MEMBERSHIP

• Annual membership fee at the Richmond Music School is $50.00 per household. Membership fee registration after January 1 is prorated to $25.00 per household. This fee includes the annual Society fee allowing one vote per family member at the annual general meeting.

• Membership fees are annual effective from July 1st to June 30th and are NON-REFUNDABLE. Lessons will not commence until this fee has been paid.

• If students want to secure their Teacher yearly, the membership fee must be paid before July 1st of the next school year. We do not guarantee the same time slot.

 

REGISTRATION OF TUITION FEES

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• Tuition fees for private lessons must be paid in advance for the full school term. Please refer to the Term Calendar on our website for specific dates. This policy ensures that the school can secure fixed lesson times with the teacher for the entire term.

• If a student anticipates missing lessons before the term begins, full payment is still required. However, arrangements for makeup lessons can be scheduled in advance with the teacher and the office.

• Missed lessons will be credited to the family's account but are non-refundable until the student withdraws from the school. 

• Credits in the family account can be applied toward the next term’s tuition.

• Fees must be received prior to the start of lessons. If payment is not received, Richmond Music School reserves the right to cancel all upcoming lessons and the student risks the loss of the current teacher and time slot.

• Group lessons/programs are payable by one-time payment for the course fee. 

• We accept payments by e-Transfer, Debit Card, Visa, and Master Card. Fees with pre-authorization made by credit card will automatically be charged. Students/Parents will not be notified for approval. By signing the Registration/Membership form you are approving this charge.

• Each academic year runs from September to the following  June. A student is automatically enrolled for the entire academic year upon registration and payment of a tuition fee. Payment is made in three terms. 

• Any student who does not intend to return for the following term must notify the office in writing.

• All withdrawals must be made with at least TWO scheduled lessons ' notice. 

• Late or non-payment by the beginning of the next term does not result in automatic withdrawal.

• Any unused balances on fees/credit in the student account will be considered forfeited within 12 months from the end of the school year.  For example, the unused balance incurred in the school year 2023-2024 will be considered forfeited if it was not used up on or before June 30, 2025.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

• One-Time Payment — Suitable for paying for group lessons or trial lessons.

• Term Payment — Please refer to the term dates on our website for a number of weeks per term.

• Full School Term — This payment reflects the start of the lesson to the end of the school term on June 30th and must be paid in full for the whole session prior to the first class.

• Summer Term — This payment reflects lessons starting on July 1st and ending August 31st and all lessons scheduled must be paid prior to the lessons during this term. 

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ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

• Late payments may result in the suspension of lessons and possible loss of Teacher

• All returned payments maybe charged a $25.00 handling fee. This includes unauthorized payments on credit cards.

• Enrollment is only accepted from those returning students whose fees and accounts are paid up to date and in good standing. Any arrears must be paid in full before subsequent enrollment is accepted.

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SCHOOL CLOSURES

• Our programs run from September to June. There are several times during the year when the music school is closed. Students are not invoiced for these times.

• Two-week Christmas/New Year period.

• Richmond School District Spring Break.

• Statutory Holidays and the Easter weekend, including Easter Monday.

 

​LATE ARRIVALS

Zero tolerance for late arrival, your lesson will end at scheduled time.

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CANCELLATIONS, REFUNDS AND WITHDRAWALS 

• Cancellation of a lesson made AT LEAST 24 hours (on a business day)  prior to the scheduled lesson time may be eligible to receive a make-up lesson or a lesson credit to be used for next payment. Notice must be given by email to the school office and cc to the teacher. The School is under no obligation to provide refunds or make-up lessons unless the lesson is cancelled by the teacher. Absence of notification will result in charging the student account for the missed lesson. Nonattendance at lessons does not constitute withdrawal. This applies to "modified music lessons" as well. 

• No more than 1 cancellation and 1 make up lessons (private) are permitted per school term per student (Definition of school term, see calendar on website.) 

• No shows or failure to notify the school/teacher within one Business Day is considered a forfeited lesson. Students will be charged for forfeited lesson. Special cases may be approved for exemption by the Principal in writing.

• All Group Lessons are non-refundable 48 hours after registration; no refunds for all group lessons if registration is within 15 days prior to the start date. Refunds and credits are not provided for student absences. Any classes canceled by a teacher will be made up at the end of the term or given credit/refund to the student’s account if no make-up class is made by the end of the term.

• Due to the continuous nature of group lessons, missed classes cannot be made up and withdrawal from classes cannot be refunded.

• Music Therapy Sessions- all cancellation requests must be submitted by writing in email to our office with 24 hours notice. Otherwise, the session will be billable. There are no make up sessions offered.

• Winter Weather/Extreme Weather policy: Unless Richmond School Board announces school closure for the day, RMS will remain open. All lessons are carried out as scheduled. No shows will be billable and are not entitled to make up lessons credit. Students must give notice by email to request any cancellation or lessons that maybe eligible for make-up lesson.

• Due to Winter/Extreme weather, if the school is closed, all lessons cancelled will be credited back to the students' accounts and these credits are not refundable. Students and Teachers should arrange for the missed lessons to be made up before June 30 of the academic year. Credit from Winter Weather/Extreme Weather cancellations are not eligible for refunds. 

• In the event of student withdrawal a TWO scheduled lessons’ notice must be given in writing. This notice must be given whether or not the student attends these lessons. There will be no refund of fees for this period of notice. Any pending make up lessons will be forfeited.

• Requests for a change of teacher must be submitted in writing to the office and Principal stating the reason(s) for the transfer request prior to being assigned to a new teacher.

• Lessons cancelled by the teacher – Most of our teachers are performing artists. This means there may be some disruptions to the normal lesson times. The school reserves the right to find a qualified substitute teacher for the scheduled class. Or the teacher will do everything possible to find a mutually agreeable time to make up any lessons they cancel due to illness or professional commitments. If a time convenient to both parties is not found, and the class was not taught by a substitute teacher, credits or refunds will be issued at the end of the term. 

• Teachers reserve the right to terminate their teaching relationship with a student if, in their professional judgment, they believe that the relationship is no longer productive or conducive to effective learning.

•  Valid reasons for termination may include but are not limited to, issues such as consistent lack of commitment, disruptive behavior, or a breakdown in communication.

•  Business Day means Monday through Saturday, except for all statutory holidays.

•  The cancellation and make-up lesson policy is not applicable to Beginners' Piano/Violin Program. 

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TRIAL LESSONS POLICY​

• All trial lessons must be paid within 48 hours after setup. If no payment is received within 48 hours, the trial lesson will be automatically cancelled without notification. 

• Trial lessons may be rescheduled only ONCE after payment is made and lesson is confirmed.

• Notice to reschedule trial lesson must be at least 1 business day. 

• No refund on trial lessons is given, and no-show will be fully charged. 

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SCHOOL PERFORMANCES ELIGIBILITY​

• All RMS students are eligible to register for participation in RMS school performances and outreach concerts.​​​

• Students must obtain approval from their respective teachers prior to registration.

• The final program for each school performance or outreach concerts, including the selection of performers and the performance order, is subject to the sole discretion of the RMS school administration.

• Any student who withdraws from a performance after the official withdrawal deadline will not be permitted to register for any performances in the following term, regardless of the reason for withdrawal.

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​​​MAKE-UP LESSONS/SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

• If individual lessons are cancelled by the student/parent, it is at the teacher's sole discretion to determine whether the lesson will be eligible for make-up lessons. Teachers are not obligated to do so but will try to reschedule a make-up lesson.

• In the event of a medical emergency with less than 24 hours' notice, the School may require from the student a doctor's note for proof of absence to be eligible for a make-up lesson. If the teacher cancelled due to medical reasons without offering a make-up lesson, then the lesson will not be charged and will be credited.

• Make-up lessons are offered only once, if a student misses or cancels a scheduled make-up lesson, the lesson will be considered completed. All makeup lessons are to be completed by June 30. Makeup lessons are not eligible for refunds.

• RMS reserves the right to substitute or change of teachers for any lessons. No refunds or make-up credits will be permitted due to a change of teacher. 

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ADDITIONAL COSTS

• Materials such as music books, metronome and instruments are chosen or recommended at the Teacher’s discretion to match the level of the student’s development, and should be supplied by the student or parent.

• There is no charge for participation in recitals for our registered students. 

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LIABILITIES

• The School accepts no responsibility for personal injury or illnesses occurring at any School activity (including transportation to and from the activity) nor for any damage to instruments or personal property, however caused. RMS's health/ safety protocol strictly follows the BC Health Authority policy.  Each student attending in-person class should adhere RMS's safety and Covid-19 protocols.  All students are responsible to ensure his/her own safety while on school property.  RMS is not responsible for any incident that is not caused by RMS negligence. 

• RMS reserves the right to charge any cleaning, repair, or replacement expenses to the student, parents, or instructor for damages to school property, including pianos and other musical instruments.

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PRIVACY

Music school events may be photographed, audio or video recorded by the Richmond Music School and its community partners. Registered members including Parents/guardians/students hereby grant permission to the School and its partners to take photos and video recordings for promotional purposes and for use in social media channels and website. Those who wish to opt out must notify the School in writing by sending the notice to info@richmondmusicschool.ca. No student will receive monetary reimbursement for use of such photographs or recordings unless authorized in advance by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors' decision will be final.

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Richmond Music School Society reserves the right to change or update any of the terms and conditions at any time. School policy posted on this webpage will be considered the most updated version, and it will supercede any previous versions (digital and printed inclusive).