Over the past year and a half, we have been blown away by the support and flexibility of our students, parents, and teachers alike. In the face of unprecedented complications, we have been able to keep our studio thriving and keep providing the highest quality education to our Valotta families. As we continue to monitor the latest developments and decisions from our local government, we are OPEN for in-person lessons while still offering the virtual option to any families that may prefer to learn from home. As a note for anyone currently coming for lessons in-person or who would like to make that transition from virtual lessons, our office staff and teachers are FULLY VACCINATED!

Understandably, our temporary “new normal” includes many considerations to ensure a healthy and safe learning environment for everyone, and we want to give each of you the opportunity to familiarize yourselves with our reopening plan. These protocols are in place to protect students, parents, and teachers alike and will remain in place until we are told otherwise by the governor’s office. We strongly everyone to read our plan below and to reach out to our office with any questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you- we can’t wait to see you all again!

DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF OUR REOPENING PLAN

VALOTTA STUDIOS REOPENING PLAN
Effective July 1st, 2020
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Respiratory Etiquette & Hand Washing

  • All teachers, office staff, parents, and students over the age of 2 MUST wear face masks while in the building.
      • We acknowledge that students and teachers will have to remove their masks when playing a woodwind or brass instrument, or when singing or modeling to promote healthy sound production, mouth / embouchure shape, or vowel placement. Masks will be expected to stay on during the remainder of lessons and while students and teachers are speaking or playing any other instrument.
      • Anyone over the age of 2 without a face mask will not be allowed to enter the building.
  • Teachers and students MUST wash hands before each lesson.
      • We have stocked hand sanitizer & tissues in each room.
      • Bathrooms will be stocked as well along with a list of 20-second choruses to sing while washing hands!
      • Additionally, teachers have sanitizing wipes in each room to clean door knobs, shared instruments, music stands, and chairs after each lesson.

 

Studio Cleaning

  • Teachers will be asked to wipe down door knobs, shared instruments, music stands, and chairs after they finish teaching for the evening.
      • Sanitizing wipes are stocked in each lesson room as well as our office.
  • Office staff will wipe down all keyboards, chairs, doorknobs, light switches, and surfaces in the office and lobbies before closing each night.
      • To minimize the chances of contact contamination, we will be restricting teachers from congregating in the office, asking parents to make all tuition payments through the door of the office without coming in, and making the waiting rooms on both floors unavailable to families to use for the time being.
  • Office staff will take out all trash each day before lessons begin.

 

Lesson & Attendance Protocols

  • Teachers and students will practice social distancing in lessons to the maximum extent possible.
      • Teachers and students will sit / stand farther apart than normal during lessons.
      • Teachers and younger students will not share a piano bench; rather, teachers will sit to the side on their own chair.
      • Teachers and students will avoid sharing instruments wherever possible.
          • Understandably, this may be more necessary more often with piano and drum students which tend to involve shared instruments.
          • Teachers will make every effort to avoid any unnecessary contact with a student’s instrument, like tuning or maintenance.
  • To maintain appropriate social distancing protocols, each lesson room will be strictly limited to one student and one teacher at a time.
      • While this is only the case with a small number of families, we acknowledge that some parents prefer to sit in on lessons with their child. If a parent prefers to be physically present for a lesson, we ask that they continue to have lessons virtually for the time being. Our office is available to help arrange any necessary adjustments and accommodations.
  • If a teacher is feeling sick at all, they must stay at home and will do all lessons on Zoom that day.
  • If a student is feeling sick at all, even if they begin to feel sick later in the day,  we ask that they stay home and contact the office to take their lesson virtually on Zoom.
      • If a student does not feel sick but they or their parents would prefer to continue lessons virtually for the time being, they need only notify the office to plan accordingly. 
  • If a parent or student prefers to have their lesson virtually for any other reason, they need only notify the office to arrange so.
      • All teachers will be asked to bring their laptop or tablet to the studio when they are teaching to prepare for the event in which a lesson has to take place virtually.
      • We encourage all families to keep an open line of communication with our office staff! The more we are kept up to date with your thoughts, concerns, conflicts, and schedules, the more we can do for you!

 

General Studio & Office Access

  • Our lobbies and waiting rooms will be closed to all students and families to maintain appropriate social distancing measures. 
      • Parents are welcome to stay in their cars in our parking lot or simply drop students off for lessons.
  • Since students will not be waiting in the lobbies before their lesson, teachers will walk students in and out of the studio for each lesson.
      • Half of our lessons will take place approximately 5 minutes later than normal to prevent too many people moving on the stairwell or porch at once. While this is a very small shift that should not affect anyone’s personal schedules, this will make a huge difference in limiting and streamlining our teacher / student traffic flow.
  • The main office will only be regularly accessible by office staff, or to teachers when making copies.
      • As previously stated, all parents coming by with questions or tuition will be asked to stay on the other side of the office door
          • Any parent who wishes to drop off tuition in a contactless manner may do so in the “Tuition Dropbox” that we will leave just outside the office door each day.
          • Regarding tuition payments, there will be a limit of two parents allowed in the main lobby at a time to make a payment.
      • To further enforce social distancing protocols, teachers will be asked to stay in their lesson rooms between lessons to avoid gathering and socializing in the office.
  • Barring any extreme weather, our main doors will stay propped open at all times to further limit contact contamination of doors and knobs.
  • Parents and students can expect to see numerous prominently displayed signs throughout the studio (as well as on the outside doors) as reminders for all of the above protocols
      • Sign locations will include waiting rooms, lesson rooms, bathroom, etc.

 

Questions, Comments, or Concerns?

  • Our office is always available to reach at (484) 639-5751 or by emailing John directly at John.ValottaStudios@gmail.com. Thank you for doing your part and helping us do ours to continue to provide a safe, healthy space for our staff to teach and for our students to learn!

For more information about our plan to reopen, please call our office weekdays at (484) 639-5751, or email us at Info.ValottaStudios@gmail.com today!