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:

• A friendly reminder from PSD Staff to please turn off your car headlights if you are in your car waiting for your dancer, facing the building. This is especially important if you are in front of Studio D, so your lights do not cause a distraction to dancers in class. Thank you!

• Company Preview Show is this Sunday! Please come support our PSD Company Dancers as they get ready for the upcoming competition season.

• Recital Costumes will continue coming home this week! See below for important information & timeline.

• Included below is a reminder of our Winter Weather protocols. Please review these below!

• We are bringing Wiggle Wednesdays back to The Pointe! Learn more about this monthly Story time and Dance Demo for littles below!

• 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!

• January 19 - Company Preview Show @ Linn-Mar High School (Show starts at 3:00 PM!)

• January 25 - February Tuition and Costume Payment Processed

• January 31 - Last day to register for the 2024-2025 School Year

• February 3-8 - Parent Appreciation Week

• February 25 - March Tuition and Costume Payment Processed

• March 8-14 - Skills Testing

• March 15-21 - Spring Break; CLOSED

• March 25 - April Tuition and Costume Payment Processed

• March 28 - Rollover & Automatic Registration Begins

• March 28 - Spring Evaluations sent home

Come support our Company Dancers as they kick off their 2025 season! We will be premiering all of our competitive routines in a special showcase before they hit the competition stage this spring! This is a FREE performance, and it will be on Sunday, January 19th at 3:00 PM in the Linn-Mar High School Auditorium. We hope to see you there!

Recital costumes will begin to go home this week and throughout the next few months as they arrive. 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.

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.

Join us for Wiggle Wednesdays at The Pointe School of Dance on the third Wednesday of every month! Little ones ages 1-5 are welcome to come into the studio for a short story, dance activities, and movement games. Wiggle Wednesdays are active, creative FUN for your little one! Parents are invited to come into the studio room to participate with their child, or wait in our comfortable lobby.

Spaces are limited and registration is required - sign up today at thepointeschool.com/wiggle

Please use this Facebook event to share with your friends!

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 ([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/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