General Information & School Policies

This page is available as a pdf file.

Location and Contact Information
Location: 2941 Walton Way Augusta, GA 30909
(at the intersection of Walton Way and Lake Forest Drive)

Mailing Address: PO Box 3348 Augusta, GA 30914-3348
Office Phone Number: (706) 733-5511
School Website: www.coltonballetschool.com
Office Manager email: [email protected]

Enrollment
A registration form, photo/video release and tuition contract must be completed and mailed to or dropped off at the school accompanied by the registration fee. The forms are available at the school or on the website. The registration fee is payable by check or with cash and is non-refundable.

Tuition & Fees
Tuition is due by the 1st of each month. A $10 late fee will be added after the 5th of that month and each succeeding month until payment is made in full. The fee for returned checks is $15. Payment can be made at the school or by mail, with check or cash. When the school is closed please mail to mailing address or drop through secure drop slot near back door (NOT the mailbox out front!)
Tuition payments are non-refundable. Tuition credits will be considered only in cases of prolonged absence due to serious injury or illness, substantiated by medical documentation.

Observing
Parents are not allowed to wait in the building or observe classes during their child’s class time without prior permission obtained.

Primary Division classes (Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet) offer a Parent Observation opportunity in late September. Please see the School Calendar, (www.coltonballetschool.com/school-calendar.html) or at the school.

Class-wide observations are planned for twice a year – once in December and once in May. Details on these observations will be released several weeks beforehand.

Class Schedules
The current class schedules are posted on the website. Schedules are subject to change. The school will notify parents and students in advance of any changes through Remind texting. Please check with the office for your child’s Remind class code.

Parent/Teacher Communications
The Office Manager is available for initial questions or concerns. If further attention is required and a parent would like to have a discussion regarding their child’s performance or other concerns, a phone or in-person conference with the teacher can be arranged.

Attendance and Make-up Classes
Students are expected to attend all classes. Please notify the main office through phone, email or Remind if a student will miss class. The teacher will be informed and record the absence as excused. Students may make up a missed class by attending a lower-level class during the following month. Make-up class must be scheduled with the office manager.

Tardiness
Students are expected to arrive at the studio in time to be ready for the start of their class. If a student is 15 min late or more, participation may be limited, and the student may be required to sit during class.

Hallway and Classroom Etiquette
Colton Ballet is a school environment. Good hallway and classroom behavior is expected.

Students are not permitted to talk in the hallway – it is disruptive to the classes in session.
To keep our studios in great shape, students are not permitted to put their feet on the furniture or mirrors, touch the artwork, and are also not allowed to hang from the barres and windows.
Students are expected to raise their hand for an opportunity to speak - do not interrupt teachers or other students.
Parents, to limit class interruptions please be sure your child has gone to the bathroom before you arrive. Our restrooms are also available to the students before their class starts, with help from their parent if needed.

School Closings and Remind
Normal closings are indicated on the School Calendar on our website. The school follows the Richmond County School System’s closings due to weather conditions.

Closings due to weather will be announced on the school’s Remind text system. Please sign up for Remind so you can stay informed! Check with the office manager for your child’s class code.

Health and Safety Policies
Please DO NOT allow your child to come to class if they have a fever, cough or upset stomach, or if they have tested positive for Flu or Covid.

If the School needs to be aware of an allergy or other special need, it must be disclosed on the registration paperwork. We do have students with allergies, both dietary and otherwise. Please do not bring food into the studio unless otherwise arranged and approved.

Dress Code

Female Creative Movement students are required to wear a light pink leotard with an attached skirt. Female Pre-Ballet students are required to wear a light blue leotard with an attached skirt. To ensure uniformity, consider purchasing from Tutus & Dance Shoes (139 Davis Rd Augusta, (706) 305-1850.) These students should also wear pink tights and pink ballet shoes.
Female students Grades I-IV are required to wear a black leotard (preferably long-sleeved), pink tights and pink ballet shoes.
Skirts are allowed for Advanced students above Grade IV only. Any color may be worn but black is preferable.
Hair must be secured against the head. No pigtails or ponytails. Bangs and any short hair around the face must be pinned back neatly.
Male students must wear black tights, white T-shirt, white socks, white shoes and a black dance belt.
Students should always wear street clothing over their ballet attire when traveling to and from class. Ballet slippers must never be worn outdoors as this tracks dirt into the studio which can damage the dance floors and is dangerous for the students.
No jewelry
Wash dancewear regularly and wear deodorant.

Parking
Parking is in the front lot only. Please DO NOT PARK OR TURN AROUND in the smaller back gravel lot – this lot is for our employees and is too small for parent use. Please DO NOT PARK close to the side of the building, as this blocks the driveway.

Drop off and Pick up Procedures
Safety is our biggest priority. To eliminate potential danger to your student, we ask you to please follow these drop-off and pick-up protocols:

Please drop off your student 10 minutes before class time and then vacate the parking lot if possible. If you decide to stay parked during your child’s class time, please park towards the top of the lot (near the road).
Feel free to pull up to the front door to let your child out, provided they are completely ready for class (please refer to DRESS CODE). If your child is not ready for class, please park and walk your child to the front door when they are prepared. As they enter the building, there will be a designated area for your child to wait in until their class time.
For pick-up, there is no pull-up service. Please park and walk to the front door at your child’s class end time. Your child’s teacher will bring the class to the front door for pick-up and will wait for you to walk up. Please DO NOT encourage your child to run across the parking lot to your parked car.
Please make all family members, etc aware of these protocols.

Nutcracker – some important information:
Colton Ballet Company’s Nutcracker is a professional production, not a recital. All participants work as a team.

Casting in Nutcracker will proceed as follows:

All Colton Ballet Company members will be given first priority in all dancing roles.
They will also be given priority in terms of the number of performances they will perform.
The next roles to be cast will be given to Advanced students followed by Grade IV and so on down the line.
If a Colton Ballet Company member or upper-level student has performed a role previously, they will be given first priority in terms of the number of performances performed. This means that your child (if cast in Act II) MAY NOT BE in every performance.
There are absolutely no guarantees in terms of your child’s role. We hope that as parents, you will trust our staff to cast your child in the role most appropriate for them. Roles are assigned based on size, grade level and ability – therefore, their cast role is not negotiable.