Classroom Orientation & Policies
What to Expect:
Please arrive 5-10 minutes early and put your street shoes in the cubby, put on socks or slippers, put on nametags, clean hands, and use the bathroom if necessary before class begins. Please do not bring strollers into the building (unless you have infant twins); you can park them on the patio area. Your teacher will set out some items for free exploration to help the children become more comfortable and excited about class. Please do not bring street shoes, drinks, or food into class. We know everyone appreciates a clean carpet to sit on and it is crucial for all those babies that crawl on the carpet and like to put tiny things they find into their mouths! Please turn off cell phone ringers to avoid interrupting class.
Expect to enjoy spending time with your child. But don’t be discouraged if he or she is not cooperative. Don’t worry that he or she is not participating like the other children. Children need time to adjust to a new situation; they generally do not like change. They need the security of a loving caregiver close by to make them feel confident. They may want to be held or they may want you to play their instrument when it is their turn. They may learn best through observation and prefer to try the activities at home. That is fine. You will get to know your child’s individual learning style while in the program, honor it and you will both have more fun. We prefer you do not clap for something an individual child does, that invites comparison and performance anxiety. Our focus is on the process of making music not performance. A low-key acknowledgement of what they’ve done is helpful. We do clap after a fun group activity sometimes when we are excited and happy and that’s great!
Some children will wander around. They are exploring this new environment. As long as they are not distracting anyone, pulling things off the table or bending the window blinds they are welcome to explore. Running is dangerous to class participants so please slow down and attempt to engage your child if they are running around the room. You may need to guide your child back to the current activity or engage them in another way. You may need to find the way your child wants to participate in an activity and follow his lead. Sometimes, children will sing at home, but not in class. This is normal. Be assured they are benefiting from the class even if they do not appear to be participating. Many children are so busy absorbing and processing this complex social and musical experience that they need time and the familiarity of their home to duplicate the activities from class. Class time can be a springboard of ideas for you and your child to incorporate into your play at home.
Please participate in all activities (dancing, playing, singing, listening) as best you can. Your child will take his/her cues from you, but even if the child is not, for example, dancing, YOU dance anyway! Try dancing while sitting down or while holding your little one. The best way to encourage your child is with lots of eye contact, smiling and SINGING!
You will encounter many different families in class. Take time to make new friends - for you and your child. However, please wait until after class to strike up conversations with other parents. Your class is a special time to focus on your child and the learning activities presented. Remember, you are your child’s role model. If you are not paying attention to the teacher or participating in the activity then they are getting the message that they don’t need to either. Make play dates with your classmates and try the activities with them!
If a child is cranky or causing a disturbance during class:
All children get cranky from time to time. Most of the time redirection, distraction, or participating in an activity in a different way is all that’s needed. But please take your child into the waiting room or hall for a few moments if he or she seems inconsolable (i.e. loud screaming, crying or tantrum), in consideration of other class participants. If you take your child out of the room to calm down, it is more effective if you make it a quiet, non-interactive experience. We don’t want to reinforce leaving the room by giving them food, books, toys or cuddles. Instead tell them they may go back in and join the fun after they have calmed down.
Classroom Hygiene:
Good hygiene can cut down on germs in the classroom so please clean your child’s hands before class and use the tissues, wipes and gel whenever you like. If you would like to donate any of those items to the classroom it is greatly appreciated. If you use the changing table to change your child’s diaper please put the soiled diaper in a plastic bag before throwing it in the diaper pail or take it with you to dispose of. We will try to keep plastic bags on hand for this purpose. If your child handles an instrument, please keep track of it and place it in the “drool basket” on the piano when they have finished playing with it so that I may disinfect it after class. Teaching your child to cough into her elbow instead of her hand is another way to keep germs from being spread. All instruments are put aside for 24 hours after being used and disinfected. (with the exception of items made of paper, they are put aside but cannot be disinfected)
Toys and food from home:
Please leave all toys from home out of the classroom. If your child absolutely must have something to eat or drink during class please do not do so in the classroom, it is very distracting to other children (this does not apply to nursing your child). Please take them into the waiting room and seat them at a table, not on the sofa. We have a dust buster on top of the refrigerator that you can use if any crumbs get on the floor. We get ants when any food or drink is left behind so please be diligent about this. Please put back toys/ books and leave the waiting room neat for the next person.
If a Child is Sick:
Please do not bring a child with a fever, “wet” cough, worrisome rash, or who is clearly ill to class. In addition, if anyone in your household has a serious contagious illness, please consult with your physician about your attendance, in consideration for other parents and children, and especially any moms who may be pregnant. If your child has had or been exposed to pinworms, head lice, whooping cough or chicken pox please call the director before returning to class. Allergies can have the appearance of an illness so please inform your instructor at the beginning of the semester if your child has allergies. Some children have a slightly drippy nose or mild lingering cough for a good part of the season; it’s not necessary to keep them out of class for weeks, just when they are contagious. Ask your doctor if you are unsure when that is.
Making up Classes:
If you know ahead of time that you will miss a class or need to request a makeup class please email Deanne Ehlert at km_makeups@yahoo.com or call 707-696-8758 if you don’t have email access. Your child is enrolled in a specific class and you need to make every effort to attend that class unless s/he is sick. Makeup classes are offered as a courtesy in classes that have more than one section and available times may not be convenient to you. Makeup classes that are missed cannot be rescheduled. Makeup classes must be completed during the current session only. There are no drop-in makeup’s and any extra children visiting need to be scheduled in advance with your teacher & paid for before the class begins, there is a $15.00 visitor fee. Prospective students may preview one class at no charge.
Questions or Concerns:
Your teacher is available to talk with you after class but also feel free to e-mail her with any questions or concerns. If you are having a problem in class please let her or the director know so that we can resolve things in a way that works for your family. We want your child’s learning experience to be exceptional so please let us know how things are going in class and at home.
*For enrollment, billing, scheduling, or administrative issues please email frano@pacbell.net or call the school office at (707) 527-7900.
*To schedule a makeup class email Deanne Ehlert at km_makeups@yahoo.com or call 707-696-8758. Please call between 9:00am – 9:00pm only.
*For more personal concerns about how your child is doing in class please email or call your teacher at a reasonable hour.
