General Policies

PAYMENT AND DISCOUNT POLICIES

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT:

A non-refundable deposit of $60.00 is required two weeks prior to the start of all sessions.  This deposit ensures your child will receive her Home Materials during the first week of class.  The remaining balance on your account will be split into three equal payments, the first of which is due by the first day of class and the remaining are due at equal intervals over the course of the semester.  Payments may be made via cash, credit card, or check (made payable to "Pied Piper Studios" and mailed to 1602 South 50th Place, West Des Moines, IA 50265).

DISCOUNTS:

Second Child, Newborn, and Family Discounts are available.  If your discount is not automatically applied at the time of registration, please include a request in your registration notes that we manually apply your discount. All discounts apply only to the cost of tuition and not your Home Materials.   

SECOND CHILD DISCOUNT- 20%: to be applied when more than one child in the same family is registered for classes during the same semester

NEWBORN- 100%: available one time only as our welcome gift for the first Village quarter in which your child is enrolled when he or she is 4 months or younger. 

FAMILY DISCOUNT- 50%: applied to the 2nd, 3rd, etc. child's tuition in Family Time classes only. Children ages 6 months and younger or 6 years and older may attend Family Time classes tuition free.   

SCHOLARSHIPS:

One slot in each class section is saved for scholarship students.  Please contact us for an application if you are interested in applying. 

 CLASSROOM POLICIES

MAKE-UP CLASSES: Classes will be made up in the event of the instructor's illness or inclement weather.  You will be notified of the cancellation and the scheduled make-up class as soon as possible.  Pied Piper Studios is not required to offer make-up classes for your own personal absences due to travel, illness, etc.  However, we will do our best to accomodate you when possible.  Contact us at least one week in advance to schedule a make-up in an available class section.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT: Parent involvement is a vital part of the Kindermusik Philosophy.  We believe that parents are a child's best teacher and for this reason, we require that a parent or caregiver attend the full 45 minutes of each Village, Our Time, and Family Time class, and the final 15 mintues of Sharing Time in each Imagine That! and Young Child class. We also require that Imagine That! and Young Child caregivers remain on-site throughout your child's scheduled class.  If you must leave the premises, please provide your educator with an emergency contact phone number.  Your active involvement in and out of the classroom provides support as your child builds her independence and communicates to your child that she is important and worth your time and attention.  Her learning will be enhanced by your presence and interest.  

Please keep your chatting with other parents to a minimum during class.  While Kindermusik seeks to build a social, music-making community, we ask that you recognize class time as your child's special time with you.  Your active, focused, enthusiastic participation is an important model which will set the standard for your child's future classroom experiences. 

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: Our classes provide your child with an important vehicle for learning about and testing his social boundaries.  This is a normal and natural part of your child's development.  As he negotiates this process  we do ask that you be sensitive to his safety as well as the safety and enjoyment of others in class. If your child begins to explore a behavior which poses a danger to himself or others in class (such as running or throwing an instrument) we ask that you first take a deep breath and then help your child positively refocus his energy.  We urge you to communicate what your child can do in class (i.e. "hold on tight to your rhythm sticks" instead of "don't throw!" or "use your walking feet" instead of "no running!").  Although we are happy to partner with you and help you find workable, meaningful solutions for behaviors you wish to eliminate, our staff is not responsible for disciplining your child.  Please feel free to contact us anytime to request the support you need.

In order not to distract other children in class, we do request that toys, juice cups, pacifiers, etc. be kept out of sight in the classroom.  Likewise, no food or drink is allowed in the classroom.  When hunger calls or a diaper needs changing, please step outside the classroom to attend to your child's needs.  There is a bathroom available down the hallway in both of our locations.  Village babies may be bottle or breast-fed during class as long as this does not distract other participants.  While feeding your child during a class, please excuse yourself to the hallway or restroom if you find other children too interested in your activity.    

Many parents tell us that they see a completely different child at home than they experience in class. This is completely normal. Some children are naturally hesitant and others are over-stimulated by a group environment. You may notice that your child is glued to your lap or conversely that she's become an instrument of perpetual motion.  If your child appears distracted, hyper, or cannot focus on the present activity, please don't worry or feel pressure to push your child toward what you believe is a more acceptable form of participation.  Children learn in a multitude of ways, some of which are unfamiliar, may appear paradoxical, or even evoke feelings of discomfort for us as adults.  Our classroom celebrates all modes of learning and it is not necessary for your child to participate in a classical way (i.e. sitting still and listening, singing along, responding directly to questions, etc.) for her to make tremendous gains.  Relax, enjoy, and actively PLAY with your child in class and at home!  Together you'll find the best way for you to participate.  

UN-ENROLLED SIBLINGS: Limited class sizes and age-appropriate curricula mean that we are unable to accommodate non-enrolled siblings unless they are young enough to sit contented in a stroller or infant carrier, or they are old enough to quietly amuse themselves with a book for the entire class period. Special circumstances or emergency situations are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding this policy.    

COURTESY INFORMATION: Arriving before class begins allows your child time to settle in to the musical environment. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with other adults before settling in to focus on your child's experience during class.  However, please respect that we need time to prepare ourselves and our classroom. Plan to arrive 5 minutes prior to class, but no earlier. 

Staying healthy means being happy.  All of our instruments and props are cleaned and disinfected between classes to help protect your family.  We request that you help us keep your child's classmates healthy too.  Please wash hands with soap and water prior to class in the restroom or classroom sink, or feel free to use our alcohol-free hand sanitizer.  If your child exhibits symptoms of illness such as fever, diarrhea, cough, nasal discharge, rash, etc., please stay home for the day and contact us to schedule a make-up class.  

Barefoot is best!  You and your child will be encouraged to remove your socks and shoes before class.  This allows the many nerve endings on the bottoms of the feet to be stimulated, adding to your child's learning potential. If you or your child choose to wear socks, please be sure they have a non-slip bottom to minimize slipping.  Please dress comfortably.  Kindermusik classes are full of active fun and you'll have an easier time participating with your child if you feel free to move.

GUESTS: At some point during the semester, you and your child may want to bring a friend along to try out the class.  Please feel free to do so!  Un-enrolled guests are welcome to one Free Preview Visit at any time during the semester.  Please notify us prior to the visit so that we can prepare any additional materials or procure enough instruments.  

HOME MATERIALS: You and your child will benefit enormously from the Kindermusik experience, especially if you make active use of your Home Materials.  Not only does reinforcement at home during the week make all the difference in your child's comfort and participation levels during class, but it gives your child the full benefits of Kindermusik's age-appropriate curricula, developing her physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social, and musical self.

Refund Policy

Studio Refund Policy
Deposits are not refundable, but tuition and materials fees are refundable if we are notified in writing or by email 2 weeks prior to the start of the class.

Studio Refund Policy
We proudly offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you and your child are not happy with your Kindermusik experience after attending the first 6 consecutive weeks of class, we will refund your entire tuition minus your non-refundable deposit which covers the cost of your Home Materials.  Those are yours to keep and enjoy!  

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