Class Guidelines, or:
"How to have the best possible class experience with your child"

 

Before Class

Please arrive promptly. Your child needs a few minutes to settle into the new environment so feel free to come 5 to 10 minutes early to facilitate a comfortable learning environment. It’s important your child feel included in the hello song and late arrivals sometimes disrupt the flow of the class, especially in the Imagine That class.

Please finish all snacks and drinks prior to class. Regarding allergies - please be aware that some children are very sensitive to certain foods and therefore, I ask you not to bring food or open drinks into the classroom. If you have food or a cup in your bag, please make sure no child could accidentally eat or drink it.

Please take away pacifiers if possible before class. Vocal play, singing, echoing, and making sounds hit a wall when there is a barricade!

Toys need to be left at home, in the car, or in your bag. Snugly friends are welcome for transitions and then need to be “sat on a chair” for the class. Your child will need to have his hands free to participate. Please set your phone to silent or vibrate. I understand that sometimes emergencies arise and you need to take a call. In that case, please step out of the room so that your speaking does not distract the children.

During Class

Whenever you're in the class with your child - throughout Village and Our Time or during family time at the end of Imagine That - you are your child's partner and coach. I'll lead the activities, you be partners in discovery with your child. Sing, dance, play the sticks, have fun. Whenever you can, follow your child's ideas for doing something a new way. Add a few ideas of your own. Be creative. You know your child and are his/her best teacher.

Kindermusik is a shared family experience. Unlike a playgroup, Kindermusik is not a time for visiting. Focusing on the activity will help the class move along smoothly, whereas visiting distracts all the children and parents, ultimately leading to a chaotic environment. You are always to come early or stay late to visit.

Allow your child his or her own response. Your child’s response may be to retreat to a corner or wander around the room. Even if your child’s response is inward or different, it is still that child’s way of learning. It is difficult for parents to watch their child sit motionless or do something completely different than the rest of the class. The child will interact with the environment when he is ready. Feel free to encourage and model and remember that Kindermusik is process oriented, not performance oriented.

After Class

Use the home materials and listen to the CD every week. Listening to the CD frequently will help a child feel a sense of familiarity. This will make the class more enjoyable for them and you’ll notice increased attention and participation in class. Unfortunately, you will get tired of it long before they will. The home activity books (for Our Time and Imagine That!) and handouts (for Village) are great sources of information and inspiration for you to spend fun time with your child. Refer to the curricula overview.

Behavior

With toddlers, it is expected that they will not always be engaged in the group activity. Sometimes they just need to move! If your child is moving around the room, please stay near them and when possible, direct them back to the activity. If their behavior begins to disrupt the class, you may need to take them out of the room for a few minutes. Feel free to bring them back when they are ready. You all are competent parents, grandparents, and caregivers. If there's a problem, I'm going to trust you to deal with it. Of course, when you are not present in Imagine That!, I'll deal with any problem that occurs during class.

For safety reasons, there is NO RUNNING in the classroom except when it is an activity in our class. Then we hold hands, have fun and run.

Health & Illness

Please consider washing your child’s hands before class. I also have anti-bacterial wipes and tissues available at all times. Your child will need energy to participate in class. If your little one has more than a mild cold, please keep him/her home to recover. Your child will appreciate the rest and the other class members will appreciate the healthy environment.

Missed Classes

If I must cancel a class, I will notify you and a make-up date will be set or you will be refunded for the class.

Weather: If Asheville City Schools cancels school, we will not have Kindermusik classes. When they are on a one or two-hour delay, classes will run as usual. Check WLOS or local radio if it looks questionable. Please call me at 298-9350 should you have any doubts. Due to tight semester scheduling, I can make-up one class per semester canceled due to bad weather.

Illness: If you miss a class due to illness and would like to make it up, I will let you know which class day and time would work. Some classes are full and cannot accommodate more than twelve children. However, make-ups are possible when I know in advance of an opening, due to another family’s travel plans. Thank you, families, for keeping me posted when you will be out of town. It helps me help others.

Refunds

If you aren’t completely happy with your Kindermusik experience after attending at least five classes, I will refund or credit your tuition except for the cost of Home Materials, which are yours to keep and enjoy. Tuition refunds or credit vouchers may be given due to an unexpected family move or serious illness necessitating withdrawal from class. Refunds cannot be given for opened materials. All refund requests will be considered on an individual basis and a $15 processing fee is non-refundable.

Non-enrolled Siblings

Due to limited class sizes and unique class settings, classes for children newborn to 3 are unable to accommodate non-enrolled siblings older than 10 months. Parents and children enjoy the class most when the parent is able to give complete attention to the enrolled child. However, special situations are considered, so please call to discuss your situation.

Visitors

Spouses, partners, and relatives in and out of town are always welcome to join class. It’s a treat for your child to be able to share their music class experience. Friends of enrolled families who would like to observe a class may do so by calling me and scheduling a visit when I know someone will be absent.