Lesson Policies Overview
View or download our detailed PI Policies for 2024-2025.
Please designate @pakmusic.org as a safe sender with your email system.
The School’s primary method of communication with regard to news and events, scheduling, registration, and requests for payment is by email.
Registered families will receive email notices during the course of the year as various participation or registration forms come due.
Understanding that the school’s various locations are accessible to the general public, your enrollment with Pakachoag requires and assumes as follows:
Children may not run, yell, or handle instruments or equipment without approval and supervision.
Pakachoag Music School is not responsible for the loss or destruction of any student’s property left on the premises.
For enrolled students*, you are, or your designated caregiver is, responsible to wait with your child/ren until your child(ren)’s assigned teacher is ready for them to enter their scheduled class or music lesson.
You acknowledge that you or your designated caregiver must be available promptly at the conclusion of the lesson or class to pick up your child/ren and that it is you, as parent, or the designated caregiver, not school staff or teachers, who is responsible for your child/ren’s safety and actions at all times prior to and immediately following a scheduled lesson or class for the enrolled student.
For siblings or accompanying guests, you are, or your designated caregiver is responsible for supervising siblings or your accompanying guests on the premises during your visit at all times (including during the enrolled student’s lesson or class time) and you, as parent, or the designated caregiver, not school staff or teachers, are responsible for the safety of children and any accompanying guests at all times.
Please note that supervision of siblings and younger enrolled students includes accompanying children when using the bathroom; and monitoring that bathrooms are left in a sanitary condition, as found.**
*Students who drive themself to or from a lesson are assumed to be the designated adult.
**Please kindly report any unsanitary bathrooms to school staff as soon as possible.
Regular attendance is expected of all students, understanding that illness, family emergency, or religious observances may require lesson or class cancellation. Please provide 24 hours notice when possible if you cannot attend a lesson or class.
Student Absences & Tardiness
Make-up lessons, credits, or refunds are not provided if a student misses their lesson. There are no accommodations for student sports-related events.
Lesson time lost due to student tardiness will not be made up.
Students are expected to be available to attend all school year lessons from their first lesson date through the week of June 9th.
Flipping lessons to remote is regular practice if either the teacher or the student cannot attend in-person but are otherwise available.
Missed make-up lessons cannot be made up or credited.
Teacher Absences & Tardiness
Make-up lessons are provided for teacher absences and tardiness until the number of lessons registered, with absence and other adjustments, have been met.
Outstanding make ups that the teacher cannot meet by the end of the session (June 14, 2025 for school year; August 23, 2025 summer) will be credited or refunded.
Weather Cancellations
One make-up lesson is provided for a weather-related School closure each year. The office does not call or email students/families directly to inform of weather cancellations. Closures are posted on our Weather page and office phone greeting: (508) 791-8159.
Decisions around School closures are made according to weather conditions anticipated after 1 PM and proceeding into the evening. If public schools are closed, the School may not necessarily be closed, as weather conditions may improve later in the day.
Add-On Lessons
Additional, reduced-cost ‘Add-On Lessons’ are available to students enrolled by or before March 22nd once all school year lessons, with adjustments, have been met. All Add-Ons registered must be held before June 14th.
Add-On Lesson Tuition:
- $30 per 30-minute lesson
- $40 per 45-minute lesson
- $50 per 60-minute lesson
Holidays Open
The School is OPEN for lessons on:
- Columbus/Indigenous Weekend & Day
- Veterans Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Good Friday
- Juneteenth
Holidays Closed
The school is CLOSED for lessons on:
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Break (Wed-Sun)
- Holiday Break (12/22/24-1/1/25)
- Memorial Weekend & Day
- Summer Break I (6/30/25-7/5/25)
- Summer Break II (8/25/25-9/1/25)
Public School Vacation Weeks
February and April public school vacation weeks are not part of the 34-week school year calendar. Lessons may be scheduled by mutual agreement between the student and teacher in coordination with office schedules.
The use of these two weeks as an attendance ‘catch up’ is strongly encouraged. It also helps provide consistency of week-to-week learning.
Performance Program Attendance Policies
If a student withdraws from or misses a performance class, accompanist rehearsal, and/or recital with less than one week’s notice (prior to class date) for any reason other than documented sickness or family emergency, a $15 no-show fee will apply for each sign-up activity (e.g., class, accompanist rehearsal, faculty warm-up schedule) missed.
Please click Current Families: Student Performance Program for complete performance program information.
Withdrawal & Refunds
If a student withdraws at any point, all lesson and weather cancellation make ups outstanding are forfeited. Families will not be charged for teacher absences.
Every-week students (full school year): Four lesson written notice to the office is required. The student may choose whether to attend the final four lessons. Billing is adjusted based on the number of lessons transpired at the point of withdrawal notification plus four.
Alternating-week students (full school year): Two-lesson written notice to the office if required. The student may choose whether to attend the final two lessons. Billing is adjusted based on the number of lessons transpired at the point of withdrawal notification plus two.
Preapproved-term & summer session students: Two lesson written notice to the office is requested. Credits or refunds are only provided for teacher absences.
A refund is provided for any lesson/s paid beyond the adjusted lesson count. These are issued by check in late-June for the school year and late-August for the summer session.
Any inquiries regarding school year attendance records must be made in writing to the office, admin@pakmusic.org, by May 25, 2025. The directors will work to resolve any questions prior to June 7, 2025.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Pakachoag Music School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities, programs, or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, faculty, students, volunteers, and vendors.