Class Guidelines And Policies

We are sure you will notice that your child or children will really enjoy this class, and the reason is that infants and very young children love music. They are drawn to it in a powerful way which makes our job very easy. However, there are a few things we would like to share with you that may not seem apparent. 

1. Underneath all the fun and games, we are trying to accomplish three very important goals: 
   • We want your child to experience the joy of music-making as a life-long endeavor.
   • We want him or her to achieve Basic Music Competency (singing on pitch and keeping a steady beat). This normally occurs after two years of regular participation in early childhood music classes (in some cases even earlier!) There are lots of two year olds out there who can do this as a result of being in music classes from birth.  Once the basic skills are achieved, your child can easily graduate to more formal lessons as early as age three-five.

• Research has also shown that early childhood active music making enhances neurological growth, actually changing and thickening the brain in the areas of language and motor control. According to numerous research studies, children that have participated in this program for three years not only have foundational music making skills, but are more advanced than their peers in the areas of cognitive/intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and language development.

1. Your job as a parent is to model the behavior you eventually want your child to imitate: shake those eggs, sing your heart out, and follow the teacher.  Don’t worry if your child is reticent or not participating.  Don’t compare your child to others who are following exactly.  Your child will still absorb what we are teaching, it just takes time and you need to be patient. Children learn about music the same way they learn language.  It doesn’t happen overnight. Think of music education the same as you would language skill building: you don’t expect them to speak in perfect sentences immediately!  Resist the urge to make them “do it right” by holding their arms. Model the action you want to see and give them an opportunity to try it. Repeat. The only behavior you need to control is if they are disrupting the class (i.e. running, climbing on furniture or loud crying) or about to harm someone. Relax and enjoy the musical activities.  Your child will eventually learn to do the same.

1. Although socialization is important in music class, studies show that spoken language actually interferes with music learning – so please try to resist the natural urge to add socializing chatter to the fray and stay focused on interacting with your child during the entire class, then make plans with class friends to meet up afterwards.

Miss Pam’s Jamboree Music Class Guidelines

FOOD/DRINKS DURING CLASS: No food or drink is allowed in the music making area at any time. Food is a choking hazard, impedes the child’s ability to vocalize, and is a distraction to other children. Juice and sugary drinks can be spilled. Bottled water is permitted but should be kept to the side with personal belongings. Please keep all children’s cups out of reach of other children, as they love to share sippie cups. We recommend making time for a light snack before coming to class, but if your child must eat during class time due to parents’ crazy schedules, please take them out of the class area and feed them what they need to eat before returning.

HEALTH: If your child puts any of the instruments in his/her mouth, please place it in our “Wet Box”, and we will clean it after class. If there are wipes available, you are welcome to wipe your instruments before and after your child’s use. For the consideration of all, please do not bring a sick child to class. If your child is not feeling well, please let us know.

** 24-HOUR HEALTH RULE **: All students (children & adults) must be clear of fever, diarrhea and/or vomiting for 24 hours before attending music class.  If you or your child has green mucus or a wet cough, pink eye, or any other contagious condition, please stay home until such illnesses are cleared up.  If any of these symptoms are noticed in class, you will respectfully be asked to leave.  We understand that this is a delicate, though important issue – our young children are especially susceptible to illness.  Thank you in advance for your compliance.

SIBLINGS & FRIENDS: All students must be enrolled, unless they are 10 months and under AND attending with a registered sibling. In the case of an occasional special situation where you would like to bring a sibling or friend to class with you, please notify Miss Pam in advance as space is sometimes limited. Grandparents and visiting families are also welcome to join us.

 SAFETY:

Our music spaces are fairly childproof, but because we do utilize space at a variety of locations, parent/caregiver supervision is a must. Although children are allowed to move (not run) freely during the class, we depend on each parent/caregiver to supervise each child(ren)’s activity so accidents do not occur.  Running is always a challenging issue – many children love to run in class, as it is their natural response to the music, yet running can also lead to big injuries – so we discourage running as much as possible unless it is a controlled group activity during one of our songs. Occasionally older children will “orbit” around the class with their feet moving to the micro-beat of the music, but the speed should never exceed that of the music or seem out of control at any point.  Also, please remove crocs, rain boots, or flip flops as this footwear can increase the risk of injury. Removing shoes is recommended, but slipper socks with rubber that grabs the hard floor can help reduce your child’s risk of a fall.

PHONE CALLS, TEXTING AND PHOTOS:

We know it’s important for you to stay connected and how fun pictures of your child in class can be.  However, technology items can be a distraction to others and interrupt the beautiful moments you can share with your child in real time – right now.  Unless there is an emergency, please put your cell phones on mute and tuck them away during class.  If you do snap a quick photo here and there, please do not post them publicly with other classmates in the picture – not every family is comfortable with their or their children’s pictures online. 

PARTICIPATION:

We are our children’s greatest role models and as such we ask that you, or your caregiver, actively participate in class.  In fact, adult participation is of the utmost importance.  This is the best way to appreciate your child(ren)’s unique response, which may range from simply observing, to responding with their own gestures.

Class is fun, and more a resource than an end in itself, so please know that we do not require nor expect your child to participate in class.  We do however, require and expect you to participate and to be a model for your child, even if you don’t feel particularly confident about your own musical ability.  If your child sees you making music and having a good time, then he or she is more likely to develop that disposition. Often, even the child who just observes in class will go home where it’s safe for them to try out their developing musical expression.  It’s easy and enjoyable to participate in a music class.  So relax, let your child “be” and have fun yourself!

Happy Music Making!

Miss Pam