Attendance & Communication

The number one thing that helps every student do better in class is to not miss class. Consistent attendance is vital for success. No matter how much natural talent your child has, they will fall behind if they do not attend their class on a regular basis.

Attendance

Minimum Enrollment

WT does require a minimum number of students to enroll in a class in order for the class to run.  Registrations for classes close on the Saturday prior to first day of classes at 6pm.  Any classes not meeting minimum enrollment at this time are subject to cancellation.  Students enrolled in a cancelled class may either choose another class or request a full refund for said class.

Teacher Absence

Should a teacher be unable to teach a class we will first attempt to find a substitute teacher that can provide the same quality instruction as regular teacher. If this is unavailable to them the class will be canceled and a make-up class will be scheduled as soon as possible

Student Absence

Classes missed for any reason should be communicated to the office as soon as possible.  If a student misses more than 3 consecutive classes without notification to the office, they will be automatically withdrawn from the class roster.  In cases where instruction has advanced far beyond the students ability to catch up, they will be removed from the Spring performance roster and given backstage and/or support responsibilities if available. In cases of serious illness, injury, or emergency, credit may be extended toward a future class, but only for classes missed after the office is notified.

Showcase Final run-throughs and Tech Rehearsals
All showcase rehearsals are mandatory. If a student misses Dress and/or Tech Rehearsal, the student will not be able to participate in the showcase.

If your student is injured and cannot dance or participate fully, they are still expected to be in class.  They should bring a journal to take notes in and take care to watch, listen and learn. Attending class while injured will make it much easier to catch up once they are able to dance or participate again.

Holidays

WTown will observe any major holidays according to the Durham Public Schools calendar. Classes remain as scheduled on teacher workdays.

Inclement Weather

In case of inclement weather, we operate on the Durham Public Schools District Policy.  If DPS is closed due to inclement weather, we will be closed as well, unless we inform otherwise as often weather varies from morning to evening. We will post a message regarding class cancellations on our voicemail, on our Facebook page, and via the group text app. We will attempt to schedule make-up classes when possible, but are not able to give refunds or credit for classes missed due to weather.

Closures

If we are mandated to close our physical location due to any government order, classes will convert to virtual classes and instruction will continue. We have had great success with all ages in our virtual classes and are confident we can continue to engage our dancers should the need arise. There may be an approximate one-week transition period from the date of the shelter in place order until virtual classes begin in order to allow us to implement our action plan. This brief time period, if needed, will be treated as inclement weather days and we will schedule make-up days when feasible.

Communication

Communication

Oftentimes it is difficult to communicate with parents on a night in which your child may have class. Conversations between classes are not permitted as many teachers have classes that run back to back. However, we want to make sure that the lines of communication consistently remain open.

We use EMAIL for newsletters, and all important information to assure that parents receive the information as well as to save on the use of paper. If you do not have or use email, please notify us and we will make other arrangements.

*** If you are not receiving emails and information from WT at least once per month, check in with us. We have no way of knowing you are not receiving it unless you let us know.

The best way to contact us is via email or a phone call during scheduled office hours. We are happy to set up parent teacher conferences should you have any concerns or questions that need to be addressed.

For WT subgroups and troups, we use GROUPME to send and receive pertinent communication.  If your child is enrolled in a group or troupe at WT and you are NOT receiving texts via GROUPME, please let the office know.

Account Holder

We encourage parents to list both parents onto their child’s account. In the event we need to discuss an account we will only release information to those on the account. This is especially important in divorce or guardianship situations. We also suggest listing multiple emails when information is intended to be shared amongst family members.

Feedback Welcome

We also welcome suggestions at anytime!
Should you have any questions, concerns, or need clarity on anything throughout the year we are here to help!