2024-2025 STUDIO POLICY
Lesson Scheduling
Tuition covers 36 weekly lessons during the school year between September to June.
Summer lessons (July and August) are strongly encouraged to avoid a lengthy hiatus, which is detrimental to student’s progress. These lessons can be taken on a more flexible schedule.
2024-2025 Studio Calendar: studio_calendar_2024-2025.pdf
Summer lessons (July and August) are strongly encouraged to avoid a lengthy hiatus, which is detrimental to student’s progress. These lessons can be taken on a more flexible schedule.
2024-2025 Studio Calendar: studio_calendar_2024-2025.pdf
Attendance
Regular and prompt attendance is required to make appropriate progress. If you are unable to make it to a lesson, please email, text or call to leave a message.
Lesson Tuition
- When students enroll, they are reserving their place in the studio for the entire academic year.
- Tuition is charged by the school year, paid by 10-posted dated cheques, e-transfer or cash and is non-refundable. For 2024-205, tuition is based upon enrollment of 36 lessons from September to June.
- Tuition remains fixed from month to month, regardless of the number of lessons. Lessons falling during holidays and breaks listed in the Studio Calendar are already taken into account in the monthly rate and will not be credited or refunded.
- Tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student, but time spend on lesson planning, studio resources and teacher's professional development as well. This includes but not limited to:
- students' use of studio resources such as music books, recordings, digital music collection at no extra costs;
- recital costs and preparation;
- teacher's training and experience;
- teacher's continuing education and professional development to enchance teaching skills, and
- professional organization memberships to provide students with opportunities for music festivals, competitions, and performance events.
The following rates are reserved for weekly, full-time students:
- 60-minute lessons: 10 monthly payments of $262
- 45-minute lessons: 10 monthly payments of $199
- 30-minute lessons: 10 monthly payments of $136
Any additional/extra lessons will be billed at $70/hour.
To reserve your spot for the year, please submit the following:
- A non-refundable studio fee of $100.
- Ten (10) post-dated cheques dating the first of each month (September to June). Cheques should be made payable to Hailey Wong.
- If paying by cash or e-transfer, please ensure payments are received by the 10th of each month. A $25 late fee will be applied to all late payments received after this deadline.
In-Person Lessons
The choice to take in-person is up to each family and should take into account the following considerations:
Whether or not you wish to make online lessons your primary form of lesson contact, please be prepared to conduct your lesson virtually on occasion. This will allow you to avoid cancellations when mildly ill, unavailable for commute, facing inclement weather, or travelling.
- In-person lessons follow a hybrid online/in-person format. If Ms. Hailey contracts an illness, she will notify you immediately and return to an online lesson format.
- Similarly, if you feel sick in any way (coughing, fever, runny nose, etc.), or if you have any reservations at all about attending your lesson in person, please stay home. You are always welcome to have your lesson online, even without advance notice.
- Upon entry into the studio, please wash your hands thoroughly with soap in the studio bathroom.
- Parents are welcome to observe the lessons.
Whether or not you wish to make online lessons your primary form of lesson contact, please be prepared to conduct your lesson virtually on occasion. This will allow you to avoid cancellations when mildly ill, unavailable for commute, facing inclement weather, or travelling.
Online Lessons
Equipement needed for online lessons:
- A laptop with a built-in camera or a tablet (such as an iPad)
- If using a laptop, please consider investing in an external microphone for a much superior sound quality
- If using a tablet/iPad, please consider investing in a device stand
Cancellation Policy
When students enroll, they are reserving their place in the studio for the entire academic year. Missed or cancelled lessons will not be refunded. If you arrive late for your lesson, your lesson will end at the usual time without adjustment in fee.
In the event that you cannot attend a lesson, the following options are made available to you:
ONLINE LESSONS:
You are always welcome to conduct your lesson virtually by Zoom. This will allow you to avoid cancellations when mildly ill, unavailable for commute, facing inclement weather, or travelling.
ASSIGNMENT REVIEW:
You may elect to send me audio or video recordings of your assignment by WhatsApp or email in lieu of your lesson. I will use your lesson time to review these materials, provide you with feedback for improvement, and suggest new assignments. Except in cases of severe illness, please submit recordings in advance of your scheduled lesson time.
LESSON SWAP:
To help accommodate an occasional unavoidable change in student’s schedules, you can choose to be part of the email Swap List. Students may trade their lesson time with another student. Here are the rules of a lesson swap:
SNOW DAYS:
If school is cancelled for a snow day, all in-person lessons will be switched over to online lessons to avoid any unnecessary commuting between your home and the studio.
ONLINE LESSONS:
You are always welcome to conduct your lesson virtually by Zoom. This will allow you to avoid cancellations when mildly ill, unavailable for commute, facing inclement weather, or travelling.
ASSIGNMENT REVIEW:
You may elect to send me audio or video recordings of your assignment by WhatsApp or email in lieu of your lesson. I will use your lesson time to review these materials, provide you with feedback for improvement, and suggest new assignments. Except in cases of severe illness, please submit recordings in advance of your scheduled lesson time.
LESSON SWAP:
To help accommodate an occasional unavoidable change in student’s schedules, you can choose to be part of the email Swap List. Students may trade their lesson time with another student. Here are the rules of a lesson swap:
- No make-up lessons will be given if any confusion from this swap arises.
- Should two people arrive at the same time, I will teach the one whose lesson is normally at that time.
SNOW DAYS:
If school is cancelled for a snow day, all in-person lessons will be switched over to online lessons to avoid any unnecessary commuting between your home and the studio.
Termination of Lessons |
All students stop taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent and student so we can complete the year with a positive sense of closure.
If you wish to terminate lessons, please:
Regrettably, I will have to dismiss a student if any of these circumstances occur:
If you wish to terminate lessons, please:
- provide one month’s written notice.
- At that time, I will pro-rate the tuition for your final month to reflect the number of lessons that you have received based on the last lesson date. You will be required to pay this balance.
Regrettably, I will have to dismiss a student if any of these circumstances occur:
- Lack of progress due to insufficient practice or unfulfilled requirements
- Failure to follow practice as instructed
- Uncooperative attitude
- Failure to pay tuition on time
- Persistent absences
Practice & Performance Expectations
PARENTS/GUARDIANS:
Your participation is essential to the sucess of your child's piano study. Please supervise practice as often as your schedule allows. Your child will benefit from access to a well-tuned piano (tuned at least once a year), a metronome, a quiet place to practice, and your support and encouragement.
STUDENTS:
Please commit to a consistent daily practice routine and participate in all available performance opportunities (e.g., recitals, festivals, exams) to share your music and provide concrete goals for weekly lessons. Please register for exams only with my approval.
Practice times will vary throughout the year depending on our goals and projects. As a guide, parents should ensure that children practice at least 5 days each week. Consistent daily practice is the key to long-term success.
Here is a guideline for the kind of practicing I expect from each student:
Your participation is essential to the sucess of your child's piano study. Please supervise practice as often as your schedule allows. Your child will benefit from access to a well-tuned piano (tuned at least once a year), a metronome, a quiet place to practice, and your support and encouragement.
STUDENTS:
Please commit to a consistent daily practice routine and participate in all available performance opportunities (e.g., recitals, festivals, exams) to share your music and provide concrete goals for weekly lessons. Please register for exams only with my approval.
Practice times will vary throughout the year depending on our goals and projects. As a guide, parents should ensure that children practice at least 5 days each week. Consistent daily practice is the key to long-term success.
Here is a guideline for the kind of practicing I expect from each student:
- Beginners: minimum15 minutes daily
- RCM Levels 1 - 2: minimum 30 minutes daily
- RCM Levels 3 - 4: minimum 45 minutes daily
- RCM Levels 5 - 8: minimum 1 hour daily
- RCM Level 9 - 10: minimum 1.5 hour daily
- ARCT: minimum 2 hours daily
Liability
The parents/guardian of students under the age of consent are responsible for the safe transport of their children to and from lessons. Parents/guardians are encouraged to drop off and pick up students under the age of 16 at the door. Parents/guardians will also consent that the teacher will occasionally need to touch the student’s hands, arms, and shoulders to demonstrate technical elements of piano playing.
Multi-Media
Photographs and/or video of students during lessons and performances would be taken occasionally for use in the studio website, advertising materials and lesson demonstration. Any material that is post publicly highlights your child’s accomplishments, but if there is ever an image, video or recording that you wish to have removed, I will respectfully do so. It is delightful to be able to look back at these with your child from time to time. It helps them see how much they progress and grow over the years.
"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody has thought of."
- Robert Schumann
- Robert Schumann