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:

• Get ready for The Nutcracker 2025! Weekly updates will be shared here as we continue preparing for performance day! Please see all new updates below. The Nutcracker Performances are on Sunday at 1 & 3 PM!

• Festive Pajama & In-Studio Holiday Performance Week is December 8-13th! See details below!

• The studio, front desk, and boutique will be CLOSED December 15-January 3 for Winter Break.

• Wiggle Wednesdays at The Pointe are back! See below for all information and registration for our free dance & story time program.

• We are continuing our Mini Acro Private Lessons - see details below!

• Please check the Lost & Found for your dancer's items as we lead up to Winter break!

• 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!

• December 8-13 - Festive Pajama Week & In-Studio Holiday Performances

• December 14 - The Nutcracker 2025 (Performances at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM at Linn-Mar High School)

• December 15-January 3 - Winter Break; CLOSED

• December 25 - January Tuition and Costume Payments Process

• January 4 - Classes Resume

• January 14 - Wiggle Wednesday (11:15-11:45 AM)

• January 18 - Company Preview Show at Linn-Mar High School

• January 19-24 - Parent Appreciation Week

• January 25 - February Tuition and Costume Payments Process

It's time to start planning for winter and our 3rd Annual Performance of The Nutcracker! Our Nutcracker webpage is now LIVE! You will find everything you need to prepare you and your dancer for a successful Nutcracker season. Check out thepointeschool.com/nutcracker regularly for updates.

Here are new updates to the website this week:

Gifts, Flowers, DVDs and Digital Downloads: This year, we are introducing a special series of Nutcracker gifts to help celebrate your dancer on all their hard work leading up to this performance! We have Nutcrackers, snow globes, ornaments, jewelry and accessories available to gift to your dancer to celebrate the holiday season and a job well done. Please look through this catalog to see all available options. Orders must be placed at the front desk at the studio or at the merchandise table on Dress Rehearsal and Performance days.

Flowers, DVDs, and Digital Downloads can all be purchased at https://theturningpointeboutique.com/ Flowers pre-orders are due December 1st. DVD and Digital Download orders are due January 1st.

If you still need to pick up your Nutcracker T-shirt or boutique order, you can come to the studio Saturday from 10:00 AM -12:00 PM. We will also have them at the merchandise table on show day.

Nutcracker Ticket Sales: Nutcracker Tickets are on sale now and end on December 13th at 12:00 AM. Your Class Performance Package includes 4 tickets to the performance of your choosing. Additional tickets will be $15 each. If tickets remain available, they will be sold at the door for $20. Please see all details for receiving your ticket code, purchasing, and downloading your tickets in our Performance Handbook on the Nutcracker webpage: thepointeschool.com/nutcracker

Performance Day Details - December 14th at Linn-Mar High School Auditorium: Set you and your dancer up for success on performance day! There are a lot of moving parts to make a performance like this happen, and we have laid out all the information to be sure you and your dancer are prepared! Please read all the details about arrival, dancer check-in/check-out, costume return, and backstage policies in our Performance Handbook, on the Nutcracker webpage: thepointeschool.com/nutcracker

Show Day Parking & Entrance: Once you arrive at the high school, all dancers, families, and guests should park in the North parking lot by the football stadium. Everyone will enter through Door 3 of the high school - there is a big red awning on the building to mark this location.

Help us celebrate the holidays during our last week of classes for 2025, December 8-13!

• Dancers, come to class in your best Holiday Pajamas! (or any other festive gear you can dance in)

• Parents and siblings are invited to join us for the last 10 minutes of class to watch a special holiday routine, take photos & video, and enjoy some festive fun with their dancers. This is for ALL classes except technique & ballet classes performing in the Nutcracker.

The studio and boutique will be CLOSED for Winter Break from December 15-January 3.

TOMORROW (12/13) is the LAST chance to claim lost & found items and pick up Holiday Boutique orders before we close for Winter Break. Our front desk & boutique are open from 10 AM-12 PM.

Our staff works primarily nights and weekend, so we want to take this time to really allow them to spend time with their friends and family during the Holiday Season. If you need to get in contact with us during this time, please do so via email at [email protected]. We may not respond back at our normal speed, but we will be checking for messages infrequently throughout break.

Wiggle Wednesday is a free monthly story time and dance demo at The Pointe School of Dance! Children aged 1-5 are welcome to visit 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

Our last event of the year is Wednesday, January 14th from 11:15-11:45 AM!

NEW! We are now offering monthly Mini Acro Private Lessons with Miss Laura! These are great for students looking for individual feedback for a specific skill or working towards a specific goal. These lessons are only offered on the specific dates below - giving the benefits of a private lesson at a great value.

• These will be 20 minute private lessons offered once a month and will focus in on 1-2 specific skills of your choice. **With teacher discretion - for example, we will not have your dancer work on aerials if they cannot do a cartwheel.

• All lessons are $25 + tax, due with this form at sign up.

• All time slots are first come, first serve.

• If you cannot make these dates or want more frequent lessons - please reach out to request a standard private lesson.

• Please fill out one form for each lesson if you are signing up for multiple dates.

These will be coming back in January & February! Keep an eye out for sign up details after winter break!

Please check the Lost & Found in the student lounge over the next few weeks for your dancers missing items! All items remaining during Winter Break will be cleared out and donated.

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.

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!

• Contact Us: [email protected], (319) 302-3880

• Boutique & Front Desk Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4:30-8:30 PM. Saturdays: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

• View our Studio Policies and Full Calendar

• Get Connected: Join our Studio-wide BAND App and our Family Facebook Community

• View our Dress Code requirements for all classes.

• Absences: Report you dancer’s absence through your parent portal with these instructions

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