Puentes Calendar

Puentes School Policies

Puentes Language Programs, LLC
Student Policies Agreement – Revised January 2006

Puentes Language Programs, LLC (Puentes) is grateful to be growing and teaching Spanish to more and more students. As we have grown, and as we have surveyed our former students/families, we have found a number of things that need to be more clearly communicated.

The more of these great students we teach, the more we must ensure that we maintain the highest standards of quality for both our students and their families, as well as with the schools and teachers with whom we work. It is for these reasons that we require each of you to sign for your understanding of our policies, outlined below.

Safety
Providing for the safety of your children is paramount to us. We select our teachers carefully, ensure background checks, and provide training to ensure that your child’s safety is ensured. Additionally, we require parents to let us know how their children will be getting home after our classes so that we know they get back into your care safely. Thank you for your help with this!

Late pick-up (Afterschool programs, for children to be picked up by parent or guardian)
Because we are responsible for your children until they are back in your care, if you are picking them up, Timely Pick-up is Imperative! Our teachers often have other schedules to keep following classes and are put into a very awkward position by parents who are late in picking up their children. Additionally, we pay their wages even when they must stay late with a student. We will allow a 15-minute grace period after class end. After 15 minutes past the end of your child’s Puentes class, you will incur a cost of $1 per minute of lateness from the end of the class period. For example, if your child’s class ends at 5:00pm and you arrive at 5:17pm, which is 17 minutes late, you will incur a late fee of $17.

Please be sure you know the time your child’s class ends. If non-payment occurs or if the problem becomes repeated, we reserve the right to terminate our teaching obligations for your child. No refund will be given in this situation.

School Calendar
Throughout the semester, Puentes classes periodically fall on days when there is Early Release or No School at your child’s school. Your school can provide you with a schedule of these dates.

• On Early Release days, we will have classes on the usual day, but at an earlier time. Classes will take place 15 minutes after the release time. This means they will typically start at 1:30, but be sure you know your school’s early release schedule.
• On No School days (such as In-Service or parent-teacher conference days), we will attempt to have classes as usual at the school in the same time and place. If this is not possible, we will communicate to the students affected (usually classes on Thursdays and Fridays only) in advance. Students are welcome to attend a class at a different school that we are teaching at during that same week, however, we will not make up that class at a different time.
• Track Break – several schools use a track calendar. Each school implements this differently. Puentes classes will continue to follow a traditional school schedule. We encourage students who are able to attend, to continue with their regularly scheduled Spanish classes. No discount or refund will be offered for absences of this nature.
• No classes during Thanksgiving week (for 2006, November 20-24) or Spring Break week
  (for 2007, March 26– 30). These breaks are already figured into the paid session.
• We will post all schedule changes to a website everyone has access to. Because schedules can sometimes be disrupted or change unexpectedly, we will post any changes from the initial schedule on this website. Please check regularly on the following webpage for any schedule changes: http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/puentess06

Snacks
Puentes has provided snacks in the past for our students when we offered two-hour or longer class sessions. After school classes of less than two hours will not have a snack provided regularly, though we may on certain occasions. If you wish your child to have a snack, it is best if you provide it for them to eat immediately following their school day and prior to the Spanish class. If there are any foods (ie: nut products) that your child should not eat, please be sure to inform us immediately.

Communication & Homework
Puentes makes a concerted effort to keep parents informed of what their students are learning throughout the semester by sending home vocabulary sheets (sent via email) and occasional homework exercises or practice sheets. Homework completion and return is not required but strongly encouraged, as the more exposure and practice your children get to the language, the more easily it will come to them. Also, please note that we send links to our vocabulary sheets and other resources via email. In order for you to receive these resources, we need a valid email address for you.

Puentes will provide a student progress evaluation toward the end of the semester.

Class Receipt
Upon request, Puentes can provide you with a receipt for the tuition paid for classes we provide.

Refunds or Credits
Puentes strives to provide the highest quality language instruction possible. We work hard to meet the needs of our clients. Occasionally we have students whose needs change or who do not wish to continue with their Puentes class for some reason. We are happy to give a 100% refund for classes that have been paid for up to the beginning of the second scheduled class period. After the second class period, the student can receive a 50% refund or credit for a future class. Due to planning and staffing reasons, we are unable to give a refund after the end of the second scheduled class period.

Child Pick-up
In order to ensure that our teachers know your child is safely back into your custody, we need to know how your children will be picked up or otherwise leave the custody of the Puentes teacher. We also encourage parents/guardians to make contact with the teacher at the end of the class period.

My child(ren)_____________, _____________, _____________, _____________ , _____________
will: be picked up (by __________________) walk home____ other ___________________________

I ___________________________ agree on this day, ______________, 2006, that I have read, understood, and agree to all of the above stipulations within the Puentes Language Programs, LLC Student Policies Agreement.

_____________________________
       (parent/guardian signature)