Fall lessons will be kicking off on Tuesday, September 7th at the Academy, and here is what you need to know about the Covid policies for our space this term!
Due to the high volume of students who are not eligible for vaccination due to age, masks will continue to be mandatory for all those over two years of age in our space. We have extra masks available for purchase at our front desk in the event that you forget yours. Masks are required throughout our lessons, including vocal, and allotments will be made for brass/woodwind lessons in the classroom.
Sanitation
There will be a hand sanitizer station in the entrance to the building, as well as full access to washrooms for hand washing.
Teachers will be provided with sanitizer wipes to use on common surfaces at the start and end of the day, and common surfaces in the building at large will be wiped down each day.
Crowd Control
Our waiting spaces will continue to be distanced seating.
Parents are welcome to wait for students in the building during lessons.
Illness
We will have a zero tolerance policy for students or staff entering the building with symptoms of illness. Teachers and staff reserve the right to request a student be taken home if they are in attendance with symptoms.
Discipline-specific Advisories
Piano, voice, guitar, violin, and drums will proceed as usual with the continued use of masks. Vocal classrooms will continue to have plexiglass barriers between student and teacher.
Woodwind and brass students are permitted to remove their masks in their classroom areas, and will have specific requests (such as mouth shields for flutes) which will be specified by their individual teachers. These classrooms will also continue to have plexiglass barriers between student and teacher.
Group Classes
At this time, we will be starting to offer those group programs which we feel can proceed safely when masked: String Groups, Exploring Music (early music education), Rock Band 101, and instrument-specific masterclasses. These programs will recommence in October 2021.
Contingency Planning
We reserve the right to elect to return to online teaching in the event of increased government restrictions. To this end, we ask that Academy families be sure they have up-to-date e-mail addresses on file with us, as well as following us on Facebook, as this would be our primary two ways of communicating such changes in services if necessary.