MAFIA ETTIQUITE
Dec 15, 2024 12:03 AM
Student and Parent Code of Conduct
As a representative of the Centre, each student must be encouraged to achieve the highest standards of etiquette and professionalism.
1. CODE OF CONDUCT: Students
- All skills, learning and training is based on the appropriate age and physical ability of the student.
- Students will represent DM in a professional manner at all times.
- Students are expected to attend all enrolled classes. Absences can be submitted via your DM App.
- Students are expected to be punctual. Warm-up is conducted at the start of every class and it is imperative that all dancers participate in warm-up to ensure that their body is ready for physical activity.
- Students are required to follow safe dance practice instruction given by their dance teacher at all times to avoid injury. DM is not responsible for any injury to students.
- Students are expected to wear the DM Dress Code to ALL classes in order to positively influence the rhythm and structure of our classes. Throughout the year, DM offers dancers the opportunity to step out of dress code and show off their personal style during our pre-determined Fundraising Weeks.
- Students are expected to demonstrate respect for all DM Staff and students at all times.
- Students are encouraged to establish new friendships with other students in their classes. We encourage teamwork and fairness and students are expected to treat each other with respect.
- Students observing a class for any reason are expected to be quiet and courteous to the performers, Teachers, and Assistants and should not disrupt a class for any reason.
- Students are expected to focus and pay attention to the Teacher's instructions and keep talking to a minimum.
- Students must treat the studios, the premises, and the possessions of all other students with respect, care, and consideration.
- Students are expected to clean up after themselves and any mess that they create while at the studio.
- Students understand that there is a zero tolerance to inappropriate behaviour at DM. Dancers behaving inappropriately will be removed from the dance class and parents/guardians will be contacted.
- Students are not permitted to be in any studio unless accompanied by a Teacher or Assistant teacher.
- Students understand that there is a ‘No Physical Contact’ Policy at DM. Students should not touch other dancers, or any members of DM Staff without permission or unless necessary to perform teamwork-oriented choreography in a class or dance routine.
- DM strictly prohibits students from leaving the premises between classes or after classes without adult supervision. Once a student arrives at DM Studios they will not be permitted to leave without a parent or guardian.
- The use of alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and illegal substances is strictly forbidden at the Studios or anywhere on DM property. Students in violation will be dismissed immediately.
- Gossiping and or defamatory talk about the studio, it’s teacher or other students is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. We will have a 1 warning policy on this matter.
1.2 CODE OF CONDUCT: Parents
- Parents/ Guardians agree to abide and respect all Policies and Procedures set forth by DM as outlined in the Registration Policies, Payment Policies, and Studio Policies.
- Parents/ Guardians recognise that DM classes operate in the safest manner by trained Dance Teachers and Assistants. Parents/ Guardians agree that their child/children are in good physical condition to participate in dance and fitness classes and will disclose all pertinent medical information, allergies and/or injuries in a timely manner.
- Parents/ Guardians understand that children exhibiting inappropriate behaviour will be removed from the dance class. Parent/Guardians agree to partner with DM Staff to resolve behavioural issues immediately so their child/children may return to class promptly.
- Parents/ Guardians will inform the Administration Manager of any extended vacations or absences which will affect their child/children.
- Parents/ Guardians are expected to respect all DM Staff and families. Parents/ Guardians will not interact with anyone at DM in a manner that is intended to provoke hostility. All concerns should be voiced to the DM Administration Manager and the Director will respond appropriately within 5 business days.
- All Students are involved in DM’s End Of Year Concert. Students/Families cannot Opt out as Most of Term 3 &4’s classes are dedicated to preparing for the concert.
- Photography and videotaping are not permitted during the year during classes or at any DM Concerts including the professional theatre and eisteddfods. The performance is professionally filmed and provided to you via download link. (Included in concert invoice.)
- Parents/Guardians must supervise their children while waiting at the studio to ensure that they do not disrupt classes, injure themselves or other dancers. Parents/ Guardians accept full responsibility for damages caused by unsupervised children.
- Parents/Guardians understand that it is their responsibility to locate lost items in the Lost & Found. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity, with notice, four times a year.
- Gossiping and or defamatory talk about the studio, it’s teacher or other students is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. We will have a 1 warning policy on this matter.
- Parents/Guardians recognise that the teachers/staff/parents/ guardians of DM are not responsible for my child outside of the classroom, it is understood that there is not 100% supervision for students at all times outside of the classroom and I am aware of all inherent risks in leaving my child unattended/supervised at the studio.
2. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
- There will be no gum or candy allowed in class.
- There will be no hanging on the barres at any time.
- There will be no food or beverages allowed in the studios, with the exception of water bottles.
- There will be NO mobile phones in class. Mobile phones are strictly prohibited in all classes except with permission from the teacher.
- The teacher will be treated with respect at all times.
- The faculty and assistants will be properly thanked after each class.
- If this general etiquette is not followed, the teacher has the right to dismiss the dancer from class. If the dancer is dismissed from class, they must see the Administration Assistant or Director.
3. DRESS CODE AND APPEARANCE
We request that all students wear the DANCE MAFIA uniform to ALL classes. To facilitate this, dressing rooms are available for your convenience. Please refrain from changing in the bathrooms.
We encourage students to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Changing between classes should be limited unless you have a designated break. For instance, if you have consecutive ballet and jazz classes, please wear your ballet uniform (leotard and tights) to both classes. You may wear shorts or T-shirts over your leotard if desired.
- For ballet levels Primary through Advanced, it's essential to have your hair neatly secured in a bun for class.
- Students enrolled in Acrobatics classes are required to have their hair in a bun for safety reasons.
- Participation in ballet class requires wearing the designated attire, including the uniform leotard, tights, and ballet shoes, with hair appropriately styled in a bun. Failure to comply may result in observing the class.
- To ensure safety, students are advised not to wear jewellery during class, including necklaces, rings, and dangling earrings.
- A "lost and found" box is available in the courtyard for any misplaced items. Please check it regularly, as unclaimed items will be donated to charity after one month.
- Upon entering and exiting the building, please wear street shoes and cover up over leotards and tights.
4. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES
- Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, are public forums. Please remember no matter how private your settings are something directed at friends and family always has the potential to reach a much wider audience than intended. Keep in mind that teachers, future employees, future colleges and the media are all part of the extended dance network.
A good question to ask yourself is: “Would I feel comfortable if my teacher or the Director of the Centre read or saw this?” If in doubt, don’t post it.
- Remember that anything posted on the Internet is permanent.
- Do not post or share inappropriate content or links on your profile, including profanities, racism, bullying or nasty comments or anything that is not within the Studio’s values.
- Do not take photos in, or post photos of, the following areas; studios, toilets, change rooms, offices, classroom
- Do not take or post photos of any person without their consent
- Consider everything you post on social media and think about whether it could damage the image or reputation of yourself, your fellow students, teachers or the Studio.
5. SAFEGUARDING POLICIES
- DM follows the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) policy and procedures on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
- DM will safeguard children and vulnerable adults by:
• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• adopting child protection procedures including risk assessment
• sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, vulnerable adults, parents, employees and the companies and organisations with which we work.
• sharing information about concerns with the appropriate agencies
• ensuring safer recruitment, selection and vetting of employees
• providing effective management through supervision, appraisal, support, training and development, and
• providing a safeguarding committee with strategic responsibility and oversight of all safeguarding arrangements.
6. STUDENT GRIEVANCE, COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS POLICY AND PROCEDURE
- The School is committed to having mechanisms to deal with complaints impartially, promptly and confidentially.
- Students who feel they have a valid grievance in relation to any aspect of their tuition are advised to undertake the following
course of action:
• Discuss the matter with the relevant teacher, administration assistant and/or Director;
• If the matter is not resolved, each complaint and appeal will require that details of the complaint are lodged in writing by the complainant with the Studio Director;
• Complaints, in writing, will be responded to within 10 working days, this does not include working days when the Centre is closed;
• The identity of the complainant will be protected unless permission for disclosure is given;
• The Studio will maintain a student’s enrolment while the internal complaints process is ongoing, unless extenuating circumstances relating to the well-being of the student apply. This does not necessarily mean that a student must remain in class;
• Complainants will be provided with a written statement of the outcome, including details and reasons for the decision;
• Complainants have the right of appeal and will be advised of further avenues of review
7. EVACUATION PROCEDURE
- When the alert siren sounds stay calm and listen to DM Staff; this is the time to proceed to our designated emergency point. This is located on the nature strip in front of the mailbox. Students must follow their leaders via the pedestrian crossing to this point.
GENERAL PROCEDURES:
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Our system is based on the “Kiss and Go” policy at the gate, not outside the studio door. Please ensure you dancer is ready to exit the car quickly to ensure the prompt flow of the carpark is maintained.
If your child needs assistance getting out of their child seat you may park in a parking space if available. If there are no parks available, please find a space on the street
If parking in a parking space; please ensure you are driving in and out on the left-hand side of the driveway, our driveway is a two-way road.
There is a 10 minute parking limit within the car park to maintain the flow, once your child is inside the studio you are to exit the car park.
You are not permitted to drive up the driveway to drop your child at the door, and reverse out of the driveway without parking. This is a serious danger to all children that may be crossing the driveway. Please be mindful of this and park your car.
The turning bay by the gate is not a car spot, and should only be used when dropping at the “Kiss and Go” area to turn around before exiting the car park.
For safety and security, all students under the age of seven, must be escorted to and from the Courtyard area by a parent or caregiver. No child under this age will be allowed to wait outside or leave the studio without a parent or caregiver.
There is absolutely no parking in the unit 3 parking spaces at any time. You will see black chairs with pink high vis vests at the end of our designated carparking area to prevent this. Please do not drive through them at any time.
LATENESS
Please advise the studio via EMAIL or submit absence via your DSP Parent Portal if your child will be late for class.
LOST AND FOUND
Lost and found will hold articles of clothing for one month. Any clothing left over a month will go towards charity. It is advised that all clothing have the student’s name printed on it so that we may return the items promptly.
ILLNESS/INJURY/ABSENCES
Please email the front desk or use your DM APP to report absences. Front desk staff will notify the faculty.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Food may only be eaten in the designated areas. No food will be allowed in the studios or bathrooms. All food must be thrown away in the garbage cans or recycling bins provided. Any infringement of this will necessitate a “water only” policy and food allowed only outside. Inside the studio please use bottled water ONLY. No open cups allowed.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
The Studio is to be notified immediately of any changes of address, including all relevant contact phone or email details. This is essential and remains the responsibility of the parent/student. All details can be edited in your DM App.
The Studio is not liable for any lack of communication if student/parent contact details are incorrect or out of date.
WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES
DANCE MAFIA has a 4 week cancellation policy for payments to cease. Withdrawal must be made in writing.
CHOREOGRAPHY
All choreography for eisteddfod solos/duos/trios remain the intellectual property of DM. Should a student withdraw from DM then the solo will remain with DM and the student will not be able to compete/perform with the solo/duo/trio at any time unless permission is granted from the Director.
ADVANCEMENT
Your child may not be promoted every year. The changing of levels in the Studio is always decided with your child’s best interest and advancement in mind. If a child is promoted too soon, then he/she will miss some very valuable training. These children also struggle in the next level, which is unnecessary and dangerous. The dancers in the Studio will be placed with care and consideration at all levels of training. It is not uncommon for a student to stay at the same level for at least two years. This is at the director’s discretion.
EVALUATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS
Students will be evaluated by the faculty at the end of each year to ascertain progress and determine their placement for the following year. Progress is closely evaluated for each individual throughout the year. This is at the director’s discretion.
OBSERVATION OF CLASSES
Parents and guardians are to wait in designated areas. No parents inside the studios or upstairs. To avoid any distractions to the students and instructors, no one will be allowed to watch classes without an invite from the teacher. This is at the director’s discretion.
PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS
- All students will be carefully placed in the class that is fitting to their age, technique and skill level.
- The age of one student may differ from the other students. DM will make a concerted effort to keep the age ranges as close together as possible. However, the main emphasis will be placed on a student’s technical achievement. They will be placed in the level that will encourage the most progress. A dancer must be challenged but not overwhelmed. This is at the director’s discretion.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Private lessons can only be taught by faculty members as part of our commitment to enrolled students of DANCE MAFIA. It is the general policy and WHS of the Centre that private lessons cannot take place for monetary gains at any time outside the studios. This is at the director’s discretion.
COMMUNICATION WITH FACULTY
Communication with any member of our teaching staff is best done by email Admin@dancemafiaptyltd.com
The faculty does not have time between classes to address concerns properly. Please write your concerns, name and phone number in an email and the appropriate staff member will call/email you. Staff members’ phone numbers, addresses or emails will not be given out to students or parents. Do not contact teachers directly through their personal platforms as this is their personal account. Solo lessons need to be organised through the studio and the studio will put you in contact with the teacher.
The timetable, class information and teaching staff are subject to change.
If a class has insufficient enrolments it may be cancelled.
DANCE MAFIA reserves the right to change or modify the timetable or cancel a class or teacher at any time.
The staff at DM reserves the right to refuse or suspend any enrolment due to misconduct or inappropriate behaviour.