Student Requirements & Family Policies V1.0

Arts Education Initiative Operational Policies

These policies apply to classes, rehearsals, productions, workshops, private lessons, outreach performances, and other programs conducted through WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation’s Arts Education Initiative.

WiLoKi is an explicitly Christian nonprofit organization. We seek to honor and obey God in our instruction, leadership, relationships, artistic decisions, conduct, and organizational operations. These policies are intended to help us serve students and families with wisdom, love, safety, order, and excellence in Christ.

Programs conducted through another WiLoKi initiative may follow different policies appropriate to their purpose. Individual classes, productions, teams, and advanced programs may also have additional requirements.

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1. Dress Code Requirements

2. Behavior, Respect, and Learning Environment Policy

3. Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation

4. Arrival, Departure, Supervision, and Parent Presence

5. Health, Injury, Illness, and Safe Participation

6. Communication and Concern Resolution

7. Placement, Progression, and Program Participation

8. Enrollment, Tuition, Schedule Changes, and Withdrawal

9. Facility Use, Property, Devices, and Belongings

1- Dress Code Requirements

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WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation - General Dress Code Requirements

All WiLoKi students are expected to follow these general dress code requirements:

Dress Code Requirements:

Stomachs must remain covered
Legs must be covered
The lower half of the back must be covered
Clothing should allow for safe movement and appropriate participation
Clothing should be modest, secure, and appropriate for the class activity
Clothing, bags, and accessories should not display content that is inappropriate, vulgar, sexually suggestive, degrading, or contrary to WiLoKi’s Christ-honoring environment
Jewelry or accessories that create a safety issue may need to be removed
Students should bring the appropriate shoes and materials for their class when required

General Fit Guidance

In some genres, more fitted clothing is preferred so instructors can better observe alignment and technique
In other genres, looser clothing is acceptable or preferred
Students should still dress in a way that supports modesty, movement, and safe instruction

Note for New Students

New students and trial students do not need to have every required item before their first visit. Families are welcome to begin with the closest appropriate clothing they already have, and then work toward the full dress expectations if they continue in the class.

Ballet Program

Ballet clothing should allow the instructor to observe posture, alignment, turnout, placement, and other technical details.

Required:

Ballet shoes
A leotard with tights, or another approved fitted ballet outfit
Hair secured neatly and away from the face
Long hair worn in a bun whenever reasonably possible

Optional:

A ballet skirt may be worn over the leotard and tights.
Fitted dance shorts may be worn over tights.
Warm-up clothing may be worn at the beginning of class with instructor approval and removed when needed for technical instruction.

Boys’ Ballet Attire

Boys should wear stretchable dance pants, leggings, or other fitted dance bottoms with a shirt. A fitted shirt is preferred because it allows the instructor to observe posture and alignment. Ballet shoes are required.

Pre-Pointe & Pointe Classes

Pre-Pointe and Pointe students should follow the Ballet dress requirements.

Required:

Leotard and tights, or another instructor-approved fitted ballet outfit
Hair secured in a bun whenever reasonably possible
Ballet shoes
Pointe shoes only after receiving instructor approval

Pointe shoes must be properly fitted and should not be purchased or worn for class without approval from the instructor. Students may also be given specific instructions concerning ribbons, elastic, toe protection, or other shoe preparation.

Acro-Trix Program

Acro-Trix students perform inversions, tumbling, flexibility exercises, balances, and other skills that may place the body upside down. Clothing must remain secure throughout these activities and allow the instructor to observe alignment and provide safe spotting.

Required:

An acro leotard or another approved, secure, close-fitting acro outfit, such as a fitted top and leggings.
Tights, leggings, or fitted dance pants that keep the legs covered
Hair secured away from the face
Bare feet unless the instructor directs otherwise
Jewelry and unsafe accessories removed before participation

Loose shirts should not be worn for Acro-Trix because they may move or fall toward the student’s face during inverted skills.

Boys’ Acro-Trix Attire:

Boys should wear a secure acro unitard that provides the required coverage, similar to a wrestling uniform, or fitted athletic shirts with properly fitting stretchable pants. Clothing must remain securely in place while the student is upside down.

WiLoKi applies the same standards of modesty, security, and appropriate coverage to boys and girls.

Jazz Program

Jazz students need clothing that allows energetic movement while still permitting the instructor to observe alignment and technical details.

Required:

Jazz shoes
Hair secured up and away from the face
Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general coverage requirements

Recommended Appropriate options may include:

Leggings with a fitted tank top or dance top
A leotard with tights and fitted shorts
Other somewhat fitted dance clothing that allows full movement

Hair may be secured in a bun, ponytail, braid, or another appropriate style. Students should consider whether their hairstyle could strike or obscure their eyes during pirouettes, spotting, jumps, or other fast movement.

Jazz-Funk Program

Jazz-Funk allows for expressive and stylized clothing while still requiring safe movement and appropriate coverage.

Required:

Jazz shoes or clean athletic shoes, as directed by the instructor
Hair secured away from the face
Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards

Required:

Tap shoes
Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Pants or other garments that do not drag on the floor, cover the taps, or create a tripping hazard

Hair may be worn up or down unless the instructor gives different directions. Clothing should allow the student to move freely and should not prevent the instructor from seeing the student’s feet and lower-leg movement.

Lyrical Program

Lyrical attire may combine the fitted qualities of Ballet or Jazz clothing with softer or more flowing layers.

Required:

Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Hair secured away from the face
Half-sole shoes or other footwear directed by the instructor

Recommended Students may wear:

A leotard with tights and an appropriate skirt or shorts
Leggings with a fitted dance top
Ballet- or Jazz-style clothing with modest flowing layers

Flowing garments must remain secure and should not interfere with turns, floor work, partnering, or the instructor’s ability to observe alignment.

Contemporary Program

Contemporary students have greater freedom to choose comfortable clothing that supports the movement and character of the class.

Required:

Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Half-sole shoes or bare feet, as directed by the instructor
Clothing that will not create a tripping or entanglement hazard during floor work, partnering, or turns

Clothing may be fitted, loose, layered, or flowing when it remains secure and suitable for the movement being performed. Hair should be secured when needed for safety or visibility.

Hip Hop Program

Hip Hop students are encouraged to wear comfortable, relaxed clothing that supports the style and energy of the class.

Required:

Clean tennis shoes or other instructor-approved footwear
Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Clothing that allows full and safe movement

Required:

Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Appropriate movement or dance shoes as directed by the instructor

T-shirts are acceptable. Clothing may be somewhat relaxed, but it should not interfere with movement, staging, floor work, or choreography.

For Musical Theater dance classes, hair should be secured when needed and students may be asked to wear Jazz shoes or another designated dance shoe. Acting and singing classes may have more flexible footwear and clothing expectations.

Tots Dance Program

Young students should arrive in comfortable, secure clothing that allows them to move, sit, stretch, dance, and use the restroom with as much independence as reasonably possible.

Required:

Clothing that follows WiLoKi’s general dress standards
Bare feet or appropriate dance shoes, as directed by the instructor
Clothing that remains secure during active movement

Hair may be secured when helpful for visibility and comfort. Families do not need to purchase specialized dancewear before a child’s first class unless instructed otherwise.

Dance Company, Productions, and Special Programs

Dance Company members and students participating in productions, outreach events, rehearsals, performances, or other special programs may receive additional dress instructions.

Students may be asked to bring or wear:

Genre-specific dancewear
Particular shoes
Rehearsal clothing
Costumes or costume undergarments
Hair and makeup appropriate for a performance
Additional clothing for partnering, floor work, or outdoor activities

Students and families are responsible for reviewing and following the instructions provided for each rehearsal, performance, or special event.

2- Behavior, Respect, and Learning Environment Policy

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Introduction

This operational policy applies to classes, rehearsals, productions, workshops, private lessons, and other programs conducted through WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation’s Arts Education Initiative. Programs operated through another WiLoKi initiative may follow different policies appropriate to their purpose.

WiLoKi desires to point students toward the wisdom, love, and kingdom of God while providing excellent arts education in a safe, encouraging, and focused environment. We seek to show grace, mercy, patience, and love to every student, recognizing that children come to us at different levels of maturity and development.

At the same time, WiLoKi has a responsibility to protect and serve every student. Grace toward one student cannot require other students to endure harmful behavior or repeatedly lose the opportunity to learn. For this reason, all students and families are expected to help preserve an environment marked by respect, safety, order, encouragement, and attentive learning.

Part One

The principal behavior expectation for every student is simple:

Listen to the instructor and treat others with respect.

Students are expected to show respect toward:

Their instructors and other persons in authority
Other students
Themselves
Parents, guardians, family members, staff, and visitors
WiLoKi’s facilities, equipment, costumes, props, and property

Respect includes listening when an instructor is speaking, following reasonable directions, responding appropriately to correction, waiting for an appropriate time to speak, and participating without intentionally interfering with the participation of others.

Students should seek to encourage and build one another up rather than embarrass, belittle, exclude, intimidate, or tear one another down. Language, attitudes, gestures, physical conduct, and personal interactions must remain appropriate for a safe, family-friendly, and Christ-honoring environment.

Harmful behavior

WiLoKi does not permit conduct that physically, verbally, mentally, or emotionally harms another person. This includes physical aggression, bullying, threats, intentional intimidation, degrading or cruel language, serious disrespect, aggressive outbursts, inappropriate physical contact, or other conduct that places another person’s safety or well-being at risk.

Harmful behavior may result in the student being immediately removed from the class, rehearsal, event, activity, or facility.

Immediate removal does not mean that WiLoKi has no compassion for the student. When reasonably possible, we will seek to help the student understand the harm caused, work through the feelings or circumstances contributing to the behavior, receive appropriate correction, and learn a healthier way to respond.

However, the safety and well-being of other students, instructors, and participants must remain protected. Depending upon the seriousness, repetition, and circumstances of the behavior, WiLoKi leadership may require parent involvement, conditions for returning, a temporary suspension, a change in participation, or dismissal from a program.

Respect for instruction and authority

Instructors are responsible for establishing the tone, expectations, and safe operation of their classes. Students are therefore expected to listen to their instructors and follow reasonable directions concerning behavior, movement, safety, class order, equipment, and participation.

Questions are welcome when asked respectfully and at an appropriate time. Students should not repeatedly interrupt, speak over the instructor, openly defy reasonable directions, or prevent the instructor from leading the class.

WiLoKi maintains a high standard of behavior not for the purpose of controlling or demeaning students, but because clear and healthy authority helps protect students, supports meaningful instruction, and creates an environment in which everyone can grow.

Part Two

A student’s development is shaped not only by the knowledge of the instructor or the effort of the student, but also by the quality of the learning environment.

Students learn best when the environment is:

Safe
Focused
Encouraging
Orderly
Free from unnecessary stress
Appropriate to the student’s age and developmental needs

Distractions and disruptions may not always cause direct physical or emotional harm, but they can still cause educational harm by interrupting instruction, dividing attention, weakening focus, and reducing the amount and quality of learning available to the class.

Over the course of months and years, the quality of the learning environment can make a significant difference in a student’s technical development, confidence, understanding, discipline, and artistic growth. WiLoKi therefore has a responsibility to reduce avoidable distractions and preserve a setting in which instructors can teach effectively and students can learn well.

Expectations during instruction

During class, rehearsal, or other directed instruction:

Students should listen while the instructor is speaking.
Side conversations should stop when instruction begins.
Students should avoid unnecessary interruptions or attention-seeking behavior.
Participants should remain engaged with the class rather than distracting others.
Phones and personal devices should remain silenced and stored unless their use has been approved.
Conversations unrelated to the class should take place outside the instructional area whenever possible.
Anyone present in or near a class should keep noise low enough that it does not distract students or interfere with the instructor.

An instructor may redirect a student, pause the student’s participation, change where a person is seated, or ask that a distracting conversation be moved elsewhere when reasonably necessary to protect the learning environment.

Such a request should not be understood as personal annoyance or rejection. It is part of the instructor’s responsibility to serve the entire class.

Parent and Family Presence

WiLoKi desires to maintain an atmosphere that is open and welcoming to parents and families. At the same time, parent and family presence should support—not disrupt—the student’s ability to listen, participate, and grow.

Level 1 classes

For Level 1 classes, generally serving students approximately ages 3½–6, parents or guardians may sit in the instructional room.

At this age, the nearby presence of a trusted adult may help some children feel secure enough to participate successfully. Parents who remain in the room should allow the instructor to lead the class and should avoid coaching, correcting, calling to, or repeatedly communicating with the student unless the instructor requests assistance.

Conversations between adults should remain very quiet and brief. When a longer conversation is needed, parents should move to a waiting area or outside the instructional room so that the class can continue without distraction.

Level 2 and higher classes

Beginning with Level 2, generally serving students ages 6 and older, parents and family members should not ordinarily sit on the dance floor or remain directly within the instructional space.

At this stage, most students are better served by learning to focus on the instructor, participate independently, and grow in confidence without the additional distraction of family members in the room.

Parents and family members may currently wait in WiLoKi’s designated seating areas, including the front lobby seating area and the back-room seating area, when space and program operations allow.

Waiting-area conduct

Families using the waiting areas are asked to help protect nearby classes by:

Keeping voices low
Avoiding loud or extended conversations near the instructional areas
Keeping phones and media at a quiet volume or using headphones
Supervising younger siblings
Preventing running, shouting, rough play, or repeated entry into the classroom
Moving longer phone calls or conversations outside when practical
Following reasonable requests from instructors or staff concerning noise and disruption

Normal quiet conversation is welcome. The goal is not to require complete silence, but to prevent waiting-area activity from becoming a distraction to students or instructors.

A staff member or instructor may respectfully ask a family to lower its volume, move a conversation, supervise a child more closely, or make another reasonable adjustment. These requests are intended to preserve the learning environment and should not be interpreted as personal criticism.

Correction, Restoration, and Continued Participation

WiLoKi’s desire is to build students up, not merely punish them. When behavioral concerns arise, we will seek to respond with wisdom, fairness, truth, mercy, and prayerful consideration.

Depending upon the situation, a response may include:

A reminder or redirection
A private conversation with the student
A temporary pause from an activity
Parent or guardian communication
A meeting with the student and family
Specific expectations for continued participation
A temporary change in placement or responsibilities
Removal from a class, rehearsal, role, or event
Suspension or dismissal

WiLoKi is not required to use every corrective step or use them in a particular order. Conduct involving immediate safety concerns, serious aggression, threats, intentional harm, severe disruption, or other significant misconduct may require immediate action.

All decisions will be made with consideration for the individual student while also honoring WiLoKi’s responsibility to protect the safety, dignity, development, and learning opportunities of everyone involved.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi’s standard of behavior applies to all participants in the Arts Education Initiative regardless of age, level, tuition amount, scholarship or financial-assistance status, tuition-exchange arrangement, Dance Company membership, Apprenticeship participation, performance role, or previous experience.

By working together to maintain respect, safety, attentiveness, and encouragement, students, families, and instructors help create an environment in which every student has a stronger opportunity to learn, develop, create, and glorify God through the arts.

3. Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation

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Introduction

Regular attendance and punctuality help students develop consistently, participate safely, and contribute responsibly to their class or program. They are especially important when students are learning choreography, preparing performances, working with partners, or contributing to a larger production.

WiLoKi desires to respond to absences with grace and understanding. We generally do not remove a student from a class simply because the student has missed classes. At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect the progress of the full class and to steward productions faithfully, wisely, and with excellence for the glory of God.

Regular Attendance and Punctuality

Students and families are expected to:

Attend classes, rehearsals, and required program activities consistently.
Arrive on time and prepared to participate.
Communicate known absences or scheduling conflicts as early as reasonably possible.
Review class communications, rehearsal information, and materials posted for at-home study.
Make a reasonable effort to learn material missed during an absence.
Inform WiLoKi when an extended absence or recurring conflict may affect the student’s participation.

Repeated lateness or absence can affect:

The student’s understanding and technical progress
The instructor’s ability to build upon previously taught material
The progress and focus of the full class
Partnering, formations, choreography, and staging
Performance roles and production readiness
Participation in advanced, team-based, or leadership programs

Students arriving late should enter quietly and follow the instructor’s directions concerning when and how to join the class. Depending on how much warm-up or safety instruction was missed, the instructor may modify or limit the student’s participation for that day.

Performance-Focused Classes and Productions

During a performance-focused semester, students may be learning choreography, blocking, music, staging, partnering, entrances, exits, or other material that depends upon the participation of the full group.

When a student misses rehearsals or classes, WiLoKi will seek to help the student continue whenever reasonably possible. Depending on the circumstances, the student may need to:

Study posted choreography, music, scripts, or rehearsal materials at home
Use class videos or other materials shared through the class’s BAND group
Attend an additional rehearsal when one is available
Schedule a private lesson to learn missed material
Accept an adjusted or reduced performance role based on the material the student knows and can perform safely and confidently

Private lessons used to catch up on missed material may involve the standard private-lesson charge unless another arrangement is approved.

WiLoKi generally desires to show grace by allowing a student to remain in class despite absences. However, the student’s performance participation may be adjusted when necessary so that the absence does not repeatedly delay the progress of the other students or compromise the quality, safety, unity, or readiness of the production.

Adjustments may include:

Removing the student from particular formations or sections
Simplifying choreography or responsibilities
Reassigning partnering or staging
Reducing the size of the student’s role
Limiting participation to the material the student has adequately learned
Removing the student from a performance when safe and responsible participation is no longer reasonably possible

These decisions are not intended as punishment. They are practical placement decisions made to serve the student, protect the progress of the full group, and steward WiLoKi’s productions with wisdom and excellence. Final decisions may be made by the instructor, artistic leadership, or executive director based on attendance, preparedness, safety, production needs, and the student’s demonstrated knowledge of the material.

Planned Absences and Tuition Adjustments

Families are encouraged to disclose known Fall Semester absences or extended scheduling conflicts on the registration form before tuition is finalized.

When specific absences are disclosed during registration and approved as part of the family’s tuition arrangement, WiLoKi may prorate or otherwise adjust tuition for the approved dates the student is known in advance to be unable to participate.

A tuition adjustment for a planned absence is not automatic. It must be reviewed and included in the family’s confirmed tuition arrangement.

Examples may include:

A previously scheduled extended trip
A known recurring conflict
A planned medical procedure and recovery period
Another substantial absence disclosed before enrollment is finalized

Families should provide enough information for WiLoKi to understand the expected dates and effect of the absence.

Illness and Other Unplanned Absences

Tuition is generally not prorated for individual classes missed because of illness, family circumstances, transportation problems, short-notice schedule changes, or other absences that arise after tuition has been finalized.

Semester tuition reserves the student’s place in the class and supports more than attendance on an individual day. It also supports:

Instructor preparation
Curriculum and lesson planning
Choreography and production preparation
Ongoing class administration
The student’s continued place in the program
Class-related practice materials and videos when applicable

When a student misses class, WiLoKi will seek to provide reasonable ways for the student to remain connected to the material. This may include choreography videos, music, rehearsal notes, scripts, or other resources posted through the class BAND group.

Families are responsible for reviewing available materials and helping the student practice when appropriate.

Missed classes do not automatically create a right to a tuition credit, refund, private lesson, or individual make-up class. WiLoKi may offer additional support or make-up opportunities when practical, but these cannot be guaranteed.

Extended or Significant Changes

Families should contact WiLoKi when an unexpected illness, injury, family emergency, or other significant circumstance causes an extended absence.

WiLoKi will review substantial circumstances individually and may consider an appropriate adjustment, class change, temporary participation plan, or other arrangement when reasonably possible. Any tuition change must be approved by WiLoKi and confirmed in writing.

Classes Canceled by WiLoKi

When WiLoKi cancels a class because of instructor availability, facility conditions, weather, or another organizational circumstance, WiLoKi may provide an alternate class, rescheduled session, learning resource, account credit, or another reasonable response based on the circumstances.

A cancellation by WiLoKi will be treated separately from a student’s personal absence.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi seeks to balance grace toward individual students with faithful responsibility to the entire class and organization. Our goal is not to penalize families for ordinary life circumstances, but to preserve a focused learning environment, support meaningful student development, and prepare classes and productions with excellence.

Open and early communication gives WiLoKi the best opportunity to support the student and make wise arrangements.

4. Arrival, Departure, Supervision, and Parent Presence

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Introduction

WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation desires to provide a safe and orderly arrival and departure process for every student participating in its Arts Education Initiative.

WiLoKi is located within a shared business plaza. The parking lot is used by visitors to neighboring businesses, the Hannibal DMV, employees and business owners, and persons accessing nearby storage units. Vehicles may be entering, leaving, backing out, or traveling through the parking lot throughout class hours.

Students must therefore follow WiLoKi’s arrival and pickup procedures carefully.

Arrival and the Beginning of Supervision

Parents and guardians are responsible for students before their scheduled class, rehearsal, or program begins.

Families should:

Bring students into the building or confirm that the student has entered safely.
Avoid dropping students off substantially earlier than their scheduled program unless prior arrangements have been made.
Ensure that students arrive on time, dressed appropriately, and prepared with any required shoes, materials, scripts, or equipment.
Inform WiLoKi of any special arrival, pickup, supervision, or accessibility needs.

WiLoKi’s responsibility for supervising a student generally begins when the student enters the facility for the scheduled program and is received by the instructor or staff member responsible for that activity.

Students arriving early should remain in an approved waiting area and should not enter an active class without permission.

Departure and Parking-Lot Safety

Students age 15 and younger should remain inside the WiLoKi facility until their parent, guardian, or authorized pickup person has arrived.

Students should not stand or wait outside on the sidewalk or in the parking lot for their ride.

Students may watch through the window for their vehicle or wait for a phone call or text message confirming that their pickup person has arrived.

This requirement exists because students leaving the building must pass the first row of parked vehicles and enter an active driving lane. Drivers may be backing out, entering the plaza, traveling to neighboring businesses, or moving toward the nearby storage units.

Students must walk carefully, remain alert, and never run between vehicles or into the driving lane.

Pickup Requirements by Age

Students Age 9 and Younger

A parent, guardian, or authorized pickup person must come inside the facility to receive the student.

Students age 9 and younger should not walk through the parking lot to a waiting vehicle without an adult accompanying them.

The adult receiving the student is responsible for supervising the child after pickup.

Students Ages 10–15

Students ages 10–15 must remain inside until their parent, guardian, or authorized pickup person has arrived.

Once the student has confirmed that the appropriate vehicle is present, the student may walk from the building to the vehicle independently unless:

The parent or guardian has requested otherwise
The student needs assistance
Staff members believe conditions are temporarily unsafe
WiLoKi has established a different pickup arrangement for that student

Students in this age group may not wait outside alone for a ride.

Students Ages 16–17

Students ages 16–17 may generally leave the building independently at dismissal, including walking to their own vehicle or meeting a parent or authorized ride.

They are still expected to use appropriate caution in the parking lot and follow any specific directions given by their parent, guardian, instructor, or WiLoKi staff.

A parent or guardian may contact WiLoKi to request a more restrictive release arrangement for a student in this age group.

Adult Students Ages 18 and Older

Adult students may arrive and depart independently and are responsible for their own transportation and parking-lot safety.

Authorized Pickup Persons

Parents and guardians are responsible for providing accurate information concerning who may pick up their children.

WiLoKi may ask for clarification or identification when:

A person is unfamiliar to staff
A pickup arrangement differs from the family’s normal arrangement
Staff members have a reasonable safety concern
Conflicting instructions have been received

Parents should notify WiLoKi as early as reasonably possible when another person will be picking up a younger student.

WiLoKi will not knowingly release a child to a person whom the parent or guardian has specifically identified as unauthorized.

Late Pickup

Parents and authorized pickup persons should arrive promptly when a student’s class, rehearsal, or activity ends.

WiLoKi understands that occasional delays may occur. When a family expects to be late, the parent or guardian should contact WiLoKi as soon as reasonably possible.

Students age 15 and younger will be instructed to remain inside while waiting.

Repeated or substantial late pickups may require a conversation with the family and the establishment of a more reliable pickup arrangement. WiLoKi classes and staff responsibilities often continue immediately after one program ends, and staff members may not be available to provide extended individual supervision.

In an emergency or significant delay, WiLoKi will make reasonable efforts to keep the student safe and contact the parent, guardian, emergency contact, or another authorized person.

Leaving During Class

Students should not leave the instructional room, rehearsal area, or facility during a scheduled program without the instructor’s knowledge and permission, except in an emergency.

A student who needs to:

Use the restroom
Contact a parent
Retrieve an essential item
Leave early
Address an illness, injury, or other need

should first notify the instructor or responsible staff member.

Parents picking up a student early should communicate with the instructor or staff rather than calling the student out of class without notice.

Parent Presence During Classes

WiLoKi seeks to maintain an atmosphere that is open and welcoming to parents and families while also protecting student focus, independence, and effective instruction.

Level 1 Classes

For Level 1 classes, generally serving students approximately ages 3½–6, one parent or guardian may remain in the instructional room.

At this age, the nearby presence of a trusted adult may help some children feel secure enough to participate successfully. An instructor may recommend that a parent move farther from the student or use a designated waiting area when the parent’s presence is becoming more distracting than supportive.

Level 2 and Higher Classes

Beginning with Level 2, generally serving students ages 6 and older, parents and family members should not ordinarily sit on the dance floor or remain directly within the instructional area.

Parents may currently wait in WiLoKi’s designated seating areas:

The front lobby seating area
The back-room seating area

Parents should remain outside the instructional space unless invited in by the instructor or a WiLoKi staff member.

Conduct While Remaining in the Facility

Parents and family members who remain inside the facility must follow WiLoKi’s Behavior, Respect, and Learning Environment Policy, including its expectations concerning noise, conversations, devices, classroom interruptions, sibling supervision, instructor authority, and protection of the learning environment.

Access to instructional and waiting areas may be limited when a person’s presence repeatedly or seriously disrupts students, instructors, or program operations.

Closing Statement

These procedures are intended to protect students while allowing age-appropriate independence.

Families, students, instructors, and staff share responsibility for creating a safe arrival and departure process. Following these expectations helps WiLoKi care for each student while operating responsibly within a busy shared-business environment.

5. Health, Injury, Illness, and Safe Participation

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Introduction

WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation desires to support each student’s health, safety, dignity, and successful participation. Families, students, instructors, and staff share responsibility for communicating relevant concerns and making wise decisions about participation.

This policy applies to classes, rehearsals, performances, workshops, private lessons, and other programs conducted through WiLoKi’s Arts Education Initiative.

The registration and participation forms contain additional agreements concerning physical-activity risks, emergency medical care, and financial responsibility for medical services.

Illness and Contagious Conditions

Students should remain home when they:

Have an illness that may reasonably be contagious
Are experiencing symptoms that prevent safe or meaningful participation
Are too unwell to follow instruction or participate appropriately
Have been directed by a healthcare professional to remain home
Would place themselves or others at unreasonable risk by attending

Families should use reasonable judgment and consideration for other students, instructors, and families when deciding whether an ill student should attend.

A student who is well enough to attend but needs temporary limitations should communicate those needs before class whenever possible.

WiLoKi may ask a student not to participate, to rest, or to be picked up when the student appears too ill to continue safely or appropriately.

Injuries and Physical Restrictions

Students and families should communicate known injuries, pain, physical restrictions, and recovery needs before the student participates.

Students should not attempt an activity that a qualified healthcare professional has instructed them to avoid.

When a student has an injury or restriction, WiLoKi may:

Modify particular exercises or choreography
Limit the student’s participation
Provide an observational or alternative activity
Ask the student to sit out from certain skills
Require additional information before resuming full participation
Recommend that the family seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional

An instructor’s decision to modify or stop participation is intended to protect the student. It is not a medical diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical care.

Pain, Dizziness, Illness, or Distress During Class

Students are expected to tell an instructor promptly when they experience:

Pain
Dizziness
Difficulty breathing
Nausea
Sudden weakness
Unusual discomfort
An injury
Fear or distress that makes an activity feel unsafe
Another condition that may affect safe participation

Students should not feel pressured to conceal pain or continue an activity that they believe may cause injury.

Instructors may stop or modify participation whenever they reasonably believe continuing would be unsafe or inappropriate.

Instructor Authority to Modify Participation

WiLoKi instructors and staff may require a student to:

Pause an activity
Modify a movement or skill
Use additional safety equipment
Move to a lower-impact exercise
Observe rather than participate
Sit out for part or all of a class
Contact a parent or guardian
Leave with an authorized adult

These decisions may be based on the student’s apparent condition, reported symptoms, known restrictions, missed warm-up or safety instruction, environmental conditions, or the physical demands of the activity.

The student may still attend and learn through observation when appropriate, even if full physical participation is temporarily limited.

Injuries Occurring During a WiLoKi Activity

Students should immediately report injuries to the instructor, even when the injury initially appears minor.

When an injury occurs, WiLoKi personnel may take reasonable actions such as:

Stopping the student’s participation
Providing basic first aid within the staff member’s ability and training
Contacting the parent or guardian
Contacting the listed emergency contact
Recommending medical evaluation
Contacting emergency medical services when immediate assistance appears necessary
Documenting the incident for organizational records

WiLoKi will make reasonable efforts to communicate relevant information to the parent or guardian. Staff members cannot guarantee the severity, diagnosis, or outcome of an injury.

The registration or participation form contains the applicable emergency-medical authorization.

Returning After an Injury or Illness

A student returning after an injury, procedure, significant illness, or extended absence should communicate any continuing restrictions before resuming participation.

WiLoKi may request clarification concerning:

What activities the student may safely perform
What activities should be avoided
Whether participation should be gradually increased
Whether accommodations or modifications are needed
Whether the student has been cleared to return to a physically demanding activity

When needed for safety, WiLoKi may require written guidance from a qualified healthcare professional before permitting a student to resume particular skills or full participation.

Returning to class does not automatically mean that the student is ready for every movement, skill, rehearsal responsibility, or performance role.

Participation During Recovery

WiLoKi desires to keep recovering students connected to their learning whenever reasonably possible.

Depending on the student’s condition and the nature of the program, participation may include:

Observing class
Marking choreography without full physical execution
Completing seated or lower-impact exercises
Studying music, scripts, terminology, or choreography
Reviewing class materials or videos
Participating only in movements permitted by the student’s restrictions

Modified participation will be determined according to safety, available supervision, class needs, and the student’s individual circumstances.

Allergies and Individual Needs

Families should provide information about allergies or other conditions that may require awareness or preparation.

Parents and guardians remain responsible for communicating:

Known triggers
Relevant warning signs
Reasonable precautions
Emergency instructions
Changes in the student’s care needs

WiLoKi will seek to respond responsibly within the organization’s available training and resources. Families should speak directly with WiLoKi leadership before participation when a student may require specialized medical care, monitoring, or emergency support.

Medication

Students should not share medication with another person.

Families should communicate with WiLoKi leadership before expecting an instructor or staff member to store, supervise, or administer medication. WiLoKi personnel should not be assumed to provide medication assistance unless a specific arrangement has been discussed and approved.

Students who carry an inhaler, epinephrine auto-injector, or other emergency medication should ensure that it is accessible and that relevant information has been communicated to WiLoKi.

Health Privacy and Respect

WiLoKi will seek to handle student health and support information respectfully and share it only with persons who reasonably need the information to support the student or respond to a concern.

Families should understand that some information may need to be communicated to relevant instructors, staff members, emergency personnel, or organizational leadership for safety and program operation.

Students should not tease, shame, exclude, or mistreat another student because of an illness, injury, disability, accommodation, or health-related need.

Absences Related to Health

Families should notify WiLoKi when an illness or injury will cause the student to miss class, rehearsal, or performance responsibilities.

Attendance and tuition matters related to illness are addressed in WiLoKi’s Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation Policy.

When a health concern causes an extended absence, families are encouraged to communicate with WiLoKi so that reasonable participation, learning, placement, or tuition considerations may be reviewed.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi seeks to balance encouragement and opportunity with wise care for each student’s well-being. Students should be challenged to grow, but they should never be pressured to ignore an injury, conceal illness, or participate contrary to reasonable safety restrictions.

Clear and timely communication gives WiLoKi the best opportunity to support the student, protect others, and provide an appropriate path for continued learning and participation.

6. Communication and Concern Resolution

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Introduction

WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation desires communication with students and families to be honest, respectful, orderly, and guided by the love and wisdom of Christ.

Questions, misunderstandings, and concerns may arise in any learning environment. WiLoKi welcomes appropriate communication and desires to work with families to understand concerns, explain decisions, correct problems, and serve students well.

At the same time, concerns must be addressed in a way that protects students, preserves the learning environment, respects instructors, and allows WiLoKi leadership to review the situation fairly and responsibly.

This policy applies to classes, rehearsals, productions, workshops, private lessons, waiting areas, performances, and other programs conducted through WiLoKi’s Arts Education Initiative.

Shared Communication Responsibilities

Families are responsible for:

Keeping their contact and emergency information current
Reviewing relevant emails, text messages, schedules, BAND posts, rehearsal information, and organizational announcements
Communicating known absences, scheduling conflicts, injuries, pickup changes, and other important information
Asking questions when instructions or expectations are unclear
Addressing concerns respectfully and through the appropriate communication channel
Giving WiLoKi a reasonable opportunity to understand and respond before drawing conclusions about a situation

WiLoKi may contact families regarding matters such as:

Class placement or progression
Attendance and punctuality
Student behavior
Health or safety concerns
Tuition or registration
Rehearsals and performances
Schedule or facility changes
Parent or family conduct
Conditions for continued participation

Families should respond within a reasonable period when a matter requires clarification or action.

Communication During Classes and Rehearsals

Parents, guardians, and family members should not interrupt an instructor while the instructor is actively teaching, supervising students, addressing behavior, managing an injury, or transitioning between classes.

Parents should not:

Call or shout instructions to a student during class
Speak over or correct an instructor
Enter the instructional area to confront the instructor
Begin an emotionally charged conversation at the end of class when students are still present or the next class is beginning
Publicly challenge a placement, correction, role, or instructional decision
Glare at, argue with, or otherwise attempt to intimidate an instructor
Intervene in the instructor’s handling of a student situation unless immediate safety requires attention
Confront another student, parent, or family concerning a class-related issue

These actions can embarrass students, undermine the instructor’s authority, increase stress, interfere with the instructor’s ability to manage the situation, and disrupt the learning experience of the entire class.

A concern may be sincere and still be raised in an inappropriate time, place, or manner. Families are asked to preserve the class environment first and then communicate through the proper process.

Immediate Safety Concerns

When a parent reasonably believes that someone is in immediate danger or that urgent assistance is needed, the parent should promptly alert an instructor or staff member.

Whenever possible, the parent should allow WiLoKi personnel to take control of the response rather than entering the class, directing students, or making the situation more difficult to manage.

This exception is intended for genuine and immediate safety concerns—not ordinary disagreements, misunderstandings, corrections, casting decisions, or disappointment.

How to Submit a Question or Concern

Questions, concerns, complaints, and requests for review should be submitted through:

WiLoKi’s website contact form, or
WiLoKi’s official email address

Families should provide enough information to help leadership understand the concern, including:

The student’s name
The class, program, or event involved
The approximate date and time
A clear description of what was observed or communicated
Any questions the family would like answered
The outcome or support the family is seeking

Whenever possible, families should distinguish between:

What they personally observed
What their child reported
What another person reported
What they believe or infer may have happened

This helps WiLoKi review the matter accurately and avoid treating assumptions as established facts.

A brief logistical question may still be handled through text or ordinary conversation when appropriate. However, significant concerns involving an instructor, another student, behavior, safety, discipline, placement, or family conflict should be submitted through the formal communication process.

Avoiding Unnecessary Escalation

WiLoKi understands that parents naturally care deeply about their children. A child may feel disappointed, frustrated, embarrassed, unsuccessful, or left out during an ordinary learning experience. These feelings should be heard and treated with care, but they do not always mean that the child has been mistreated.

Before assuming wrongdoing, families are encouraged to consider that:

A correction may have been given for safety or technical development
A student may not yet be ready for a particular skill, level, or role
Two students may have been laughing about something unrelated
A child’s description may be incomplete or shaped by emotion
An instructor may have been managing information or circumstances the parent could not fully observe
Ordinary disappointment can be part of learning resilience, humility, patience, and perseverance

Families are welcome to ask for clarification. However, concerns should not be amplified through accusation, public confrontation, speculation, gossip, or approaching other students and families.

WiLoKi also recognizes that misunderstandings are not always the family’s fault. Instructors may communicate imperfectly, use an unhelpful tone, misunderstand a student, or make an error in judgment. These matters should be reviewed honestly rather than dismissed.

Instructor Responsibilities and Accountability

WiLoKi instructors are expected to lead with:

Kindness
Patience
Integrity
Wisdom
Appropriate authority
Clear communication
Respect for every student
Concern for safety and development
Conduct consistent with WiLoKi’s Christian mission

Instructors should provide correction without humiliation, favoritism, cruelty, unnecessary harshness, or degrading language. They should seek to understand students, communicate expectations clearly, and respond to behavior or technical concerns appropriately.

If an instructor is not fulfilling these responsibilities faithfully, the matter should be brought to WiLoKi leadership. The executive director or other appropriate organizational leader is responsible for reviewing instructor conduct and determining any needed correction, support, training, restriction, or other response.

Parents should not attempt to discipline, supervise, publicly correct, or take authority over an instructor.

Leadership Review and Response

Concerns submitted through the appropriate process will be reviewed by the executive director or another appropriate leader of WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation.

Depending on the circumstances, leadership may:

Review written communications
Speak privately with the parent or guardian
Speak with the instructor
Speak with the student when appropriate
Consult staff members or other persons who observed the situation
Review relevant policies or program expectations
Clarify a misunderstanding
Provide additional explanation
Correct an instructor, student, or family member
Establish expectations for future communication or participation
Take another action reasonably appropriate to the circumstances

WiLoKi will seek to respond as promptly as reasonably possible. Some matters may require additional time to review fairly.

Leadership will seek to communicate the outcome or next steps to the family while protecting the privacy of students, employees, volunteers, and other families. WiLoKi may not be able to disclose every conversation, personnel action, disciplinary response, or confidential detail involved in resolving a concern.

Parent and Family Presence as a Position of Trust

WiLoKi currently permits parents and family members to remain in designated areas of the facility during many classes. Parents may also be permitted inside certain younger-level classes as described in the Arrival, Departure, Supervision, and Parent Presence Policy.

This access is extended with the expectation that parents and family members will help preserve the safe, respectful, focused, and encouraging environment WiLoKi seeks to provide.

Adults remaining in the facility are expected to:

Respect the instructor’s responsibility to lead the class
Keep conversations and devices at a non-disruptive volume
Avoid coaching or correcting students from the seating area
Refrain from interrupting instruction
Supervise accompanying children
Follow reasonable directions from instructors and staff
Address concerns privately and through the proper process
Avoid gossip, hostility, intimidation, or conflict with other families

Remaining in the facility is not an unrestricted right to observe, intervene in, or influence the class. It is a privilege conditioned upon conduct that supports the students and learning environment.

Breaches of Communication and Facility Expectations

When a parent or family member disrupts instruction, confronts an instructor publicly, interferes with classroom management, behaves aggressively, or otherwise violates this policy, WiLoKi may respond with measures such as:

A reminder or request to stop the behavior
A request to move outside the instructional area
A private conversation with leadership
A requirement that future concerns be submitted only in writing
Loss or limitation of classroom-observation privileges
Loss or limitation of waiting-area privileges
Conditions for continued family participation
Temporary removal from the facility
Suspension or dismissal of the student or family from a class, program, event, or the organization

WiLoKi is not required to use every step or use them in a particular order. Serious aggression, threats, harassment, repeated disruption, intimidation, or conduct that creates an unsafe or hostile environment may require immediate action.

The possibility of consequences is not intended to discourage families from raising legitimate concerns. Families are welcome to disagree, ask questions, request clarification, or report misconduct. The requirement is that these concerns be communicated respectfully and through a process that protects everyone involved.

Respectful Disagreement

Submitting a concern does not guarantee that WiLoKi leadership will agree with the family’s interpretation or requested outcome.

After review, leadership may determine that:

A misunderstanding occurred
An instructor or staff member needs correction
A student needs correction or support
A family expectation needs clarification
A placement or program decision should remain unchanged
More than one person contributed to the concern
A different communication or participation arrangement is needed

Families are expected to communicate respectfully even when they disagree with the final decision.

WiLoKi leadership retains responsibility for decisions concerning staffing, instruction, class management, placement, safety, discipline, family access, and continued participation within the Arts Education Initiative.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi desires to love and serve students and families with wisdom, truth, grace, and compassion in Christ. Our goal is not to avoid difficult conversations, but to handle them in a manner that honors God, protects students, respects instructors, and makes restoration and healthy resolution more possible.

When families and WiLoKi communicate with honesty, patience, humility, and mutual respect, concerns can often become opportunities for greater understanding, stronger relationships, and better service to the student.

7. Placement, Progression, and Program Participation

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Introduction

WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation uses a primarily skill-based placement and progression structure within its Arts Education Initiative.

Our goal is not simply to place a student in the highest level available. Our goal is to place each student in the learning environment most likely to help that student grow while also protecting the quality and appropriate pace of instruction for the full class.

A student’s level does not measure the student’s worth, potential, intelligence, or importance. It identifies the skills, foundations, pace, and type of instruction the student currently needs.

How WiLoKi’s Levels Are Organized

WiLoKi generally uses Levels 1 through 5 to describe stages of development within an artistic genre. However, the number of levels currently offered may vary according to the genre, the students presently participating, instructor availability, and the continuing development of the program.

For example:

Some genres may currently offer classes through Level 5.
Some may currently offer classes only through Level 3 or Level 4.
Some classes may combine adjacent levels, such as Levels 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, or 4–5.
On occasion, a wider range of levels may be combined when it can be done responsibly.

A combined-level class does not mean that every student is expected to perform every skill in exactly the same way. Instructors may provide different expectations, variations, corrections, or levels of difficulty within the same class.

Levels are also specific to the individual genre. A student may appropriately be placed in different levels for Ballet, Jazz, Acro-Trix, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, or another program.

General Age Entry Points

Age provides a helpful starting point for placement, especially for younger students, because age can affect attention, communication, coordination, social readiness, and the way a student processes instruction.

WiLoKi’s general age-based entry points are:

Tots Exploration and Movement

Generally for students approximately ages 1½–2½.

This program emphasizes healthy movement, creativity, social interaction, familiarity with a class environment, and joyful participation rather than formal dance-skill progression.

Dancing Tots

Generally for students approximately ages 2½ through 3.

Students begin learning to follow an instructor, stand in a line, participate with a group, remember simple movements, and learn portions of a dance with appropriate support.

Level 1

Generally for students approximately ages 4–6.

A student who is at least 3½ years old may be invited or approved to enter Level 1 early when the student demonstrates sufficient readiness, attention, participation, and ability to follow instruction.

A new student who is 4, 5, or 6 years old will generally begin in Level 1 unless an assessment supports another placement.

Level 2

Generally for students approximately ages 7–9.

Students younger than 7 may be invited to Level 2 when they have developed the necessary Level 1 skills, focus, maturity, and classroom readiness.

A new 6-year-old will generally begin in Level 1. A new student between approximately ages 7 and 9 will generally begin in Level 2 unless another placement appears more appropriate.

Level 3

Generally available as a beginning placement for students approximately age 10 and older.

A 10-year-old may begin in Level 2 or Level 3 depending on the student’s movement background, learning readiness, experience, and assessed needs.

Older students and teenagers will generally begin in Level 3, although an assessment may show that Level 2 or Level 4 would serve the student better.

Levels 4 and 5

Entry into Levels 4 and 5 is primarily based on skill, technical development, learning readiness, and instructor assessment rather than age alone.

Older teenagers and adults with strong movement backgrounds or an unusually rapid ability to learn may sometimes begin at a higher level after assessment.

These age ranges are general entry guidelines rather than guarantees. WiLoKi may approve a different placement when it appears more appropriate for the student.

How Initial Placement Is Determined

Initial placement considers both:

What the student can currently do, and
How the student learns

WiLoKi may consider:

Previous training and experience
Current technical skills
Strength, coordination, flexibility, and body awareness
Understanding of foundational concepts
Ability to listen and maintain focus
Response to instruction and correction
Speed of learning
Retention of details
Movement or athletic background
Maturity and classroom readiness
Safety
The pace and expectations of the available classes

During an assessment, an instructor or the executive director may teach the student several unfamiliar movements or concepts. This allows WiLoKi to observe not only what the student already knows, but also how the student receives, processes, applies, and remembers new information.

A student with little formal dance experience may still demonstrate strong readiness for a higher starting level when the student learns quickly, listens carefully, retains details, and already has useful movement experience from another activity.

Another student may be better served by beginning with a lower level so that foundational skills can be broken down more carefully and practiced more consistently.

The purpose of an assessment is not to embarrass, rank, or exclude a student. It is to understand how the student can be taught most effectively.

Skill-Based Progression

Students generally progress by developing the skills, understanding, control, and learning readiness expected for the next level.

Each genre may use a somewhat different progression structure.

Acro-Trix

Acro-Trix progression is especially dependent upon demonstrating the required skills from the previous level. Because later skills build upon earlier strength, control, alignment, flexibility, and safety foundations, students may be required to demonstrate competency in all required prior-level skills before advancing.

Ballet, Jazz, and Other Technical Genres

In Ballet, Jazz, and related genres, progression includes individual skills as well as qualities that apply across many movements, including:

Posture
Alignment
Turnout where applicable
Placement of the knees over the toes
Coordination
Control
Strength
Musicality
Port de bras
Movement quality
Use of space
Artistic expression

A student may know the general shape of a movement without yet performing all of its technical elements consistently. For this reason, progression cannot always be measured by checking whether the student has merely attempted or memorized a list of skills.

WiLoKi considers a general progression from:

Functional understanding — the student can recognize and perform the basic movement
Technical development — the student performs the movement with increasing correctness, alignment, coordination, and control
Artistic development — the student adds musicality, expression, movement quality, texture, flow, and appropriate stylistic detail
Mastery — the student demonstrates deep understanding, consistency, adaptability, and the ability to apply the skill confidently in varied contexts

The exact expectations differ according to the genre, skill, and level.

WiLoKi continues to refine and expand its skill frameworks. Placement and progression are therefore based on current program standards and informed assessment rather than solely upon a fixed public checklist.

Learning Pace and Class Fit

Different levels are taught at different instructional speeds.

In earlier levels, instructors generally:

Break movements into smaller parts
Repeat foundational skills more frequently
Spend more time explaining and demonstrating
Provide additional support for attention, coordination, and classroom participation

In higher levels, instructors generally:

Move through material more quickly
Expect greater retention
Review foundational material in less detail
Teach a larger number of skills and combinations
Expect students to apply previous knowledge more independently

A class that is too easy may not challenge or engage a student enough. A class that is too advanced may create unnecessary stress, leave important foundations undeveloped, or require the student to learn too much prerequisite material at once.

Placement also affects the other students in the class. An instructor may occasionally review previous-level material, particularly when a motivated student can learn it quickly. However, the instructor cannot consistently replace the intended level’s curriculum with earlier material for one student while the rest of the class waits.

For this reason, the best placement is usually the class in which the student needs to learn the material being taught and can reasonably keep pace with the instruction.

Placement in a foundational level should not be viewed as a failure. Strong foundations often allow students to progress more successfully and confidently in the future.

Level Advancement and Invitations

Advancement is not automatic merely because a student has spent a particular amount of time in a level.

Students may be invited to advance based upon factors such as:

Attainment of the expected skills
Technical correctness
Consistency and control
Ability to apply corrections
Focus and classroom behavior
Learning speed and retention
Attendance and participation
Readiness for the pace of the next class
Safety
Artistic and developmental readiness

For younger students, reaching a general age milestone may make the student eligible to move into the next level. However, an early move before the standard age range generally requires an invitation or approval based on readiness.

As students advance, progression becomes increasingly skill-based rather than age-based.

Students who listen carefully, attend consistently, practice responsibly, and put effort into learning may progress more quickly because they are actually developing the required abilities more quickly. The purpose is not to reward status or comparison, but to recognize genuine learning and readiness.

An invitation to advance may apply to one genre without changing the student’s placement in another genre.

Genre Relationships and Supporting Skills

Some WiLoKi programs build upon skills developed in other genres.

Lyrical

Lyrical placement is influenced by the student’s Ballet and Jazz technique. The student’s appropriate Lyrical level may therefore be based partly upon the level at which the student can safely and successfully participate in Ballet- and Jazz-based movement.

Jazz-Funk

Jazz-Funk draws upon both Jazz and Hip Hop. Placement may consider the student’s experience and readiness in both areas.

Other Programs

Additional genres may also share foundations involving musicality, coordination, strength, performance quality, acting, flexibility, or technical vocabulary.

A student’s level in one genre does not automatically guarantee the same numbered level in another genre. WiLoKi will consider the specific skills required by each program.

Pointe and Pre-Pointe Participation

Pointe work places significant physical demands upon the feet, ankles, legs, alignment, and overall Ballet technique.

Participation in Pre-Pointe or Pointe requires instructor testing and specific approval. Readiness may include consideration of:

Ankle and foot strength
Leg and core strength
Alignment
Control
Ballet technique
Ability to maintain safe placement
Consistency
Maturity and ability to follow safety instructions

A student should not purchase or begin using pointe shoes for class without approval.

Age or length of time in Ballet does not by itself guarantee Pointe participation. Safety and technical readiness must remain the primary considerations

Dance Company Participation

Dance Company is a team-based program with additional instructional, performance, relational, and spiritual-development expectations.

Dance Company participation currently requires:

Enrollment in the two-block Dance Company class
Enrollment in at least one approved leveled Ballet or Jazz class
Participation in the Dance Company devotional included during the two-block Company time
Appropriate attendance, conduct, cooperation, and team participation

Dance Company placement or continued participation may also depend upon readiness, program capacity, and the needs of the team.

Additional requirements may be communicated through a separate Dance Company agreement.

Apprenticeship and Leadership Programs

Participation in WiLoKi’s Apprenticeship Program is currently by invitation.

Apprenticeship and other leadership opportunities may include additional requirements concerning:

Maturity
Conduct
Attendance
Skill development
Service
Communication
Leadership readiness
Reliability
Christian character and program expectations

Being a strong performer does not automatically qualify a student for leadership responsibility. Leadership roles require the ability to serve others, follow direction, communicate appropriately, and represent WiLoKi responsibly.

Additional expectations may be provided through a separate Apprenticeship or leadership agreement.

Productions, Casting, and Performance Roles

Participation in a class or production does not guarantee a particular role, amount of stage time, featured position, solo, partnering assignment, costume, or placement within choreography.

Casting and performance decisions may consider:

The needs and artistic direction of the production
Skill and technical readiness
Attendance and preparedness
Ability to learn and retain material
Safety
Cooperation and conduct
Character or role suitability
Partnering needs
Student development
The needs of the full cast

Previous casting, class placement, or performance roles do not guarantee the same placement or role in the future.

Roles and responsibilities may be adjusted during the rehearsal process when necessary for safety, preparedness, attendance, production quality, or the development of the full cast.

These decisions are intended to serve the production and students responsibly, not to determine a student’s personal value.

Placement Changes

Placement may be adjusted after a student begins participating.

An instructor or WiLoKi leader may observe that:

The student is ready for greater challenge
The current pace is too fast
Important foundations need further development
A different age or skill grouping would be more appropriate
Another class would better support the student’s goals
Safety or class-balance concerns require a change

Whenever reasonably possible, WiLoKi will communicate with the family concerning a significant placement change and explain the educational reasoning behind it.

A placement change should not automatically be understood as punishment or failure. It is intended to help the student receive instruction appropriate to the student’s present needs.

Final Placement and Progression Decisions

Instructors may assess students and make recommendations concerning placement, progression, advanced-program readiness, and participation.

At this time, final decisions concerning class-level placement, level advancement, and approval-based program participation rest with WiLoKi’s executive director as the leader of the Arts Education Initiative.

The executive director may consult with:

The student’s current instructor
Other instructors familiar with the student
Artistic or program leadership
The student and family when appropriate
Assessment results and current program standards

Families are welcome to ask respectful questions about placement or request an assessment. However, final decisions remain with WiLoKi leadership.

The guiding purpose is to serve both:

The individual student, by placing the student where the instruction, challenge, pace, and foundations are most appropriate
The full student body, by allowing each class to focus on the skills and curriculum appropriate to its level

WiLoKi seeks to make these decisions with wisdom, fairness, prayerful consideration, and genuine care for each student’s long-term development.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi desires every student to have a meaningful path for growth.

Some students progress steadily over time. Some advance rapidly through focused effort and practice. Others need additional time to strengthen foundations before moving forward. Each of these paths can be valuable.

Our purpose is not to rush students into higher levels or hold them back unnecessarily. It is to help each student learn well, grow safely, develop artistically, and receive the instruction most appropriate for where they are now and where they may go next.

8. Enrollment, Tuition, Schedule Changes, and Withdrawal

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Introduction

Enrollment in WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation’s Arts Education Initiative requires a completed registration form and approval by WiLoKi.

Registration allows us to review class availability, student placement, program requirements, tuition, and any individual circumstances shared by the family.

Registration and Enrollment

Submitting a registration form or paying a registration fee does not automatically guarantee placement in every requested class, level, or approval-based program.

WiLoKi will review each registration and confirm the student’s approved enrollment. When a requested class is unavailable or is not considered the best placement, WiLoKi may recommend another class, level, assessment, or development path.

If WiLoKi cannot approve enrollment in an appropriate program and no acceptable alternative is arranged, the registration fee will be refunded.

Registration Fees

WiLoKi offers three regular class sessions each year:

Spring Semester
Summer Session
Fall Semester

Each student’s registration fee is based on whether the student is continuing directly from the immediately preceding class session.

A student returning after missing a session pays the standard registration rate. A student who participated in the immediately preceding session receives a 50% continuing-student discount.

Spring and Fall Semesters

First student—not continuing directly from the previous session$20

First student—continuing directly from the previous session$10

Each additional student—not continuing directly$10

Each additional student—continuing directly$5

Summer Session

First student—not continuing directly from the previous session$10

First student—continuing directly from the previous session$5

Each additional student—not continuing directly$5

Each additional student—continuing directly$2.50

Each additional student after the first receives a 50% registration discount. This additional-student discount may be combined with the continuing-student discount.

For purposes of the continuing discount:

Spring, Summer, and Fall each count as regular class sessions.
A student continuing from Spring into Summer qualifies.
A student continuing from Summer into Fall qualifies.
A student continuing from Fall into Spring qualifies.
A student returning after sitting out the immediately preceding session does not qualify as continuing for that registration.

Trials, workshops, intensives, Discovery Nights, productions, and other one-time activities do not ordinarily count as enrollment in a regular class session.

Registration fees are generally nonrefundable after enrollment has been approved. If WiLoKi cannot approve the student’s enrollment and no appropriate alternative is accepted, the registration fee will be refunded.

Tuition and Payment Arrangements

After registration and placement review, WiLoKi will provide the family with its approved monthly tuition amount.

Tuition may reflect:

Approved classes
Number of weekly classes
Sibling discounts
Dance Company or special-program pricing
Financial assistance
Approved tuition exchanges
Apprenticeship arrangements
Planned absences disclosed before tuition is finalized

Tuition reserves the student’s place in the program and supports instruction, instructor preparation, curriculum, choreography, production preparation, administration, and class-related resources.

Semester tuition may be divided into monthly payments, but it is not calculated simply as payment for four individual classes each month.

Financial assistance, tuition exchanges, and alternate payment arrangements must be approved by WiLoKi.

Class and Schedule Changes

Families may request to add, remove, or change a class by contacting WiLoKi.

Changes are subject to class availability, appropriate placement, program requirements, scheduling, and approval. Families should not begin attending a different class until the change has been confirmed.

WiLoKi may occasionally need to change a class time, instructor, studio, level grouping, rehearsal schedule, or program offering because of enrollment, staffing, safety, facility needs, or other operational circumstances.

When a significant change affects an enrolled family, WiLoKi will communicate the change and seek a reasonable alternative or adjustment.

Withdrawal

To formally withdraw a student, the parent or guardian must send a written message through WiLoKi’s website contact page.

Please include:

The student’s name
The class or program involved
The requested final participation date
The reason for withdrawal

A brief reason is sufficient. This information helps WiLoKi understand family needs, identify possible concerns, and improve its programs when appropriate.

Simply ceasing attendance or mentioning the withdrawal casually to an instructor does not complete the formal withdrawal process.

After receiving the written notice, WiLoKi will review the student’s tuition arrangement, payments, participation dates, and circumstances. WiLoKi will then confirm any tuition adjustment, credit, refund, or remaining responsibility.

Registration fees are generally not refunded after enrollment has been approved. Significant circumstances such as extended illness, injury, relocation, or family emergency may be reviewed individually.

Families withdrawing from productions, Dance Company, Apprenticeship, Pointe, or other team-based programs should communicate as early as possible because withdrawal may affect choreography, casting, partnering, rehearsals, and other participants.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi desires its enrollment and tuition practices to be clear, fair, sustainable, and responsive to individual circumstances.

Families are encouraged to communicate promptly whenever they have questions about enrollment, placement, tuition, schedule changes, financial difficulty, or withdrawal.

9. Facility Use, Property, Devices, and Belongings

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Introduction

WiLoKi Creative Arts Foundation desires its facility to remain safe, orderly, welcoming, and suitable for excellent instruction. Students, families, instructors, volunteers, and visitors are expected to use the building and its contents responsibly.

Use of the Facility

Individuals using the WiLoKi facility should:

Remain in approved instructional, waiting, restroom, or program areas.
Follow reasonable directions from instructors and staff.
Keep entrances, exits, walkways, and instructional areas clear.
Avoid running, rough play, climbing on furniture, or other unsafe activity.
Clean up personal trash and belongings.
Use food and drinks only where permitted.
Avoid entering offices, storage areas, costume areas, or other restricted spaces without permission.

Children who are not participating in a class must remain appropriately supervised by their parent, guardian, or responsible adult.

Conduct within the facility must also follow WiLoKi’s Behavior, Respect, and Learning Environment Policy.

Equipment, Props, Costumes, and Nonprofit Property

Mats, dance equipment, musical equipment, props, costumes, furniture, teaching materials, and other WiLoKi property may be used only as directed or approved by an instructor or staff member.

Participants should:

Use equipment only for its intended purpose.
Follow all safety instructions.
Avoid climbing, hanging, jumping upon, or moving equipment without permission.
Return borrowed items to the appropriate location.
Keep food, drinks, and potentially damaging materials away from equipment when directed.
Promptly report broken, damaged, or unsafe items.

Normal wear may occur through appropriate program use. However, intentional damage, reckless misuse, or unauthorized removal of property may result in loss of facility privileges, disciplinary action, or responsibility for appropriate repair or replacement costs.

WiLoKi property should not be taken from the facility without specific permission.

Phones and Electronic Devices

Students should silence and safely store phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other personal devices during classes, rehearsals, meetings, and performances unless an instructor authorizes their use.

Devices may be used when approved for purposes such as:

Music or rehearsal materials
Scripts or class resources
Recording assigned practice material
Contacting a parent when needed
Accessibility or health support

Students and family members may not photograph, record, livestream, or post images or videos of a class, rehearsal, student, instructor, or private conversation without appropriate permission.

Individuals using devices in waiting areas should keep them quiet and use headphones for audio or video.

WiLoKi may require a device to be put away when its use distracts students, interrupts instruction, compromises privacy, or otherwise interferes with the program environment.

Personal Belongings and Lost Items

Students are responsible for keeping track of their own shoes, clothing, bags, water bottles, scripts, devices, and other personal belongings.

Families are encouraged to:

Clearly label commonly misplaced items.
Bring only belongings needed for the program.
Avoid leaving cash, jewelry, expensive electronics, or other valuables unattended.
Check the facility promptly when an item is missing.

WiLoKi will make reasonable efforts to identify and return found belongings, but cannot guarantee the security, recovery, or replacement of lost, stolen, forgotten, or damaged personal property.

Unclaimed items may be donated, discarded, or otherwise removed after being held for a reasonable period.

Cleanliness and Safety Concerns

Everyone using the facility should help protect the health and safety of others.

Students and families should promptly notify an instructor or staff member about:

Spills or wet floors
Broken equipment or furniture
Tripping hazards
Damaged doors, fixtures, or flooring
Unsafe behavior
Lost or unattended items that create concern
Any other condition that may require immediate attention

Participants should not attempt to repair, move, or handle potentially dangerous equipment or substances without authorization.

Closing Statement

WiLoKi’s facility and resources exist to support students, families, and the mission of the organization. Responsible use of the building, equipment, and personal devices helps preserve a safe and excellent environment in which everyone can learn, create, and participate well.

Student Requirements & Family Policies V1.0

Quick Navigation

1- Dress Code Requirements

General Dress Code

Ballet Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Optional:

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Boys’ Ballet Attire

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Pre-Pointe & Pointe - Dress Code

Required:

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Acro-Trix Program - Dress Code

Jazz Program - Dress Code

Jazz-Funk Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Recommended:

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Tap Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Lyrical Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Recommended Students may wear:

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Contemporary Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Hip Hop Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Recommended:

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Musical Theater Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Tots Dance Program - Dress Code

Required:

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Dance Company, Productions, and Special Programs - Dress Code

2- Behavior, Respect, and Learning Environment Policy

Policy Introduction

Part One: Student Behavior, Respect, and Safety

Part Two: Protecting an Excellent Learning Environment

Parent and Family Presence

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Level 1 classes

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Level 2 and higher classes

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Waiting-area conduct

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Correction, Restoration, and Continued Participation

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Closing Statement

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3. Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation

Policy Introduction

Regular Attendance and Punctuality

Performance-Focused Classes and Productions

Planned Absences and Tuition Adjustments

Illness and Other Unplanned Absences

Extended or Significant Changes

Classes Canceled by WiLoKi

Closing Statement

4. Arrival, Departure, Supervision, and Parent Presence

Policy Introduction

Arrival and the Beginning of Supervision

Departure and Parking-Lot Safety

Pickup Requirements by Age

Students Age 9 and Younger

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A parent, guardian, or authorized pickup person must come inside the facility to receive the student.

Students age 9 and younger should not walk through the parking lot to a waiting vehicle without an adult accompanying them.

The adult receiving the student is responsible for supervising the child after pickup.

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