POLICIES
You can find a full copy of our school policies below. Continue scrolling to read. If you have not yet signed up for lessons and wish to know more about our policies or you wish to enroll, please click the link below.
For more enrollment questions and help
Email: sayla.frontdesk@gmail.com
Call or text: 209-981-4303
Wanting to discontinue lessons? Click below to continue to our discontinuation page:
Enrollment Policies and Procedures
Student Policy and Enrollment Form
This enrollment form is to be signed by a student, parent, or legal guardian who is 18 years of age or older. The term “student” refers to any adult student 18 years of age or older, or the parent or adult guardian of the enrolled student. The person signing this enrollment form also agrees to be responsible for the observance of our policies and agrees to communicate and hold accountable all parties responsible for lesson attendance or paying tuition to these policies.
Safe and Respectful Workplace
At Sayla Music Academy, we strive to provide a professional and friendly atmosphere. Our teachers are dedicated to educating students safely and respectfully and will try their best to maintain this environment. Discrimination of any kind, whether it is towards teachers, students, clients, or anyone else on the campus, is not tolerated. No verbal, physical, or emotional harassment is tolerated on the campus of our school. We have the right to refuse service to anyone who is not able to abide by the policies in this contract or is a disruption to our safe and respectful school environment. We also have the right to refuse service to clients who are rude, disrespectful, or non-compliant with our teachers, employees, or policies.
Enrollment
Students are enrolled in our Academy and assigned a teacher. The student’s teacher will coordinate scheduling, tuition, and lesson materials and will be the main contact for school events and recitals. Please be sure to exchange telephone numbers for consistent communication and scheduling purposes. Please call the front desk at 209 981 4303 or e-mail info@saylamusicacademy.com if there is a problem communicating with the teacher. We do not offer supervision of students outside of normal lesson times and expect a parent or guardian to accompany underage students at all other times while on the premises.
We send monthly newsletters via email, so please be sure to provide us with a current email address. Enrolled students or legal guardians agree to receive said emails and can opt out at any time by informing the administration.
Payment
The primary form of payment we accept is auto-pay by credit or debit card. Upon enrolling, we will enter your payment information into our secure billing system, which we use to automatically charge for tuition each month based on the lessons scheduled with your teacher. A one-time enrollment fee of $25 will be charged with the first lesson.
If the enrollment is in the middle of a month, payment is due immediately for the lessons taking place within that month. A separate charge will take place during the normal billing cycle for the following month.
Your teacher will contact you about the number of lessons and total tuition for the upcoming month before the 25th of each current month. You are required to finalize tuition amounts with your teacher for the next month on or before the 25th of the current month. Changes to tuition amounts after the 25th of the current month are not guaranteed, so please be sure of your schedule and give prompt responses to the teacher when discussing tuition for the upcoming month.
If a student, parent, or responsible party fails to communicate with the teacher by the 1st of the next month, they will automatically be charged the amount of 2 lessons. We do this to ensure that the student does not inadvertently lose their time, room, or teacher placement.
Tuition payments are withdrawn between the 1st and 10th of each month for the upcoming scheduled lessons. A receipt for the tuition will be emailed to the primary email you provided upon enrollment. A $25 late fee is charged if we are unable to collect tuition after the 10th of the month. Questions or issues with payment can be directed to sayla.tuition@gmail.com.
Sayla Music Academy requires that students take at least three lessons per month while enrolled. Exceptions will apply to lessons interrupted by nationally recognized holidays or unexpected conflicts in teachers’ schedules. Group classes are a weekly occurrence and are charged a monthly subscription regardless of the lessons able to be attended unless the lesson is canceled due to a teacher absence.
If you are using funding vouchers from a charter school, we require the vouchers to be placed 2 weeks in advance for services taking place. If we are unable to collect the tuition from the charter school due to funding issues, we will charge the card kept on file for the tuition owed by the student.
Schedule
Students are encouraged to take lessons on a weekly basis at a consistent time agreed upon by both teacher and student. To respect the teachers’ time and availability, we ask that this time not be changed unless necessary and that the teacher is given at least 30 days prior notice of any permanent lesson time changes.
Students are requested to arrive at least 5 minutes before the lesson time starts to ensure that they are ready and signed in. This time can be used to tune their instrument, organize lesson materials, and prepare for the lesson. Students who are late will not be offered extra time or be able to get an extended lesson.
Before the 25th of each month, your teacher will discuss the number of lessons for the upcoming month. If you will be taking a vacation or missing a week, this is the time to discuss this with your teacher and adjust your schedule accordingly.
Students are required to take 3 or more lessons per month to maintain a consistent time in our schedules and the teacher’s availability. If lesson amounts are consistently less than 3 per month, then your participation in lessons may be questioned and reviewed by the administration.
Exceptions to our 3-lesson requirement may apply to conflicts with national holidays and teacher schedules.
Students can approach their teacher if they wish to change the lesson duration. Lesson duration times are only adjusted on a monthly basis, and you must commit to an agreed-upon lesson duration for that month.
Missed Lessons and Makeup Lessons
Our teachers have very full schedules and often teach several lessons in a row during their available time. When a student misses a lesson, this typically causes a vacant spot in the teacher’s schedule that is difficult to fill. To be respectful of our teachers’ time and to still provide flexibility for unexpected changes, we have implemented the following policies regarding make-up and missed lessons:
Once a student is enrolled in a teacher’s studio, the student has a reserved time and place in our schedules. This time is kept for the student on a monthly basis, and it is expected that the student regularly attends the lessons on the same day and time each week. We do not give refunds for lessons missed for any reason. Failure to show up for lessons twice within the same month may prompt further questioning about your participation in our school. Because of the nature of our Group Classes, we do not offer make-up lessons or refunds for students who are absent from the class. Absences due to medical emergencies resulting in a hospital visit or doctor’s office may be considered for a credit.
If a lesson is missed without 24 hours’ notice, then that lesson is forfeited. No make-up lesson can be scheduled, and no credit or refund can be given. To be considered for a make-up lesson, the teacher must be notified at least 24 hours before that lesson will be missed.
Make-up lessons may be offered if your schedule unexpectedly changes and you give your teacher at least 24 hours’ notice of that change. You must contact your teacher directly and advise of the schedule change through phone or text message to the teacher's mobile number. Your teacher will attempt to schedule a make-up lesson with you. A total of 2 makeup lessons may be granted within any given month.
Make-up lessons must take place within the month or following month of the original lesson. If a mutually acceptable time cannot be found to accommodate the make-up lesson within the period described above, the make-up lesson is forfeited and will not be refunded or credited. If you or the teacher is unable to find a time for a full make-up lesson, then an “extended lesson” may be given if the teacher’s schedule allows it. This means that you will have 15 minutes added to two or more of your normal lesson times. This can only be received if you are taking 30-minute or 45-minute lessons and are not followed by another student.
Due to teachers’ limited availability and schedule, make-up lessons are not guaranteed and will not be granted if the teacher does not have the availability. Refunds are not given if a make-up lesson is unable to be taught. We expect our teachers to try to accommodate students who responsibly communicate changes, and we will consider issues due to teachers unable to give make-up lessons.
If your teacher is unexpectedly absent, our administration will try and schedule a substitute teacher from our teaching community of qualified professionals. If we can successfully schedule a substitute, the student is required to attend the lesson as if it were a normal lesson, and no make-up lesson will be offered.
Cancellations due to sickness or medical emergencies that result in a hospital visit or doctor’s appointment may also be eligible for a make-up lesson in extreme circumstances. Family emergencies or unexpected life events may also qualify for a make-up lesson at the Academy’s discretion.
If a make-up lesson is scheduled but is then missed because of another schedule change by the student, the make-up lesson is forfeited and will not be refunded or credited.
Student Transfers
The teacher to whom a student is assigned is their permanent teacher at the school. If a student wishes to change instruments, we require 30 days’ notice to accommodate the request and find a new teacher. It is not guaranteed that we can accommodate transfers of this manner, and we request the student to stay enrolled in current lessons until we find an appropriate time and teacher.
Failure to turn in the discontinuation form before the 1st of the month before the month of discontinuation will result in a charge equal to the cost of 2 lessons. Students may request to take these two lessons in addition to the lessons that have already been paid, but the charge is nonrefundable, and is to compensate the teacher for the time and space left open in their schedule.
If you wish to take a month off and then return with the same teacher and lesson
time, a charge equal to the cost of 2 lessons will be applied to the month of your absence to compensate the teacher for holding your time and room in our schedules. This charge is nonrefundable and cannot be received back in lessons or services unless they are rendered within the month of your absence. Lesson times and teachers can be reserved in this manner for a total of 1 month, after which the student will be expected to return or will forfeit their lesson time and teacher.
Assumption of Risk Release & Waiver
And Media Rights Release
The individual named below individually and/or on behalf of and as the legal parent or guardian of the minor child also named below (the “Student”), desires that the Student parcipate in music lesson acvies provided by Sayla Music Academy, a California Corporaton located at 21 Locust Street, Lodi, California (the "Company"). As lawful consideration for the Student being permitted by the Company to access the Company premises and to participate in the music lessons and related activities (the “Activities”), I agree to all the terms and conditions outlined in this "Agreement".
Assumption of Risk Release & Waiver
I AM AWARE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE STUDENT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY MAY INVOLVE THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN OR ALLOWING THE STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REFERENCED ACTIVITIES WITH AN EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGER INVOLVED AND HEREBY AGREE TO ACCEPT AND ASSUME ANY AND ALL RISKS OF INJURY, DEATH, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE OF THE COMPANY OR OTHERWISE.
I hereby expressly waive and release anyand all claims which the Student may have, or which the Student may hereafter have, whether known or unknown, against the Company, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, shareholders, successors, and assigns (collecvely, "Releasees"), on account of an injury, death, or property damage arising out of or attributable to the Student’s parcipation in the Acvities, whether arising out of the ordinary negligence of the Company or any Releasees or otherwise, except to the extent of and not in excess of any available insurance coverage as may be maintained by the Company and that may apply to any claim made by me or the Student. Except for claims within the policy limits of any available insurance coverage as may be maintained by the Company and that may apply to any claim made by me or the Student, I covenant not to make or bring any excess claim against the Company or any other Releasee, and forever release and discharge the Company and all other Releasees from liability under such claims. This waiver and release does not extend to claims for gross negligence, intentional or reckless misconduct, or any other liabilities that California law does not permit to be released by agreement.
I understand that by signing this release, I am waiving any and all claims of any kind arising out of or attributable to the Student’s participation in the Activities, including those claims that may be unknown to me, or which I do not suspect to exist at this time. With the intention of waiving all unknown and unsuspected claims, I hereby expressly waive all rights, benefits, and protections i may have under California Civil Code section 1542, which reads as follows: A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.
Media Rights Release
I also understand and agree that in the course of the Student’s participation in the Activities, the Company may take or cause to be taken photographs and videos that may include the Student and the Student’s likeness and image. I hereby grant the Company the absolute right and permission to take, use, reuse, publish, and republish photographic portraits or pictures of the Student or in which the Student may be included, in whole or in part, or composite or distorted in character or form, without restriction as to changes or alterations from time to time, in conjunction with the minor's own or a fictious name, or reproductions of such photographs in color or otherwise, made through any medium, and in any and all media now or hereafter known, including the internet, for art, advertising, trade, or any other purpose whatsoever. I also consent to the use of any published material in conjunction with such photographs.
I also specifically consent to the digital compositing or distortion of the portraits or pictures, including without restriction any changes or alterations as to color, size, shape, perspective, context, foreground, or background. I waive any right that I or the Student may have to inspect or approve any finished product or products or the advertising copy or printed matter that may be used in connection with such photographs or the use to which it may be applied. I release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless and defend the Company, and all persons acting with Company’s permission or authority, from any liability by virtue of any reason in connection with the making and use of such photographs, as well as any publication of them, including without limitation any claims for libel or violation of any right of publicity or privacy.
I hereby warrant that I am a legally competent adult and a parent or legally appointed guardian of the minor, and that I have every right to contract for the Student in the above regard. I state further that I have read the above authorization, release, and agreement, prior to its execution, and that I am fully familiar with its contents. This release shall be binding upon the Student and me, and our respective heirs, legal representatives, and assigns.
This Agreement constitutes the sole and entire agreement of the Company and me with respect to the subject matter contained herein and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to such subject matter. If any term or provision of this Agreement is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. This Agreement is binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and me and their respective heirs, successors, and assigns. All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of California without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction). Any claim or cause of action arising under this Agreement may be brought only in the federal and state courts located in or serving San Joaquin County, California, and I hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts.
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and fully understood the enrollment policies and all of the terms of this Agreement and that I am voluntarily giving up substantial legal rights, including the right to sue the Company for claims, whether known or unknown, arising out of participation in the activities.
If I am consenting to this Agreement on behalf of a minor (Student), I warrant and represent that I am the parent or legal guardian of the Student named below. I have the legal right to consent to and, by signing below, I hereby do consent and bind the student to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.