Monthly Archives: March 2020

• We hope this email finds you and your family in good health during these unprecedented times. Thankfully, despite having several people in my house that are considered essential, everyone here remains well and has survived the two weeks of remote learning.

• Over the past two weeks my staff and I have spent hours recording and uploading practice videos in your parent folder as well as we started short Facebook Lives daily during the week in the hopes of being able to keep connecting with the dancers.  The schedule will be tweaked for next week in order to be a little more smooth, but like you we are learning as we go along.  Starting today we are going to start meeting and dancing with certain age groups in google meet as well, so we can interact with our dancers a little more.  Please know this is heartbreaking for us as well, as we miss seeing them each week along with their smiles and energy.

• While that has taken and will take a lot of work yes, we know this is no substitute for real classes.  And rest assured there will be a make up scheduled for every class missed.  We may need to combine classes, work 7 days a week and go into summer, but my staff and I are committed to making them all up.

• That being said, we are doing our absolute best to take every situation into account. i have already spoke to some parents who have found themselves out of work due to this pandemic.  I can only imagine how scary that is, we have been able to avoid it, but my husband may be joining you soon in the same situation.  I spent the week going over numbers and figuring out what the best way to make everything work was.  In short here is the solution:

• We are asking that whomever can pay half the class tuition and the entire recital fee for April (please see chart below for a general breakdown).  Please remember that part of your tuition is recital fees.  I cannot say this enough – we WILL have a recital.  If we have to postpone so be it, but there will be one.

• If you can pay in full we appreciate that as well.

• If you can’t pay this month – all we ask is that we put the recital charge as a note in your file and when you can pay you catch up with it.   When things are up and running again we will cross the payment bridge, but I will not charge back tuition, just recital if applicable.

• Any payments made for April (half, full or those who have prepaid for a half year or two months) will get a credit on their account equivalent to half the class tuition (again see chart).  This credit can be used for summer classes or September tuition.  In order to make this happen I cannot refund only credit.

• What do you need to do?  Please think things over.  If you can do tuition at half plus recital, you don’t need to do anything.  It will have an invoice on the 1st and run on the 8th as usual.  If you cannot pay or want to pay in full, please email me by 3/31 so I can mark my notes.  You have until 4/7 to make any changes before things run.  I know how things change minute by minute, so I will accommodate as much as possible.

• We are going to leverage everything possible to make this happen and I appreciate everyone working with me.  Stay safe, stay sane, stay home and I truly hope at the end of April I am able to write to you that we will be opening again in May.

• Basic Chart for half tuition:  (students with siblings, students that are not in combo classes, or have discounts please contact me for your figure).
• If you chose to pay in full you will receive the half rate as credit.  Again, remember most students 3 and up have a recital cost included in their package, that is not discounted.  Recital ranges from $27.50-$77.

Hello!

As news continues to spread about the COVID-19 we have been working diligently here at Shooting Star to make sure we are planning for multiple contingencies.  Here is the game plan moving forward, please keep in mind that this is a day to day reevaluation as more information becomes available:

• We have always done our absolute best to keep the studio clean and sanitized.  We will up the cleaning  and sanitizing of common surfaces as often as possible to keep things in the best possible condition.
• We will be limiting the need for touching common surfaces and props for the little ones.  We will be suspending use of our wall barre for the time being except in pointe classes.  Other classes can do the same work center floor which will have the added benefit of developing core strength.  We will be adding more action songs to the Sparkling stars classes and suspending hand held props.  Balls will still be used but sanitized after each class.  Props that are only walked on will still be incorporated.
• Please avoid bringing more people than necessary to drop off and pick up.  If you can during class please consider not hanging out in the waiting room.   You will not be asked to leave at all, but there is not a ton of air circulation in the waiting room, so the less people the better.
• We have removed all toys and books from the waiting room for the time being.  They will be sanitized and brought back  when the time for caution passes.
• Windows will stay open in the studio.  We will keep the heat running, but it may be a little chillier than usual.  If you child tends to be cold please put a long sleeve shirt UNDER their uniform.  Their uniform should be the topmost layer.
• We will be doing our best in as many cases as possible to keep our distance from students.  It is not possible in all cases, but caution will be used in as many instances as possible.
• As long as we can get it  – and we have had no luck so far, we will provide hand sanitizer for all students before class.  We will also be reminding everyone to cough or sneeze into their elbow.
• As of today (3/12) Pictures are ON for next week.  Our photographer is fastidious about sanitizing their hands and have everyone’s health and safety in mind.  My recommendation if you can is to bring someone with you that can stay in the car with the child until it is their turn, thus limiting the amount of people in the waiting room.  We will do our absolute best to move things as quickly as possible that day.
• Performances will continue as scheduled and will be reevaluated as we get closer.
• I think at this point it goes without saying – if you are sick please stay home.
• Drop in and dance as well as our library programs have been suspended for the time being.
• At this moment we plan to remain open short of a government mandated shutdown.  We will reassess daily and inform you if plans change.  We are currently working on how to deliver at least some classes virtually, make up classes on Sundays have been discussed as well.  We still have an extra day built into to calendar for snow that hasn’t been used either.  As things change we will continue to update you through email.