Happy Friday, PSD Families!

This Friday FYI email is our primary method of communication to studio families - please save it for a time when you can read through it thoroughly and bookmark it for reference!

New & Urgent this week:

• The 2024-2025 School Year begins TOMORROW Saturday, August 17th! See Below for information on what to expect from your first dance class.

• Our Nutcracker webpage is now LIVE! Class Performance Registration will be opening at the end of the month!

• The 2024-2025 Polices and Calendar have been updated on our website. See below to plan for an amazing year!

• School Year Class Registration is ongoing! Register today to get your dancer set up in their preferred classes.

Stay tuned to these regular email updates - this is your primary source for all studio news!

Find all of the important dates for the year here: www.thepointeschool.com/policies - we list upcoming dates within the next few weeks in the Friday FYI as well for your convenience!

• August 17 - Start of the 2024-2025 School Year

• August 17 - Community Team @ Cedar Rapids Farmers Market (9:00-9:30 AM, Corner of 5th St and 2nd Ave)

• August 25 - September Tuition and Costume Payment Processed

• August 30 - Nutcracker Class Performance Sign Ups Open

• August 31-September 2 - Labor Day Weekend; CLOSED

• September 16-21 - Discover Dance Days

• September 20 - Nutcracker Class Performance Sign Ups Close

• September 25 - October Tuition and Costume Payment Processed

We are SO excited for classes to start on Saturday! Parents, please read the information below thoroughly so you know what to expect in your dancer's first class! Know that the first week of classes is one of our busiest weeks at the studio - more parents come in the lobby, need items in the boutique, and wait through their dancer's classes this week than any other week of the year. Our parking lot, boutique, and lobby areas might feel really crowded - this all calms down once everyone gets in the swing of class routines :). All of our classrooms have a viewing window - and Studio D's viewing window is a little smaller and not convenient with a seat, so we live stream those classes to a TV screen in the lobby. Parents, we invite you to come in for the first few minutes of your dancer's classes to meet your teacher and hear some reminders and important information, and then you're welcome to stay in the lobby or hallway and watch, come shop in the boutique, or enjoy a little time to yourself. Here's a quick guide for what to expect for each class specifically in the first week!

My First Dance Class - Your dancer should come into class with their parent or guardian who will participate with them the whole time. Dancers and caregivers should wear comfortable clothing they can easily move in and plan to dance in bare feet. Socks can be too slippery on dance floors, and street shoes are not to be worn in the studio. Please leave your shoes outside the studio rooms - underneath the bench in the hallway on the boot trays.

Mini Movers - Dancers should wear ballet shoes and comfortable clothing they can easily move in. Parents, please come into class (please leave your shoes outside the studio room) with your dancer to introduce your child to their teacher, meet the teacher, and hear from your instructor directly about the class. Sometimes little ones have a difficult time separating from mom and dad at this age. This may take a few tries, and that's completely normal! If your dancer truly needs you to stay in the room, we do allow that for the first few weeks of class. It is our goal - and our class is designed - for dancers to be in class independently. Our instructors will work with dancers or families that need extra support with separation, and work to have dancers enter classes on their own :)

Dance & Discover (1, 2, and 3) - Dancers need tap and ballet shoes, and will enter class wearing tap shoes (we will always do tap first!). Please have girls wear a leotard and tights, boys should wear athletic bottoms (pants or shorts) and a solid color or PSD top. Parents, please come into class (please leave your shoes outside the studio room) with your dancer to introduce your child to their teacher, meet the teacher, and hear from your instructor directly about the class. Sometimes little ones have a difficult time separating from mom and dad (especially Dance & Discover 1!) - it may take a few tries for these dancers to get settles into their routines, and that is totally normal! Our instructors will work with the dancers in their classes to make this positive and successful :) Parents, we suggest packing a bag just with your dancer's dance shoes and a water bottle - dancers will change their shoes during class. To keep class moving and reduce distractions, instructors will help with shoe changes and we will keep dancers in the dance room.

Chance to Dance - Parents, please come in to the studio room (leave your shoes out in the lobby) for the first few minutes of class to meet Miss Denise and her assistants for the school year. Miss Denise will give some announcements and reminders, and this is a great time to share any important information that would be helpful for our instructional team to know about your dancer. Chance to Dance is our only class on Fridays, so the parking lot and lobby are usually very open.

All Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical/Contemporary, Pointe, and Acro - Parents, please come into class (please leave your shoes outside the studio room) with your dancer to introduce your child to their teacher, meet the teacher, and hear from your instructor directly about the class. This will just take a few minutes, and then our teachers will dive right in and get the class moving!

It's time to start preparing for our second production of The Nutcracker! Our Nutcracker webpage is now LIVE! You will find everything you need to prepare you and your dancer for a successful Recital season. Check out thepointeschool.com/nutcracker regularly for updates.

Here are new updates to the website this week:

• Class Ensemble Performance Information: Dancers in Ballet 1 through Advanced and Adult Ballet are eligible to perform in The Nutcracker! This includes both Home School Ballet classes. You can find all the requirements for the class performance package listed on the webpage now. Sign ups for class performance will begin August 30th and end September 20th.

The 2024-2025 Studio Policies and Season Calendar have been updated on our website! Please visit https://thepointeschool.com/policies to gather all your dates to plan for an amazing season!

If you are new to The Pointe this summer, registration for our school year classes is open and ongoing! Don't wait to secure your dancer's spot in the classes that are best for your schedule this year. Registration is open online here - or email or stop by the front desk! We're here to help your dancer get set up for success, this year and beyond!

Did you know that we offer free trial classes for new-to-The-Pointe families - and we have a sweet deal for you if you refer a friend to our program? Families can schedule a trial class easily - just have them send us an email and we'll take care of it!

When a family you've referred signs up, please have them list your name in the "Where did you hear about us?" form in online registration. We will send them a $20 gift card to our boutique to help them get the gear their dancer needs for class - and as a thank you, we'll send one to you, too! Trial classes are easy to schedule online, and are FREE for a limited time!

• Click the links on your phone to download the BAND app and join these groups :) 

• Please join the Studio-wide BAND here: https://band.us/n/a7aa9b43OcwbP

• If your dancer is in COMPANY, please join the Company BAND here: https://band.us/n/a1ae9741O1XbO (dancers can and should join, too!)

• If your dancer is in COMMUNITY TEAM, please join the CT BAND here: https://band.us/n/a7ab9544OeY4B (dancers can and should join, too!) 

• Families have received an email with a unique link to join the BAND group for each class - if you've joined us after that message went out, please find your dancer's instructor after class to get access or shoot us an email (info@thepointeschool.com) and we'll get you added!

We've added another easy method of communication to get relevant information directly to families - right on your phone!

Studio Lobby & Lounge
We ask that families limit lobby visitors to one parent per child if you'll be waiting in the lobby during class.  We also ask that families ONLY have food in the lounge, and to pick up after eating. We have wipes, paper towels, and a small broom/dustpan in the lounge so the space can stay nice and neat for the next group to use the space.

How to get connected at The Pointe!
We love our studio community and truly work with the best families in Cedar Rapids.  We know that it takes a village to raise up awesome kids, and our studio community can be a part of your village.  We have a private Facebook group just for studio families - click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1921735994748769 Please also join our studio-wide BAND app: https://band.us/n/a7aa9b43OcwbP (dancers, too!) 

Absences
Attendance in class is crucial for dancers to learn and grow.  We can only teach students who are in class :)  However, we know that things happen and kids may need to miss occasionally.  To report an absence so your instructor knows what's going on with your dancer, follow the steps in this 40-second video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nstwEOf7e58&list=PLZkeFgMt7mR63GMRqwjdoIM8-U1mxAx-3&index=2 

Boutique & Front Desk Hours
We're happy to help ! We catch up on studio voicemails, emails, and are available at the front desk from 4:30-7:00 Monday through Thursday during the summer. In the school year, we are also open 9:00 AM - Noon on Saturday mornings.

Dress Code
Students who are dressed for dance perform and progress better in class!  Find out what your dancer needs for their classes and easily order online here: www.theturningpointeboutique.com 

Studio Policies & Full Calendar
Our Policies & Studio Calendar is online! Here you will find all the dates needed to plan a successful season, as well as all policies that help keep our studio running smoothly. You can find the Policies and Calendar on our website here: www.thepointeschool.com/policies

Have a wonderful weekend!
- Miss Vanessa & your PSD Staff