Ahlers Violin Studio

Attending Lessons

As my teaching schedule is very full it has become increasingly difficult to re-schedule missed lessons.  

• Missed lessons due to illness will no longer be made up.
• Taking into consideration that students may be required to go on a school camp during the year, consideration will be given to re-schedule a lesson on another day, if it can be arranged.  Notice needs to be given at least one week in advance in order to re-schedule a lesson. You will need to contact and find another student who can swap their time on a day when you are not attending camp.  If it cannot be arranged, the lesson will unfortunately be forfeited. 
  
• If I, the teacher, need to cancel a lesson for an unforeseen reason, the lesson will be re-scheduled on a weekend at a mutually convenient time.

Discontinuing Lessons

• Parents/caregivers and students need to commit to violin lessons for at least a full term.  If a parent/caregiver wants to withdraw a student from violin lessons, please give me notice at least 4 weeks BEFORE THE END OF THE TERM.  Please do not wait until the beginning of the holidays to give notice. 
• If a parent/caregiver fails to give notice 4 weeks before the end of the term and withdraws a student during the holidays or at the start of the next term, the parent/caregiver will be financially responsible for at least the next month’s tuition, irrespective of whether the student attends those lessons or not.
• If a student plans to take short-term leave due to a family visit overseas, at least one month's notice must be given.  I cannot guarantee that the lesson time will still be available when the student returns, so if the student wants to keep the lesson time, full payment needs to be made for the lessons, even though the lessons will not be attended.

Public Holidays

Most public holidays fall on a Monday or a Friday, which means that the same students will always be affected by having to miss a lesson if I do not teach on those days.

As a rule, I will continue teaching on public holidays (in the past most parents who did not go away over that time were happy to continue with lessons).  If a student will be away for a lesson that falls on a public holiday, please notify me at least two weeks in advance.  The lesson will be made up on the Saturday prior to the long weekend.

The only public holidays that I will not be teaching are:

• Two weeks over Christmas and New Year.
• Easter Friday and Easter Monday

Holiday Lessons

As in the past, if I am at home and not busy myself, I am willing to continue teaching during school holidays for those students who are not going away and who would like to continue during the school holidays.  Holiday lessons will be scheduled on one day (to be determined once all holiday lessons have been requested) every week.

Fees

Tuition is payable in advance per term and is due before the beginning of a new term.  Invoices will be sent out the last day of the old term and payment is due within the first week in which the invoice is issued. 

Please note: During the past year the late payment of invoices cost me a lot of extra time and effort, which I can no longer afford.  I appreciate that invoices are often forgotten on the long list of things on a parent/caregiver’s “to-do” list.   It may be helpful to make a recurring reminder on your calendar to pay the violin tuition invoice for the coming term at the end of the old term.  Payment received before the start of the new term will ensure that a student's scheduled lesson times are kept for the following term.  If invoices are not paid before the start of the following term, a student's scheduled lesson time cannot be guaranteed.

Invoices that are not paid within a week after the invoice was issued, will incur a late penalty fee of 15% of the invoice total.  

Photographs

From time to time I may publish photographs of students taken during lessons/group lessons or concerts on my Studio Facebook page. It is the parent's responsibility to inform me if they do not want any photographs of their child published.

Expectations

The Suzuki method of teaching a music instrument is different from other methods, as it requires a huge commitment from the teacher, the parent and the student.  This is often referred to the “Suzuki Triangle”.  In order for this triangle to function well there are expectations of the teacher, the parent as well as the student.

Expectations of Teacher:

• Acknowledge every student as an individual and teach according to every student’s needs.
• Provide an understanding and nurturing environment for learning.
• Continually challenge and encourage each student to fulfill their potential.
• Provide performance opportunities.
• Continue personal Professional Development.

Expectations of Student:

• Develop sense of personal responsibility – take care of instrument, music and develop a realization of the importance of regular practice.
• Practice 7 days a week even if you don’t want to!
• Listen to the required recordings every day.
• Attend all lessons, rehearsals and concerts.
• Work to achieve your own maximum potential.
• Learn that it is possible and rewarding to overcome struggles.
• Be cooperative and do your best.
• Be respectful to others including parent, teacher and other students.
• Learn to focus and concentrate.
• Share a love of music.

Expectations of Parents:

• Check emails.

I know there are several parents who have no need to check their emails daily, however, the most effective way for me to contact all parents with notices or requests for information, is by email.  If I need to contact a parent regarding an individual lesson, I usually send a text, but it is not practical to send mass texts to all parents, especially if the message is longer.

Although I do not send out mass emails on a daily basis, it occasionally happens that I need to get feedback/information requested by the NZ Suzuki Institute in Auckland or notices/reminders of rehearsals or concerts and if I need the information urgently, I cannot always wait for a week to ask every student individually at their lessons.  I would therefore like to make a special request to parents to please check their emails (if not once a day, at least every two days!). 

• Attend all lessons, group classes, and Studio concerts.
• Pay attention during the lesson – if at all possible please switch off the sound on your mobile phone (or use it only if really necessary).
• During group lessons, please pay attention to what is being done in the group and refrain from chatting to other parents while the group lesson is in progress.
• Bring a notebook to all lessons and group classes and take effective notes for home practice.  The parent is responsible to make notes during the lesson:  
  • Notes should include date, scales and other exercises, new pieces/exercises, review of older pieces.
  • Include reminders about posture (straight wrist, bent thumb, feet position) and bow arm (right elbow etc).
  • Include any other information that is necessary to ensure effective and accurate practice sessions at home.
  • Recording new exercises learned during lessons will also make home practice easier.  Please note:  Parents are welcome to video lessons, but it is for personal use only.  Please ask my permission if you want to post any video of a lesson or concert online.
  • Ask questions if you are not sure of what the teacher requires!
• Practice with or guide the student’s practice at home. You are the Home Teacher - use the notes taken at lessons.
• You know your child best.  Practice should be focusing on your child and be positive, fun and free from pressure.  Find ways that will make practice enjoyable.  There are links on my website to ideas with practice games and charts you can use to suit your child.  (http://ahlersviolinstudio.mymusicstaff.com/Practice)
• Find a time each and every day that you can spend with your child for practicing. Remember that practice must be consistent to be effective. A practice session of five or ten minutes is better than no practice at all.
• Encourage students to push past frustrating moments and overcome struggles – every child is different and you as parent will know the best way to approach this.
• Ensure the student is listening to their Suzuki CD/recording and other classical music 3-5 hours per week.
• Remember what a great gift it is to share time, effort, and accomplishment with our children.

Parking

• The parking area has been extended in order to make it easier for everyone to find parking.  Please ask if you do not know the best procedures for effective parking so that we can prevent parking problems, especially on group lesson days!  The cars that arrive first, must please park as close as possible to the lawn area so that there is enough space for other cars to park parallel to the first cars.
•  PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE NEIGHBOURS' DRIVEWAYS OR PARK ON THEIR PROPERTY. 
• The parking area is not a playground – parents must please take care of the safety of their children coming to a lesson and any siblings or friends who may be staying in the car. 
• Children must please refrain from playing with the stones in the parking area and please do not pick flowers or damage any of the plants in the garden.
• After lessons, when leaving my property, it often happens that parents drive out with cars following closely one after the other.  It would be advisable to wait at least one minute for the car in front of you to get up the driveway safely and not follow immediately.  As you are aware, the driveway is steep and difficult to wait uphill before entering Grange Road.
• TRAFFIC RULE:  A concave mirror has been installed on the top corner of the driveway.  When driving up or when entering the property on Grange Road, please check ahead in the mirror to see if there are any cars reflected in the mirror.  If you encounter another vehicle coming down the driveway, the rule is that the car going uphill must give way, so reverse your car half-way down the hill - the road is much wider there and it is possible to wait there until the car coming down hill has passed.

Littering

It regularly happens at the end of a day that I need to walk through my garden and pick up candy wrappers and other paper that have been left outside.  Please provide a bag in your car and teach your children (and the siblings/friends who come to lessons) to put their candy wrappers in the bag and not to throw it out of the window.

Waiting area

Siblings and friends who come along to violin lessons can wait in the lounge area.  Smaller children must please be supervised by an adult.

Please:  NO JUMPING ON THE FURNITURE!

Although the area is separate from the area where I teach, please keep noise levels down!

♫ Kitchen.  You are welcome to use the kitchen if you need hot water or need to use the microwave.  If you use any of the crockery or cutlery in the kitchen, please make sure to wash any dishes and put them back into the cupboard.

♫ Food and drink.  Please don't eat or drink anything in the rooms with carpets.  If anything is spilled on the wooden or tile floor, please make sure to clean it before you leave.

♫ Toys.  There are some toys and books for siblings to keep them busy.  Please do not remove any toys from the studio and once your child has finished with a toy or book, please replace it on the shelf before you leave.