ABOUT FOX RIVER ACADEMY
General Information Regarding Enrollment, Policies, Procedures
Thank you for your interest in the Fox
River Academy! We hope that you explore and enjoy the many opportunities
available to further develop your creativity at the Academy. After you
peruse through Academy programs on our website, you may have some general
questions regarding enrollment at Fox River. Below is a guide that
outlines the various programs available to our students, describes
policies and procedures, and provides other information regarding practice
suggestions, etc. We hope you will find this information useful. Please
let us know if you have any questions regarding our programs or policies.
Again, we look forward to helping you discover and grow your artistic
gifts!
Our mission statement
Our mission statement: To offer an exceptional educational experience for
each student, provided by highly qualified instructors in a comfortable
setting. Our classes are designed to create a positive and supportive
learning environment that encourages students to reach or exceed their
personal expectations and goals.
Starting out/supplies
MUSIC: Instrumental or vocal study can be a very rewarding, exciting, and
fulfilling experience. If this is your first time studying an instrument,
it is important to remember that music study requires not only a strong
interest and appreciation for the art, but also a time commitment to
regular practice that extends beyond the weekly session you have with
your teacher. Consistent practice will help you achieve regular progress
with your study, and also instill confidence (in areas such as
performance). It is also important that practice be done on an instrument
in favorable condition. Instruments in disrepair or out of tune can
affect student development in areas of ear training, technique, and
overall execution. If you need a recommendation for purchasing, renting,
or repairing an instrument, please consult your instructor.
ART: Most of our art workshops and classes include any supplies you might
need for the specific field of art you are studying. Part of the journey
is to gain exposure and learn to use new forms of media; however, it also
can be valuable to apply techniques learned outside of the classroom in
daily practice. Reinforcing any skills you have learned from your classes
through regular application at home will be very beneficial to your
development as an artist.
What to expect the first few months of
enrollment
Art skill development and music lessons are gradual processes that
involve many months (and years!) of regular practice and study. Artistic
development is both personal and group-involved, and is very fulfilling
and rewarding. Study of the arts is also something one can do at any age,
and can continue through the rest of one’s life. Every individual
possesses gifts in many areas, and the arts are no exception. Students
all have strengths in different areas; for instance, in music, perhaps
you are an “ear” player, or have an aptitude for technique or
sight-reading…whatever the case may be, your teacher is customizing your
music study to help enhance your natural talents, and also to assist you
in focusing on areas that may need more attention. Because of factors
such as natural ability, experience, and age, your study may involve
using different materials than another student beginning at the same
time, and may advance at a different pace. Certain instruments require
students to focus on certain techniques prior to working on large-scale
pieces or ensemble repertoire. So be patient - you may not be working on
a Mozart Sonata in the first few months of study, but you’re definitely
on your way towards developing your own unique talent. Please feel free
to communicate with your instructor if you have questions on specific
aspects of your curriculum.
Music: Ensembles,
performances, recitals
After your initial period of music study, you may be thinking about
exploring other programs involving your music instrument. In addition to
private music study, the Fox River Academy has several opportunities for
students to help enhance other areas of music performance. Several of our
instructors have Performance Groups or Ensembles built directly into
their curriculum (to take place of a private lesson for that week) as a
way to expose students to group repertoire or performance. Some
instructors have ensembles that are audition-only for students interested
in studying and performing in ensembles (such as our Youth and Teen/Adult
Guitar Ensembles, Piano Ensemble, and Classical Youth Chorus). The
Academy arranges for these groups to participate in various public
performances, as well as regular recitals.
Students have several opportunities for recital performance at the
Academy. Once a year, we have a full academy Winter Recital (usually near
the end of January) for all students. Over several weekends, students may
sign out a recital time that is convenient for their schedule. Sometimes
teachers designate a specific date and time for their students to
participate. The Academy arranges for an outside location (to accommodate
the large amount of students, their friends and family) for these
performances. Several of our instructors also arrange for other
instrument-specific recitals periodically over the course of the year,
and may include opportunities for other types of performances (such as
accompanists or chamber players).
Evaluated performances and theory
classes
Performance Evaluations: Twice each year for one week, our studio has
Evaluated Performances for our students. Evaluated Performances provide
the opportunity for students, teachers, and parents to receive valuable
input regarding student progress on their instrument. Instead of having
their regular lesson, students sign out a specified evaluation date and
time on our evaluation schedule sheets (usually found in our waiting room
in April and October). For their evaluation, students perform one
exercise/warm up, one sight-reading excerpt (optional for some
instruments), and one selection of music for a panel of teachers.
Teachers then evaluate the student’s performance on a number of factors,
such as technical agility and execution, memorization, pitch and rhythmic
accuracy, and musicality (dynamics, appropriate tempo) and fill out a
student evaluation form with this information. Students receive a
performance certificate immediately after their performance acknowledging
their participation and hard work. Completed forms will be given to the
student’s teacher the following week, for teachers to review with the
student.
Theory classes: At no additional charge, beginner students may
participate in a theory class. In their theory classes, students
reinforce concepts learned in their private lessons, such as rhythmic
work, sight-reading, listening, etc. in a group setting. Theory class
levels are by teacher recommendation, and are based on student age and
level of musical experience. Theory classes are also based on
availability - occasionally we are unable to offer a class for a specific
student level due to lack of response or enrollment for a particular age
and skill level. Theory sign-up forms may be found in the Academy waiting
room area, and need to be completed and turned in to your private teacher
before a specific class date/time is arranged. Please consult your
teacher or the Academy office for more information, or to find out
available dates and times.
Cancelled or
missed lessons and closings
Student-cancelled private music lessons: When a student cancels a private
music lesson with a teacher, they may make up any missed or cancelled
classes by signing up for the Fox River Academy’s Performance Class,
which takes place once a month on Saturdays at 2:00 P.M. (NOTE: Time is
subject to change in the future.) For the Performance Class, students
perform a work (or a section of a piece) they are currently studying in
their private lessons, and receive coaching on various performance
techniques. It is not necessary to sign up for a specific month; the
Performance Class takes place once a month, and students are more than
welcome to choose any designated Saturday that is most convenient for
their schedule. Many students find this class to be greatly constructive,
especially before a recital or performance. Performance sign-up sheets
are on bulletin board in the Academy waiting area - feel free to call our
office for dates and availability (we usually have the Performance Dates
for the current quarter posted). If low attendance is predicted for a
specific month, the Academy will call all students on the Friday before a
scheduled Performance Class to cancel and sign up student for a future
class. NOTE: student-cancelled or missed lessons not arranged to be made
up (either by attending the Performance Class or by other special
arrangements through the teacher) CANNOT be credited or deducted from
student tuition.
Student and teacher-cancelled group lessons: Because we limit the number
of students designated to participate in each of our group classes (in
order to ensure optimal instruction), students needing to cancel a date
for a group class (such as Jazz Combo, Art, Mini Musicians, etc.) will
not be able to schedule a make-up for the missed session.
Teacher-cancelled group lessons will either be rescheduled with a make-up
date, or credited to student’s tuition.
Teacher-cancelled lessons: When a teacher cancels a lesson, the teacher
will attempt to schedule an alternate date and time for the missed
session. Any teacher cancellations that cannot be made up WILL be
credited to student tuition for the following quarter. If you receive
your tuition invoice for the next quarter, and teacher cancellations
meant to be credited are not reflected in your statement, please notify
the Academy office, and we will make any adjustments necessary.
Studio closing due to weather conditions, etc.: The Fox River Academy
will announce any cancellation of lessons and classes due to adverse
weather conditions (excessive snow, flooding, etc.) after 10:00 A.M. the
day of closing. This information may be found by calling the Academy
directly; any closings will be recorded on the voicemail of our answering
system message.
Your tuition
invoices and statements
Tuition invoices are generated at the beginning of each quarter (four
times a year), or at the start of student’s enrollment at our Academy.
Your invoice for each quarter indicates the type of class or lessons
enrolled, the number of lessons scheduled for that quarter, and (when
applicable) any tuition discounts or adjustments. Your Account Statement
includes the charges from invoices, along with any payments made to the
Academy towards your balance. Tuition adjustments that occur during
student enrollment may be delayed due to communication between our
administrative staff and teachers. If at any time you notice a
discrepancy on your account statement, please contact our office staff,
so that we can make sure any required changes are entered in your
records.
Tuition payment: Payment towards tuition is due before the first week of
each quarter. Payments may be made in full for the quarter, or be
separated into two payments (each representing half of quarter balance),
with the first of these payments due before the first week of the
quarter. Students beginning lessons during a particular quarter will be
pro-rated for the remainder of the quarter, with the first payment due
the week of student’s first lesson. Secondary payments are due six weeks
into the current quarter. Student accounts are expected to be paid in
full by the conclusion of the current quarter they are enrolled in, and
must be paid in order to be re-enrolled for the next quarter. If special
circumstances exist that interfere with completion of tuition payment,
students must contact our office at (630) 551-4321 before the completion
of the current quarter in order to make payment arrangements. Accounts
that are due past the conclusion of the quarter with no payment
arrangement will be charged a $10.00 fee, and may be assessed a
$5.00/week charge for each week in arrears.
Enrollment and
discontinuation of lessons
Enrollment: Students enrolling for the first time in lessons need to
complete our Student Registration Paperwork and sign our Policy and
Guidelines sheet (found in the office). It is also required that a
deposit (equaling the amount of student’s first lesson) be made with our
office up to 24 hours before the student’s first lesson is scheduled to
take place. Student date and time slots are not guaranteed until lesson
deposit is received by Fox River Academy office staff. (NOTE: Date/time
slots MUST be directly confirmed with our office staff by phone before
any time slot is reserved, including but not limited to changes between
Summer and Fall Quarter enrollment.)
Trial lessons: Students may schedule lessons to continue through the end
of the quarter, or may schedule a trial lesson with a particular teacher.
Trial lesson charges are billed according to the duration of the
scheduled lesson (30, 45, or 60 minutes). After the student’s trial
lesson has taken place, students are responsible for contacting the
Academy office to express their intention of continuing lessons. At this
time, payment towards the remaining quarter balance is due in order to
hold the student’s time slot. Students who fail to contact our office
regarding continuation of lessons (up to 24 hours before their next
scheduled lesson) will be removed from the teacher’s schedule, and may be
returned to a teacher’s waiting list.
Re-enrollment for private music classes: Once enrollment is confirmed,
students are enrolled and billed for quarterly or designated class
duration. Unless student has notified the Academy office (see
“Discontinuation of Lessons” below), students are automatically
re-enrolled in the next quarter with the same teacher, date, and time at
the conclusion of the quarter (excepting special arrangements from
teacher, or transitions requiring specific schedule changes such as
between Spring/Summer and Summer/Fall Quarter).
Discontinuation of private/group lessons and non-appearance: If a student
wishes to discontinue lessons with a teacher, it is required that they
notify the Academy office (along with their teacher) at least two weeks’
prior to the date and time of their last lesson. Students not notifying
the Academy office of intention to discontinuing lessons will be charged
for two weeks’ tuition from the date of notification. If a student does
not show up for a scheduled lesson, and fails to contact our office staff
regarding their student status, the student’s lesson slot will be held
for two weeks of “no-shows” (no appearance, no call) and then removed
from the teacher’s schedule. Per Academy policy, student accounts will be
charged for the two weeks of non-attendance. Students wishing to
discontinue lessons at the end of a particular quarter must notify our
Academy office at least two weeks’ prior to the conclusion of that
particular quarter. Failure to notify our office of discontinuing lessons
will result in student accounts being charged from the date of student
notification to our office staff, or for the two weeks into the next
quarter. The Fox River Academy does not issue tuition refunds unless
there are discrepancies due to teacher or administration error (teacher
cancellations, etc.).
Office hours and
contact information
Although classes, private lessons and performances may be scheduled from
mornings until late evenings seven days a week, our front desk may be
closed during these hours. The Academy office is open six days a week
(Monday through Saturday), with hours on Monday through Friday from 2:00
P.M. – 8:00 P.M., and Saturday from 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Inquiries,
questions, and payments by phone may be done to our main telephone number
(630-551-4321); our fax line is 630-551-3210. Email inquiries and
correspondence may be sent to
info@foxriveracademy.com. Correspondence
and payments may be mailed to: Fox River Academy of Music and Art, 4025-B
US Rt. 34, Oswego, Illinois 60543. We enjoy having the opportunity to
develop relationships with all of our customers and work very hard to
accommodate our students and their families in the best way that we can.
Although our small business office may become a bit overwhelmed at
specific times of the year, our students are very important to us, and we
will strive to contact each student as soon as we can, and devote the
time and attention each customer’s inquiry or question requires.
Other student policy
information
Student protection policy: The Fox River Academy is a safe and
comfortable learning environment where every student should feel
confident enough to explore their potential and perform their best. We
encourage students to respect and show courtesy to other students and
teachers, and have a no-tolerance policy of bullying, discrimination, or
other destructive behavior between students, their families, and
teachers. If a problem arises, the Academy will address the situation
accordingly; further investigation may result in immediate termination of
student enrollment.
Student probation: Problems with excessive lack of attendance, lack of
practice or lesson preparation, or inappropriate or disrespectful
behavior towards other students and teachers may result in student being
placed on Probation. The student is issued a probationary form outlining
the specific areas where improvement is expected over the following
quarter, with contact numbers for scheduling a teacher conference. At the
conclusion of the quarter, the student’s performance and effort will be
reviewed by their teacher, and a decision made regarding student status
(removal from probation, termination of enrollment).
Changes to policy: Any changes to the Fox River Academy policies,
programs, and guidelines will be issued in writing to our students at
least 30 days prior to implementation of changes. By signing our policy
sheet, student consents to current Academy policies and agrees to any
future amendments/changes (following the 30 day period).
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