Dear Parents,
Welcome back to returning SSM parents and a big HELLO to all families that have just begun their journey with us. This note is meant to celebrate how needed you are in group classes and as a crucial partner in the suzuki triangle of child/parent/teacher. We are truly stronger together.
Tuesday group classes are a special time for you to observe your child(ren) in these classes so that you can enrich your home practice and help in areas that require assistance in addition to acknowledging their accomplishments and progress.
A parent or responsible adult must attend group classes with their child up to Book 4. In cases of families with multiple children, please arrange with another family to be present for your child.
Parental involvement is invaluable as it keeps you connected to this Suzuki triangle of : teacher/child/parent. Cell phone use for the purpose of note taking or recording group classes is a convenient way to keep track of ideas you may wish to incorporate or reinforce at home.
Our goal at SSM is to maintain a kind and respectful learning atmosphere in every group class. For our students this means respecting their classmates personal space, raising hands to share a thought or answer a question and keeping violins and voices quiet between pieces and activities.
Disruptive behavior may require a child to sit out for a brief period. Communication between parent and teacher is key in resolving concerns about class behavior. We all want you and your child to want to attend group classes where time is well spent on both group and personal musical growth and progress in a welcoming atmosphere.
This year we are going to institute a 5 minute passing time between classes. Classes are 45 minutes in length . So we can begin on time classes will include a 5 minute packing up and passing time.
Classes start at 4:00, 4:30 for Ensemble with Beth Kiser, 4:45 and 5:30.
This 5 minute passing time is a good time to use bathrooms, grab a snack, or catch up with a friend. In order to respect everyone’s schedules and efforts to make it to Tuesday group classes we will strive to start and end all classes on time.
Please do not bring food into the classroom or let that tasty bagel make you tardy . Repeated instances of bagel eating tardiness will result in no more bagel deliveries . Congratulations on no bagel tardies for the first two months of this semester !! Also please take as many home as your family will enjoy .
Letting your teacher know of an upcoming absence from class can be done by email or text.
It is our hope to introduce some interesting reading materials for parent discussion groups during Play Ins so that we nurture YOU our SSM parents, our home teachers, our partners in this wonderful journey of music making through the Suzuki method . SSM has a parent portal on our website which we will activate soon.
SSM will schedule a social parent night(s) ( complete with childcare) so that we can get to know one another better and have fun. Meet up with old SSM friends and make some new ones.
On behalf of all of the SSM faculty, we are honored that you have chosen our program for your child(ren)s violin and musical education . We strive to provide the highest quality Suzuki violin program. Staying connected by coming to group classes, reading the monthly newsletter, receiving website notifications, participating in special SSM organized events are all ways to keep communication flowing so that your family has a positive, engaged experience at SSM.
This is our 29th year serving families in the Madison area and beyond through quality violin instruction. Excited to enter year 30! 2021 will be a great year to celebrate so much music making.
Stay tuned,
SSM faculty, Diana, Janse, Maria-Rosa, Heidi , Kathy, Beth, Tom.
