Policies and Procedures

Attendance

Please enter your child’s absences, in advance, in the Family Portal. This helps us to know which students will be here, when, and what staff we need for coverage. We won’t need to wait at the front desk for latecomers if we know they will be absent. Here is a link to a video tutorial about scheduling absences in the Family Portal, but it is fairly intuitive.

For private lessons, submit an absence in the Family Portal and ALSO let your teaching artist know, in advance. Calling or texting at the lesson start time should only happen in the case of an extreme emergency. If we know in advance that your child will be absent we may be able to schedule another student for a makeup lesson, or move lessons around so that a teaching artist can start later or leave earlier. 

Please help us be respectful of our teaching artists’ time and good stewards of the donations we’ve received to make sure children have access to high quality classes and private lessons. 

drop off and pick up & parking

• Private Lessons - No drop-off / pick-up.  A parent/guardian must stay with their child while they are coming and going as well as during the lesson. Students under the age of 18 are not permitted to be unaccompanied in the church building.

• Suzuki groups and Creative Movement - parents will need to come into the building and stay in the waiting area while their children are in classes

•  All other classes with designated drop-off / pick-up times  - there is a 15 minute time period before classes start and after they end for drop off and pick up. We do not have enough staff to monitor children in the waiting area if parents are late. 

• Vehicles must NEVER be left unaccompanied in the circle driveway.

• The staff lot on Baum Blvd is for ELPC staff only. 

For more information about parking, see Location, Directions and Parking on the Home page.

CHILD SAFETY POLICY

Parents/guardians agree to abide by Hope Academy / ELPC child safety policies. 

• Young people, under the age of 18, are not permitted to be alone in the church building.

• Students 12 and older may travel to and from classes but not wait, by themselves, in any part of the building.

• A parent/guardian is required to be in the room with their child during private lessons.

• Drop off and pick up is available for Sing & Dance, Hip Hop Orchestra,  and all dance classes (except Creative Movement), within specific windows of time. For all other classes and private lessons, parents must be in the building with their children or in a waiting area.

• If you see an unattended child, please tell a member of Hope Academy's staff or the front desk person.

For a detailed explanation of East Liberty Presbyterian Church's Child Safety Policy, click here.

cancellations

SNOW DAYS AND WINTER WEATHER POLICY

In the event of severe winter weather creating unsafe conditions, Hope Academy of Music and the Arts will follow the schedule of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. 

• Classes and private lessons will be canceled if the Pittsburgh Public Schools are closed for inclement weather. Teaching Artists may offer a remote option.

• If the Pittsburgh Public Schools have a 2-hour delay, Hope Academy will only cancel if conditions do not improve closer to our start time. We will contact families through the Family Portal.

• On Saturdays, Hope Academy will follow the cancellation schedule of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

CLOSURE NOTIFICATIONS

• An email will be sent through Hope Academy’s Family Portal. 

• Teaching Artists will also contact their private lesson students.

• Closures will be posted on Hope Academy’s Social Media pages: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

• Pittsburgh Public School cancellations, delays, and switches to remote instruction are posted on the PPS District’s website and announced on local TV stations KDKA, WTAE & WPXI, and radio stations KDKA (AM 1020) & KQV (AM 1410).

PAYMENT and registration policy

By entering your credit card information, you authorize Hope Academy of Music and the Arts (Hope Academy) to charge your card for per term fees plus registration.

Registration Fee

• A $30 registration fee per student, per year, is automatically added when a student enrolls in their first course of the year (excluding students taking only free classes).

• Scholarship applicants should not register for classes in the Family Portal. Their classes and private lessons will be added to their account and adjusted to reflect the scholarship once awarded.

Payment Requirements

• Tuition-paying families must pay the registration fee and the balance in full to enroll in classes through the Family Portal. Payment arrangements can be made after September 1, 2024. This policy ensures that enrolled families are committed to attending and not occupying spaces that others might fill.

• Monthly payment arrangements can be made by emailing HopeAcademyPGH@gmail.com after September 1, 2024. We will contact you to set up the payment plan in your account.

• Payments can also be made by check (payable to ELPC) and mailed to:
  Hope Academy/ELPC
  116 S. Highland Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

• Requests to drop or transfer classes must be emailed to HopeAcademyPGH@gmail.com.

• A full tuition refund is given for withdrawals before the first class.

• Pro-rated tuition refunds are given if the withdrawal request is received before the second class meeting.

• No partial refunds are given for missed private lessons. Each private lesson student is entitled to one (1) make-up lesson per term.

• Refunds are not provided for weather-related cancellations.

Maintaining Good Standing

• It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to ensure registration, tuition, and scholarship application fees are paid to remain in good standing.