This week marks the final week of our extended summer term and although we shall all be looking forward to taking some time to unwind over the next few weeks, we shall also be extremely busy preparing for our return to physical classes from September 5th.
Although in theory it probably appears simple to teach online, Attitude teachers have found this term particularly draining and the practicalities of teaching virtually have been challenged every step of the way. This whole process has certainly kept us on our toes, trying to constantly find different activities to keep the children engaged, remaining upbeat when talking to yourself on the camera, and quite literally allowing the internet to take over your life when it takes hours on end to upload the recorded sessions (31 hours being our current record)! It has been a very frustrating time for all, but there are some positives that have arisen from lockdown...
It has really challenged our determination and strength to fight for the school and the principles that are embedded within our community. But, we have continued to provide lessons for a range of age groups, despite the number of participants: some classes have had a regular large number of participants and others have only had one or two, but we hope that the classes have given those involved some sort of stability and normality throughout the summer term. At Attitude, we do always try our best to provide for as many people as possible and this is why we have also continued to provide free workshops, as well as with a varied timetable. However, it has also allowed us to review our normal timetable and highlight its strengths and weaknesses to provide a relevant autumn schedule. As always, we have listened to the feedback that we have received and have tried our best to implement those requests within the timetable. Lockdown has also given us a moment to review our general day to day runnings of the school and how we can make these more efficient, effective and professional.
So looking forward to the autumn term: we are excited to move into our new premises and shall be moving our equipment officially into the new space from 7th August. We are sad to say goodbye to some of our dancers and we are sorry that you cannot join us on this new venture, but we do feel that we have made the right decision and are hoping that you will consider the new facilities an improvement.
Today is the deadline for returning autumn questionnaires. Please note: this DOES NOT mean that you will not be able to sign up for classes in the future, but we will no longer be able to guarantee your space. We are also designing the autumn timetable around the individuals who have completed the questionnaire. This is not to isolate those who are not able to commit at present, but we have to ensure the future of the dance school and we cannot do this by offering a huge timetable that is not fulfilling its potential. We would love to have the range of classes we have had previously, and the majority of these classes will still be running, but there are some that we have had to remove for the time being to allow us to keep fees frozen and provide the best service to the dancers who are returning immediately. So please, always feel that you can contact us and register your interest for classes and we will always try our best to cater for you.
The new finalised autumn timetable will be released later this week. It will be emailed to those who have signed up for classes, but will also be available to view and download from our website. We will also be releasing Our Code of Conduct, which will provide guidance for how we are to respect the new premises, as well as reiterate our usual expectations and etiquette. This will also be available on our website and will be emailed across to current members. We shall also be sharing with you how we plan to keep everybody's health and safety a priority on our return.
So we hope that you are now all looking forward to a rest over the summer holidays, both physically and mentally, and are feeling excited about a refreshing start in the new academic year, whatever your plans may be. We look forward to seeing many of you in September and hope we will meet many others again in the future. Classes will cease this Friday, although our Facebook classes still remain accessible on the main page and subscription group. It is going to feel strange returning to physical classes, but we are excited to dance with you once more and also look forward to future events, which will include our production of The Wind in the Willows. Happy holidays to you all.
Commentaires