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Music

 

 

Contents

1. Introduction - Page 1 2. Our Story - Page 1

A message from our founder 3. Our Mission and Values - Page 1-2 4. Benefits of the Arts - Page 2-3 5. Visual and Performing Arts Classes - Page 3-10

Program Classes (PC) Advanced Placement Classes (AP) Creative Enrichment Classes (CE) Intensive Classes (IC) Summer Camp (SC)

6. How to Enroll - Page 10-12

Mandatory Orientation Enrollment Procedures Attendance Class Scheduling

7. General Information & Policies - Page 13-15

Senior Recognition & Scholarships Parent Responsibilities General Rules Cell Phones and Devices Dress Code and Personal Standards Health and Safety PRYAF Building

8. Student Quotes - Page 16

9. Giving Opportunities - Page 17

Volunteers Donations Sponsorship

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Introduction

This handbook is designed to help parents and students un-derstand our program structure, rules, and responsibilities so that they can fully understand our culture and expectations. This handbook also includes a detailed description of the vari-ous programs PRYAF offers.

Our Story

The Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (PRYAF) offers count-less opportunities for students ages 5-18 to take part in many different artistic disciplines. PRYAF’s goal is to enrich the lives of its students, eliminate barriers, strengthen skills, build con-fidence, and cultivate a sense of community.

PRYAF is a public nonprofit organization and was founded in 2001 by Donna Berg. PRYAF provides over fifty FREE classes weekly and serves nearly 1,200 students annually. Youth from all over the Paso Robles area participate in a variety of fine art, dance, music, and theatre classes. PRYAF firmly believes that every child deserves the opportunity to explore their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment. To help make that possi-ble, PRYAF provides the arts at no cost to families of all in-come levels.

A message from our Founder:

“If you can give your child only one gift, let it be the arts. After working in Los Angeles for thirty plus years, I was looking for retirement on a ranch outside of Paso Robles. I was looking forward to a peaceful time with our animals away from the city. Then Mother Theresa passed away and I was so upset and cried for the children she left behind. My husband Bob sug-gested I look into helping Paso Robles children, and so Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation was born. What I enjoy most about PRYAF is seeing the children’s faces after a performance or playing an instrument or painting a beautiful picture. I am proud of our building, our teachers, and staff and what they have accomplished.”

- Donna Berg, Founder

Our Mission and Values

Our Mission is to enrich the lives of area youth with FREE after school programs in the visual and performing arts in a safe, nurturing environment.

Our Values

Accountability - Acknowledging and assuming responsibil-ity for actions, attendance, programs, decisions, and poli-cies.

Community - To contribute to society and demonstrate social responsibility.

Empowerment - To foster confidence and to help every child realize their strength and abilities.

 

Respect for Arts Education - To respect and encourage discovery and creativity in youth through various arts pro-grams.

Safety - To create an environment for children that is emo-tionally and physically safe.

Social Integration - To create unity, inclusion, and partici-pation at all levels of society so that every child is free to explore the arts.

Transparency - To preserve the very important trust each donor places in us with each contribution.

Benefits of the Arts

At virtually every stage of life, the arts can foster openness to novelty, encourage connections to people, places, things, and concepts, and promote the ability to take in multiple perspec-tives, among other positive outcomes.

Creative - Art enhances creativity, which is a vital aspect for adaptation and innovation. The arts help to form creative peo-ple who can discover multiple solutions to problems, think originally, and use their imagination. The arts promote these skills and encourage unique responses and diverse ways of looking at things.

Emotional - As children participate in art activities they gain self-confidence, feel pride in their work, and experience suc-cess. Art can also allow children to express strong emotions that they may have difficulty verbalizing. The arts can help children regulate their emotions, a critical skill for well-adjusted children and adults.

Social - There are many positive associations between arts activities and developing social skills, such as helping, sharing, caring, and empathizing with others. As children examine art from various artists, in different time periods and diverse cul-tures, they have the opportunity to learn about and to appreci-ate differences. They come to understand that people have unique values and see things in different ways.

Cognitive - The arts often involve recording a thought or idea that then can be expressed to someone else. For this reason, art is often considered the child’s first written language. While participating in art, children pose and solve problems, organ-ize thoughts, and reflect on their learning.

Fine Art - Many of the motions involved in making art, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a crayon, are essential to the growth of fine motor skills in young children. Also, “Parents need to be aware that children learn a lot more from graphic sources now than in the past,” says Dr. Kerry Freed-man. “Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students to interpret and use visual infor-mation” (Lynch, 2012).

Music - Music helps to refine discipline and patience as for most kids it takes a great deal of time and practice to become

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skilled at playing an instrument. And in waiting for their turns and listening to their classmates play, kids learn to show their peers respect, to sit still and be quiet for designated periods of time, and to be attentive. It can also improve academic skills as music and math are highly intertwined. By understanding beat, rhythm, and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions, and recognize patterns.

Dance - Some of the most recognized benefits of dance are the effects on health in children. The repetitive movements in-volved in dance can improve muscle tone, correct poor pos-ture, increase balance and coordination and improve overall cardiovascular health. Also as children adjust to the move-ments and postures required in dance, they begin to get a bet-ter sense of their bodies. As they become more comfortable in their own skin, their confidence and self-esteem also improve.

Drama - Self-confidence is an important benefit of drama. As-pects of performing arts, especially improvisation, helps young people to understand how to think outside the box and be more confident going into unfamiliar situations. Students learn to trust their ideas and abilities. Cooperation is another bene-fit of drama. Theatre is a collaboration of different players and in many cases, combining the creative ideas and the abilities of all participants is required for the best outcomes.

Visual and Performing Arts Classes

Program Classes (PC)

Fine Art

Fine Art Beginning - Students develop their creative expres-sions and their appreciation for art. We provide opportunities for each student to have hands-on experiences using different mediums such as watercolors, tempura paint, oil pastels, and pastels.

Fine Art Level 1 - Students develop drawing skills and hone their creative skills while learning basic color theory and ex-ploring different mediums including acrylic, watercolor, pas-tels, markers, and colored pencils.

Fine Art Level 2 - This more challenging class is geared toward children with longer attention spans. Students use detail while

learning color theory and basic shading using acrylic, watercolor, pastels, and colored pencils. There are new projects each semester, so new and returning students will be creatively challenged.

Fine Art Level 3 - Students complete step by step art projects, learn about new techniques such as speed painting, perspectives, and advanced composi-tion while becoming better acquainted with the use and care for brushes, sup-plies, and equipment.

 

Dance

Pre-Dance - Beginning - Begin learning the early stages of bal-let, jazz, and movement through exercises and activities. Intro-duces early ballet and jazz moves and explores the creativity of movement to music.

Dance - Pre-Performance - This class starts with warm ups and basics across the floors. Students will be using techniques from ballet and jazz to create dances. They will also learn to dance as one with other students. We will also begin on chore-ography for upcoming performances. Students must show ini-tiative, commitment to the class, and commitment to their classmates.

Ballet - Beginning - In this class students will learn basic ballet positions, posture, vocabulary, and technique. We start in the center of the room and then move across the floors once warmed up.

Ballet - Open Level - This class will cover the fundamentals of classical ballet technique through learning ballet positions, posture, and vocabulary. It is a more formal setting that will give students the discipline to mature as dancers.

Jazz - Beginning - Jazz dance is a fun and energetic style. The class includes a warm-up with stretching, isolations, strength-ening exercises and then moving across the floors to work on turns, leaps, jumps and runs.

Jazz - Open Level - This class emphasizes balance, flexibility, coordination, strength and creative expression. Turns, leaps, and combinations will be taught and students will focus on learning proper dance techniques, improving performance quality and developing complex rhythms and patterns

Hip-Hop - Beginning - This class is an introduction to hip hop. Students will learn basic rhythm, coordination, and basic foot-work while learning how to dance to the beat of the music. Stu-dents will learn to memorize choreography by working on com-binations each class. Activities will include stretching, moving across the floors, simple warm up dances, choreography, free dance and games. The goal is for each student to feel comfort-able dancing in a group setting, to gain self-confidence and to learn how to work together as a team. This is an upbeat and high energy class so bring your funk!

Hip-Hop - Beginning 2 - Students will be learning the basic fundamentals of hip hop like rolling body, popping, and lock-ing with coordinating foot work.

Break Dance - Beginning/Open Level - Students will learn the basic moves of breakdance at an easy and comfortable pace. The fundamentals of footwork, spins, and freezes are explored, working up to complex combinations and routines.

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Music

Guitar - Beginning - Students learn to read music and strum simple songs in a group setting. They will be introduced to guitar basics such as chords, picking, strumming, and how to take care of their instrument.

Guitar - Intermediate - Intermediate Guitar is for the musician looking to advance his/her playing. Lessons covered include: advanced fingerpicking, utilizing hammer on’s and pull-offs, playing melodies within strumming patterns, and percussive elements while playing at the same time. Pre-requisites in-clude having completed beginning guitar OR have a working knowledge of chord diagrams, tablature, and basic strumming and picking patterns.

Piano - Beginning - Students will learn how to read music on the grand staff through group lessons, games, and by analyzing music as a class. Students are also given a foundation in basic rhythm, ear training, chords, and improvisation. Practice throughout the week and access to a keyboard or piano out-side of class is recommended.

Drums - Beginning - Students are introduced to drumming and music theory basics in an encouraging class.

Drums - Intermediate - Students dive into next level of drum-ming with new beats, exercises, and challenges! This class helps students to improve overall coordination, touch, and dynamics while introducing new drumming techniques. Out-side practice is encouraged.

Solo Singing & Voice - This class is for the singer with previous singing experience who can stay on key. Come perfect your singing style and improve your vocal strength as a soloist and as a singer in a group. Please bring a smart phone or tablet with headphones to class if you can.

Choir - Students work on technique, rhythm, and blending voices, music, and movement. This class is open to students of all musical levels, from beginning to advanced.

Glee - Join in the singing and dancing fun. This AP class works on group pieces and sings in harmony while dancing. Some days will require comfortable clothing for choreography. Our Glee class is an audition only group. Please see the voice in-structor if you have a desire to audition.

Theatre

Acting - Level 1 - This is an introductory class into the Drama Department. It is designed to teach students the mechanics of acting with a fun approach. Students are encouraged to get to know their classmates and build trust so that they feel safe to express themselves among their peers. While playing acting games, students will begin to understand their voice, their pos-ture, and who they are.

 

Acting - Level 2 - This is a class geared toward the students who desire to grow as performers for the stage. Always review-ing the fundamentals taught in Beginning Acting, students will begin to use pantomime, emotional mining and dialogue to understand the foundation of a believable performance. Stu-dents will participate in activities that continue to grow their knowledge, and abilities. Each class is designed to challenge the student through interactive games, and collaborative pro-jects. Drama takes very seriously the art of play, and the im-portance of having fun! Intermediate students must have tak-en Acting Level 1 before registering for this class.

Tiny Theatre - This is an introductory class into the drama de-partment. It is designed to teach students the mechanics of acting with a fun, non-threatening approach. Students are en-couraged to get to know their classmates, build trust so that they feel safe to express themselves among their peers. While playing acting games in every class, students will begin to un-derstand their voice, their posture, and that who they are is a magnificent instrument created to assert their creative spirits!

Advanced Placement (AP)

Dance

Ballet - Performance AP - This is an accelerated class for com-mitted students and in this class students will gain a complete understanding of ballet technique. Emphasis will be placed on proper technique and alignment, increasing strength and flexi-bility as well as being encouraged to strive for grace and poise. Students will begin choreography for upcoming shows.

Jazz - Performance AP - This is an accelerated class for com-mitted students. More difficult technique will be introduced with emphasis on the importance of strength, flexibility, rhythm, musicality, and memorization.

Hip-Hop - Pre-Performance AP - This class is for students who have already taken beginning hip hop and have shown that they are committed and ready to learn what it takes to perform on stage. Students continue to work on what they learned in beginning hip hop but at a more challenging level. This class

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will begin choreography for performances.

Hip-Hop - Performance AP - A continuation of the fundamen-tals of hip hop along with learning how to improve in your own personal choreography. In this class there is an expectation of keeping up with hip-hop choreography quickly and perfecting moves in dance numbers.

Break Dance - Pre-Performance AP - Pre-requisites include beginning breakdance or hip-hop, the ability to learn choreog-raphy, dance to counts, and work with others in performing dance numbers.

Break Dance - Performance AP - The Performance Break Dance class is a fusion of breakdance, popping, hip-hop, and contemporary with the aim of performing and mastering com-plex dance numbers that can be showcased at a competition level. This class moves at a fast pace and is for the experi-enced dancer looking to stretch his or her abilities.

Music

Guitar - Advanced AP - Students are exposed to different styles and techniques of guitar including: Flamenco, Jazz, and Classical. There is a heavy emphasis on fingerpicking. Pre-requisites include having completed Intermediate Guitar OR being an experienced guitar player or a quick learner who is ready to move to the next level.

Piano - Intermediate - Students will continue developing their understanding of music theory and be introduced to scales, key signatures, and more advanced chord struc-ture. Continued development of students' musical foundation is taught through individual music as well as group instruction time. Access to an instrument throughout the week to prac-tice is required.

Piano - Advanced AP - In advanced piano, students have the opportunity to develop their artistry for playing the piano in developing composition skills, playing individualized music, and gaining a deeper knowledge of dynamics and articulation of music. The focus of advanced piano turns to really devel-oping the student into a musician in addition to continuing understanding of more advanced music theory and ear train-ing. Access to an instrument throughout the week to practice is required and completion of intermediate piano is a prereq-uisite.

Drums - Advanced AP - Students build on the previous les-sons and learn more advanced skills. Experienced students will work on improvisation as well as advanced drum beats and rolls. Practicing outside of this teacher-appointed class is required!

Glee - Join in the singing and dancing fun. This AP class works on group pieces and sings in harmony while dancing. Some days will require comfortable clothing for choreography. Our Glee class is an audition only group. Please see the voice in-structor if you have a desire to audition.

 

Theatre

Improv Theatre - In this class stu-dents will be introduced to the tenets of improvisation through the use of drills, exercises, and games. Students will develop their improvisation skills in a fun and supportive environment and will receive a strong foundation in im-provisation that promotes creativity and personal growth

Performance Studies - This is a class reserved for students who have auditioned for placement. Students will work dili-gently once a week for two hours in a rehearsal setting, prepar-ing for the upcoming performance. Every student granted a role will be expected to work hard, be on time and always pre-pared. If your child is interested in this class, yet has not worked with the Director before, try Improv Class as an intro-duction to the department. If your child has worked with the Director, but missed auditions, contact the office for an oppor-tunity to audition. This class is sure to be a fun, and educa-tional experience for all who earn a chance to participate.

Creative Enrichment Classes (CE)

Band - Performance - In Band, you will learn the art of playing with other musicians and vocalists. You will be exposed to and taught several genres of music. In addition to mastering your primary instrument (s) you will also have an opportunity to learn, play, and perform with new instruments (including but not limited to bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, drums, hand drums and per-cussion). You will also learn introduction to operating and car-ing for a sound system and equipment. Requirements: a will-ingness to work within a team, a good attitude, a dedication to the class, a willingness to perform, and a minimum intermedi-ate skill level of an instrument. If your instrument is your voice, then your voice is an instrument. Access to or possession of your primary instrument is strongly suggested.

Creative Dance - Creative dance gives students the chance to step out of the traditional box of ballet and jazz. It involves focus on contemporary movements in choreography and other fun exercises that help the student develop the confidence to let loose and be bold.

Creative Writing - Students unleash their inner authors in this creative writing class. Students will complete a variety of exer-cises designed to help students write out of their comfort zones, overcome writer’s block, and develop their style.

Sewing - Students will learn basic machine operation, basic sewing techniques, and the necessary tools and terminology to put together a simple sewing project.

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Song Writing - Students learn how to craft and write original songs and musical compositions. (Although no musical expe-rience or ability to play an instrument is required, being able to hear pitch correctly and sing in tune is highly recommend-ed).

Studio Art - Students use all of their skills to create their own art to build their portfolios. They will work in a shared studio space to grow creatively with others. They will design and create pieces to submit to local juried shows and use pro-spectus criteria as inspiration.

Technical Theater - This hands-on course teaches students how to safely and efficiently use theatrical equipment like microphones, speakers, lights, lenses, projectors, and more! Students will get to use cool technology such as Lighting Con-soles and Sound Boards. This class features sections in: con-cert and theatrical lighting design, live sound, electricity, the-ater safety, and also proper communication between theater techs during the run of a production. If you want to expand your knowledge in theater, this is the class for you!

Video Production - Editing - Students edit test footage in Ado-be Premiere Pro CC to learn the basic skills of video editing. Students will explore crossfades, editing clips together, add-ing effects, color correcting, and green screen effects. After students have had experience, they edit footage shot in the filming class.

Video Production - Filming - Students learn about basic cam-era functions, recording equipment, filming techniques, story-boarding, and pre and post production. Activities include: filming student/class-written short films, creating advertise-ments for PRYAF, recording PRYAF shows, and interviewing students and teachers.

Intensive Classes (IC)

Art Intensive - Students will have the opportunity to fine tune their art skills, build their portfolio, and participate in a cumu-lative art show for the community at the end of the class. Stu-dents are expected to showcase their work ethic, commitment and artistic skills. This class may require a two quarter com-mitment and an interview with the instructor in order to be placed in this class. This class is open to the community to interview for.

Dance Intensive - This class will allow students to practice and refine their dance skills in an advanced dance setting. Students will design and prepare for a dance show at the end of the class that will be open to the community. This class may require a two quarter commitment and an audition in order to be placed in this class. This class is open to the com-munity to audition for.

Music Intensive - Students in this intensive class will work on refining their existing musical skills while learning new and advanced techniques. Students will work to develop a show which they will perform for the community. This class may

 

require a two quarter commitment and an audition in order to be placed in this class. This class is open to the community to audition for.

Drama Intensive - This class will allow students to develop and refine their acting skills in a rigorous but fun environment. This class will work on a production throughout the session which will be put on for the community at the end of the class. This class may require a two quarter commitment and an audition in order to be placed in this class. This class is open to the community to audition for.

Spring & Summer Camps (SC)

PRYAF also offers several week-long summer camps for stu-dents aged 5-12. Summer camps are separate from our regular class and parents can enroll their students for a fee. Several camps are offered and most last one week from Monday-Friday (9am – 12pm) . Camps offered in the past include Music & Art, Musical Theater, Home Arts, Intro to Music, etc.

How to Enroll

Mandatory Orientation

There are four orientations held per year. To enroll your child in classes, a parent or legal guardian must attend one manda-tory orientation once per year. Orientations are held quarterly at 6:30 pm the Thursday before enrollment opens. Orientations are held at PRYAF in the Berg Auditorium.

Enrollment Procedures

Required Forms – During Orientation, you will receive your child’s enrollment forms as well as a rules and regulations con-tract to be read and signed by a parent and the student(s) en-rolling. Both forms need to be filled out and returned to the office during enrollment week.

Fees – PRYAF charges no fees for its year-round afternoon pro-grams, however, donations are accepted at orientation, on our website, or at any time. Summer camp is a $125 fee per student.

Parent Portal - You can go to our website at ANY TIME and set up your parent portal. By setting up your portal ahead of time you will be ready when enrollment goes live online.

No computer access? - Our computer lab is open the day of enrollment from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Computer lab is located at the PRYAF building.

When does enrollment open? - 9:00 am the Saturday after ori-entation and continues for one week.

How many classes can my child have? - Classes are divided into four different categories and students can take a certain num-ber of classes from each category. Students may take a combi-nation of classes from each of the four categories for up to 7 classes total.

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The four categories and the number of allowed classes are:

Program Classes (PC) - 2* Advanced Placement (AP) Classes - 4* Creative Enrichment Classes (CE) - 1 Intensive Classes (IN)- 2 *Students may only take a maximum combination of 4 stand-ard and AP classes. For example, a student could take 4 AP classes with no program classes, 2 program classes with 2 AP classes, 1 program class with 3 AP classes, etc. Students can take 4 classes total: a combination of max 2 program classes and/or max 4 AP classes.

In addition to their program and/or AP classes, students may take 1 creative enrichment class and up to 2 intensive classes.

What is an AP Class? - AP Classes are Advanced Placement. Students in these classes are placed upon teacher’s approval. As your child works hard, has good attendance, and continues to progress they may be placed in an AP class by their teacher. Students are allowed up to four AP classes in addition to their regular classes.

How will I know if my child has been placed in an AP class? - As your child advances to the next level of skill, they will receive a slip from their teacher if they have been appointed in an ad-vanced “AP” class. Your child’s AP class will show available when searching enrollment.

What is a Creative Enrichment Class? - PRYAF also offers crea-tive enrichment classes which will not count as one of the two program classes, four AP classes, or two intensive classes each student may take. Students may take one creative enrichment class per quarter. These creative enrichment classes will teach students skills and/or information that is not a part of our pro-gram class schedule. The creative enrichment classes may change each quarter to give students access to a variety of in-formation. Creative enrichment classes may include sewing, creative writing, filming, etc.

What is an Intensive Class? - PRYAF also offers intensive clas-ses which are designed to challenge students and to allow them to deeply explore and develop their skills and talents. For ex-ample, an intensive art class may design a free art show or in-tensive drama students may create a free performance for the community. The intensive classes offered are subject to change every year. Your child may need to audition or provide a portfo-lio to be placed in an intensive class by the teacher. Students must show that they work hard, commit to good attendance, and are dedicated to their art in order to succeed in an inten-sive class.

How do I drop a class and add a class? Dropping and adding classes must be done during enrollment week. This can be done through your parent portal or calling the office. Once clas-ses start your child is committed to their class and must refer to our attendance rules.

Waitlist - You may add your child on a waitlist for any class. Waitlist will only be fulfilled during enrollment and the first

 

week of classes. Please do not place your child on a waitlist if it conflicts with a class they are currently enrolled in.

Attendance

If a student misses the first day (and is not excused), they will be dropped and unable to attend that class the following se-mester.

Excused Absence = Student is unable to attend class due to illness with them or a family member. An excused absence is if you call the foundation prior to the beginning of the class and excuse your child due to illness or family emergency.

Pink Slip = Late for class 5 or more minutes, or sent out of class for poor behavior

3 Pink Slips = 1 unexcused absence

More than 2 unexcused absences = removal from class and suspension from that class the next session.

More than 3 excused absences = removal from class

Unexcused Absence - Any other reason other than illness or a family emergency will be non-excused including vacations and doctor appointments or if PRYAF is not informed ahead of time.

If you choose to drop a class, call the office within the first week (enrollment week) after registration day. Others are wait-ing to be admitted. If you drop a class any later than one week after registration day, you will be removed from the session and suspended from the following session for that class.

If you sign up and cannot make class or drop out, you will not be able to attend the next session for that class.

Special Attendance Rules - AP, Creative Enrichment, Intensive, or Performance classes may have different attendance de-mands. Attendance may be monitored more strictly for stu-dents who wish to participate in any of our shows throughout the year. Speak to your teacher to find out the expectations for performance.

Class Scheduling

PRYAF reserves the right to modify, change, revise, edit, or cancel any scheduled class at any time with or without ad-vance notice. For example, this policy would apply to times when a scheduled class does not have enough participants to warrant continuation of the class.

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General Info & Policies

Senior Recognition & Scholarships

PRYAF seeks to honor its graduating seniors at the end of each school year by presenting each graduating senior with a certifi-cate of completion at the June Revue . These graduating sen-iors are also eligible to receive a scholarship PRYAF offers its students: the “Donna Berg Spirit of I Can” scholarship . Appli-cations for scholarship can be obtained at the PRYAF office.

Parent Responsibilities

We want parents to observe their child's learning environment and meet the teacher. Parents are allowed in the classroom the first 30 minutes of the first day and then will be dismissed, due to the fact that it distracts ALL students and disrupts the teacher’s curriculum. We appreciate your cooperation.

Parents will be allowed to attend the last class in order to see what their child has learned.

Pick your child up immediately after class. PRYAF is not re-sponsible for students not picked up on time. If a child is picked up 10 or more minutes late, they will receive an unex-cused absence.

For the safety of all students please pull into a parking space. There is additional parking on the back side of the building. Please do not park in the street while dropping students off.

General Rules

No Food or Drink in Classrooms (water is acceptable). No drinks allowed without a lid that screws/fastens on

No Gum or candy is permitted in the building; dispose of your gum before entering.

Dance students must wear clothing that they can move in and no open toe shoes, no jeans, no midriff, no booty shorts. Tights must be worn with leotards.

Dance Students please remove all piercings other than earrings or properly bandage them to avoid injury.

Cell Phones & Other Devices

No cell phones or digital media are allowed in class unless pre-approved by a teacher for research use. PRYAF is not responsi-ble if they are lost or stolen.

Dress Code & Personal Standards

Students wearing clothing with offensive or inappropriate wording, signs, symbols, and/or logos, as well as clothing relat-ed to groups, clubs, or organizations that may be considered offensive or inappropriate, will be asked to remove such items and/or return home to change into appropriate attire.

Nothing in this dress code is intended or should be construed

 

to violate, restrict, or discriminate against any students sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. If any student believes that their protected rights based upon sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression are being restricted or violated in some manner by the dress code, please contact the Executive Director so that these concerns can be addressed.

Students who need a reasonable accommodation because of religious beliefs, observances, or practices should connect with their teacher(s) and discuss the need for accommodation.

Dance Attire: Students need to either wear sneakers or jazz shoes, stretchy pants, comfortable appropriate top and their hair pulled back out of their face.

Theater Attire: Comfy clothes. Bottled water is helpful.

Health and Safety

Illness or Injury - PRYAF has staff members equipped to han-dle minor injuries of students and always has staff on duty who are trained in CPR and First Aid. If a child sustains a non-emergency injury, a staff member will provide approved first aid and inform a parent of the injury upon arrival. The PRYAF staff is not allowed to apply any topical solutions, lotions or medicines to any injury per our state licensing guidelines. In case of a serious illness a parent or guardian will be notified to pickup the child immediately. An isolated area will be provided for the child until the parent or guardian arrives. If a parent or guardian cannot be reached, another designated emergency contact person will be notified. Emergency Services will be called and a parent or guardian will be notified in the event of all serious injuries, such as head trauma or broken bones. If your child has been ill with a fever, sore throat or throwing-up, please wait 24-48 hours after beginning medication or treat-ment and or once they are fever free before sending them back to PRYAF. In the cases of lice or pink eye, please wait 48-72 hours after beginning medication or treatment and/or once they are symptom free before sending them back to PRYAF.

Medication - It is required that any medication needed be giv-en at home. Children must never bring their own medication to the program, medication must be provided by a parent or guardian.

When to Keep Your Child at Home

Rashes - Keep your student home if he or she has a new skin rash that has not been evaluated by a doctor, including impeti-go and scabies. Always call your doctor about unknown skin rashes to determine the cause and if they are conta-gious. Rashes are often part of an illness that is easily spread to others.

Fever - Keep your student home if they have a fever 100+ de-grees. Do not send your child to PRYAF while on fever-reducing medicine. The student may return to PRYAF when he/she is fever free for 24 hours. Fever is a sign of infection that can be transmitted to someone else.

Vomiting or Diarrhea - Please keep your child home for 24

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hours after the last episode of diarrhea or vomiting. Vomiting and diarrhea are often caused by an illness that can be trans-mitted to someone else.

Nose Drainage - Please keep your child home if he or she is experiencing yellow or green color nasal drainage that lasts longer than 10 days or accompanied by a fever. Regular colds often have yellow or green drainage. If they last longer than 10 days, this could be a different illness and it is recommended that your child see his or her doctor.

Behavior - Please keep your child home if he or she has signifi-cant changes in behavior. Some examples include irritability, tired, sore throat, earache, excessive coughing. Cold and flu can easily be passed to others, especially in the first few days, when accompanied by the changes in behavior listed above.

Please Note - If any of these symptoms are recognized by a PRYAF staff member or PRYAF instructor, a parent/guardian will be called to have them picked up from PRYAF and can re-turn with a doctor’s note that states that the child’s symptoms are not contagious.

Allergies and Special Needs - If your child has a learning disa-bility, in addition to reporting it on your registration form, you must inform the teacher before the first class begins.

If your child has an allergy or special medical need, in addition to reporting it on your registration form, you must inform the teacher before the first class begins.

Please understand PRYAF staff is not trained to work with special needs children. However, we will discuss with par-ents the need of their child and do our best to support by ac-commodating with the best of our ability.

PRYAF Building

The doors to the PRYAF building are unlocked 30 minutes be-fore the start of classes except on holidays and other days when there are no classes occurring. Classes are scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The building is locked at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise posted and all students must be picked up at or before then.

Staff are present in the PRYAF office Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Please knock on the front door or call to schedule an appointment if you wish to meet with a staff mem-ber before the PRYAF doors are unlocked in the afternoon.

 

Student Quotes “I found myself at PRYAF through the arts with creativity and pas-sion”. “PRYAF has helped me realize that I can do anything I set my mind to. It has taught me never to give up, and to strive to get better”. “I started going to PRYAF when I was eleven. I was actually going into a state of depression when PRYAF saved me. I then discovered dance and it became my life. I am now sixteen and still going to dance. ” “PRYAF has helped me realize that I CAN have a second home where everyone enjoys being together, and that I CAN have a fam-ily that loves me for me. ” “PRYAF is like a home to me. I can act like myself and be loved by everyone. ” “PRYAF has helped me be my own artistic, creative, individual. ” “PRYAF helped me see the beauty in the arts.” “PRYAF has shown me that everything is possible and to learn from my mistakes. ” “PRYAF has given me hope and family and I would be lost without it. ” “PRYAF has helped me reach goals I never thought Id reach. Not only has the foundation done so much for me but so has the amaz-ing teachers I have. I don’t know what I would do without them. ”

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Giving Opportunities

Volunteers

Parents and students are encouraged to volunteer at PRYAF. Student volunteers who are under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign a volunteer permission form for their student. For your children’s safety, all volunteers over 18 must be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal background check.

While we encourage volunteers, we do not offer opportunities for court ordered community service at this time.

Student Teacher Assistants (TA)

PRYAF also has a TA program for students who wish to gain leadership skills and help their fellow students succeed. Being a TA is a volunteer position which requires students to be at all classes they TA for. Any student interested in being a TA will need to receive permission from the instructor and go to the office to fill out the volunteer form.

Donations

In order to continue to offer FREE arts classes for the youth of our community, PRYAF relies on the generous donations of the public. If you are interested in supporting the arts, PRYAF accepts monetary donations on our website www.pryaf.org, or in person at our building at 3201 Spring St. Paso Robles, CA 93446 .

PRYAF also has a wish list of items available at the PRYAF of-fice with many of the items and supplies PRYAF desires. Please contact the PRYAF office at (805) 238-5825 if you are interested in donating an item from our wish list.

Sponsorship

PRYAF also offers many sponsorship opportunities throughout the year. Every PRYAF show can be sponsored and sponsoring companies and/or individuals will be included on all of our marketing materials and programs. Business card advertising is also available for purchase for inclusion in PRYAF show pro-grams.

We also offer opportunities to sponsor a child. A donation of only $250 will cover an entire year of classes for a child and allow us to continue to provide FREE art instruction.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please con-tact Emily Jagger at (805) 238-5825 ex. 15 or emilyjag-ger@pryaf.org.

 

 

Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation 3201 Spring St. Paso Robles, CA 93446

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 4699 Paso Robles, CA 93447

Contact Us (805) 238-5825 / info@pryaf.org

501(c)(3) nonprofit #77-0488880. All donations are tax deductible.  

References

National Endowment for the Arts. (2011). The arts and human development: Framing a national research agenda for the arts, lifelong learning, and individual well-being. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts. Re-trieved from https:// www.arts.gov/publications/arts-and-humandevelopment-framing-national-researchagenda-forthe-arts-lifelong

Bullard, J. (2010) How the Art Center Enhances Children's Devel-opment. Pearson Education. Retrieved from https://www.education.com/reference/article/art-center-enhances-children-development/

Lynch, Grace Hwang. (2012) The Importance of Art in Child Devel-opment. PBS. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-development/

Lake, Rebecca. (2013) The Benefits of Dance for Kids. Livestrong. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/214791-the-benefits-of-dance-for-kids/

American Alliance for Theatre and Education. (n.d.) AATE. The Effects of Theatre Education. Retrieved from http://www.aate.com/benefits-of-theatre-ed

Kwan, Angela. (n.d.) 6 Benefits of Music Lessons. Parents. Re-trieved from http://www.parents.com/kids/development/intellectual/benefits-of-music-lessons/