HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
Table of Contents 1 - Introduction 2 – KCPA Mission and Core Values 3 - Registration 4 - Communication 5 - Code of Conduct 6 - Safety 7 - Privacy 8 - Tuition, Payments & Fees 9 - Dresscode 10 - Attendance 11 - Social Media 12 - Facilitate the Joy of Dance
1. Introduction It’s our absolute pleasure to warmly welcome you into our family at The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts. We have created this one-stop handbook to shed some light on how things will run throughout the year as well as answer a lot of questions you may have as a new dance family. Please take the time to read this information carefully and keep your handbook in a safe place to refer to as needed, Don’t forget that our Customer Care Champions are always here to help and will happily answer any questions you may have. Nothing is too big or too small, We promise!
QUICK REFERENCE STUDIO INFORMATION Address: 104 N. Murphy Road #200 Murphy, TX 75094 Phone Number: (214) 537-0724 Email: info@kcpadance.com Website: www.KCPAdance.com Room rentals: roomrental@kcpadance.com Owners: Jason & Jennifer Kaiser Page 1 of 9
2. KCPA MISSON & CORE VALUES To start us off, it’s important to us at The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts that all members of our team share our vision, our purpose and the philosophy that encompasses everything we do both in and outside of our classes. This is a vision that is shared and demonstrated by the directors, teachers and staff members at our studio and it is the driving force behind every interaction with our students and their families. The primary purpose for KCPA is to provide the community with a place to share and pass on the joy and discipline of dance and the arts through technique, performance, technology, theory and basic human compassion and interaction. Our vision at KCPA is to provide an encouraging environment that inspires artists of all kinds; teachers and students, to be their best selves as humans and artists, to have a growth mindset and continually strive to learn more and to share their passion and talents with their community in and out of the studio. It will be an environment that challenges dancers and artists to strive for more while also being respectful to other members of the community and engage and learn to work as a cohesive unit to fulfill a common purpose.
KCPA CORE VALUES I.C.E. – Integrity, Compassion and Ethics: At KCPA we are truthful in our words, actions and intent. We are respectful to others and engage in positive relationships that promote growth. KCPA is a healthy, honest and morally-minded environment. The wellbeing and integrity of our students is a priority on and off the stage. KCPA leadership guides the whole human: body, mind and heart, by providing truthful instruction with compassionate delivery. Sportsmanship: At KCPA we are humble, confident and work hard to consistently seek progress. We have the courage and tenacity to reach our goals. We lift one another up, we show grace throughout, we work together as a team and as competitors; and we are kind to all. CommUnity: At KCPA we dance to share! We serve, we help, we thrive and survive together. Our goal is to reach out and support the community around us. We are loyal to one another and provide a safe space that allows people of all kinds to share and dance together. Once in the door, you are family forever. Ingenuity: At KCPA we share the arts and the joy of creativity. We are solution oriented and view challenge as an opportunity for exploration. We strive to generate new ideas and to break barriers in dance and the arts. We believe ingenuity promotes grit, grace and greatness. Page 2 of 9
3. REGISTRATION Before putting on those dance shoes, it’s important that all students and/or parents – whether returning or new – create your parent portal with signed waivers each season so we can ensure we have the most up-todate contact details for you. This information includes your registration, media release waiver (so we can show off photos and videos of our amazing dancers in and around the studios), and public liability / Insurance waiver and Covid-19/communicable diseases waiver. Our annual registration fee is $45 per student and $65 for siblings with a maximum of $65 per family; and must be paid in full prior to the commencement of classes. Make sure you submit your payment via credit card on our online payment portal, or in person with a check or cash as failure to pay your registration fee on time may result in losing your place in the class. In addition to holding your dancers’ place in class, your registration fee covers: - The cost of ensuring we have Customer Care Champions ready to help our families with registration or other administrative needs - The online parent portal that allows customers to handle their accounts easily from their devices - Janitorial expenses - Insurance for our building, staff and students - Music licensing and communication costs We encourage all of our students and families to try a variety of dance styles and we are more than happy to accommodate trial classes for existing students who are wanting to try something a bit different. Please contact our Customer Care Champions if you would like to try a new class and we will happily schedule your trial (provided the class has not reached capacity).
4. COMMUNICATION By now you have probably noticed that we are BIG on communication here at The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts. It is our goal to respond to all inquiries within 24-hours and we try to never leave a question unanswered. Our Customer Care Champions can be contacted via call or text at (214) 537-0724 during studio hours and you can email anytime at info@KCPAdance.com. For convenience, our primary means of communication is email and text. You will receive weekly newsletters and important information via email and text so please ensure you have provided the studio with an up-to-date email address and phone number that is regularly checked. We are of course happy to include multiple email addresses and phone numbers per family if you would like correspondence sent to numerous recipients. Don’t forget to add our email address: info@KCPAdance.com to your contacts so we don’t end up in the dreaded Spam folder! Page 3 of 9
5. CODE OF CONDUCT To ensure the smooth, safe running of The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts and an enjoyable experience by all, below you will find our code of conduct. If any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. There will be a $10 late fee for accounts that are past due. This includes fees that are not not strictly for tuition. External debt collection may occur when fees remain overdue and this will be at the expense of the client. Costume expenses are the responsibility of the parent. Costumes will not be issued to students with unpaid class fees. No classes (including private lessons) or teachers are to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Parents cannot approach teachers or students during class. If messages or food,drink, or medication needs to be passed on to a student, it must be done through a KCPA staff member. All parents must wait in the waiting areas or outside of the studios until classes have been dismissed. We are unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be picked up. If your dancer has time in between multiple classes, please arrange for them to have supervision during their break. Any questions or complaints must go through a KCPA Customer Care Champion – parents and students are not permitted to contact KCPA teachers via phone, in person, via email or social networking with studio issues unless it has been approved with the administration first. Personal meetings with the studio director can happily be arranged via our customer care team. In the case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member or student, a meeting will be called immediately and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the director. Physical, mental, emotional or cyber bullying by parents, staff or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio. The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible. The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts management reserves the right to change teachers or class schedules when necessary at any time throughout the year. If at any point, a dancer or family has gone against our code of conduct, our management team will assess the situation and directly address the individuals involved. Following a formal meeting, we do reserve the right to dismiss or take disciplinary action on any students or parents who breach our studio’s code of conduct. Choreography, costuming, photography, branding, artwork and studio policies remain the intellectual property of The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents or staff without permission of the studio directors Page 4 of 9 .
6. SAFETY With the safety of our families a number one priority, The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts is very serious about upholding Child Protection laws and policies within the studio, at public performances and in the online arena (website and social media). As part of your registration, you will have read and signed a media waiver allowing us to proudly use images and video footage of your student for advertising and promotional purposes. Should you have any concerns whatsoever with signing this declaration, please see our reception staff who will happily assist you. We have Spot TV cameras within the studio rehearsal space which can be checked by parents and family members from the comfort of our lobby or on their mobile devices through the Spot TV Family Mobile App. The directors and staff at The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts are educated in the negative impact of inappropriate music and costume selection when it comes to performing dance routines and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring children in all of our dance routines are not subjected to any inappropriate songs or costuming. We recognize that songs with sexist, explicit, violent, racist, homophobic or criminal content may influence our dancers and/or audience and will strive to avoid using such music. We are committed to restricting costumes that project sexuality, contain explicit graphic or textual content. You will find within our enrollment paperwork a public liability / insurance statement. Please read this document carefully and sign it prior to the commencement of classes so you fully understand the rights and responsibilities of your family and our studio.
7. PRIVACY When you purchase a product or service with The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts, the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information, and credit card or bank details. It may also include details of the products and services we provide to you as well as the status of your enrollment. We only collect information directly from our students or their parent/guardians primarily for the purpose of providing services and products to you and to administer and manage invoicing and debt collection. We may occasionally use your information to promote and market to you information which we consider may be of interest to you unless you opt out via email. We will never sell or pass on any of your information to third parties unless required by government authorities or in the event of debt recovery. Any information passed on will be done so with appropriate privacy and confidentiality protection. Information is stored securely in the Dance Studio-Pro database and is accessible only by authorized personnel. If you would like to know what information we hold about you or wish to update the information, or if you wish to be removed from all further direct marketing communications, please contact our office via email. Page 5 of 9
8. TUITION, PAYMENTS & FEES All payments are paid via autopay through DanceStudio-Pro software. Payment schedules are communicated at the beginning of each season and are included in each weekly newsletter. REGISTRATION FEES: Each season there is a Registration fee that is paid at the time of enrollment and can be paid via cash, check or credit card. Registration fees are also fees that are charged for special workshops and clinics. TUITION: Tuition is charged, via autopay, on the 1st of each month in the season regardless of the number of weeks in the month. Tuition charges are based on a flat rate divided into equal monthly payments. COSTUME FEES: Costume Fees are charged via autopay on the 15th of the dedicated month. These fees cover the cost of costumes and the man-power needed to shop, decide, order, receive, sort, package and distribute. RECITAL FEES: Recital fees are charged via autopay on the 15th of the dedicated month. These fees cover venue rentals, venue staff, KCPA staff, props, and all of the magic that makes a show! CLASS FEES: On the rare occasion, there may be class fees for a variety of reasons. We ty to make sure all extraneous fees are at a minimum and are communicated ahead of time. ROOM RENTALS: In order to rent studio space for private lessons, you must email roomrental@kcpadance.com with your requested room(s), time options (based only on availability) and if you're planning to work with a teacher, the name of the teacher. Only KCPA approved teachers are given permission to use KCPA space for private lessons. Room rentals will be posted on your account and charged automatically to the card on file at the time of booking. To see room rental availability and pricing, you can email roomrental@kcpadance.com. REFUNDS: There are no refunds or credits that will be given for tuition, registration fees, recital fees, recital costumes, recital tickets and any tuition related fees. Why is this? At the moment you register for a service or purchase a product, our team goes into action to prepare that service and product for you. This includes purchasing materials, staffing costs, the need for technology and so forth. Regardless of whether you or your dancer is there to receive the purchased experience or product, KCPA has invested in providing it for you and thus, there are no refunds or credits. DROP POLICY: We offer a 15-day drop-policy. Dancers must be dropped by the 15th of the month to not be charged for the following month’s tuition. Dancers can finish their enrolment through the end of the last paid month. Drops can only be executed via google form here: https://forms.gle/6MJYKZCFagtLVuiTA Page 6 of 9
9. DRESSCODE At The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts, we believe that dresscodes give students a sense of belonging to our family as well as creating an identity for our studio in the greater community. Our dresscode also: • Encourages discipline • Help students resist peer pressure to buy stylish clothes for class • Help identify non-students in the studio • Diminish economic and social barriers between students • Increase a sense of belonging and studio pride • Improve attendance Dance attire can be ordered through our online store at www.shopnimbly.com/kcpadance. Or you can purchase dance attire from any local dance store. All we ask is that you purchase your items from a dance-specialized store and not big-box stores like Walmart and Target. The quality will be better and you will be supporting the dance industry! Please ensure all parts of your child’s uniform are clearly labelled - individual shoes, socks, undergarments...you’ll be amazed at the amount of lost property we generate! You can view our dresscodes here: https://www.kcpadance.com/dress-code/
10. ATTENDANCE Your child’s attendance in class is very important to their growth, their peers and our teaching staff. As a member of the team, it is a commitment for you to ensure your child attends their classes on time each week and attends all lessons planned for them. Not only do absences impact the routines we create, it also impacts the social and confidence-building principals we work hard to foster in each age group. If you know that your child will be absent due to holidays/vacations, commitments or school trips, please let us know ahead of time so the class impact is minimal. If your child is too unwell to attend class, we ask that you inform our Customer Care Team as soon as you can so they can let the teachers know and preparations can be made to catch up on any missed work. Class Make-Up Policy: Dancers can make up, up their missed classes by attending another class on our schedule within 30 days of the absence. Please make sure to stop by the front desk so our Customer Care Team can schedule your make up classes! Classes do not need to be the same style but they do need to be within the dancers level and age. Page 7 of 9
11. SOCIAL MEDIA The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts’s Social Media Policy refers to all social networking sites, video/photo sharing sites, blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, instant messaging and geo-spatial tagging (for example, Facebook check-ins). Please see below for our regulations regarding Social Media and feel free to contact our Customer Care Team if you have any questions. - Please remember that your anonymity on Social Media is never guaranteed and to exercise particular caution when posting images or videos that may identify children in your care. - Remain mindful that your behavior on Social Media remains in keeping with The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts’s code of conduct as outlined in chapter 5 of this handbook. - Any comments or posts perceived by the studio director to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful towards The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts staff, students or families may subject the owner of the post or comment to disciplinary or legal action. - Should you wish to engage on Social Media while identifying as a studio volunteer or employee, you may only do so with integrity, respect, and adhere to the privacy and confidentiality policy. - Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information as determined by the studio owner is not allowed to be shared online. - Intellectual property laws (for example, costume design and choreography) must be observed by all studio patrons when posting online. - While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts uniform or wearing our logo) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically or religiously offensive. - All matters pertaining directly to the studio - whether it be fees, scheduling, placements or performance opportunities - should not be communicated via Social Media. We have an open door policy and encourage all communication, complaints and feedback to be communicated to management directly. - We discourage parents / students and teachers from becoming ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ on Social Media, unless there is an existing relationship. We consider all studio members to be family and as such feel the obligation to respect and monitor personal boundaries. - Families found to be engaging in ‘hidden’ or ‘private’ groups formed for the specific purpose of discussing studio matters will be encouraged to refrain from such conversations will be and warned against discussing Studio matters in their private online groups. - Photos or Videos taken from performances or rehearsals may NOT be posted online. - You may not post photographs / videos that feature The Kaiser Center for the Performing Arts dancers other than your own child online without the proven consent of their parent/guardian. - Identifying information of any featured minors - including names, ages or location - must be removed when posting on Social Media. Page 8 of 9
12. FACILITATE THE JOY OF DANCE It is important that all of our families, friends and members of the THRIVE TRIBE are committed to facilitating the joy of dance. In order to do this, it is important to be your dancers biggest fan, trust the professionals you have hand-picked to lead them and to be a positive presence for your dancer and for our KCPA community. Please know that the "joy of dance" doesn't always mean your dancer will be smiling and giggling. And "finding your thrive" doesn't always mean your dancer will find success all of the time. Learning anything is challenging and will sometimes create an experience in which your dancer will be required to work. Our teachers are there to guide them through those challenges (big and small) and to help them reach their goals. This means that there may be times your dancer comes home a little unhappy because they are struggling with something > how great is it that they get to learn how to conquer challenges. This means that there may be days our teachers are giving your dancer corrections that they don't want to hear because it's hard > how great is it that they have an honest instructor who is their to lead them through their challenges to meet their goals. This means that your dancer will come out sweaty and sore > how great is it that your dancer is learning how to exercise and move their bodies, creating a healthier lifestyle. The joy of dance means that your dancer will see the joy of success. FINDING YOUR THRIVE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE GOALS AND STRIVE TO MEET THEM NO MATTER HOW HARD THE PROCESS!
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(214) 537-0724 info@KCPAdance.com