The Pointe’s Friday FYI – 3/31/23

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!

New & Urgent this week:
Rollover Registration Starts TOMORROW, 4/1! Read all the details below (or in this packet) to get set up for easy, smooth registration for next year! Rollover registration is our concierge service where our team takes care of everything for you! Families can choose one of three options to get dance for next year taken care of and crossed off the to-do list early.
– Recital program business ad and dancer shout-out orders are online now! These are due May 8. Order forms are on the recital page!
Thursday classes: don’t forget your makeup class added on 4/6 after multiple weather closures. Please add this class date in your calendar & join us to help get back some class time after three snow days! We typically are not able to schedule makeup classes for weather cancellations – we are thrilled to be able to do this for our Thursday classes this year.
– Summer class registration is open NOW! Many families will wait until class recommendations – and that’s OK! See more below the “Summer Dance” heading for information on class selection for your dancers.
– Most of our recital gear is available online now! Stay tuned for program books and DVDs – shirts, flowers, and gifts are ready for your pre-order! Orders are due May 4. www.theturningpointeboutique.com – click on “Recital 2023”
– Summer Dance Camp priority registration is open now to the community! See details below and on our summer dance page.
– 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!

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!

  • March 31-April 1 – Class Evaluations & Recommendations Emailed Home
  • April 1-21 – Priority Class Selection & Rollover Registration Opt-Out Period (forms open April 1)
  • April 5 – 11 – Studio closed, Easter & Intersessional Break
  • April 6 – Thursday winter weather makeup classes
  • April 21 – Priority Class Selection & Rollover Registration Opt-Out Forms Due (links below)
  • April 22 & 29 – Free Costume Alterations (details and sign-ups coming soon)
  • April 25 – May auto-pay (final installment of the 2022-2023 school year!) including 2023-2024 Membership Payment
  • April 30-May 5 – Recital Pictures (detailed schedule on the recital page – www.thepointeschool.com/recital-2023)

We can’t believe it’s already time to start thinking about next year – we’re working hard behind the scenes to build an incredible 2023-2024 season. To make things easy for our families and to optimize our schedule based on our community’s needs, we utilize an automatic registration process called “Rollover Registration”. Everything happens in April – we’re sharing early so families have lots of time to think about their plans for next year and choose the best registration path for them! All of the information you need is in our Rollover Booklet here. (looking for more details on every class – the recital show time, or instructor? We are still putting the finishing touches on some class details and will have those published by April 10 – if those items make a difference for you in selecting classes, stay tuned and complete your class choice form after the full schedules are published soon!)

  1. Automatic Enrollment – You won’t need to do ANYTHING! Your dancer(s) will be automatically enrolled in the class(es) they are recommended for (we’ll match your current schedule as closely as possible). Your annual membership will process on April 25 with the final tuition and costume installment for the school year unless we receive the membership change form from you by April 21. We can add or change classes easily at any time (pending availability). Last year, about 75% of our studio families utilized this option – and we had rave reviews! We’re happy to make dance registration easy and smooth for you!
  2. Choose Your Own Classes – To choose your classes and guarantee a spot in your preferred time slots, use our convenient Class Choice form here. Your annual membership will process April 25, and we’ll take care of getting you set up and registered in our software system!
  3. Opt-Out – We’d hate to see you go! If you are not planning on continuing in dance next year, use this membership change form to opt-out. This must be received by 10 PM on April 21 to avoid the annual membership payment processing on April 25.

A few important things to know:

  • Registration for camps is open now!  Get the best deal with early bird pricing by registering by April 30!
  • Priority class registration for current PSD students will open on Monday, March 20.  Class registration will open to the community on March 25.  See below for more information on class selection.
  • Over the summer, we fit classes into just 4 days per week as opposed to 7 days a week during the school year – so we have some combined-level classes.  These allow us to offer more schedule options for families.  A Level 3/4 class, for example, is suitable for dancers recommended for either Level 3 or Level 4.  These are not new levels (Level 3/4 is not “in between Level 3 and Level 4” – it is a mix of dancers in both levels). 
  • We are still offering packages for classes (this is the best way for your dancer to get the most out of their time at the studio – and the best value for tuition).  To keep things simpler and cleaner on the administrative end, register for all of the classes in the package you want – then our team will adjust your tuition right before tuition is added to your accounts so you get the package pricing.  This is different than registration last season – it should be more straightforward for you, and will be easier for our teachers to just keep one class roster 🙂  
  • At registration, there is a $20 deposit due per dancer.  This holds your spot in classes and will be credited back to you when tuition is processed before summer classes begin. 
  • Questions about summer registration?  We can help you by email, over the phone, or at the front desk when we return from spring break 🙂 (reminder – spring break starts this Saturday!  We are closed 3/11-3/17 and return to class 3/18)

Class Selection:

  • If your dancer is 1 or 2, register for My First Dance Class (my Ray will be taking this class this summer and I can’t wait!)
  • If your dancer is currently in Mini Movers or My First Dance Class and will be 3 by July 1, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 and/or Hippity Hop.
  • If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 1, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 OR Dance & Discover 2/3 and/or Hippity Hop.
  • If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 2, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 OR Dance & Discover 2/3 and/or Hippity Hop.
  • If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 3, enroll in Level 1 classes (we recommend the Level 1 Core Class Package + any specialty classes)

If your dancer is in a Graded Technique class, they may want to wait to register until class recommendations and evaluations come out April 1.  Here’s a tip – if they are in a level now, they could register for that level (ex: a dancer in Ballet/Tap/Jazz 1 this year should register for Ballet/Tap/Jazz 1/2 – they will either be in Level 1 or 2).  


Here are some important dates for longer-term planning 🙂
April 30 – May 4 – recital picture week
May 10 – Pre-Audition Parent Meeting
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

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.

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!

  • 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