Our policies are designed to make things more organized and efficient for both the school and our students. These policies must be signed by all of our families when they begin lessons with us. Please read them carefully and reach out to us at info@dacapomusic.ca with any questions.
All new students are subject to a one-time registration fee of $30.00. For families with multiple members registering for lessons, the first family member is charged the full $30.00 fee, and each additional family member is charged a reduced fee of $15.00.
This fee also applies to returning students who were previously deemed inactive (see Section 10) and wish to resume lessons.
DCAM's default billing method is our Monthly Billing Plan. Under this plan, students are billed on the 1st of each month for all lessons scheduled for that month. This is designed to streamline billing and help families manage their budgets with predictable monthly payments. Payments are processed automatically using a credit card on file, and all families on this plan are required to provide their card details to facilitate this process.
Our PAYG Billing Plan is an alternative to the Monthly Billing Plan. It carries a higher per-lesson rate (+$3.00 per lesson) but offers the flexibility to discontinue lessons on short notice (see Section 11) and does not require make-ups for missed lessons (provided students maintain a minimum of two lessons per month, see below). Students on this plan normally pay for one lesson at a time, at or before each lesson.
When enrolling in the PAYG Billing Plan, students must also pay a Lesson Deposit equal to the cost of one lesson, collected in addition to their first lesson. This deposit is held on account and applied to the student's final lesson when they discontinue lessons, provided timely notice is given (see Section 11). If the deposit is used to cover a forfeited lesson — for example, a no-show or a lesson cancelled after the cancellation cut-off (see Section 6) — the student must replenish the Lesson Deposit before or at their next lesson.
PAYG students must attend a minimum of two lessons per month (DCAM-approved vacations excepted). This minimum applies year-round for as long as the student remains active, including July and August. If a PAYG student does not meet this minimum, DCAM reserves the right to discontinue their lessons and free up their time slot for other students.
Since priority for lesson time slots is given to students on the Monthly Billing Plan, DCAM may need to move a PAYG student to a different day or time to accommodate scheduling. We will provide as much notice as possible and work to find a suitable alternative.
Students on the Monthly Billing Plan are required to have a credit card on file, which is used to process their monthly payments. Students on the PAYG Billing Plan may pay by credit card, debit card, or e-transfer.
It is the student's responsibility to arrive for their lessons on time. Teachers are not obligated to extend lesson time for a late student, and teachers often have another student scheduled immediately after. If a teacher is late for any reason, the missed time will be added to the current lesson where possible (i.e., if no lesson is scheduled immediately after), or otherwise to a future lesson.
All students (including PAYG students) who are unable to attend a scheduled lesson for any reason must cancel the lesson no later than 6:00 p.m. on the day before the lesson (the "cancellation cut-off"). This gives us time to notify teachers and try to fill the empty slot with another student.
What happens when a lesson is cancelled depends on your billing plan:
Monthly Billing Plan — when notice is given by the cancellation cut-off, a make-up lesson will be arranged (see Section 7). When timely notice is not given, the lesson is forfeited: no make-up is offered, and the lesson is not refunded or credited.
PAYG Billing Plan — when notice is given by the cancellation cut-off, you are simply not charged for that lesson and no make-up is arranged. When timely notice is not given, the lesson is forfeited and your Lesson Deposit is used to cover it (see Section 3); you must replenish the deposit before or at your next lesson.
In every case of a forfeited lesson, the teacher is still paid for their reserved time.
Cancellations made by phone call, voicemail, or verbally in person are not considered valid, as we require written notice to keep a clear record for both families and the school. If you speak with DCAM admin in person, you will be asked to confirm your cancellation using one of the methods above.
Make-up lessons can only be arranged when timely cancellation notice has been provided (see Section 6), or in exceptional emergency situations, which are evaluated by the managing director on a case-by-case basis.
Make-up lessons are usually scheduled for a different day and time from the student's regular time slot and often with a different teacher.
Make-up lessons are additional to a student's regular lessons and cannot be used in their place. A student may not pause, stop, or reduce their regular lessons in order to catch up on outstanding make-ups.
If a student's regular teacher is absent for any reason, including vacation, a substitute teacher will be provided. If a substitute teacher is unavailable, the student will be contacted to reschedule their lesson to another day.
DCAM is closed on statutory holidays and during the winter break (from Christmas through New Year's Day), and these days are not included in billing.
The regular school year runs September through June, while July and August are considered the summer months. Students are assumed to be continuing lessons into the summer unless they notify DCAM that they wish to stop, following the withdrawal process in Section 11 (for example, by June 15 to stop for July).
From time to time, a family may wish to take a break from lessons during the school year — for a vacation, illness, or another reason. How this is handled depends on whether the family continues to be billed during the break. A family that keeps being billed retains an active status with the school and keeps their time slot — they simply resume lessons when they return, and any lessons they miss during the break are completed as make-ups upon return (see Section 7). If you instead want to pause billing during an extended absence, you have two options, depending on how long you will be away.
Option 1 — Withdraw and become inactive. Stop your lessons by withdrawing (see Section 11). A student who is absent for more than four consecutive weeks without being billed and without a Lesson Hold on file is deemed inactive. When an inactive student returns, they are required to pay the registration fee again (see Section 1) and take whatever time slot is available. This is also the only option for absences longer than eight weeks, as a Lesson Hold is not available beyond that.
Option 2 — Place a Lesson Hold (up to eight weeks). To stay active during an absence of up to eight weeks, submit a "Lesson Hold" form indicating your planned return date. A Hold pauses billing (subject to the notice timing below), keeps enrollment active, and waives any re-registration fee on return. You may also reserve your specific time slot — and keep the same teacher — for a fee, as detailed in the form. Without a reservation, DCAM cannot guarantee the same slot or teacher will be available when you return.
To pause billing for a coming month, the Hold form must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on the 15th of the preceding month (the Section 11 billing cut-off) — for example, by September 15 to pause lessons beginning October 1. If a Hold begins after a month has already been billed, that month is not refunded, but any lessons not used are credited to the account and completed as make-ups, in addition to regular lessons, within one year from the date they are credited (see Section 7).
If a student does not return by the date indicated on their Lesson Hold Form, they are deemed inactive from that point and, on return, are subject to the registration fee (see Section 1). In all cases, a student who has not reserved their time slot will most likely lose it and take an available slot on return. None of the above applies during the summer months (July and August) — stopping for the summer does not count toward inactivity.
Students on the Monthly Billing Plan wishing to withdraw from lessons must notify DCAM in writing — by email or text message — no later than 11:59 p.m. on the 15th of the preceding month (the "billing cut-off") to avoid being billed for the following month. For example, to avoid being billed for December lessons (charged December 1), notice must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on November 15. Failure to provide timely notice will result in the student being charged for the following month of lessons.
Students who withdraw without providing timely notice will still be charged for the following month, and those prepaid lessons will be credited to their account. Any credited lessons must be completed within one year from the date of withdrawal, after which they expire. Any make-up lessons still outstanding at the time of withdrawal are subject to the same one-year completion window.
Students on the PAYG Billing Plan must notify DCAM admin in writing — by email or text message — of their intention to withdraw before their final lesson takes place. Doing so allows their Lesson Deposit (see Section 3) to be applied toward that final lesson, so the lesson is not charged separately. If a student instead attends and pays for their final lesson and only informs DCAM afterward that it was their last, the Lesson Deposit will not be refunded. Instead, it remains on their account as a credit that can be applied toward one more lesson should they wish to return, and must be used within one year from the date of withdrawal, after which it expires.