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STUDIO POLICY
I. Schedule
and Tuition.
Each academic year is divided in two semesters, the
fall semester is from September to January, and the spring semester is from
February to June. There are from 17 to 19 lessons in each semester. The schedule generally corresponds to
schedules of Massachusetts public schools. - except for the snow days (see below), Veteran’s Day, and some religious
holidays which may be teaching days in the studio while they are not teaching
days in some public schools. With the exception of the fall semester of the
first year class, the tuition should be paid in full for the semester.
In case of financial hardships the arrangements can be made for paying tuition
in several installments. Depending on the space availability in a certain
class, the Studio may allow new students to have a trial period for one month.
II. Interruption of studies. Tuition Refunds.
1.Interruption of studies
requested by parents.
If a
student drops off from the studio before the end of a semester, the remainder
of his/her semester tuition may or may not be refunded. Tuition refund can be
made with two weeks advanced notice until October 1 for the fall semester and
until February 28 for the spring semester - if no role in the spring drama
performance has been assigned. Two weeks notice means
that if you gave a notice on October 1st, you are responsible for payments up
to October 15-th, i.e. for two more classes. The
percentage of the tuition refunded will be proportional to the number of
classes not taken minus $20 handling fee.
Exception: if a student asked for a part in the spring drama performance, was
subsequently granted a role, and then decided to quit the studio, an unused
portion of his/her spring tuition is NOT refundable.
2. Interruption of studies requested by
the Studio.
The Studio reserves the right to expel a
student whose presence is disruptive for the educational process or is in any
way harmful to other students or teachers, as well as for repeated violations
of the studio rules. In this case, the Studio will refund the unused portion of
the semester tuition minus $20 handling fee.
III. The Class Schedule and Attendance
Try
to minimize absences. Even if a student does not plan to take a make-up,
please give Nina an advanced notice about the absence. In case of a sudden illness, please,
warn Nina as soon as possible.
IV. Making-up missed lessons. No
tuition refunds are given for missed lessons. A student can take make-ups by attending a class with another
group.
V. Arrivals and Pick-Ups. PLEASE
DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR ON PELHAM STREET or ON CRESCENT STREET EVEN IF YOU ARE
SITTING IN IT. The children should be dropped off at and picked up from the CVS parking lot at the beginning of
Pelham street, they should walk alone or with you
to/from my house. If you are very late to the class or if it is raining, you
can drop the student off in front of the house.
VI. Early Arrivals/ Late Pick-ups. If you brought your child
significantly earlier, please wait in the CVS parking lot in your car until 5 minutes
before the class. My neighbors complain
if my students run around and yell. Running
around on the street is dangerous.
Also, if you arrive earlier, your child can enter the classroom and wait there together with you so that you “babysit”
your child in my absence, Please pick up your child on time.
VII. Books and Materials
1) Often a story or a play
is sent as an attachment or as a link to a web page. We do not charge for
materials, instead the parents take responsibility for printing out a hard copy
of each text or buying a book we read.
2) If a student reads some
books in English translation, it is his/her responsibility to get a book from
the library.
3) A text which we are
currently reading must be brought to each class.
VIII. Intellectual Property.
All
teaching materials including the electronic home assignments (see below) and
theater materials for the concerts including the studio’s own stage versions of
Russian prose are the PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. They cannot be copied, sold or otherwise
distributed to any teaching or theater program in the USA or abroad without
Nina Goldmakher’s written permission.
IX. Home assignments.
Assignments
are sent by e-mail. The students in each class have different speeds of reading
in Russian. The size of home reading assignments is tailored to the speed of
faster readers. The slower readers can use their parents’ help. The slow
readers are also allowed to read a portion of difficult reading assignments in
English translation.
X. Theater Component of the studies consists of dramatic
readings of plays in class. The students practice their parts by reading them
at home in advance.
XI. Performance Opportunity for the
Studio’s Students*
The
studio focuses on studying literature. However, some students are interested in
performing opportunities which are offered to all students starting from their
class’ second year in the studio**. Performances happen in the spring semester;
the regular literature lessons will be interrupted for about 6 weeks to prepare
the performance. A performance fee will be charged to cover costs. All students
can recite poetry rehearsed by Nina. The students can apply for participating
in a theater workshop with the stage director Michael Redko.
The roles are distributed by audition with Michael. If a role is granted,
staging of a scene takes 3 to 10 rehearsals with M. Redko
on a special schedule. The drama
performance is contingent upon having a group of parents who are willing to
help with scheduling and managing rehearsals on a volunteer basis. The
studio reserves the right to display any video/photographs of student
performances on its website or on the web.
*)
Sometimes, per request of our stage director, we invite our former students to
participate in the drama performance. **) Since our theater depends on the work
of our parents-volunteers, the roles in a drama performance may be offered to
those first year or former students whose parents have had experience in stage
management in the past and want to volunteer their time to help.
XII. Parent Conferences.
Since
Nina teaches in the late afternoons and
evenings, the best time to reach her for discussing a student's performance is
before 2 pm on a weekday (except Friday), best between 9:30 am and 11 am. You
can also always leave a message (with your daytime phone number), and Nina will
return your call promptly.
XIII. Snow Emergency.
In
case of snow please check your e-mail before calling Nina. If the class is
canceled, the cancellation message is sent by e-mail. We will follow in
cancellation decisions some music or math schools (such Russian School of
Mathematics). A make-up will be offered at the end of the year. A make-up class
will be run as soon as we can have about 75% attendance. A lost class may be
also made-up by extending several other lessons.
XIV. Liability.
1. On behalf of our child and on our own behalf, we indemnify
and hold harmless, and waive all claims against The Russian Literature and
Drama Studio, its principals, agents, servants, and employees from and against
any loss, cost, charge, claim, demand, liability, damage, medical expenses,
arising directly or indirectly from any personal injury or property damage
loss, including, but not limited to partial or total disability, serious
illness, and such which may occur to my
child while on the premises of The Russian Literature and Drama Studio or any
other location provided by The Russian Literature and Drama Studio and/or under
instruction, supervision, or control of The Russian Literature and Drama
Studio.
2. The Studio will not be held liable for its failure to
provide any service if that failure is caused directly or indirectly by illness
of teachers, City, State (or Government) policy and procedures, or natural
disaster.