Planetdance Policies and Procedures

Fees

Invoices

Any student who enrols during the term will receive their invoice within one week of enrolment All invoices will be emailed. If you do not receive your term invoice within the first two weeks of each term, it is your responsibility to contact the office or check your parent portal for your account balance and due date of fees. We will not accept any excuses for missed payments because invoices were not received.

Payment

Term payments are required. Accounts will be issued and emailed to you prior to the commencement of each term. Fees are to be paid for in advance and are non-refundable. Term fees are paid via AUTO PAY or at Reception. Surcharges will apply to all EFTPOS payments and credit card payments. Current surcharge amounts are displayed at Reception. All accounts must be finalised by the due date of each account, or a late fee will be payable. Please be reminded that only with the fulfilment of financial commitments by everyone can Planetdance continue to provide first-class tuition for all students at a competitive price structure.

Should a payment fail, a dishonour fee will be payable. Auto Pay Terms and Conditions are at the end of this Information Pack.

Any overdue accounts will be passed onto a debt-collecting agency. Planetdance reserves the right to pass on to the client all fees and charges incurred as a result of the recovery process.

Registration fee

An annual non-refundable registration fee of $45.00 per student or $95 for a family (3 or more students) must be paid prior to the first lesson to cover administration costs, intellectual property fees for music & insurance.

Credits & Refunds

Overhead costs continue regardless of how many students attend classes, therefore, there are no refunds for classes not attended. Credits and refunds will not be issued due to missed classes, illnesses (including COVID and required personal quarantining), school events or holidays, or if you choose not to return during the term for any reason. Fees cannot be transferred to another student or family member. In the case of a serious illness of more than 4 weeks, fees may be credited to another term within the current year of enrolment (medical certificate must be presented as proof). Credits will only be applicable during the registered year. Registration fees are non-refundable for any reason. Should the studio be closed due to COVID (for either deep cleaning or forced shutdown), make-up classes will be offered.

Class Changes & Cancelation

If you enrol in a class (any class) during the first three weeks of any term, it will be assumed by the administration that you will be participating in that class for the whole term. You may withdraw from any of your classes or change disciplines within the first two weeks of terms 1, 2 and 3 only. If payment has been made within this time, fees can be credited to another discipline or term. Class cancellations or changes may not occur in Term 4. You must notify the administration in writing of any changes made in the first two weeks. Otherwise, you must wait until the end of the term and therefore are obligated to pay in full that term's tuition (email info@planetdancemenai.com.au). Costumes are often ordered well before a routine is finished. If a troupe student withdraws from a class after a costume has already been ordered, the cost of that costume and any associated accessories will still be payable by the withdrawing student. Costume levies paid (if any) for cancelled classes can be credited to class fees of the current registered year provided that they have not been ordered and cancellation has occurred before 28th July 2023. In the event that a client cancels within the first two weeks of either Term 1, 2 or 3 and has an outstanding balance accumulated, Costume Levies already paid will be credited to the outstanding Invoice or balance.

Concert

Concert participation is compulsory for troupe students and includes performances in our Ready Set Dance and Recreational Concerts as well as the Troupe Concert (dates are noted in the information pack). It will be at the directors' discretion to determine which routines will be performed in the end-of-year concerts. And which students will participate in extra routines, such as the opening and finale.

Discounts

At the beginning of each term in Terms 1, 2 and 3, you will receive a Term Invoice for classes, and this invoice will include your Concert and Costume Costs (if any). We offer our Troupe Families a 20% multi-class discount for 5+ Class enrolments (class fees only - not including private lessons & group singing) when their fees are paid in full by the end of the second week. The multi-class discount only applies to students who are fully enrolled during the holiday period preceding the start of each term. Enrolments finalised once the term starts are not entitled to the discount until the following term. Please see the table below to view the dates that Auto Pay will run. Please note that if you are paying at Reception, this must be done a full business day before the dates below; otherwise, your card will be debited. The discount only applies to Class Fees and does not include Costume or Concert Costs Levies/invoices, group singing or private lessons. Term Fees and Costume Costs must be paid by: Term 1: Friday, 10th February Term 2: Friday, 5th May Term 3: Friday, 28th July Term 4: Friday, 20th October

Late Payment Fees

If anything invoiced is more than 14 days late, a 10% Late Payment Fee will be added to the outstanding balance of the invoiced total. In the event that an invoice is partially paid, the penalty will only be applied to the balance of the invoice. If payment of the Term Invoice has not been received by the 5th week of term, the student may not be admitted into classes.

Fees In Arrears

Classes may be suspended should fees fall in arrears. Anyone with outstanding balances will not be permitted to perform at the end-of-year concerts or competitions. Students with outstanding amounts on their accounts will not be entitled to private lessons. If all fees are not paid when the studio closes for each Term holiday, an additional $30 administration fee will be charged for each term thereafter until the account is cleared. Students with outstanding fees from 2022 will not be permitted to enrol in 2023 until overdue fees are cleared. Parents who are unable to meet the payment deadlines must speak to the administration to arrange a suitable payment plan. Students with fees and/or costume levy/ies in arrears will not be given their Concert costume until their account reflects a $0.00 balance.

Co-Parenting

Where there is a co-parenting arrangement in place, Planetdance is happy to send emails to both parents when both parents are nominated on the registration form; however, we do not manage co-payments. The parent enrolling the student is responsible for payments irrespective of co-parenting agreements. Please ensure all fees are paid when due. Planetdance cannot engage in discussion or written correspondence on behalf of either parent or a third party.

Students Who Enrol Mid-Term

Students starting mid-term will only be charged for classes remaining in that term. Costume levies are charged from the beginning of the year. Therefore these will be invoiced when enrolling, e.g. if starting in Term 2, you will be invoiced for Term 1, and Term 2 costume levies for each concert class attended.

Studio Policies

Please read and become familiar with our rules to make sure the best dance experience is possible for your student. Each student’s best interest is taken into consideration in all decisions. Please read and discuss this page with your child/children.

General Etiquette

All students are expected to be well-behaved, courteous, honest, and abide by the rules of Planetdance. Disrespectful, uncooperative, or aggressively competitive attitudes do not have a place at Planetdance. Any parent or student exhibiting these attitudes will be asked to leave. Planetdance expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful to others and to themselves. Students will not make comparisons to each other or speak negatively about one another or the instructors.

Studio Exclusivity

Troupe students are expected to receive all their dance training exclusively from Planetdance. Any students who wish to participate in events organised or co-ordinated by other dance schools or choreographers (performances, open classes etc) must have prior written consent from the Studio Directors before participation.

Soloists

Any choreography taught at Planetdance by our faculty and/or guest teachers must not be used or performed outside of Planetdance, without prior written consent by the Directors. This extends to soloists who leave to join another studio.

Attendance

As always, class attendance is of the utmost importance in a student’s progress and technical development. However, it becomes critical as the end-of-year concert nears for the student, fellow dancers and the choreography itself. Excessive absence may jeopardise a dancer performing with his/her class/classes. Director’s decision is final in these cases. All students performing must attend at least 90% of classes during the last term. If they are injured or a little ill, they should come to class and observe. Many students find that they learn more from observing class! This will also keep them apprised of the class’ progress. If students are too ill or contagious, please do not send them to class; they should rest at home.

Health Of Students

We accept students assuming they are in good health and fitness. It is your responsibility to notify Planetdance of any medical complaint or history suffered by the Student that may prevent the student from engaging in any physical, or active, or passive exercise or routine. A student is only permitted to bring water to classes. No food can be bought into Planetdance classes. Students and staff who are unwell with any respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms should remain at home until all symptoms have disappeared and follow NSW Health’s guidelines.

Student & Instructor Interaction

Please be advised that the study of dance involves physical contact. Instructors will often need to make hands-on contact to adjust students’ alignment and to demonstrate proper motion. Students should keep the faculty informed of any recent illness, injury, or other condition that may interfere with their class work. All Teachers employed at Planetdance have a verified Working With Children’s Check-in place.

Communication

Please ensure that you promptly inform us of any change to your contact and address. Planetdance communicates information via email, and as part of your registration, you must have a valid email account. Students’ families must become part of our Private Facebook page to keep up to date on upcoming changes to classes and events.

Enquiries and Feedback

Parents are not to satisfy their queries with teachers during class time. Please call or email studio administration to discuss your queries or arrange to make an appointment. Reception may answer any uniform/price/general queries you may have. Also, please feel free to e-mail us at info@planetdancemenai.com.au should you want to comment/suggest or request feedback.

Drop Off & Pick Up

Planetdance is not responsible for students that leave the building unattended. Please pick up students promptly after their class. For the safety of the children, please note that in front of the studio is a no-stopping zone. Please abide by this law and not use it as a kiss-and-drop, or parking space. Young children must always be attended to and supervised. Please do not drop your child off early to have the desk, instructor, or another child babysit before or after their class.

Class Etiquette

Be Punctual - Punctuality and regularity are required at Planetdance. Students must not be late unless the teacher has been previously notified. Wear Full Uniform - Incomplete/improper dress and hair for all classes could cause dismissal from class. If a student is dismissed from class, there will not be a credit or refund of tuition. No ballet bun or ballet leotard = no ballet. (For ballet classes Pre Junior up). No Food or Drink (except water) in studios, dressing rooms, hallways or bathrooms. Keep food and drinks confined to the hallway areas. No foul language or swearing in class or in the studio. No smoking, e-cigarettes/vapes, alcohol, or drugs are allowed on the premises. Planetdance reserves the right to immediately expel any student found to be using or possessing illegal items on the Planetdance premises or at a Planetdance-organised event such as (but not limited to) concerts, eisteddfods or performances. No mobile phones, toys/distractions in any dance class. Be polite & give full attention to the instructor. It is appreciated when students raise their hands if there is a question or problem and refrain from talking in their class(es). Please Do Not swing on barres or play on acro equipment. They are only to be used for their intended purposes in the appropriate classes when instructed.

Make Up Classes

Make-up classes will be held only if Planetdance cancels class during the dance year due to an unforeseen event. Should the studio be closed due to COVID (for either deep cleaning or forced shutdown), make-up classes will be offered. It will be at the discretion of the Studio Directors whether classes will be made up later or immediately transferred to an online platform (e.g. Zoom).

General Building Etiquette

No running or sitting on stairs will be permitted. They are exit routes and must be accessible at all times. The reception area and waiting rooms are not playgrounds. Please keep the noise to a minimum. Please pick up your own mess and use rubbish bins. Fighting and violent behaviour are never acceptable at Planetdance. No parent or child will be allowed behind the reception desk, or in office areas, without an invitation from a staff member. There will be no access to vacant studio/s unless previous consent by Studio Directors has been obtained.

Studio Disclaimer

Planetdance reserves the right to remove a student for behaviour problems, excessive lateness, absence or actions deemed inappropriate by the administration. Noncompliance with the above rules and regulations will result in a conference with the director/s. Planetdance reserves the right to refuse service and/or admission. The policies and procedures may be amended at any time without notice. Changes may be posted on the website, on the portal and Facebook. All classes and teachers are subject to change: Planetdance reserves the right to hire a substitute teacher should the need arise.

Email Subscription

Your enrolment includes subscription to the Planetdance, and Ready Set Dance Mail Lists sent periodically via Email.

Personal Risk

When enrolling your children at Planetdance, you need to be aware that certain elements of the program could be physically demanding, and that there are certain inherent physical risks in the activities in which the students may be participating in. While Planetdance and its staff will make every reasonable the effort to teach students proper dance technique, the risk associated with these activities cannot be foreseen or may be beyond the control of Planetdance and its staff.

Promotional Material

Children may be photographed or videoed during a class/performance and this may be used as promotional material or on Planetdance’s website or social media.

CCTV

We take child protection very seriously at Planetdance. Child Protection Authorities have approved all teachers and staff. Our premises has a CCTV system so that the teaching environment can be monitored at all times.

Auto Pay

NEW IN 2023, Auto Pay is now our preferred payment method. Registration into Auto Pay is compulsory. However, there will still be other methods of payment available. For more information, read through these FAQs:

Q. Is Auto Pay compulsory?

A. Yes, it will be compulsory for all students to be registered for Auto Pay

Q. Are there alternate payment methods?

A. Yes, you can still make payments at Reception by cash or card. Direct Bank Transfers will still be accepted as long as payments are received in full before the Auto Pay date. If your account balance is $0.00, Auto Pay will not deduct any funds from your nominated card.

Q. What dates will Auto Pay run?

A. Auto Pay will run on the due date of each transaction. We will send reminders for Term fees; however, it will be your responsibility to ensure funds are available regardless of whether you have received a reminder.

Q. Will we still receive statements?

A. Absolutely. Our usual routine of sending statements before the term will continue as normal. You will have ample time to review your statement before the payment being deducted from your card.

Q. Can I set up a Payment Plan to be deducted weekly, fortnightly or monthly?

A. YES! Once you have registered for Auto Pay, you can request a set amount to be deducted from your account either weekly, fortnightly or monthly. However, please note that anyone on a payment plan will not be entitled to the 20% Multi-Class Discount. You can request a payment plan by emailing: info@planetdancemenai.com.au

Q. Is there a surcharge?

A. Yes, a 1.75% surcharge + $0.30 per transaction is charged by DSP Merchant Services, which will be passed onto you at the time of the transaction.

Q. Are my credit card or debit card details safe?

A. DSP Merchant Services is managed by Stripe – one of the largest financial services software companies in the world. Stripe uses the most stringent levels of certification available in the online payments industry. Neither we (Planetdance) nor our software provider (DSP) can see your full credit card details, and they are fully encrypted by Stripe.

Q. How do I set it up?

A. Enrolling in Auto Pay can be done at the studio by the administration, or it can be set up through your online parent portal on Dance Studio Pro.

Q. Where can we read the Terms & Conditions?

A. Terms and Conditions are outlined on the Parent Portal, which you must read and agree to before registering your card details. If you have any specific questions, you can call our Studio on 0456 778 867 during business hours.