Hi,
I Just recived this email from a parent:
" Hi Miss Panda_Bear,
I would like to inform you that A&N will not be competing with their ballet peice this year. My husband and I have given it more thought and we don't feel our 6&7 year old children should be competing. We would like the girls to remain in the dance and do the recital but not compete. If my girls can not just be pulled from compition can you please pull the whole group? Also if they are not competing do we have to pay the full price for a costume they will only wear once?
Sincerly, Mrs X"

What is that? I am going to direct her to my SO and I don't see a solution to this. I can put those two girls at the ends of the line so it is balanced and the girls can be partners for the partner work so it is not unballanced for partnening. The Parents knew at registration in June that this is a competive class and that they would do 1-2 compitions. I am not pulling the whole group there are 10 other children in that class, I refuse to penalize them for one parents stupidity. And I've ordered the costume so they will be paying full price or not getting the costume.

Help Please?

Panda_Bear wrote:

I can put those two girls at the ends of the line so it is balanced and the girls can be partners for the partner work so it is not unbalanced for partnering. The Parents knew at registration in June that this is a competitive class and that they would do 1-2 competitions. I am not pulling the whole group there are 10 other children in that class, I refuse to penalize them for one parents stupidity. And I've ordered the costume so they will be paying full price or not getting the costume.

Tell them this exactly. I can move them to the end of the line, and they can still do recital. They *will* have to pay the full price of the costume because the price is not dependent on how many times they wear it. Whatever money you have already put toward the competitions cannot be refunded. Next year, enroll in a non-competitive class if you do not want to compete.

If this was their first year for competition, then they may not have fully understood the commitment. You are correct in letting the SO handle the situation. It is ok to place them on the ends, so that for comp it doesn't mess you up...and it sounds like a reasonable solution that will not upset such little kids. Next year you can adjust their class placement so that they are strictly recreational. And as far as costume price goes, that is what it is and you can't change that. I'm sure the SO will tell them that.

Into the future, I would look at how your studio handles intro to competition team for first timers...and make sure that you are communicating everything and stressing all the points that you want your parents to clearly understand about the commitment...so that you don't have this again.

1) Good call on letting the SO handle it.

2) It is unreasonable for these parents to even suggest that you pull a number because they "have given it more thought and we don't feel our 6&7 year old children should be competing." What happens to the other 10 children when they give it even more thought?

3) When I buy a dress the store doesn't charge me less if I only plan on wearing it once. Using this line of reasoning, wedding dresses should be cheap. NO REFUNDS.

4) Your plan to place the girls as "bookends" is excellent. This way, when they give it more thought and pull the kids from class as soon as softball season starts in the spring, your recital won't be disrupted.

Hugs...the year is young!

Keep On Dancing*

I don't see much of a problem. They are telling you that they don't want their child competing any more, and are asking about the ramifications. I do agree that it's a bit extreme that they even suggest that the whole dance be pulled, but they did do that only after asking you to pull just their children. It seems like you're willing to accommodate what they are asking, although if you weren't all you'd have to say is that they cannot continue with the class if they don't meet the obligations of the class.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. X,

I am sorry to hear that you wish to withdraw your children from the competitions, but I do understand. First and foremost, the studio has already ordered costumes based on numbers from earlier in the year, so you will be required to play full price for the costumes.

As for the competitions, we do not require all students to compete, but because the class is designed to go to competition, the rest of the class will still be attending and competing at ____ and ____ competitions. Your daughters can remain in the class, learn the dance, and perform at the recital if that is what you wish.

If you have further questions or concerns, please call the front desk and set up a time to meet the Studio Owner and myself.

Sincerely,

Panda Bear

^This is fine for the SO, but the teacher should stay out of it.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. X,

I appreciate you notifying me of your decision regarding A. and N. and the competition team.

I forwarded your note to Miss_______, the studio owner, and she will be in touch with you regarding your other questions and concerns.

I look forward to seeing A. and N. in class next week. They are both wonderful girls.

Sincerely,

Miss Panda

It may seem reasonable to both you and us that you can change the line, and so on, but the SO is the one who sets the policy and she should handle this entirely.

Years ago, I had a parent ask a 20 year old teacher "Does Liz know the routine good enough to miss the rehearsal?" She answered, that Liz did indeed know the dance. Unfortunately, dress rehearsal is MANDITORY for many good reasons, not all based on how well one particular girl knows the routine.

When the mother finally came to me, and I explained why she needed to be at rehearsal, or not be in the show, she screamed at me, "YOU SAY ONE THING AND YOUR TEACHER SAYS ANOTHER". The teacher was shocked. She answered the question, but it was a loaded question.

Don't get in the middle of this. The parent's should have contacted the SO at the same time they contacted you. One e-mail, two recipients,how hard is that?

Good luck

Keep On Dancing*

I agree that you should stay out of it and do nothing, not even a letter, to them. Just give it to the SO and tell her, verbally, that you gave her the letter. It is up to the SO if they stay, get a refund, don't, etc. It's not your place, and it should not be. I always handled all such things, not the teachers. The teachers should only have to worry about teaching, not this stuff.

I saw the mother at the studio tonight and when asked I told her that the email had been fowarded to my SO and that she would be contacting them. I did move formations to put the girls at the ends. It's a shame because they are some of the strongest in the class. I have explained my thoughts to my SO in an email as well. I feel like they made the commitment and they should carry it through.

That would be the last time that the SO should allow them in a competition group. Once parents pull that, I never asked the kids again.

The family has decided not to return after Christmas. The mother is angry about our compition choice, we said we could have both girls be our book ends but that wasn't good enough for her so she pulled them. She wanted the girls to be in the center but I won't have gaps in the formations in compition.

Aren't you the one with the super inept SO, that found out that you got punched by a kid and said it was no big deal? So she's right on top of people who don't want to compete, but her instructors are getting decked, and she can't do anything about it?!

Theresa wrote:

Aren't you the one with the super inept SO, that found out that you got punched by a kid and said it was no big deal? So she's right on top of people who don't want to compete, but her instructors are getting decked, and she can't do anything about it?!

This is at the studio, the punch was at the recreation center.

Panda_Bear wrote:

The family has decided not to return after Christmas. The mother is angry about our compition choice, we said we could have both girls be our book ends but that wasn't good enough for her so she pulled them. She wanted the girls to be in the center but I won't have gaps in the formations in compition.

That's a shame but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Panda_Bear wrote:

The family has decided not to return after Christmas. ..., we said we could have both girls be our book ends but that wasn't good enough for her so she pulled them. She wanted the girls to be in the center ...

So, what do you think her kids will learn from this?

Keep On Dancing*