our class expertly. Once ready with all our belongings the door is open and home we go!
ALLERGIES
If your child has allergies it is mandatory that you fill in the Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan. Please arrive with this document and give it to your teacher.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
To read more about your instructor please visit www.thestagenewwest.ca/about/instructors/
general studio information
**COVID STRATEGIES
Everyone has a responsibility in keeping our community safe.
Please be sure to familiarize yourself with our Covid procedures by clicking here.
PAYMENT
Please be sure to have your payment plan in place by the first class of the term. If you are not paying in full online please let the office know of your payment plan. You can also pay:
- Full payment online through your Parent Portal
- Full payment with a cheque made out to THE STAGE MUSICAL THEATRE ACADEMY INC.
- Full payment E-transfers to payments(at)thestagenewwest.ca
REFUNDS/WITHDRAWALS
Please read our Refund/Withdrawal Policy for more information.
STUDIO LOCATION
Lorne Street Studio | 230-50 Lorne Street New Westminster BC
PARKING
Please click here for information regarding parking at our locations
PARENT PORTAL
Your Parent Portal can be accessed on our website by clicking the “Log In” button at the top right corner of the website. If you are on the phone the small black bar at the top of the screen is a drop down menu which will contain the link. From here you will enter the same information you used when first registering your child. The Parent Portal will contain any important information relevant to your class. Please familiarize yourself with this feature so you can stay on top of important announcements and dates.
If you have forgotten your password please use the forgot password function and follow the prompts.
REPORTING CLASS ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent please call the office and leave a message 604.518.1291
or
email your instructor at the contact email posted above
WAIVER
Please fill out the waiver that was sent via email and bring with you on the first day. All waivers are renewed in September of each year. Please ensure that ALL of your child’s important medical and contact information is accurate by logging in to your Parent Portal.
GENERAL DRESS CODE
Students are required to wear dance or gym attire that covers them modestly when moving. We appreciate everyone’s unique style expression but must ensure that clothing doesn’t restrict movement required in class. Who knows when we’ll be upside and backwards some days?!
Ideal dress:
- yoga, sweatpants or leggings
- comfortable, modest top
- bare feet or dance shoes
- long hair tied up and off the face
- deodorant 🙂 (for those that are of the appropriate age)
For any specific class dress codes please see the information above. If there aren’t any the general dress code will apply.
DROP OFF & PICK UP
Drop off : COVID CHANGES* Students may be dropped off no earlier than 5 minutes prior to the start of the class. The doors will not be unlocked until this time and we cannot guarantee a staff member will be onsite if you arrive earlier. Students will be asked to maintain social distancing when arriving. We will be asking parents to remain outside of the studio for drop off. If there are first day nerves we will manage parent admittance on a case by case basis. Parents will wear masks, sanitize their hands upon entering and will remain socially distant.
Pick up: COVID CHANGES* Our teachers will be helping students prepare to leave class and will release them to you at the parking lot door. We will not release any child without an adult present.
Please be patient as we navigate our Pick Up and Drop Off strategies during Covid. Our number 1 priority is the health and safety of our students, staff and families. Having never encountered these issues before we will need time to navigate how to safely move students through our space using our safety plan.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
To read more about your instructor please visit www.thestagenewwest.ca/about/instructors/