REGISTRATION
Registration for classes is complete once the annual registration fee is paid in full. The annual enrollment fee is $30 per student/ $50 per family. Our classes do fill up quickly and this is the only way to secure your spot in your desired class. Once payment is received you are considered an enrolled student and your class position is secured. Payments can be made via Cash, Check or Credit Card and failure to pay your registration fee in time may result in losing your place in the class.
PAYMENT POLICIES
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Upfront Annual One-Time Payment – Receive 10% off of your annual tuition invoice when you pay the full annual tuition amount prior to September 1, 2024. Payment options include cash, check, or credit card.
Bi-Annual Two Payment Option - Receive 5% off of your annual tuition invoice when you pay your full tuition in two installments - September 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025. Payment options include cash, check, or credit card. Credit card payments will automatically post on the 1st of January for any families that have enrolled in the bi-annual payment plan and have a credit card on file. If you wish to pay with another method please contact the studio prior to January 1, 2025.
Monthly Payment Plan - In choosing the monthly payment plan, your annual tuition is broken up into 10 monthly installments. Tuition is due for the current month at the beginning of the month, on the 1st. If tuition is not received by the 5th of each month, a 10% late fee will be assessed. This will happen automatically through our online registration software, The Studio Director. To choose monthly payments there must be a card on file to be automatically paid on the first of each month. Bills are sent out on the 20th of each month for the balance that is due on the 1st of the following month.
Please note: Our tuition is an annual amount. If you choose the monthly payment plan, ten (10) monthly payments must be made and all accounts current in order for your dancer to participate in Carle School events, feiseanna, parades etc. All invoices are sent monthly based on our annual 10 month term. Your invoice will be the same each month unless you change classes or any additional charges are unpaid (late fees, costume charges, etc). If you decide to withdraw from classes mid-season for any reason, you will still be charged for the entire invoiced period – this includes Direct Debit customers.
Late Fees
Overdue fees will accrue a late fee of 10% per month for any balances unpaid by the 5th of each month. If fees remain unpaid at the start of the next month of classes students will not be permitted to participate in their lessons until the account is brought current.
PAYMENT METHODS
Credit Card Payments
Credit card payments are made online through Dance Studio Pro.. For your convenience, we offer a monthly recurring payment option which allows you to have your payments automatically withdrawn on the 1st of each month from the credit/debit card of your choice. This is a great way to avoid late charges!
For online payments visit: DANCE STUDIO PRO PARENT PORTAL
Cash and Check Payments
You can make cash and check payments at the studio during class times by placing the check in the tuition basket. Please make sure cash payments are made in an envelope with your dancers name and class time clearly labeled.
Refunds
Refunds will not be issued for any reason including missed classes due to cancellation or public holiday. When possible, we will try to arrange make-up lessons or offer an alternative class for any canceled classes. If you wish to withdraw from classes at Carle Irish Dance, it is a requirement that you notify the studio in writing giving 30 days notice. *No refunds will be given on tuition, credit will be offered.*
Additional notes/reminders:
Please remember, our tuition is an annual amount. Ten (10) monthly payments must be made in order for your dancer to participate in Carle School events, feiseanna, parades etc.
We do realize that spring time schedules get busy and each year we have families that would like to “take off” May and June and start back up in the summer or fall. While we wish we could accommodate this, unfortunately we cannot. We base our studio budget around our total number of students assuming each student is making the ten month commitment. If everyone dropped off for May and June the studio would not be able to thrive, additionally it completely defeat the pre-pay options that many of our families take advantage of. However, we understand that the spring can be very busy with concerts, school functions, and spring sports. While we do require May and June tuition payments, we are willing to set up an alternate schedule for students which would include some make up options for missed classes. This needs to be set up ahead of time with an instructor or office team member. If you do not complete all 10 monthly payments the balance will remain due if you wish to enroll your dancer in any future terms/classes at Carle Irish Dance.
PRIVACY
When you enroll with Carle Irish Dance, the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information and perhaps 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 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 paper or electronic form and is accessible only by authorized personnel. If at anytime you would like to update the information, please contact our office on telephone 607.621.6163.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Carle Irish Dance’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 office staff if you have any questions.
- Please remember that your anonymity on Social Media is never guaranteed and to exercise particular caution when posts, images or videos identify children in your care.
- Remain mindful that your behavior on Social Media remains in keeping with Carle Irish Dance’s code of conduct as outlined in this handbook.
- Any comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful towards Carle Irish Dance staff, students or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
- Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information 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 Carle Irish Dance uniform) 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 - may not be communicated via Social Media. We have an open door policy and encourage all communication, complaints and feedback to be communicated to the director via email or telephone call..
- 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. This includes private messaging the staff at Carle Irish Dance through any social media outlets.
- The staff at Carle Irish Dance are not obligated to respond or responsible to reply to any inquiries or information communicated via social media messaging. Any and all inquiries should be sent via email or through a telephone call to the studio.
- Families found to be engaging in ‘hidden’ or ‘private’ groups formed for the specific purpose of discussing studio matters will be encouraged to join our closed Facebook group for public discussion and warned against discussing Studio matters in their private online groups.
- You may not take or post photographs / videos online that feature Carle Irish Dance students other than your own 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.
Our full social media policy can be found here: http://carleirishdance.org/wordpress1/about/social-media-policy/
CODE OF CONDUCT
To ensure the smooth, safe running of Carle Irish Dance and an enjoyable experience by all, below you will find our code of conduct. As always we are open to feedback, so if any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. 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.
Families who do not comply with their fee or costume payment obligations will be charged a late fee, and/or may be excluded from performances. 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, and 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 are not to approach teachers or students during class and if messages or food/drink/medication needs to be passed on to a student, it must be done through a Carle Irish Dance 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 collected. Your children are not permitted to leave the studio door without a parent present. Please make sure you come into the studio to pick up your dancers.
Any questions or complaints must go through our office phone or email – parents and students are not permitted to contact Carle Irish Dance teachers via phone, in person, or via email / social networking with studio issues unless it has been broached with Siobhan or Courtney first. Personal meetings with Siobhan or Maria can happily be arranged via email.
In the rare 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 or necessary legal action.
Carle Irish Dance 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.
Carle Irish Dance management reserves the right to change teachers or timetabling when necessary at any time throughout the year.
Choreography (including performances), costuming and studio policies remain the intellectual property of Carle Irish Dance and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents or staff without permission of the director.
RELEASE FORMS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/AGREEMENTS
Parent Release Form for Photography and Videography
I, the undersigned, give permission for Carle Irish Dance to use video footage and / or photographs of my child, _________________________________. This usage may include (but is not exclusive to) displaying publicly, distributing, or publishing, photographs, and/or video of my child for use in materials that include, but may not be limited to:
- printed materials (eg - brochures and newsletters)
- online and offline advertising and promotion
- videos and digital images such for use on Social Media.
By signing this form, I acknowledge that I am giving unrestricted permission for my child’s image to be used in print, video, and digital media. I agree that these images may be used by Carle Irish Dance for a variety of purposes and that these images may be used without further notification. I do understand that any identifying information including name and location will not be used in conjunction with any video or digital images.
Parent/Guardian signature __________________________ Date ______________
Health Information and Medical Release/Waiver Form
I, _________________, the parent/guardian of_________________________, acknowledge that participation in dance is potentially dangerous and there is an inherent risk of injury involved. In allowing my child to participate in activities and events at Carle Irish Dance, I hereby assume all the risks associated with the performing arts. I understand the importance of myself and my child following the instructions and rules set by their instructor/s, and I agree to release Carle Irish Dance and it’s employees of any and all liability which may arise as a result of my child’s participation in activities at Carle Irish Dance.
