Policy

for all private lessons

◆Academic Calendar◆

The academic year will run from after Labour Day weekend to the end of June and is broken into three semesters and Summer Semester :

Fall Semester:September-November

Winter Semester: January-March

Spring Semester: April-June

Summer Semester: July-August

The summer semester schedule is flexible; you can choose from 4 lessons, 6 lessons, or 8 lessons. Students who wish to reserve their spot for the next school year need to take a minimum of four lessons during the summer semester.

Students are welcome at any time of the year.

There will be no lesson on statutory holidays and during school break

Labour Day : September 2, 2024

Thanksgiving Day : October 14, 2024

Winter break : December 23, 2024- January 3, 2025

Family Day: February 17, 2025

March break : March 10-14 2025

Good Friday : April 18

Easter Monday: April 21

Victoria Day : May 19, 2025

Recommended weekly lesson length by different levels are;

Beginners younger than 4 years old : 30minute lesson
Beginners older than 5 years old to Early Intermediate : 30-45minute lesson
Late Intermediate to Early Advanced: 45-60minute lesson
Advanced 60 or more minute lesson

*The lesson will be in-person or online, and I don’t offer any travelling-lessons at students’ homes.

◆Tuition◆

Flat Rate Tuition System

Piano lessons are offered through a tuition-based system. Families may pay the tuition in full for the whole year, in full by each semester, or may choose to divide up the total cost into 10 equal monthly instalments for September to June. The summer semester tuition will be billed separately.
Families who choose a single whole-year payment get 10% off.
Families who choose monthly instalments will pay the same amount every month, regardless of the number of lessons scheduled that month.
The first month’s and the last month’s tuition, or full term of tuition must be due at the time of registration.
The monthly instalments must be paid two months in advance.
Tuition for the upcoming semester must be paid in full one month before the next semester starts.
NSF payments and tuition not received by the due date are subject to the late payment fee of $45 and the lesson won’t be resumed until past due is fulfilled. Any missed lessons during the pending periods will still be charged without credit as make-up lessons later.
If late payments are received more than twice, the year must be paid upfront in full.
There will be no refund for missed scheduled lessons without notice or contracted lessons terminated by the student without one month’s written notice.
Payment can be made by post-dated cheque, e-transfer, or PayPal for overseas students.
Extra costs such as enrolling in examinations or festivals and materials ( books, notebooks, flash cards, etc.) will be billed separately.

Your tuition covers;

The lesson time slot throughout the academic year
Time for lesson planning and researching resources and materials(books)
Corresponding with parents and students outside of lesson time (emails and phone calls)
Photocopying and creating lesson materials and purchasing lessons props.
Professional fees, i.e., attending professional development courses, lectures, master classes or events.
Maintenance of the studio and instruments.

MDA Piano Academy reserves the right to raise tuition at the beginning of each new academic year.

◆Attendance Policy◆

When you register to reserve your time slot, you are doing so for the academic year from September to August.

MDA Piano Academy is under no obligation to provide refunds or make-up lessons for missed or skipped lessons unless that lesson was cancelled by the teacher.

Make-up lesson for missed lessons/snow days

Students are responsible for their reserved time slot. If a student comes late, their lesson will be shorter, but it will still finish at the same time.
Each student is allowed a maximum of TWO make-up lessons each semester, which can be booked during the same semester based on the teacher’s availability or during the summer semester ( July and August). The remaining make-up lessons at the end of August won’t carry over to the next academic year.
A notice of absence must be given in advance by 12:00 p.m. on the lesson day.
A lesson cancelled after 12:00 p.m. of the lesson day and no-show will be forfeited and not offered a make-up lesson later.
The lesson will be considered cancelled for no-show after 10 minutes have elapsed without any correspondence or notice, and you won’t be offered a make-up lesson later.
All lessons missed by the teacher will be replaced.
In the event of inclement weather or self-isolation due to an illness in the family, lessons will be held online at the scheduled lesson time.

Please use your own judgment about whether it is safe to drive on snow days

Teacher Rescheduling ;

MDA Piano Academy reserves the right to reschedule lessons. Rescheduled lessons can be given in studio or online.This could occur due to music festivals, competitions, and other events.When this is the case, a minimum of 24 hours’ notice will be given via email, and the revised student lesson schedule will be available through the student/parent portal.In the case of teacher illness, notice may be given in less than 24 hours by email or phone call.

◆Termination Policy ◆

Students are expected to remain for the full year of study. One month’s written notice is required for a student to terminate lessons prior to the end of the contracted term, or one month’s tuition in lieu of notice. If you discontinue lessons on or after June 1, the Academy will retain the remainder of the tuition as an early cancellation fee.

◆Home Instrument ◆

All students must have an instrument and an adjustable piano bench at home. An acoustic piano is preferable, but a high quality full size keyboard with 88 weighted keys and pedals will suffice for beginners.

◆Active Parental Participation◆

Active parental participation promotes and improves your child's learning. It's simply because every child loves their parents and wants to share their interests.

Your role as parents is not to monitor or direct your children's home practice, but to encourage them to share music together. Please ask them to play music with you and demonstrate what they are doing.

These communications not only strengthen your bonds with your children, but also ensure that music is a permanent part of their lives.

Even five minutes a day is enough. The effect of accumulating small positive experiences is enormous.

Lessons are the source of input, while playing piano at home (home practice) is the output.

Learning is a collaborative activity involving a teacher, a student, and their parents.

If we can create ideal conditions, your child will absorb their education and thrive while playing beautiful music.

Let's work together.

◆Teacher Responsibilities◆

Providing a trusted safe learning environment for all my students is an important priority. To ensure the comfort of my students, please understand that piano teaching requires a limited amount of hands-on instruction.

I need to touch my students in the following circumstances, as there is no better way to instruct them in their physical approach to the piano:

Correcting hand position; I move shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists and hands to adjust and improve technique.
For sound production; I manipulate back, shoulders, arms and elbows;
Pedalling technique; I move feet with my hands;
Sitting posture, adjustments to shoulder and backbone, neck, head, legs and feet.

◆Health and Studio Conduct ◆

Hygiene ;

Illness policy: for the health of all, DO NOT bring a sick student to their lesson. a solid 24 hours with no fever, no gastrointestinal upset, flu-like symptoms, etc., and not coming at all if you or your immediate family are sick and may be contagious. If the student feels well enough to have a lesson, this may be arranged for the scheduled lesson time through an online lesson.

All students must come to lessons with clean hands. Fingernails must be kept short and clean.

Bathroom ;

Please ensure that your child has used the restroom before coming to the lesson. If your child has a medical condition and needs frequent access to a bathroom, please opt for an online lesson. Please keep the restroom clean after use. For young students, please assist your child in using the restroom. There is not enough time to clean it between each student.

Proper Studio Use:

Please be respectful of our home during lessons and ensure that our home studio environment is kept clean, quiet, and free of distractions.

Parent/student will be billed for any cost of repairs that are necessary due to abuse, negligence, intentional actions, reckless behaviour, or inattentiveness on the part of the student, student’s family members, or student’s guest. This applies to all studio property and equipment, as well as the instructor's home and personal property.

Lessons can be terminated without advance notice at the studio owner’s discretion.

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