Hamilton Wenham

All of our instructors have been vaccinated:

ALL FAMILIES & STUDENTS will adhere to all info on this page. PLEASE READ ENTIRE PAGE FOR ALL POLICIES of HWSD

Welcome to The Hamilton Wenham School of Dance: Our Annual School year 10 month program runs from September to June with a year end performance for our performing classes. Since 1991, HWSD has offered quality dance programs for age 3 – ADULT. The HWSD student base draws from 8+ towns and surrounding areas from public, private schools as well as the home school community. Each ten month annual school year season is a NEW schedule subject to changes in class times and levels.

These are extraordinary times and Health and Safety are our Priority at HWSD. Due to varied public/private school policies regarding covid, We DO NOT follow School Policies. As a private business HWSD follows local BOH policy guidance. We may be more stringent but not less than what is MDPH & CDC required. PLEASE SCROLL FULL PAGE TO SEE ALL HWSD POLICIES. The Hamilton Wenham School of Dance continues to be in direct communication with the Board of Health of Hamilton/Wenham to be be sure we are doing our very best to follow current updates of the MDPH/CDC Covid 19 Regulations that are listed here in addition to our own HWSD POLICIES. We express our deep gratitude in your support of keeping HWSD open during these times. In registering/attending, you and /or your student for any of our Programs provided by HWSD, are accepting and adhering to and in compliance with all of the following listed on this page: The Hamilton Wenham School of Dance or any of its instructors will not be held liable for personal illness/injuries or damage to personal property while a child is a student participating in activities at or pertaining to the studio. It is the responsibility of any person registering to inform HWSD of any limitations or circumstances which may prevent any student’s full participation in class.  HWSD will not be held liable should any child/student fall ill.  Should HWSD be required to close down due to State Covid Regulations, HWSD will provide Credit only towards any future classes/programs at the time of reopening/returning as well as full access to classes provided by internet/video.

Masks will be Optional although we reserve the right to re instate a mask mandate if recommended to do so by the BOH

You may contact the Hamilton Board of Health Department at 978-626-5254.
If you have questions regarding Covid-19, you may also visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19.html

ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM COVID MUST FOLLOW ALL PROTOCOL OF HAVING ISOLATED FOR THE FIRST FIVE DAYS & CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK IN PUBLIC FOR FIVE ADDITIONAL DAYS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO CLASSES

Scroll down for all info on Health Regulations: Attendance: Enrollment: Recital Obligations: Weather and ALL other UPDATED 2022-2023 POLICIES

1. Anyone entering the building must be FEVER free for 72 hours without medication & COUGH free. This includes 100 degrees or higher, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, shaking, difficulty breathing, shortness of breathe, sore throat, loss of taste/smell, head/body aches or other symptoms In addition must not attend classes if a family member has a fever within that time frame.

2. Teachers will structure the classes so that the students never reach full cardio exertion, pace the class in a creative innovative way to make breathing effortless in a mask. water breaks with student’s water bottles.

3. Creative Movement to GRADE 2 students in & out of the building. Parents and Guardians should bring young students upstairs to studio. The instructor will bring them down to the parking lot door for dismissal. Grade 3 and older may enter the building alone and will be dismissed from class on their own.

4. Please be as prompt as possible for pickup at the door from the parking lot as we have other classes following.

5. The WAITING room shared by Artcie and HWSD: NO FOOD or DRINK ALLOWED

6. NO changing in the bathrooms.

7. Dressing Rooms are currently closed. Students should arrive already dressed for Classes. HWSD does sell jackets, workout pants and dance bags. PLEASE bring DANCE SWEATERS to class in winter months (see Dress Code page) WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS WEAR COVERINGS TO DANCE CLOTHES and not leave the building in leotards.

8. Hair must be done at home ie: Ballet Buns: Please wear a bun to school that day should you have dance day to save time. HWSD sells Bun Bags for hair $20.

9. If you have personal labelled hand sanitizer, please bring it with you in your dance bag. We have a TOUCH FREE hand sanitizer Students will use before entering the studio.

10. Labelled water bottles should be brought to class as there will be no cups for sink water.

11. The Barres are marked 6.5 ft. apart and students will be placed apart in center floor work for social distance.

12. Please have ALL young students CM thru Grade 2 use the bathroom at home or prior to class. The bathrooms will be in use for emergency only and cleaning materials will be available for older students to wipe down after use if needed.

13. All upstairs windows will remain open for ventilation right now per request of BOH Chair of Hamilton even with AC/Heat on.

ATTENDANCE/PAYMENTS/REFUND

HWSD is an ANNUAL School Year 10 Month Program where all classes begin in September and run the full school year. Dance is a PROGRESSIVE ART. Class attendance is essential for technique skills to progress safely and correctly and for the class to have continuity and consistency to progress as an ensemble.  Fairness to the entire group is of utmost importance. The majority of our students enroll in September and continue thru to performance time in June. We do prorate some students in who may discover our program after we begin, new to the area, new to dance or an existing student who may want to add a genre. There may be enrollment requirements for late enrollment (see below) Class is also our “rehearsal” time as we begin to prepare for performance. From return of February break on our classes combine our technique learning portion of class along with choreography/prep time for the performance pieces.

Please contact the studio and email us at [email protected] should a student have to miss class due to illness or mandatory school/ family commitment.  Students are allowed to do “make-ups” within ONE MONTH of the original absence for ILLNESS, INJURY, MANDATORY FAMILY and/or SCHOOL/or GRADED REQUIRED COMMITMENTS & SNOW DAYS in the grade level lower: or teacher approved class: or another genre (appropriate level) Make ups due to illness/injury must be made up within one month of absence. NO MAKEUPS AFTER FEBRUARY BREAK. Individual Class choreography has begun. *NOTE: Other “activities” Sports, Drama, Clubs, other lessons are NOT considered mandatory commitments.  PLEASE DO NOT DOUBLE BOOK or overlap times for your student on dance class day. For fairness to all, students will not be allowed to consistently arrive late, leave early, miss class, or do makeups as a replacement for unexcused absences/double booking.

HWSD is a Ten Month Annual School Year Program from September to June: All Payments to HWSD are by CHECK /and or CASH made payable to The Hamilton Wenham School of Dance. * Online payments with Paypal are available on our Registration Page. We need a signed Registration Form from all families. No refunds are given except in cases of withdrawal from a class after three weeks from the start of the classes in September. Refunds or any Credit towards classes will be given in cases of long term injury, illness with note of Doctor specifying need to stop classes.  NOTE: HWSD reserves the right to dissolve a class if it does not meet class size criteria of a minimum of three students and has to be cancelled, a refund will be made. If class registration is too small, classes may be merged if levels are appropriate. All class payments and costume fees must be paid in full in order to receive costumes and perform in recital.  Costumes are non-returnable and non-refundable.  Thank you

LATE ENROLLMENT POLICIES

Creative Movement Students can be prorated enrollment closes April 1. They will perform in recital

GRADE K – GRADE 3: All classes begin the week of Sept. 6, 2022: (note: Registration closes Jan. 25) There will be a registration fee of $30 for any registration after September. Should a Late enrolled student in for Kindergarten thru Grade 3 need extra instruction, In addition to enrolling in the class. HWSD may require privates to catch them up to class. This is at the instructors discretion.

GRADE 4 – GRADE 12: All classes begin the week of Sept. 6, 2022 NEW Students enrolling after the month September are required to do the following to be able to enroll in their grade level/appropriate classes and keep up/catch up with technique that was missed by late enrollment:

• Take 45 minute privates subject to teacher availability and recommendation to keep up with technique while attending regular scheduled class

RECITAL OBLIGATIONS and REQUIREMENTS: DATES ARE ON THE CALENDAR PAGE

All students must attend DRESS REHEARSAL & DRESS REHEARSAL CLASSES which will be held during the last week of classes prior to Performance. Your child’s attendance at Dress Rehearsal is essential to the fairness of the entire class rehearsal. Students are counting on each other as it is their only rehearsal time. NOTICES will be sent by EMAIL in late April/early May regarding Recital Information: Please see our Calendar Page for HWSD Dates

ILLNESS/INJURY & LIABILITY

Please notify Director Donna J. Viau if a student has any physical and/or other limitations in any way that may prevent them from fully participating in class.  Students must be FEVER free without meds for 72 hours in order to return to classes. A Doctor’s note is required stating the student is safe to return to class if a student is out under a doctor’s care or more or that of an injury. The Hamilton Wenham School of Dance and/or instructors are not liable for personal injury in any way, loss/damage to personal property to any students/visitors or persons on the premises of HWSD

WEATHER & Other Closing information

THE HAMILTON WENHAM SCHOOL OF DANCE DOES NOT FOLLOW THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN REGARDS TO WEATHER or certain Holiday closures. We are an independent private business and weather in each town varies. In regards to weather, you will be notified regarding classes by email. There will be updated messages on our Facebook page stating class status regarding weather. I will try my best for Families to also receive an email stating any changes “hopefully” by mid afternoon with at least and hour or more prior to class. Students are allowed to do a makeup for a class missed by trying another genre approved by the Director or being notified by the director what classes are available in the missed genre. ALL makeups due to weather, family/school mandatory commitment or illness must be done prior to Feb. Break. Choreography for Individual Classes begins after Feb. break. We do not close for school meetings or elections when school buildings are in use. Check Calendar Page for other dates pertaining to HWSD

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY

Photos/Videos of student dance from Hamilton Wenham School of Dance may be used for internet, promotional/advertising purposes only ie. Facebook and Web page.  No names will be listed. Please notify HWSD Director otherwise.