The Pointe’s Friday FYI – 1/27/23

Happy Friday, PSD Families!
This Friday FYI 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!

Friendly reminder about winter weather with the expected snow overnight – we will make a decision about Saturday classes by 8:00 tomorrow morning. If we cancel, we will send an email to any affected classes and will post on Facebook. If you don’t hear from us by 8:00, we are on our normal schedule!

New & Urgent this week:
– RECITAL INFORMATION is beginning to come out! More recital information will keep coming – and we know it can be a lot to keep track of. We keep EVERYTHING you need to know on one page: www.thepointeschool.com/recital-2023 – bookmark this page and check it regularly!
– NEW THIS WEEK on the recital page: Quick Reference Guide! This guide shows EVERYTHING you need to know for your dancer’s class(es) all on one page: shoes and tights needed, picture and dress rehearsal schedule, and more!

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

  • January 31 – Last day for 2022-2023 school year registration
  • February: Summer Dance Schedule released & registration opens (stay tuned – sneak peeks coming next week!)
  • February 13-18 – Parent Participation Week
  • February 25 – March auto-pay processed

Recital 2023 preparations are happening in classes and behind the scenes! Stay up to date on EVERYTHING you need to know for recital here: www.thepointeschool.com/recital-2023 – this page will hold all of the information you need for a smooth and low-stress recital experience. Bookmark this page and revisit it regularly – we’ll email home when we add updates, and keep everything you need on this convenient page.

As we prepare for recital, we often have families wondering what tights and shoes their dancer needs for their classes. All of the details are on the costume label on the garment bag for your dancer’s costume, and the quick reference guide on the recital page. Here are details on the shade options that we have. If your dancer’s class has skin tone tights and shoes as an option or the required shade, we mean the closest match to the dancer’s skin tone. We ask that tights and shoes match (not ballet pink tights and caramel shoes or vice versa). Samples of these shades are available in our boutique – and we have most sizes in these listed shades available in stock, and anything we don’t have in stock at the moment you come in can be easily ordered.

Create memories you and your dancer will cherish for a lifetime – dance with them in their Recital! We are SO excited to be bringing back a special tradition to Recital 2023 – the Family Dance (formerly known as the Father Daughter Dance). We haven’t been able to make this happen since Recital 2019 – and after a three-year break, we can’t wait to see our studio families get involved with Recital in a new and revamped way! The Family Dance is a special Recital performance created for a dancer and ONE adult family member. Dads, Moms, Aunts, Uncles, Family Friends, or any significant caregiver is welcome to perform with their dancer. This structure gives more of our studio families the option to get involved in this performance opportunity – and the more the merrier! The dancer and their chosen adult will learn and perform the routine as a pair. This is open for dancers in Level 1 and up – learn more about this dance and get signed up here!

 

Summer dates are set – stay tuned for class schedules and more details!  We know some families plan their summer vacations around dance and other activities – and we’re excited to have a longer break between recital and summer classes while keeping a 6-week summer class and camp session!

Here are the dates we know:
April 30 – May 4 – recital picture week
June 4 – 2023-2024 Company Auditions
June 5 – last day of classes (this is different than past years – Monday classes get one more class after Memorial Day!)
June 6-8 – Dress rehearsals @ Paramount
June 11 – RECITAL!
June 12-23 – Studio break between recital and summer classes (two weeks this year, based on feedback from families!)
June 26 – August 4 – Summer session (6 weeks of classes)
August 7-11 – Intensive
August 12-19 – Studio closed
August 20 – Start school year 2023-2024 classes
June 4-6 (2024) – Dress rehearsals
June 9 (2024)- Recital

SUMMER DANCE CAMP SNEAK PEEK!


More details about our popular summer dance camps will be coming out soon – stay tuned! We have some favorites returning, and lots of exciting NEW themes!

Families will be notified by email when costumes for their class(es) are in and ready to go home. We do a quick costume try-on in class, then dancers take their costumes home that day. We have a handy guide to keep your costumes recital-ready & some information about the timeline for recital costumes below.

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 using this link!

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!

As we get into winter weather, a few reminders about winter weather cancellations and protocols at the studio 🙂

  • We do not necessarily follow any school district closures – schools consider busses, walking students, and the morning commute – where we do not have busses or walkers, and most of our classes start after the school day is over
  • If we need to cancel classes, we will notify families by email, the studio-wide BAND app, and on our public Facebook page by 8 AM for morning classes and 2 PM for afternoon/evening classes. We may not be able to reply to questions about possible weather closures before those times (if we spent the whole day replying to every individual question, we wouldn’t be able to make progress on our other important work for the studio!)
  • Canceled classes for weather are not rescheduled – to make up missed classes, dancers are welcome to attend any class at a similar or lower level within 2 weeks of the missed class. Dancers can just come to the class they’d like for a makeup – no need to check with the office in advance. Questions about what classes would be great options for your dancer? We’re happy to help 🙂
  • Every family has a different commute and level of comfort with winter driving conditions – please always make the best decision for your family. If we are open and you don’t feel comfortable driving, no worries – stay home and safe. Makeup classes are always available.
  • 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/aba6607526O3B 
  • If your dancer is in COMPANY, please join the Company BAND here: https://band.us/n/a4ac627b2aNdR (dancers can and should join, too!)
  • If your dancer is in COMMUNITY TEAM, please join the CT BAND here: https://band.us/n/a7a9687a26O1J (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 ([email protected]) 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/aba6607526O3B (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, and 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 & Calendar for the 2022-2023 School year 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