Communication
A Star Dance’s primary means of communication is via email. Current families will receive weekly newsletters and important information via email. It is the family’s responsibility to ensure that A Star Dance has been provided with an up-to-date email address that is regularly checked. A Star Dance is able to include two email addresses per family. A Star Dance recommends adding info@astardance.com.au to your contacts so emails do not end up in the dreaded Spam folder!
In the infrequent case of urgent information (for example, unexpected class cancellations or performance changes), we will send an SMS to all families. Please make sure the mobile phone number provided is correct and up-to-date. A Star Dance is able to include 2 mobile numbers per family.
Please advise A Star Dance in writing should there be any change to your dancers contact details and medical conditions.
Current families will a short email at the commencement of every week. Reading our policies (which can be found on our website) and weekly correspondence will assist you and your dancer to have a wonderful experience with A Star Dance.
Please advise A Star Dance in writing should there be any change to your dancers contact details and medical conditions.
Current families will a short email at the commencement of every week. Reading our policies (which can be found on our website) and weekly correspondence will assist you and your dancer to have a wonderful experience with A Star Dance.
ONLINE CLASSES
In the event of forced closures we will be offering online classes. Our purpose for providing online classes is to give our students a sense of normality, community, consistency, exercise and expression.
The aim of our online classes is not to make great strides in improving technique but we hope to maintain the current level of technique, flexibility and interest.
Depending on the age of our students we will be offering prerecorded classes as well as offering online classes.ONLINE CLASSESAs participation is conducted outside the controlled environment of our own studios, your child participates in these online dance classes at their own risk. You understand that dance is similar to sport and, although rare, injury may occur. A Star Dance & Performing Arts will not be held responsible for any injury or loss that may occur to your child during their online dance classes.
To ensure you child has a safe place to dance at home please ensure:* You have an adequate clear space for your dancer to move in.* The floor is clear of any objects or spills and the surface is appropriate to dance on.* The ceiling needs to be at least 2 metres from the floor to ceiling.* There is to be no glass, china or other breakable material that may lead to injury in the room in which they are undertaking the class. * You avoid the use of blades, weapons or sharp instruments of any description* If an exercise or action causes sharp or sudden pain, stop immediately, apply first aid or seek help. * If you have or suspect you have an injury or are sick you should avoid activity * Where possible, have any pets or young siblings in another space to avoid sudden tripping hazards
Recording, sharing of class links and passwords and unauthorised redistribution of footage of the online classes is strictly prohibited.
All outstanding fees and invoices must be paid in full prior to access to our content.
ONLINE LIVE CLASS WAIVER FOR PARENT/CARER By clicking on any of the Zoom Meeting links you are acknowledging and agreeing that:* Your child has gained your permission to be online* You understand our guidelines for online classes* When logging your dancer into the live Zoom class the student must be signed in as their full name (first name and surname. eg Ellie Smith) NOT their parents name or nickname. Only students with their full name requesting to join our live class (in Zoom they call it a meeting) will be accepted into the class. Your child's full name is the name that we have on their enrolment.* You will ensure that your child is wearing appropriate clothing that is suitable for dancing and in no way revealing* That, where possible, you will ensure webcams are located in a communal space like a living room - rather than a bedroom. If only a private space like a bedroom is available you will commit to keeping the door open and/or you or another adult will stay present for the class. * These zoom meetings are being closely monitored by our A Star Teaching Team and have strict safety platforms built in. Each class will be recorded and archived for child safety purposes.* Though the teacher may be able to see you, it is not the same as dancing in person at the studio. Dancers and their carers will need to take more responsibility than usual for the safety of your space and of your child’s movements
The aim of our online classes is not to make great strides in improving technique but we hope to maintain the current level of technique, flexibility and interest.
Depending on the age of our students we will be offering prerecorded classes as well as offering online classes.ONLINE CLASSESAs participation is conducted outside the controlled environment of our own studios, your child participates in these online dance classes at their own risk. You understand that dance is similar to sport and, although rare, injury may occur. A Star Dance & Performing Arts will not be held responsible for any injury or loss that may occur to your child during their online dance classes.
To ensure you child has a safe place to dance at home please ensure:* You have an adequate clear space for your dancer to move in.* The floor is clear of any objects or spills and the surface is appropriate to dance on.* The ceiling needs to be at least 2 metres from the floor to ceiling.* There is to be no glass, china or other breakable material that may lead to injury in the room in which they are undertaking the class. * You avoid the use of blades, weapons or sharp instruments of any description* If an exercise or action causes sharp or sudden pain, stop immediately, apply first aid or seek help. * If you have or suspect you have an injury or are sick you should avoid activity * Where possible, have any pets or young siblings in another space to avoid sudden tripping hazards
Recording, sharing of class links and passwords and unauthorised redistribution of footage of the online classes is strictly prohibited.
All outstanding fees and invoices must be paid in full prior to access to our content.
ONLINE LIVE CLASS WAIVER FOR PARENT/CARER By clicking on any of the Zoom Meeting links you are acknowledging and agreeing that:* Your child has gained your permission to be online* You understand our guidelines for online classes* When logging your dancer into the live Zoom class the student must be signed in as their full name (first name and surname. eg Ellie Smith) NOT their parents name or nickname. Only students with their full name requesting to join our live class (in Zoom they call it a meeting) will be accepted into the class. Your child's full name is the name that we have on their enrolment.* You will ensure that your child is wearing appropriate clothing that is suitable for dancing and in no way revealing* That, where possible, you will ensure webcams are located in a communal space like a living room - rather than a bedroom. If only a private space like a bedroom is available you will commit to keeping the door open and/or you or another adult will stay present for the class. * These zoom meetings are being closely monitored by our A Star Teaching Team and have strict safety platforms built in. Each class will be recorded and archived for child safety purposes.* Though the teacher may be able to see you, it is not the same as dancing in person at the studio. Dancers and their carers will need to take more responsibility than usual for the safety of your space and of your child’s movements
co parenting policy
A Star Dance is happy to have two email addresses (and two mobile numbers) for contact and to send information where there is a co-parenting arrangement in place. We do not manage co-payments. The parent enrolling the student will be responsible for payments irrespective of co-parenting agreements.
emergencies
A Star Dance has a first aid kit on site. In the event of a medical emergency, a dancer's parent/s or guardian will be contacted for the child to be picked up or permission asked to take the child to the nearest medical centre. In the event of a serious emergency an ambulance will be called.
dance risk assessment
A Star Dance staff take the utmost care to provide a safe dance experience. Unfortunately hazards exist in all activities and parents should be aware of the hazards that exist.
A Star Dance staff take the utmost care to provide a safe dance experience. Unfortunately hazards exist in all activities and parents should be aware of the hazards that exist. We have identified the following hazards associated with dance and our premises, and identified the following controls to minimise accidents. If you are concerned for the physical health of your child undertaking this activity please consult a sports therapy specialist and advise A Star Dance staff.
Hazards: Personal injury, student-to-student contact, slipping and tripping.
Controls: Dance to take place only in dance space studios, first aid kit on site, uniform to be worn including appropriate footwear (see Uniform Information Sheet), class sizes kept to safe levels, dance floors kept free of obstacles, staff to undertake first aid course annually, warm up before class and stretching only after class, verbal warnings to be sensible and careful.
Please note: the nature of dance occasionally requires student-teacher contact for the purposes of placement and correction of technique
Hazards: Personal injury, student-to-student contact, slipping and tripping.
Controls: Dance to take place only in dance space studios, first aid kit on site, uniform to be worn including appropriate footwear (see Uniform Information Sheet), class sizes kept to safe levels, dance floors kept free of obstacles, staff to undertake first aid course annually, warm up before class and stretching only after class, verbal warnings to be sensible and careful.
Please note: the nature of dance occasionally requires student-teacher contact for the purposes of placement and correction of technique
personal property
All property brought to A Star Dance remains the responsibility of the student. A Star Dance takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible. A Star Dance will store lost property until the end of each term.
privacy & protection
A Star Dance is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people accessing our dance school. We support the rights of the child and will act, without hesitation, to ensure a child safe environment is maintained at all times. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.
With the safety of our families a number one priority, A Star Dance is very serious about upholding Child Protection laws and policies within the studio as well as at public performances and in the online arena (website and social media).
The A Star Dance Team are educated in the negative impact of inappropriate music and costume selection when it comes to performing dance routines and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring children in all of our dance routines are not subjected to any inappropriate songs or costuming. We recognise that songs with sexist, explicit, violent, racist, homophobic or criminal content may influence our dancers and/or audience and will strive to avoid using such music. We are committed to restricting costumes that project sexuality, contain explicit graphic or textual content. is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people accessing our dance school. We support the rights of the child and will act, without hesitation, to ensure a child safe environment is maintained at all times. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.
The A Star Dance Team are educated in the negative impact of inappropriate music and costume selection when it comes to performing dance routines and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring children in all of our dance routines are not subjected to any inappropriate songs or costuming. We recognise that songs with sexist, explicit, violent, racist, homophobic or criminal content may influence our dancers and/or audience and will strive to avoid using such music. We are committed to restricting costumes that project sexuality, contain explicit graphic or textual content. is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people accessing our dance school. We support the rights of the child and will act, without hesitation, to ensure a child safe environment is maintained at all times. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.
children's images
If A Star Dance uses an image of a child it will avoid naming or identifying the child or it will, wherever possible, avoid using both the first name and surname. We will not display or give out personal information such as residential address, email address or telephone numbers without gaining consent from the parent/guardian. We will only use appropriate images of a child, relevant to our dance school and ensure that the child is suitably clothed in a manner that promotes dance.
We also require the privacy of others to be respected and disallow the use of camera phones, videos and cameras inside changing areas and bathrooms.
We understand that families love to capture images and video footage of their dancers but as a dance school, our first and foremost concern is the safety and wellbeing of our students.
- Any online or offline comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful towards A Star Dance staff, students or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
- While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in A Star Dance uniform) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically or religiously offensive.
- You may not post photographs / videos that feature A Star Dance dancers other than your own online without the proven consent of their parent/guardian
We also require the privacy of others to be respected and disallow the use of camera phones, videos and cameras inside changing areas and bathrooms.
We understand that families love to capture images and video footage of their dancers but as a dance school, our first and foremost concern is the safety and wellbeing of our students.
- Any online or offline comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful towards A Star Dance staff, students or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
- While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in A Star Dance uniform) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically or religiously offensive.
- You may not post photographs / videos that feature A Star Dance dancers other than your own online without the proven consent of their parent/guardian
duty of care
Dancers are supervised, at all times during their assigned lesson, by an A Star Dance Staff Member or a responsible adult. A Star Dance will provide a level of supervision adequate and relative to the students’ age, maturity, capabilities and level of experience. Duty of Care of a Dancer by a A Star Dance teacher, starts at the beginning time of the lesson and ends at the concluding time, according to what the parent/caregiver has enrolled their child into and as noted on the timetable.
Parents must turn up on time to collect their child and exchange Duty of Care, for reasons of courtesy and safety. Should a parent arrive 10 minutes after class they will be charged $1 per minute. If parents are late more than 3 times in a term this fee will be increased to $5 per minute
Parents must turn up on time to collect their child and exchange Duty of Care, for reasons of courtesy and safety. Should a parent arrive 10 minutes after class they will be charged $1 per minute. If parents are late more than 3 times in a term this fee will be increased to $5 per minute
privacy & protection
A Star Dance opposes all forms of harassment, discrimination and bullying. This includes treating or proposing to treat someone less favourably because of a particular characteristic; imposing or intending to impose an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice which has an unequal or disproportionate effect on people with a particular characteristic; or any behaviour that is offensive, abusive, belittling, intimidating or threatening – whether this is face-to-face, indirectly or via communication technologies such as mobile phone and computers. Some forms of harassment, discrimination and bullying are against the law and are based on particular characteristics such as age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, political or religious beliefs, race, and marital status.A Star Dance takes all claims of harassment, discrimination, bullying and cyber bullying seriously. We encourage anyone who believes they have been harassed, discriminated against or bullied to raise the issue with A Star Dance
privacy
When you purchase or hire a product or service with A Star Dance, the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information and perhaps credit card or bank details. It may also include details of the products and services we provide to you as well as the status of your enrolment. We only collect information directly from our students or their parent/guardians primarily for the purpose of providing services and products to you and to administer and manage invoicing and debt collection
We will never sell or pass on any of your information to third parties unless required by government authorities or in the event of debt recovery. Any information passed on will be done so with appropriate privacy and confidentiality protection.
Information is stored securely in electronic form and is accessible only by authorised personnel
Information is stored securely in electronic form and is accessible only by authorised personnel
choreography
To preserve the intellectual property of our creative teachers, all choreography for classes, group dances, annual demonstrations and concerts and alike taught by A Star Dance teachers, remains the property of A Star Dance and/or its teachers and may not be used without the permission of A Star Dance.
code of conduct
To ensure the smooth, safe running of A Star Dance and an enjoyable experience by all, below you will find our code of conduct. As always we are open to feedback, so if any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. We do reserve the right to dismiss or take disciplinary action on any students or parents who breach our studio’s code of conduct.
A Star Dance is unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be collected.
In the rare case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member or student, a meeting will be called immediately and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the Principal/Director. Physical, mental, emotional or cyber bullying by parents, staff or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio.
A Star Dance takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible.
A Star Dance management reserves the right to change teachers or timetabling when necessary at any time throughout the year.
Choreography, costuming and studio policies remain the intellectual property of A Star Dance and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents or staff without permission of the Principal/Director
A Star Dance is unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be collected.
In the rare case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member or student, a meeting will be called immediately and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the Principal/Director. Physical, mental, emotional or cyber bullying by parents, staff or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio.
A Star Dance takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible.
A Star Dance management reserves the right to change teachers or timetabling when necessary at any time throughout the year.
Choreography, costuming and studio policies remain the intellectual property of A Star Dance and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents or staff without permission of the Principal/Director
parent code of ethics
At A Star Dance we encourage parents to be supportive, involved and active participants in their child’s dancing. We want your experience at A Star Dance to be positive and rewarding. To ensure the success of the relationships that we develop with both families and caregivers, we believe that it is important to have some honest expectations and open lines of communication.
As parents and caregivers, please support your dancer by remembering:
* If children are interested, encourage them to dance. If children are not willing to dance, do not force them.* Encourage children to see live professional performances as often as possible.* Eliminate focus on winning. Focus instead on the child's efforts and performance rather than the overall outcome of the examination, or performance.* Help children to set realistic goals based on their individual ability and experience.* Teach children that an honest effort is as important as a victory, so that the results of each examination or performance are accepted without undue disappointment.* Encourage children to follow the rules and be a cooperative team member.* Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or not passing an examination.* Remember, children are dancing for their enjoyment, not yours.* Remember that children learn best by example so practice what you preach. Applaud good performances by all of the performers.* If you disagree with an examiner, adjudicator, teacher or critic, raise the issue through the appropriate channels rather than question the person's judgment in public.* Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from dance activities.* Unless children are to be taking part in examinations or performances there is no need for children to have dance homework.
As a large dance school with multiple locations, we aim to meet everyone’s individual needs but we also recognise that we will not be able to please everyone all of the time. However, we do believe in appropriate ways of airing grievances and appropriate forums in which to use to make a complaint and we encourage everyone in our dance school to follow appropriate grievance procedures.A Star Dance takes all complaints about our dance school, students, staff and families seriously. A Star Dance will handle complaints based on the principles of procedural fairness (natural justice), that is:* all complaints will be taken seriously;* both the person making the complaint (complainant) and the person the complaint is against (respondent) will be given full details of what is being said against them and have the opportunity to respond (give their side of the story);* irrelevant matters will not be taken into account;* decisions will be unbiased and fair; and* any penalties imposed will be fair and reasonable. When a complaint is received in writing, the person receiving the complaint (the admin team or the Principal) will:* listen carefully and ask questions to understand the nature and extent of the problem;* ask what the complainant would like to happen;* explain the different options available to help resolve the problem;* take notes; and* maintain confidentiality but not necessarily anonymity.* supporting the person complaining to talk to the person being complained about* bringing all the people involved in the complaint together to talk objectively through the problem* gathering more information (e.g. from other people that may have seen the behaviour);* referring the complainant to an external agency such as a community mediation centre, police or anti-discrimination agency.At any stage of the process, a person can seek advice from or lodge a complaint with an anti-discrimination commission or other external agency.
As parents and caregivers, please support your dancer by remembering:
* If children are interested, encourage them to dance. If children are not willing to dance, do not force them.* Encourage children to see live professional performances as often as possible.* Eliminate focus on winning. Focus instead on the child's efforts and performance rather than the overall outcome of the examination, or performance.* Help children to set realistic goals based on their individual ability and experience.* Teach children that an honest effort is as important as a victory, so that the results of each examination or performance are accepted without undue disappointment.* Encourage children to follow the rules and be a cooperative team member.* Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or not passing an examination.* Remember, children are dancing for their enjoyment, not yours.* Remember that children learn best by example so practice what you preach. Applaud good performances by all of the performers.* If you disagree with an examiner, adjudicator, teacher or critic, raise the issue through the appropriate channels rather than question the person's judgment in public.* Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from dance activities.* Unless children are to be taking part in examinations or performances there is no need for children to have dance homework.
As a large dance school with multiple locations, we aim to meet everyone’s individual needs but we also recognise that we will not be able to please everyone all of the time. However, we do believe in appropriate ways of airing grievances and appropriate forums in which to use to make a complaint and we encourage everyone in our dance school to follow appropriate grievance procedures.A Star Dance takes all complaints about our dance school, students, staff and families seriously. A Star Dance will handle complaints based on the principles of procedural fairness (natural justice), that is:* all complaints will be taken seriously;* both the person making the complaint (complainant) and the person the complaint is against (respondent) will be given full details of what is being said against them and have the opportunity to respond (give their side of the story);* irrelevant matters will not be taken into account;* decisions will be unbiased and fair; and* any penalties imposed will be fair and reasonable. When a complaint is received in writing, the person receiving the complaint (the admin team or the Principal) will:* listen carefully and ask questions to understand the nature and extent of the problem;* ask what the complainant would like to happen;* explain the different options available to help resolve the problem;* take notes; and* maintain confidentiality but not necessarily anonymity.* supporting the person complaining to talk to the person being complained about* bringing all the people involved in the complaint together to talk objectively through the problem* gathering more information (e.g. from other people that may have seen the behaviour);* referring the complainant to an external agency such as a community mediation centre, police or anti-discrimination agency.At any stage of the process, a person can seek advice from or lodge a complaint with an anti-discrimination commission or other external agency.
weather
Classes will run, regardless of the weather although class work will be modified in hot weather.
Should we have a long run of hot weather we will amend our policy to ensure we provide a safe environment for our students.
Should we have to cancel classes due to extreme weather A Star Dance will contact families via SMS and email.
There is no refund or credit given for classes cancelled due to extreme weather. Families are welcome to arrange a catch up class during the same term.
Should we have a long run of hot weather we will amend our policy to ensure we provide a safe environment for our students.
Should we have to cancel classes due to extreme weather A Star Dance will contact families via SMS and email.
There is no refund or credit given for classes cancelled due to extreme weather. Families are welcome to arrange a catch up class during the same term.
certificate & Medals
We love to celebrate milestones in our dancer's journey with us.
5 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 5 years (without a break) will be rewarded a 5 year certificate at our Spring Gala Performance 10 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 10 years (without a break) will be rewarded a medal at our Spring Gala Performance 15 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 15 years (without a break) will be rewarded a trophy at our Spring Gala Performance Moving to the next Star LevelWhen a dancer moves up to the next Star they will be given a certificate when they attend one of our Meet & Greets before the start of Term 1.
5 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 5 years (without a break) will be rewarded a 5 year certificate at our Spring Gala Performance 10 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 10 years (without a break) will be rewarded a medal at our Spring Gala Performance 15 Years at A Star DanceDancer's who have been with us for 15 years (without a break) will be rewarded a trophy at our Spring Gala Performance Moving to the next Star LevelWhen a dancer moves up to the next Star they will be given a certificate when they attend one of our Meet & Greets before the start of Term 1.
A Star Safe Policy Handbook can be found here