Newsletters: 2010

This page features the newsletters we sent out in 2010:

Show Update - Number 2

Please click here for the latest show details

Newsletter 53 – September 2010

Welcome back!  Hope you all had a lovely summer break and found a bit of sunshine!

Term Dates

Lessons start week commencing 6th September and end with the Downham show on12th December.  All branches have a very full 13 weeks this term except for Wicken who have 12 lessons.  Half term will be the week commencing 25th October. Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not take place:

Friday 10th December – no lessons at Wicken due to preparation for Downham show

Achievement Awards

The winners for the summer term were Abbey Harnwell, Julie Reichmann, Paige Moore, Emily Smith and Jemma Cotterell.  Well done to all of you and have a look at your photos on the new website at www.samaraballet.co.uk/Achievement-Awards.html

Exams

No exams this term due to the show but we had the most fantastic results ever last term.  12 pupils were awarded 90% or over in the May exam session, the highest number ever recorded in one set of results!  49% of all entrants were awarded Honours marks, 43% received Highly Commended and 8% Commended with no one getting lower than a Commended.  So, well done to everyone for working so hard – I think you deserve time off from exams to work on the show!

Fees

There are no increases to fees this term (although the invoices appear bigger as it’s a longer term – sorry!).  Some children have moved up from 15 minute to 30 minute tap classes and similarly some have moved to 45 or 60 minute ballet classes so this does increase your individual fees if you were in a shorter class last term.  However, I have introduced a Family Discount scheme for families with 3 or more children doing ballet and tap at the school.  No family will pay more than £15 per week for the children’s classes (if 3 children do ballet and tap the bill is often £22 per week) and a note about how the scheme works is attached to your invoices if it applies to your family.

The Show

We made a good start on show dances last term but there is still a lot of work to learn.  Please, please try not to miss any lessons during the first half of this term as it causes a lot of extra work trying to teach individual children which then holds up the progress of the class as a whole.  Over the next few weeks, some lesson times will be used for trying on costumes and you will gradually start to receive bags of costumes to keep safe at home, which will be added to as the weeks roll on.  If you are in the Bottisham show, it’s likely that you will try on a costume but not take it home as it will be needed for the Downham show first.  Providing we know it fits then the costume will be given back to you on the first lesson back in January.  Further details about the show will be available in the next few weeks.

We have a new website!

Please have a look at www.samaraballet.co.uk and see what you think.  Many thanks to the children who turned up for the photo shoot.  I hope you will spot yourself in a photo somewhere on the site.....but you may have to search every link as the photos are tucked away!  The site is easy to navigate around and has a fully interactive uniform order form page to make buying uniform easier. 

The exam details, timetables for festivals, past newsletters and latest information will be updated as soon as they become available but you may have to take some time to find the new headings they are under.  For example, Achievement Award photos are listed under Pupil Successes, as are exam results ....but you can get to the same results via the exam page. 

There are interactive maps for all class locations, exam and festival venues and direct email link to myself, twitter and the school facebook page.  General newsletters are on the News page but any items specific to one branch of the school will also be found under Classes (then go to your branch of the school and click on latest news).

There is a gifts section that has a slideshow of books and DVD’s that you may like for presents etc.  The link on here will take you direct to Amazon.  Over the next few weeks we’ll be adding other gift items in time for Christmas such as basic tutus etc.

As with all new sites, we hope it all works (and that we’ve spotted the spelling mistakes!) but if you do find anything that needs changing or have a request for anything else you’d like to see added then please do let us know.

Finally

Its going to be a very busy term gearing up to the first show in December so thank you in advance for your patience if I have to alter class times on some weeks and run over time on others, your support is very  much appreciated.

End of Term Newsletter – July 2010

New Website

During the summer we will be working on a new website which will have lots of new features so please check in from time to time to see when it launches!

I will also be incorporating photos etc and you will see on the reverse of this letter a permission slip which I’d be grateful if you could return to me to give your permission for your child to be included should it be required.  This permission will be for such things as achievement award winners photos, show and rehearsal photos, exam and festival success etc.  If you do not wish any photos of your child to be on the website then please ensure you let me know asap! 

With the new website in mind, if you have any digital photos previously taken at the end of term of classes, groups, ‘action shots’ that you would like to share then please forward them to me for possible inclusion.

We will also be continuing the ‘community page’ so any parents of pupils at the school who wish to promote their own business, charity fund raising etc please supply copy and links and we’ll promote you free of charge.

There is a new Samara Ballet School Facebook page which is closed to the general public and therefore safe for children to communicate on.  Please feel free to use this to send me messages etc throughout the summer.  In tandem with the website, we’ll be sending updates via Facebook and Twitter to keep everyone as up to date as possible with such things as reminders for exam closing dates, snow closures etc.

I will also be looking for a few ‘models’ to photograph to show off the ballet school uniform on the website so if you are interested in being considered please sign the relevant box over the page.  I will only contact those that are the age/size etc for the required items so please don’t take offense if I don’t contact you!

Uniform  

Attitude Dancewear, Hills Road, Cambridge is a new shop that I have agreed to support.  They have a good supply of dancewear and anyone going there should mention that they come to Samara!  The staff are all fully qualified to fit pointe shoes and they carry an excellent supply of all makes so any seniors who need pointe shoes can now get their shoes locally!  Pupils in grade 4 and above who wish to wear black leotards are also welcome to go to Attitude to buy any style black leotard that suits them.  I will continue to supply a limited range but girls are such different shapes that sometimes they may feel more comfortable trying a range of leotards on to see what feels right for them.  Again, please mention Samara as the staff will then know what styles to show you!

Contact details  

On the reverse of this letter you will also find a copy of the current contact details that I hold for your child.  Please can you let me have any missing details or alterations so that I can spend the summer updating my records.  One child recently lost an exam certificate as it was sent to an old address so please make sure I have the correct details if you move house!

Have a wonderful summer break everyone!

Newsletter 52 – April 2010

Welcome back after a nice sunny Easter break!

Term Dates

Lessons start week commencing 19th April and end on Friday 16th July. There are several dates when classes will not be held this term due to exams etc so the number of lessons in each branch varies: Downham Market (Thursdays) have 12 weeks, Cambridge, Downham Market (Tuesdays) and Wicken branches have 11 weeks but Stretham will only have 10 lessons. Half term will be week commencing 31st May and please note that I will be teaching as normal on the May 3rd Bank Holiday due to the impending exam sessions.  Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not take place:

Friday 14th May – no lessons at Wicken as I am away and am unable to teach

Monday 24th May – no lessons at Stretham due to IDTA exams

Tuesday 25th May – no lessons at Downham Market due to IDTA exams

Wednesday 26th May – no lessons at Cambridge due to IDTA exams

Monday 7th June – no lessons at Stretham due to RAD dress rehearsal

Please note that after the exam sessions are over there will be some mid-term changes to the current timetable but more details will follow later in the term.

Achievement Awards

The winners for the spring term were Tilly Streets, Alex Barnett, Eleanor Murray and Eleanor Charlesworth. Well done to all of you and have a look at your photos on the website.

Exams

This is going to be a very busy term for exams as it will be the final exam session for many months due to the start of show rehearsals after the May half term! There will be IDTA ballet and tap exams on 24th, 25th and 26th May and RAD exams on 13th June. The exams and exam rehearsals will cause a bit of disruption to lessons but with over 200 pupils involved it's a huge task to organise. At the time of writing I do not yet have the last RAD results but they should be here any day now.

The Show!!!

Yes I am finally getting the next show together and details will be handed out in the next week or so. For those new to the school who are not aware of our previous shows, this is a massive undertaking as it involves over 350 children, 800 plus costumes and 6 months of rehearsals (not to mention the combined help of many parents!).  I have several months of pre planning to organise before we start rehearsals: finding, editing and recording suitable music, planning ideas and choreographing routines.  Over the next 5 weeks, I may be 'trying out' music ideas with those classes not involved in exams this term and also trying out some improvisation ideas so please don't worry if your child comes home with strange tales of what they did in ballet!

The show updates and forms are all named individually so please try to respond on your own named letter and keep an eye on the ballet bags! So often parents complain to me that they 'never received it' but then find the letters, weeks later, stuffed in bags. There is a show page on the website and all correspondence, dates, venues, times etc will be available on the website in the coming weeks. 

Finally Apologies in advance if I have to suddenly cancel an evening's teaching in May.  My son Nathan is in a band, which has done very well in Britain's Got Talent (!) and they may be required for rehearsals in the last 2 weeks in May (which means I may have to drive to London with guitars, amps etc at very short notice!). The band is called The Arrangement and was originally put together as a joke at college but it's snowballed out of all proportion! They do a spoof/parody of hip hop, R & B and rap etc in a classical/send up  way which the teenagers who recognise the original music find hilarious (Mum doesn't always get it!).  So watch out for The Arrangement on Britain's Got Talent!! SATURDAY 24th APRIL

Newsletter 51 – January 2010

Welcome back, best wishes for the New Year and thank you for all the cards and presents that you gave me for Christmas which were much appreciated!

Term Dates

Lessons start week commencing 11th January (plus extra lesson for Wicken on  8th ) and end on Friday 26th March.  Downham Market, Cambridge and Wicken branches have 10 weeks this term but Stretham and Littleport will have 9. Half term will be week commencing 15th February. Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not take place:

Monday 15th March – no lessons at Stretham or Littleport due to RAD Exams

Uniform

I am currently out of stock of the black sweatshirts and will be putting an order in for some more in the next few weeks. If anyone would like to order one, can you please let me know so that I can include you in the next order. Prices remain the same as last year which is £14 (and £15.50 for 14 – 16 yrs).

Achievement Awards

The winners for the autumn term were Rhianna Woodman, Georgia Saxby, Alina Serrano, Kate Tillett and Anna Rowe.  Well done to all of you and have a look at your photos on the website.

Exams

At the time of writing this, the results for the exams on the 15th December have still not been received but are due any day. The exam day itself was a bit of a disaster with the examiner arriving very late and then my music failed (for the first time in 20 years!!).  The examiner then complained it was too cold, despite having the heating on full and wrapping herself into the blanket we provided! This particular examiner is known to be a very tough marker so don't hold your breath for high marks this time!  Results will appear on the website as soon as I receive them.

The next RAD exams will be on 15th March and letters are attached for those that it concerns.  I'm sorry for the urgent 'turn around' required in letting me have your exam fees but the RAD have set the closing date very early due to the short term.

Charlotte's Fund

A huge thank you to everyone who dressed up for our 'pink and purple day' in aid of money for our Charlotte's Fund Bursary, in memory of Charlotte Walker.  A quite staggering £383 was raised and your generosity during such testing times was very much appreciated. If anyone requires help from the fund, please download a form from the website.

Adverse Weather 

The snow and ice have arrived and with it the usual travel problems. As I live quite far away from some of the areas that I teach in I have to rely on your local knowledge of problems with closed schools and road conditions etc. so please do keep me informed if your area has specific problems that may need me to cancel lessons. I will keep the website updated and please check it on the day of your class if you are in doubt about cancellations.  I will endeavour to ring as many people as I can to advise if lessons are cancelled and would ask you to spread the word where possible as I sometime have to make 70 telephone calls to cancel 1 night's teaching.  Also, please ensure I have up to date contact details!

Fees

 As advised last term, fees are increasing this term for the first time in 3 years.  All pre school classes (Melody Bear) will increase to £3.50 to bring the price in line with other classes. Most lessons have increased by 25p, some by 50p depending on the increase in hall charges etc but no increase is more than 50p per lesson.

Finally, congratulations to Abigail Potter from Downham Market who has been awarded the Samara Scholarship for 2010 which allows her unlimited attendance at extra lessons for the next 12 months.

Dressing Up Day for Charlotte's Fund

As mentioned in the newsletter this term, I am going to have a week of 'Dressing up in pink or purple' day to raise funds for our 'Charlotte Fund Bursary'. This bursary is in memory of Charlotte Walker, a pupil of our school, who sadly died in an accident when she was 9 yrs old (and pink and purple were her favourite colours).  The fund was set up in Charlotte's memory and provides financial help for any pupil at the school facing hard times by helping with ballet fees, paying towards exam costs or buying of uniform. It also offers help to senior pupils with the expense of auditions when they are trying to get a place at dance related higher education. If you would like further details about the fund, have a look at the website  and look at Charlotte's page.

The fund raising will be during the week commencing Monday 30th November and all classes are welcome to dress up (but make it suitable to still dance in!) in return for a donation to the fund. No set charge will be made and any contribution, however small, would be very much appreciated.

RAD Ballet Exams now confirmed for Monday 15th March 2010 with dress rehearsal on Sunday 14th March.  More details to follow.