Spring term half term - Monday 13th February – Friday 17th February inc.

Second half of spring term - Saturday 18th February – Thursday 5th April

NB – no classes on Saturday 25th February due to ‘Presentation of Class Work’

‘Presentation of Class Work’ rehearsals – Sunday 19th February @ studios & Saturday 25th February @ Alleyns School East Dulwich - NB - rehearsals will also be during lessons 

‘Presentation of Class Work’ performances – Sunday 26th February 12pm & 5pm @ Alleyns School East Dulwich 

Enrolment day – Sunday 25th March 12.00-2.00pm

Opportunity to observe classes – Friday 30th March to Thursday 5th April 2012 inc.

Please note: no children under the age of 4 will be allowed to watch classes and also we do not invite an audience to watch Melody Movement classes.

First half of summer term - Monday 23rd April – Saturday 2nd June 

Summer term half term – Monday 4th June – Saturday 9th June inc. 

Second half of summer term - Monday 11th June – Saturday 21st July 

Tap, jazz & modern examinations – 27th, 28th & 29th May 2012

Ballet & National examinations – 8th & 9th July 2012

Full scale Dance Show – February / March / April 2013 – date depends on theatre’s availability but please note, it may be during a school holiday (rehearsals will be on Sunday’s)

Ballet, National, tap & modern examinations – June & July 2013

GYMNASTICS SKILLS CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AGED 7 PLUS

These classes started in September and the children attending are learning gymnastic skills and tricks such as walkovers, handsprings and flips which can be used in modern and street / jazz dances.  These skills will be very useful for any children considering a career in the performing arts where versatility is key to success

We have some spaces available for next term so if your child has not yet signed up, is aged 7 + and would like to start, please contact the office.  

SCHOOL BROCHURE & TIMETABLE

The school brochure contains a lot of important information; if you do not have a copy, please ask your / your child’s teacher at the next lesson.  It is always useful to keep up to date with the entire school timetable (see inside of brochure, website and studio notice boards) so that you can foresee which class(es) you / your child will move up to next and inform us of any potential timing challenges so that we know well in advance. 

UNIFORM, LOST PROPERTY & CHARLOTTE LEATHERBARROW FOUNDATION DONATIONS

Over the Christmas holiday we will be clearing the notice board of all uniform sale notices as many of them have been left there for several months.  Therefore, if your item(s) for sale are still available, please remove your notice before the end of term then you can put it back up at the start of next term.

Alternatively ‘sellers’ can hang their old SLDS uniform and shoes on the Charlotte Leatherbarrow Foundation rail in the waiting room.  Please put a price on each item so that buyers can support the charity.

Notes about uniform:

• Socks are preferable for girls in classes from Nursery to Grade 1 inc.  If it’s very cold, your daughter can wear tights instead but not together with socks please!

• Girls in Grades 2 & 3 modern should wear headbands and / or scrunchies to match their cerise biketard please -  Duo Dance have some items in stock.

• If your daughter is wearing the lavender leotard, make sure the label is on her left when she puts it on (i.e. the front ‘scoop’ is higher than the back which is the opposite way round to a normal vest).  Also ensure you buy the Roch Valley make, not Katz make. 

• Please make sure your child has not got on body lotion or hair oil for any classes as it gets onto the dance floor and makes it slippery and dangerous. 

• Please ensure long hair is neatly tied back.  If your daughter is in Pre-Primary ballet or above, she should have a classical bun in her hair for all classes.  If you are unsure how to do a bun, please see the notice in the girls changing room. 

• If your daughter is in Primary or Grade 1 ballet and therefore has ribbons on her shoes, please make sure the knots are tight as otherwise the ribbons keep coming undone in class which wastes so much valuable lesson time. 

A FEW THINGS FOR WHEN YOU ARE AT THE STUDIOS

• Please take great care to shut the front and back door behind you – we have a lot of children unsupervised in the building so security is extremely important

• Staff at SLDS are concerned about students and their parents crossing Herne Hill outside the dance studios from Carver Road instead of going a little further down the road to the crossing.   All the staff urge parents and older students of SLDS to set an example to the younger students and use the crossing rather than dash across opposite the studios.  

• Please ensure you exit through the back door onto Milkwood Road.  The only exception to this is for older students leaving alone when it is dark.  

• Please don’t change your child at the bottom of the stairs or in the downstairs corridor.  It creates congestion and makes other children late / flustered trying to get to their classes. 

• Buggies must be left in the undercover area at the side of the building (next to the bicycle stands).  You need to bring your own lock to secure your buggy to the hoops on the wall (a bicycle lock works well).  No buggies are allowed to be stored inside the building (unless they have sleeping children inside). 

• Please ensure that you call or e-mail the office, or post a note through the office letterbox if you change address, telephone number or e-mail address.  Also, if during term time you will not be checking your e-mail account for a period of two weeks or more, please let us know as then we can post to you hard copies of any relevant information.  

• Please don’t put cash in the external letterbox (downstairs) as it is not secure. 

Happy 2012 to all our students and their families. 

Miss Zoe & team