“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” – Nelson Mandela
As we are all aware, our world is facing challenging times. COVID-19 has impacted our lives, and as a business, we must adapt and change! We are so grateful to our incredible staff, students and families, who have been so patient and understanding through this time. To this end, we have enacted a number of recommended protocols at Crescendo Music Studios, designed to keep our valued students, their families and our teachers safe. We have included in this article highlights the changes we have made, as well as a few resources for families regarding mask wearing for children.
Crescendo’s COVID Protocols:
Crescendo is committed to keeping students and teachers as safe as possible. Here are some of our plans for the days ahead:
- We have the “extra protection” KN95 medical-grade masks available for teachers onsite (available on request), as well as standard fabric masks. If a teacher or student is immune-compromised, both the student and the teacher will wear masks.
- We have hand sanitizer available for all customers as they enter and we ask that everyone utilize this. Teachers will also have sanitizer in their rooms to be used during the lesson as needed.
- All vocal studios have been outfitted with poly-dividers that are hanging between the teacher and student as a further protection. We will also be using these poly-barriers in our group lesson rooms as of September.
- Studios have now been re-configured to accommodate social distancing between teachers and students for every instrument.
- For voice lessons: we have marked out (on the carpet) where voice students will stand. We also have mirrors available so communication can be had through the mirror and therefore not face-to-face.
- Teachers will be wiping down all instruments, music stands, and door handles between lessons with cleaning solution.
- We will encourage parents to wait in their vehicles whenever possible (for students 8 and over). Teachers will communicate through the lesson plans with parents and/or Crescendo will email/text if we need to see the parent in a future lesson.
- If a parent wishes to sit in on a lesson, everyone in the room will wear a mask.
- Reception and our general area will continue to be wiped down regularly, along with public handles, kitchen, and washrooms.
- We have removed all toys and magazines from reception, but we are putting in live T.V. for our families who are waiting!
- We will ask customers to enter our boot room one person at a time and we are putting boot racks inside the reception area to help maintain physical distancing.
- We have updated our reception chairs to plastic that can easily be wiped down. We have spaced these accordingly and as a result, have reduced the number of chairs available to provide social distancing.
It is very important to us that we provide face-to-face lessons to all families who desire this option and this is why we are working diligently to create a safe environment to do so.
Note: as per our make-up policy, we do not guarantee make up lessons; however, if you or your child is unable to come to lessons, we do offer the following:
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- A Zoom lesson from your home.
- A video lesson sent to you from your teacher. You can even send us video footage of the student playing their pieces (ahead of time) so the teacher can review these during your typical lesson time.
- A lesson plan sent to you from your teacher.
- You can also call us within a week of your missed lesson if you are symptom free, and we can check your teachers or another teacher’s schedule for cancelled students. If we have a spot, we can book you into this time.
COVID SELF ASSESSMENT FOUND HERE: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/journey/covid-19/Pages/COVID-Self-Assessment.aspx
Mask Wearing for Children
With the new mandatory mask-wearing bylaws concerning indoor public places in Edmonton, we are now asking everyone to wear masks in our reception area at Crescendo Music Studios. We understand that kids may have trouble with this and may struggle with even understanding why it is important to do so. We have included a few resources for families to help navigate this change with their child. One of our most critical focuses at Crescendo Music Studios has always been the safety and well being of our students — and we understand from Alberta Health Service that masks are necessary to help ensure safety throughout this global pandemic.
Helping kids become accustomed to masks is a challenge. This New York Times article highlights the importance of helping kids to understand and embrace mask-wearing. This Kids Health article details some additional helpful tips. Here are also some tips from Healthy Children regarding who should be wearing masks and how to discuss why masks are important with your family. They also released another article on why masks are especially important for children in group settings such as sports, waiting rooms, choirs, etc. Read the article here.
Maintaining Balance with Kids During a Global Pandemic
Alongside having these difficult conversations with kids and family members, it’s especially tough to navigate balance. Maintaining activities that students are used to doing is integral to maintaining a routine — we are so THRILLED to be able to continue offering music lessons. We know how essential it is for students to have an outlet; we also know how much we as teachers adore and miss our students when we cannot see them. “Healthy Children” also wrote an article detailing how to help keep kids calm during a global pandemic.
We are here for you and wish to partner with you, our valued families! Let us know if there is any other way you’d like our support or any other classes or offerings you might like to see at Crescendo Music Studios. In the meantime, please take care and be safe. We are thinking of you!
PDF Link to this Article: COVID Protocols & The Value of Mask Wearing for Children – Article