School practices
How our lesson rooms work
The checks our teachers hold and the routines the school follows, in plain words.
Class size
Up to 8 children
Ages 3 years and up
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
Safety routines
Windows and open doors
Every lesson room has a window in its door, or the door stays open.
A parent in the room
A parent sits in on every lesson of a young student, and the front room has a bench for waiting.
Who may collect a student
We hand a student only to the grown-ups on your pickup list, and we ask for ID from anyone we don't know.
When a student is ill
A student with a fever stays home. Tell us by text or a call, and we offer the time to the waitlist.
Sample details.
School policies
What families ask us before the first lesson.
Photos of your child
We ask your written permission before we share any photo of your child, on this site, in newsletters or on social media, and you can change your answer at any time. We never put a child's name with a photo, and the photos on this site are examples until we replace them with our own.
When to keep your child home
Please keep a student home with a fever, a stomach bug or a bad cough, and tell us by text or a call so we can offer the time to someone on the waitlist. A cold does not stop a violin lesson; tell your teacher and come.
Closures for weather and holidays
We close for a week at Thanksgiving, for two weeks in winter and on a few holidays. We text families by midday when snow or ice closes the building, and a lesson we cancel is made up.
Drop-off and pickup
A parent stays in the lesson room, and a parent or another grown-up on your pickup list walks the student out. We ask for ID from anyone we don't know.
Late pickup
If you will be late, call or text the front desk. The student waits in the front room with a teacher or the front desk until you arrive, and we ask you to tell us who is coming if it is someone else.
Watching class and recitals
A parent sits in on every lesson of a young student, and a parent or grandparent of an older student is welcome to stay. Recitals are open to families and friends: arrive early, silence phones and clap at the end of each piece.
Screens and phones
Phones stay in a pocket or a bag during a lesson, except when the teacher asks you to record a passage so you can practice from it at home.
What to wear and bring
Wear what you can play in. Short sleeves and no bulky jewelry help young students, and a recital needs nothing special beyond something that feels good to wear.
Questions about how we work?
Ask at the front desk or at your first visit. We would rather you ask.