Information and Policies
Dress:
Children must wear a dance outfit and bare feet to dance class every week. Anything special outfit that makes them feel ‘dancey’ is fine. Street clothes don’t create the appropriate environment. The general idea is: leotards or t shirt for the body and tights or sweatpants (or bare legs) for the legs. Shoes or socks are not allowed. Ballet slippers are not encouraged because they do not have the traction of bare feet and dancers do a fair amount of running around (especially the younger children. For warmth, take a pair of tights and cut off the toes (use old ones, usually they get short not tight when they’re outgrown). Leg warmers can be made out of sox with the toes cut off, then bunched around the ankle. Many children dance bare legged. Please come early enough for your child to change clothes and start the class on time.
Parking:
We are not permitted to park on the driveways around the church. Please park in legal spots on the street. Ticketing is frequent in Brookline. You may find that on Red Sox game days parking will be more difficult to find.
Location/Public Transportation:
LOCATION: We have returned to teaching our classes at Church of Our Saviour in Brookline, which is at the corner of Monmouth and Carlton Streets, one blocks south of Beacon Street. Easy access by T. The Church is located near C line and D line. Street parking is available on Monmouth, Beacon, and Chatham Streets. Classes are in the Parish Hall upstairs in the classroom/office building.
Snow Cancellations:
It is the company policy not to cancel classes in the morning. Usually, the snow stops and the roads are plowed, so we can hold class. If the weather becomes bad during the day we will cancel, even if the public schools were in session. You must call our office phone number, 617-738-7688, after 1:00 PM to see if we will be holding classes. This info will also be up on our Facebook page and the front page of our website.
Absences:
Please call when your child is absent for two weeks in a row. We care about our kids and we worry about them when we don’t see them.
Church Decorum:
-Please understand that the PB&J Dance company considers itself to be the guest of United Parish of Brookline. This is an active and busy church that generously allows some community groups to use its facilities. Please treat the buildings and spaces accordingly.
-As we are just starting in our new location more church information will be forthcoming.
Parents’ Places:
-Parents generally do not watch classes sitting inside the classroom. There is a hallway with some benches for waiting. However we do keep the door open (pending noise from the hall) and parents may watch from the doorway. We also are aware that young children have separation issues and we allow parents of children who need it to sit with their children or in the room at the beginning of class. It is our aim that children have a good time and get used to taking class alone as quickly as possible. Crying traumatizes kids and makes them less willing to come back. So we try to minimize that.
-Dancers need quiet to be able to work hard and dance well. Please keep control of younger children and be aware that other people may be working in the building. Parents do not have to stay during class, but please inform the teacher and your child if you are leaving the building.
-Please pick up your children on time. They become frightened when you are not there at the end of the class.
Registration and Tuition:
You may register your child for one session or the entire year. Sessions are 10 weeks long, with a Parent Watching Day on the last day of each session. The tuition of Late Starting Students will be prorated. New students may register for a single trial class in any class that has space ($20), but this must be arranged in advance and the child must arrive 15 minutes early to the class in order to be properly introduced to the other children and teacher. Please fill out the registration form here.
The registration procedure is as follows:
-Fill in and submit the info on the registration page. This will reserve your spot pending tuition payment.
-You will receive a confirmation email with an attached Registration/Waiver form. Please print the attachment, fill out health section, and sign the waiver and send it with with your tuition payment to secure spot in class. You have 7 days to mail in your tuition and waiver to: Peanut Butter & Jelly Dance Company, 86 Greenough Street, Brookline MA 02445 (Don’t worry! This all will be in the email.)
A $20 non-refundable registration fee is included in the tuition. The tuition of second siblings is $15 less. If the class you desire is full, we will contact you ASAP. Age limits are flexible dependent on enrollment. We reserve the right to cancel classes with insufficient enrollment.
Welcome Booklets containing school policies, procedures, and calendar will be distributed at the first class; all information is also on the web site.
Refunds:
$20 of the tuition payment is a non-refundable registration fee. If the child does not begin, or due to illness or inability cannot complete the session, we do make refunds for the remainder of the classes for that session, BUT parents must call our office to let us know. No refunds will be made after the third class. There are no make-up classes, except if the class is canceled.
Scholarships: There are two half scholarships available for our classes. No child will be barred from class based on inability to pay. Please call our office for more info.