PRIVATE LESSON

Private lessons are offered throughout the school year (September 2026 to May 2027) to students who have been placed in TEAMS following the Division Qualification Assessment.

DIVISION QUALIFICATION & PLACEMENT

Students (ages 5 to 18) undergo an entrance test and are placed in a Division that aligns with their individual goals. This ensures a clear understanding of the expectations, actions, and rewards tied to their participation, minimizing confusion throughout their educational journey. The instructor provides tailored guidance based on the assigned Division, with evaluations to ensure students continue to meet their specific requirements.

FULL-YEAR ENROLLMENT (2025-2026)

The school year runs for 28-32 weeks from September 2026 to May 2027.

SEMESTER / QUARTER ENROLLMENT

Students who have not yet completed the Team Qualification will be placed in a temporary division until December, or earlier if they qualify sooner. During this period, students are enrolled in a 12-week private lesson program. Once they successfully qualify for a team, their enrollment transitions to the full-year Winter/Spring Term.

PROGRAM STUDENTS (GENERAL DIVISION)

Students between the ages of 5 and 18 have the opportunity to register in our General Division, participating in group programs that are provided on a one-time basis. As new sessions become available, students have the option to renew their enrollment.

ADULT STUDENTS (AMATEUR)

Students aged 19 and over (who will be 19 at the term’s commencement) are only admitted during the designated audition period.

COLLEGE STUDENTS

Students aged 18 and above who are currently pursuing a music degree at a college are welcome to participate in our diverse programs designed to bolster their professional abilities. Some of the courses available include Teacher Training and Certification, Ensemble Group, Job Training Program, among others.

WITHDRAWAL / TERMINATION

Students who wish to discontinue lessons during the school year must submit a four-week notice via the Termination Form. A teacher may also end a student’s participation if the student breaks rules in the Student Code of Conduct, shows insufficient progress, or demonstrates lack of interest. Refunds for unused tuition may be possible according to the Termination Form procedures. The Graduation Deposit will be forfeited if materials are not returned, the farewell process is not completed, or if the student is withdrawn by the teacher.

DEPOSIT

A $200 Deposit is collected at the start of enrollment to ensure accountability for study materials and program-related items. This deposit supports both the return of all MathPiano® and other copyrighted materials, as well as the preparation of the Graduation / Farewell process. A fixed $25 portion of the deposit, applied to the Graduation Package and program-related preparation, is non-refundable, while the remaining $175 is refundable upon return of all materials and successful completion of the program. Unless a student requests the graduation process, the deposit is automatically carried forward to the following year. The deposit is forfeited if materials are not returned, the farewell process is not completed, or if the student is withdrawn by the teacher.

MISSED LESSONS / MAKEUPS

PRIVATE LESSON: If a lesson is canceled, whether by the instructor or the student, it will be rescheduled or may be extended until the end of May, in accordance with the Tuition Guidelines for Full-Year program participants. A 24-hour written notice, submitted through the Attendance Form, is required to request an extension. Students and parents must use the Attendance Form to report any missed lessons; emails or text messages will not be accepted for official recording of attendance.

GROUP CLASS (TEAM MEETUPS): Group Classes and Team Meetups do not offer additional makeup sessions. However, you may request to join another class during the same week if there are available spots. If a group class is canceled by the instructor, an additional session will be scheduled after the last date of the class, extending it to the end of the year.

TUITION

To secure a time slot, tuition fees must be paid in advance. Failure to pay by the renewal due date will result in automatic termination of the current session, with the lesson time made available to other students. Furthermore, if tuition remains unpaid by the first week of the new session, a late fee of $20 per week will be added. If this situation repeats twice, the student may face dismissal. All registered students will have their tuition rates fixed until the end of the school year. Tuition Range varies depending on the Team and Program. [Tuition 2026-2027]

PAYMENTS

Payments can be made either in person or online. Credit card payments for tuition (excluding registration fee) are subject to additional 3% processing fee (both online and in-person). If you prefer to pay by check, you have the option to submit post-dated checks in installments (1, 2, 4, or 10), all of which are due at the time of enrollment. For any other payment method such as cash, credit, or Zelle, full payment is required at the beginning of the year. Once the program has started, we do not generate billing statements, but you will receive an annual statement outlining the tuition schedule and payment history. Please note that we do not offer further details about tuition payments, including Child and Dependent Care Credit, unless you are a full-time student at our Mozart Preschool.

ASSESSMENT

To maintain good standing, students must demonstrate a commitment to music education. An annual evaluation takes place at the end of the academic year to sustain high-performance levels and set systematic goals for each student’s achievements. This evaluation involves various elements, and students must secure a minimum of 70% to proceed. Advising is required for those scoring between 60 and 69% in order to continue.

SCHOLARSHIP/CREDITS/COMPLAINTS

Outstanding students may be considered for a scholarship once a year. Students may request a bursary for financial aid through the formal procedure. Volunteer credits and examination credits may be available depending on the student’s current school. Complaints about the Academy must be made in writing with supporting documents.

PRIVACY

All student information is kept confidential. Students may choose to exchange their information with other students independently. The studio will only use photos of students who have given consent in the Registration Procedure.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE (Ages 5 and up):

We would like to inform you of our special withdrawal policy. Students may be withdrawn from the program if they exhibit any of the following behaviors:

• Unresponsiveness towards instruction (demonstrating one or less active responses out of five continuous prompts by the end of the second class, when prompts are also given to other students, and over 90% of students are following them). Examples of prompts include ‘Please bring your book and sit’ or ‘Open the book to page 15.’
• Disruptive behavior that significantly impedes the class (any pause lasting for more than 30 seconds per occurrence, up to 3 times per class, as a direct result of the student’s disruptive actions in any verbal, visual, or physical forms, such as screaming, pounding on instruments, running, talking over the instructor, throwing items, or repeated behaviors). If your child has a learning disability, please consult with us first to develop the best approach.
• Inability to follow instruction or showing an opposite action from what is being requested when such prompt is imperative to the curriculum.

Furthermore, we reserve the right to terminate a student’s enrollment in the program for any misconduct that includes physical contact or abuse towards others, verbal abuse towards others, use of foul language, threatening others verbally or using any item, or improvising it, physically taking, replacing, or damaging someone else’s property with intent, improper and unsanitary disposal including spitting, taking inappropriate stimulants, or caught showing it to others, sharing or forcing others to take it. We take any such incidents very seriously and will create a detailed case report, which will explain the incident in detail and provide evidence to support the decision to remove the student from the program.

For Children Under Five (5) Years of Age

This policy supplements the BAAM Student Code of Conduct and applies exclusively to children under five (5) years of age.

Introduction

At Bellevue Academy of Arts & Music (BAAM), the safety of every child is our highest priority. Children under five are still developing self-control, judgment, emotional regulation, and safety awareness. Because these abilities develop at different rates, young children often require close adult supervision to participate safely in educational activities. Unlike students ages five and older who participate under the BAAM Student Code of Conduct, children under five participate under this Parent Safety and Supervision Policy. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environment where parents and educators work together to support every child’s development.

Supervision Responsibility

Parent Accompanied Programs

For all parent-accompanied activities, the parent or guardian retains primary responsibility for supervising the child at all times. Parents are expected to:

• Remain attentive and within immediate reach of the child.
• Promptly respond to unsafe behavior.
• Immediately follow staff safety instructions.
• Prevent their child from creating safety risks for themselves, others, or academy property.

Staff intervention during parent-accompanied activities is a temporary safety measure and does not transfer supervisory responsibility from the parent to BAAM. Parents who fail to actively supervise their child may be required to leave the premises immediately if staff determine that continued participation presents a safety risk.

Drop-Off Programs

For designated drop-off programs, supervisory responsibility transfers to BAAM staff during scheduled program hours. Staff may use reasonable and necessary safety interventions whenever required to prevent imminent injury, prevent a child from leaving the premises, protect another person, protect academy property, or maintain a safe learning environment.

Safety Intervention

BAAM staff may immediately intervene whenever reasonably necessary to protect a child or another person from imminent harm. Safety interventions may include briefly guiding or holding a child’s arm, hand, or body solely for safety purposes. These actions are protective measures only and are never intended as punishment.

Exterior Doors

BAAM’s exterior doors serve as emergency exits and must remain available for emergency evacuation in accordance with applicable life-safety requirements. Because emergency exits cannot simply be locked to prevent children from leaving, active supervision by the responsible adult is the primary safeguard against children leaving the premises unsupervised.

Safety Removal

Safety always takes precedence over participation. If BAAM staff determine that a child’s behavior presents an immediate or unreasonable safety risk, the child may be removed from the activity immediately. Examples include repeated attempts to leave the building, running toward exterior exits, throwing objects that may cause injury, physical aggression creating an immediate safety risk, significant property damage, or other behaviors that staff determine cannot be safely managed. For parent-accompanied activities, the parent may be required to immediately assume supervision and leave the premises. For drop-off programs, the child may be relocated to a supervised calm-down area while the parent or authorized emergency contact is called for immediate pick-up. This policy does not apply to ordinary age-appropriate behaviors that are appropriately managed through routine guidance, redirection, encouragement, and instruction.

Property Damage

Parents are responsible, to the extent permitted by law, for damage caused by their child to academy property, instruments, artwork, equipment, furniture, educational materials, or the property of others.

Observation, Documentation, and Mandatory Reporting

BAAM staff continuously observe children and supervising adults to maintain a safe learning environment. When appropriate, staff may document observations involving significant safety concerns or repeated failures to actively supervise a child. If BAAM staff have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect based upon documented observations and professional judgment, BAAM will fulfill its mandatory reporting obligations as required by Washington law.

Washington DCYF Child Abuse & Neglect Intake
1-866-363-4276 (1-866-END-HARM)

Video Surveillance

BAAM utilizes video surveillance throughout designated areas of the academy. When available, surveillance recordings, photographs, incident reports, witness statements, attendance records, communications, and related documentation may be preserved and used to investigate incidents, respond to complaints, resolve disputes, process insurance claims, comply with legal obligations, cooperate with governmental authorities, and protect the safety of students, staff, visitors, and academy property. Safety decisions are made in good faith based upon the totality of the circumstances, including staff observations, the child’s behavior, available surveillance footage, witness statements, and other relevant information.

Late Pick-Up

A five-minute courtesy period is provided following scheduled dismissal.

After five minutes:

• A late supervision fee of $5.00 per minute applies.
• Parents and emergency contacts will be contacted.

After fifteen minutes:

• Continued attempts will be made to reach all authorized contacts.
• The incident will be documented.

After thirty minutes:

If BAAM cannot locate a responsible adult after reasonable efforts, BAAM may contact the Bellevue Police Department Non-Emergency (425-577-5656) or other appropriate child welfare authorities when necessary to protect the child’s safety. Repeated late pick-ups may result in suspension or termination of enrollment.

Suspension, Termination, and Refunds

BAAM reserves the right to suspend or terminate participation whenever a child or parent creates an unreasonable safety risk or materially violates academy policies. Removal for safety or policy violations may result in immediate termination of enrollment. Except where required by applicable law, tuition, registration fees, camp fees, deposits, and other payments are non-refundable following removal or termination for safety or policy violations.

Policy Updates

BAAM reserves the right to modify or update this policy at any time to improve safety, comply with applicable laws, licensing requirements, or operational needs. The most current version will always be available on the BAAM website. Participation in any BAAM program involving a child under five constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of this Parent Safety and Supervision Policy.