WELCOME AABD Staff!!!!
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We are so excited to start our new year! The dance season begins AUGUST 2th.
Our staff this season: Erika Fasselt, Rosanne Walters, Michelle Chamberlain, Carly Hammond, Hope Duncun, Miki Horiis, Kayla Brown, Duriel Porter, Cassie Broussard, Mandy Evans, Colleen Myers, McCree O’Kelley, Michelle Kakaty, Aubrey Ellenberger, Emily McGinnis and Carly Walters.
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Teacher Info for 2020-2021 school year:
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DOOR CODE is 1610* Instructor password for website page “Serenade”
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1. Please be early to prepare for all your classes. We all live in Atlanta and know what the traffic is like here. It is NOT ok to be late. Yes, sometimes it happens but not on a routine basis. Please respect the studio’s time. Parents notice when we start class on time.
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2. Please dress appropriately for the classes you teach. I will provide everyone with an AABD Tshirt if you need one if you teach anything other than Hip Hop. Please wear with solid colored Leggings for all Classes except Hip Hop. You are not only representing AABD, but the dancers look to you to see what’s appropriate for dancewear. Please no bare legs or shorts. ABT says that if you dress appropriately, you are showing respect for your students. *please be mindful of the ages and levels that you teach☺
3. MUSIC and choreography…this is a biggie! Please know that this is a conservative studio. I have promised in my literature to have age-appropriate music and moves. Please remember that we have some talented dancers, but that also means that we have 12 year-olds in some advanced classes. Anything you play or show should be appropriate for those dancers. We are a secular dance school. While I love Christian music, please do not use it class unless it is instrumental. I must respect all religions, but I hope my Christian faith will shine through😊
4. All music for any competitions and recital, must be approved by me if it has lyrics. Please print a copy of the lyrics for me and leave in the office. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I have promised parents that I would personally make sure all the music is ok. Also, while I know we all like to choreograph lifts, I need to know what you are thinking first. We had an incident that cannot be repeated with a fall. I have asked all to show me a lift before putting it in choreography. This past year, I asked to be shown lifts first, but spring concert choreography was done closer to the recital and there were some surprises not only to me but some parents. That’s never a good thing. Please show me what you are thinking, most likely I will say it is perfectly fine.
5. Dress Code for Dancers- PLEASE enforce the dress code stated in the handbook and posted in the studio. All Ballet classes wear uniform AAB leos, pink or flesh tights and ballet slippers. I usually let them wear “junk” until after pliés and then all off unless it is very cold for some reason. For pointe and pas classes, the girls may wear skirts or black tutus. Boys wear black or gray tights and white shirts and black ballet shoes. All other classes may wear uniform leos with pink or black tights/ black cotton dance shorts (not sport shorts) for modern and contemporary and appropriate style shoes. Saturday is free day for 12 and up dancers meaning they can wear and leotard for ballet with pink tights. “Junk” is a privilege to wear when you are an apprentice or company member, not when you are a student. We have all paid our dues☺ Please follow these rules! To be honest, when the teachers do not enforce the dress code, it is not the kids fault, they will wear as much as they can get away with:/
6. Pay days- Pay days are every 2 weeks and new teachers will need to fill out the direct deposit forms. You will all need to record your hours on the google form that I will send in a link at the beginning of the season OR on the instructor page of the website. Please add all your hours. Last year I had to do a good bit of reminding teachers to enter their hours. I am too busy to continue to do that. If you don’t put your hours in, you won’t get paid. It is your responsibility😊 I hope to utilize the website more for info so it is all in one place as much as possible, but it is a work in progress. Please understand, because I use a payroll company, I am unable to pay you on “non-pay week” by studio check. It can only go through the normal payroll process.
The dance season is 36 weeks and that is what the parents pay. I do not pay for holidays or school breaks as the parents do not pay for these either. This is the policy of most schools. Sometimes there is a misconception that the parents pay for classes over breaks therefore the teachers should be paid, but please remember that we may only have a 3-week month in November for example but we have a 5 week month in October, so it all works out to the 36 weeks.
7. Attendance- It is imperative that you take attendance in each class. We need to know who is attending (or not) and who is in the building. We also have a point system for dress code and behavior for the younger dancers and a “star” sheet they earn each week.
Do NOT assume that you have the same kids in one class that is followed by another. If you have a dancer that is on the roll but does not show for several weeks, please notify me. Likewise, if a student is NOT on the role, notify me immediately! We have an online absence form which currently goes to the office. We try to forward those notes to the teacher, sometimes we get it in time, sometimes we don’t:/
8. Student injury and absence reports- must be filled out immediately after any injury. We are going to put this form on the instructor page. Do not leave an injured dancer alone. If it is a simple sprain, etc. have another student help them get ice. Any doubt and call home to have a parent come pick them up. I have had some injuries that I did not know anything about, so in addition to filling out the form, please email the office.
9. Teacher absence request forms- Forms are on the instructor page of the website (password- Serenade) if you know you need a sub prior to your absence. Please fill one out and also write it on the calendar in the back by studio 2. You are required to secure a sub for your classes. Please keep in mind that we are a conservative studio, so please choose a sub that will adhere to our music, language, and dress code policies. Also, please make sure you fill in the sub’s contact info, so that we may contact them if there is a problem and so that they may be paid. Please do not pay them on your own. It must come from the studio or the accounting does not work with the hours. If possible, try to get someone from AABD just to make it easier with payroll, but if not, it is OK I will just have to write a check to them. Also, it extremely helpful if you give them the studio phone number and address in the event that they are running behind or lose their way.
10. Contact Info- Please make sure the office has all your contact information and please send an updated bio and headshot to the office at aabdoffice@gmail.com.
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11. If you are the last class of the day and you close the studio, please follow the studio close check list which will be provided. It is very easy just making sure to turn off all music equipment, turning out lights, please check all garbage to make sure there is not food in the cans and if there is, please tie shut and I will get it in the morning. We get ants VERY easily and must be extra careful. There is no food or drinks other than water allowed “upstairs” so if you have to eat in between or during a class, please make sure you take all trash that contains ANY food or drink downstairs. And of course, lock all doors. MOST IMPORTANT, you cannot leave until every student has been picked up! PLEASE tell your subs if you normally lock up so they are prepared to stay with the dancers and lock up. If you have families constantly late, please let me know. If you arrive early in the day, I will give you a key to open. Please do not give this key out to anyone, the insurance rules are extremely strict as you can imagine!
12. Tax Forms- I will need everyone to fill out a tax form. I give a 1099 with the amount I have paid you for that calendar year. If you do not make more than $600.00, I do not need to give you one. I will have those forms at the studio if you need one and I will also attach one with your contract. Please give contracts and 1099’s back to me asap.
13. Studio Problems- If you have any studio problems such as AC or Heating or plumbing etc., and I am not at the studio, PLEASE contact me ASAP. If I am not available, please consult with another teacher to make an educated decision on how to proceed. We cannot have dancers in a studio with air conditioning nor can we use stopped-up toilets…
14. Do NOT bring “treats” for the dancers and please tell the kids to ask me about bringing treats for celebrations. We have found too many allergies amongst the kids to be responsible for a possible allergic reaction.
15. Social Media and Cell Phones- Studio: Please, if you take any photos in class of the kids, you cannot post to social media unless it had been approved. This includes videos as well. Some parents do not care if their kids are on FB and Instagram, and others freak out. Also, if you take a photo in any AABD studio, please do not post it as another studio.
Personal: PLEASE, keep your personal accounts separate from studio dancers. If you accept them, be SURE that any content you are posting or showing the kids in class is appropriate for young children. And please, no political statements if posting for or about AABD. As a business, it is not up to me to choose sides in the political arena. I need every dancer for the studio to keep the doors open!