Policies and Procedures
Chess Tutors After-school Enrichment Program Policies:
Our model for success:
“The more we can rely on each other, the higher we can set our goals.”
Please read the following information carefully prior to signing your child up for our program. It is imperative that you as a parent or guardian be fully aware of how we operate. The following information is provided that there might not be any misunderstandings regarding our commitment to you (and your children) and our expectation from you (and your children) as registered participants in our program:
Our Chess Tutors Program have reached approximately 100 schools within 15 school districts/communities. Our continued success is widely due to our prayers, our hard work and our staff and our parents understanding and adhering to the policies below. Our instructors are trained by us to be professional supplemental educators who have been screened by us, trained and contracted by our company to provide the highest educational experience for our youth.
Safety and Procedures:
1. Safety is a top priority in all of our Chess Tutors after School Programs. Therefore, we take it upon ourselves to ensure that all Kindergarteners are picked up from their classrooms and are brought to the location of our program each and every week of each and every session. This way our youngest students become familiar with our routine and thereby are better able to make their way to our program (conveniently located on the school site) independently from first grade through 6th. All of our students in grades 1 through 6 are expected to meet in the designated area (listed on flyer) following school dismissal on the appointed day(s). Parents concerned about their first or second graders making it to chess alone are welcome to contact us directly at (323) 251-7010 or email us at contact@chesstutors.org, and we will be happy to lend a hand. Otherwise, we expect our parents to communicate with their children about where to meet us following class dismissal. Parents can rely on us to meet in the same location each week unless and email sent to you communicates an alternate plan. It is the parents’ and child’s responsibility that our participating student’s make it to class each week. No refunds or pro-rates will be offered for a class missed. However, we will do our best to help students get caught up on any important information that they miss out on.
Refund/Cancellation/Make-up Class Policy:
2. CHESS TUTORS REFUND POLICY: Please review your family schedule thoroughly prior to registering for our program because it makes sense to us to schedule our educators and order supplies based on the amount of students we anticipate will register for a given session +/-. Therefore, it may prove prohibitive for us to allow refunds or make-up classes for any reason. THIS is why we have the following as our policy: Only in the event a student attends a class and then realizes they will not be able to complete the session due to a transfer of schools (and is transferring to a school that we don’t offer our in-person nor virtual program to) will we gladly grant parents a refund less the cost of each class the student has attended and the active cancellation fee; in such a case we will offer a refund. Otherwise, ONLY a full credit for classes missed will be offered to the family. This way the family can take advantage of our services at a future date suitable for them, and we can maintain our integrity with our staff, parents and our vendors. Additionally, you are free to sell, donate or exchange the voucher/credit you receive from us with friends/family. REGARDING MAKE-UP CLASSESS Regarding missed days, we don’t offer make-up classes. However, we are very particular about reviewing our lesson plans. We are big believers that repetition enhances cognition, so whatever your child misses on a given week it likely to be covered again in one of the following weeks. Also, not by obligation but as a courtesy we will offer virtual make-up lessons from time to time which will be sent out to all parents/students within our database when such classes are being offered. Again, only in the event a student attends a class and then realizes they will not be able to complete the session due to a transfer of schools (and is transferring to a school that we don’t offer our in-person nor virtual program to) will we gladly grant parents a refund less the cost of each class the student has attended and the active cancellation fee; in such a case we will offer a refund. Otherwise, a full credit for classes missed will be offered to the family. If you have any questions, please direct them to the email addresses listed above or below or send to contact@chesstutors.org. Again, prior to registering, please consider your schedule & read our policy thoroughly as a credit (NOT A REFUND) toward a future session will be offered (see our policy link below for details).If you have any questions, please direct them to contact@chesstutors.org and always cc: cc’ gmg@chesstutors.org
IMPORTANT NOTE:
We will not turn your child away if he or she shows up to our program, even if his or her name is not on our roster. The reason is sometimes parents register the day of and the names of the children who are registered don’t always reflect on our rosters, so we give each child the benefit of the doubt on the first day of our program.
Pick up Policy:
3. Your son/daughter must be picked up promptly at the end of the After School Program. Students must be picked up within NO MORE THAN ten minutes of program dismissal. Our program is not responsible for your child following the ten minute courtesy period. However, in the event parents neglect to indicate at the bottom of the flyer who (or where) their child should be release to. We will release 3rd grade students and above to the playground following the ten minute courtesy. Students 2nd grade or below will be walked to the school office. In any case, as a precaution it is our practice to contact the parents of each child prior to releasing them. PLEASE HELP US BY STATING ON THE REGISTRATION FORM: WHO WILL PICK UP YOUR CHILD, OR STATE WHERE YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE RELEASED TO. Multiple late pick-ups may result in your son/daughter being dropped from our After School Program. Although we don’t charge late fees for a child remaining on campus after our program dismissal – should we find ourselves in the unfortunate situation where a guardian for a child is unreachable and if the office is closed and if the playground is empty and it is after 6pm – please know that your child will be considered “abandoned” and will come under the supervision of the local Sheriff’s Department. Furthermore, your child will be dropped from our after school program roster and no refund will be granted.
Attendance:
4.) Regular attendance is important. Students are expected to actively participate and stay for the entire program each week. Furthermore, it is the parent’s responsibility to contact us in the event their child is unable to attend. We take our time with your children very serious and our instructors are held accountable for the progress your child makes during their time with them so we need them present each week and we need you to take responsibility for informing us when they are unable to make it.
WE NEVER TURN A CHILD AWAY!!!!
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
After you register look out for an confirmation email which should arrive within 5 minutes of registering! Check spam if you don’t see it! In some cases, you may not be on our roster due to last minute updates if you register the day of the program, but nevertheless we will accept your child into our program. It is our posture to NOT turn a child away. Any discrepancies we may have with a given registration will be taken up with the parent not the child. Again, we take this posture to guard against sending a child away whose parents registered them after the rosters have been printed.
The following steps will be taken for behavioral offenses:
5. Participation in Chess Tutors is a privilege and a opportunity. It is extremely important to have clearly defined discipline procedures to ensure a safe and positive environment for all participants. However, we prefer and believe in the incentive approach opposed to the discipline route. After-all we focus on making the learning process fun. Nevertheless, we must have procedures in place for the exceptional cases that warrant them.
For example:
- Offenses such as: teasing, disruption of class and minor argument.
- First time: warning by staff to be courteous and verbal apology may be requested.
- Second time: loss of privilege (5 minutes) possible written statement of apology will be requested and a conversation with parents may be required.
- Third time: behavior notice, counseling with staff, conversation with parents, and possible suspension from one session.
- Major Offenses: physical abuse such as fighting or hitting other students or staff members.
- All major offenses will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Disciplinary actions may range from temporary suspension to dismissal from the program.
Outside participation of our program
6. Students may only participate in our Chess Tutors program at their home school unless otherwise cleared by the Principal.
Medication policy
7. Children are not allowed to carry or administer their own medication during our Chess Tutors operating hours (unless a letter has been signed by the school principal permitting them to do so). If your child requires a dosage of his/her prescribed medication during the Chess Tutors program, the parent must have their physician complete a medical release form (the Principal must sign it as well). Medication must be given directly to the one the parent and Principal designates other than our Site Coordinator as we DON’T get involved with giving doses of medicine whatsoever. AGAIN: Please note that our staff may not administer medication.
Policy Regarding Photography
8. In an effort to capture a special moment in time, be it a child delivering their first checkmate, or winning their first trophy or simply remembering to shake hands before starting their game, we love to capture our student’s having a special moment on film etc.. It’s important to us that we are able to do so every chance we get. With that said, please know that your registration for any of our programs or events will serve as acknowledgement and permission for your child to be photographed or videotaped for our companies promotional purposes, whether it be for our video’s or our websites, flyers, banners etc.. If you are not okay with this please forward us an email stating your objection to gmg@chesstutors.org and we will do our very best to not include your child in any of our individual or group photos. In the event your child is captured on a video or is photographed for whatever reason, please make us aware of it and we will do our best to remove the photo from our website or video immediately.
Makeup Classes
9.) PLEASE UNDERSTAND – Makeup IS FOR a class we cancel due to unforeseen circumstances (weather etc) or for a mixup on our part (we schedule a class on a holiday etc) NOT FOR ONE YOU CANNOT MAKE.