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Nuts & Bolts of Priority Enrollment for Your Gymnastics Center

Last updated on November 12, 2020 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

The cloud-based platform used by Jackrabbit Class management software can be an asset to your gymnastics center in a variety of ways. One of the most significant benefits comes in the form of online registration. In addition to ensuring accuracy and saving time for you, your gymnastics center staff members, and your students’ parents, many of our customers have experienced an additional and much-appreciated perk: increased enrollment! As significant as online registration can be, many Jackrabbit Class users also appreciate the additional benefits that come with offering Priority Enrollment as well.

What Is Priority Enrollment?

Essentially, Priority Enrollment gives your loyal gymnastics families an opportunity for registering for classes before potential new enrollees are allowed to register. This allows existing gymnastics students to secure their spots in high-demand classes. Jackrabbit Class includes a secure portal set up for this exact purpose. When you give select parents access to the password-protected area, they’ll be able to enroll during your chosen Priority Enrollment period before Open Enrollment begins.

Why Offer Priority Enrollment?

Priority Enrollment works because everyone likes to feel special! Priority Enrollment is a great way to show loyal gymnastics families your appreciation for their continued support. Unlike other member-appreciation perks, this one costs you literally nothing! In turn, it helps your already happy customers increase their sense of loyalty to your organization and, as a result, helps increase your gymnastics center’s retention rates. By offering Priority Enrollment, you’ll not only encourage the continued loyalty of your long-time gymnastics families, but you’ll also encourage new families to enroll, so they can be part of the “inner circle” who gets Priority Enrollment.

When Should You Offer Priority Enrollment?

We generally recommend that you have a week-long Open Enrollment period approximately 1 to 2 months before a given class session is scheduled to begin. Whenever you decide to hold Open Enrollment, make your Priority Enrollment period the week before that. You want to give your gymnastics families time to enroll but also want them to sense the time-sensitive aspect of this period.

Jackrabbit Class software makes it easy for you to set up Priority Enrollment and to move the same class listings from the password-protected portal to an area that can be accessed by the general public. To find out more about how to set up Online Registration, check out our 3-part series on that topic (scroll down that page and click on the +Read More link near the bottom to access the series). When it comes to your first time implementing Online Registration, Open Enrollment, or any other aspect of the Enrollment or Registration process, remember that the Jackrabbit Support Team is here to help you whenever you need support!

How to Recognize and Reduce Bullying in Your Dance Studio, Part 3

Last updated on September 10, 2019 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Recognizing bullying behaviors in your dance studio is crucial, but it’s only the first step to making your studio a bully-free zone (see Parts 1 & 2). In this article, we’ll delve into some of the positive steps you can take to make your studio a more accepting place for aspiring dancers to learn and grow.

Steps to Ending Bullying in Your Dance Studio

Explain to your students on the first day of class that you will not tolerate bullying. Demonstrate and describe the types of behaviors that you will consider to be bullying behaviors. Consider passing out a written statement of bullying behaviors which you expect students to avoid. If the bullying has been a big problem for your studio in the past, you may even want to have students and their parents sign a bully-free zone agreement stating that they will not engage in these types of behaviors.

Put policies in place that will help to transform your studio into an encouraging and welcoming environment. This could include a policy of applauding after all performances, even during practice. Teach students phrases to say to build one another up. Lead by example, especially when students make mistakes. Rather than berate or belittle them, give helpful tips and gentle correction.

Refuse to Tolerate Clear Instances of Bullying

Take bullying seriously right from the get-go. If you notice or someone informs you of an instance of bullying, immediately talk to the person who engaged in the behavior as soon as the class is over. Let them know that their behavior is unacceptable and that if it continues there will be clear consequences. Don’t allow any dancers to make fun of their classmates’ performances during or after class.

Teach Your Dance Students Effective Ways to Deal with Bullying

Even if you have the very best standards in place, there are likely going to be some students who will still try to bully others. There are several different tools which students can use when it comes to lessening bullying. Teach students how to confront bullying in a constructive way. Encourage your students not to go along with bullying behavior but rather to stand up for those who are being bullied. If someone who is being bullied is a shy person, she may choose to go the non-confrontational route of remaining passive yet not showing the bully the desired reaction. Sometimes this failure to respond to teasing leads the bully to give up their efforts.

If a victim of bullying has the confidence to stand up for herself, she could choose to respond in a direct yet non-aggressive manner. The goal is to deescalate the situation. A phrase like, “you don’t need to blow someone else’s candle out to make yours glow brighter” is a good example of a positive yet assertive response to a bully’s taunt or insult. It puts the spotlight where it belongs: on the bully’s unacceptable behavior.

Another possible response would be to use what’s called an “I statement.” The student says, “When you __________ I feel __________ because _____________,” filling in the blanks as the situation demands. For example, “When you roll your eyes and laugh when I’m performing, I feel distracted because I don’t think I have your support.”

Some bullies will respond to these kinds of confrontations positively, but oftentimes they will ignore efforts at reconciliation. In these cases, it may be necessary to get an authority figure involved in resolving the problem before it gets worse.

As a dance studio director or instructor, make it your goal to foster a culture of safety and encouragement in your facility. Preventing bullying is one of the essential elements of creating this type of atmosphere. It’s in this type of environment that students at all levels of training and ability will thrive.

How to Recognize and Reduce Bullying in Your Dance Studio, Part 2

Last updated on September 10, 2019 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

As we noted in our first article, bullying can rear its ugly head in all sorts of social situations involving young people, and dance class is no exception. In fact, the competitive nature of dance can bring out the very worst in some students, especially when they’re jealous of others or worried that they won’t get the best roles. If you’ve noticed students ostracizing others or making negative comparisons, it’s important for you as the adult authority in the classroom to act fast to curb this destructive behavior before it gets out of hand.

Along with unhealthy comparisons and ostracism, there are several other signs of bullying to watch out for in your dance studio.

Gossiping

This could be a tricky one to catch, as students are usually on their best behavior when a director or instructor is in the room. Sometimes, though, you may overhear a student spreading malicious rumors, such as a theory about how another student was given a part they didn’t really deserve, or how another student didn’t deserve to win a certain competition. These rumors can get especially vicious in situations where envy is involved.

Hostile Facial Expressions

This point may seem petty to some, but if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a dirty look, you know that the old saying “if looks could kill” has some truth behind it. Some of the students who don’t want to get in trouble for overt bullying – such as making disparaging remarks – will resort to mean looks, rolling their eyes, making mocking faces, or other unkind facial expressions. They can be very sneaky about this subtle yet effective form of bullying and usually try to do it behind an authority figure’s back. This is one instance where wall length dance studio mirrors can come in handy. You may be shocked at what kind of aggressive distortions can come over some of the angelic faces of your dance students as soon as they think you’re not looking!

All of these aggressive types of behaviors are very common in upper elementary and middle school aged young people. They tend to be even worse for girls than they are for boys. One of the reasons for this bullying activity being so prevalent in an activity like dance is that it’s often linked to a girl’s self-confidence or lack thereof when it comes to their appearance. Naturally, an activity involving public performance is going to lead to jealousy, comparisons, and the like, which is a perfect breeding ground for bullying.

Now that we’ve identified some of the most common bullying actions and taken a look at why they’re so prevalent in the realm of dance, we’ll consider some proactive steps in Part 3 which you can take to lower the instances of bullying in your dance studio. Stopping bullies from causing strife and division in your dance class will be the topic of our final article in this series. As a studio director or dance instructor, you’ll want to check it out and make sure you’re doing all you can to keep bullying out of your studio.

How to Recognize and Reduce Bullying in Your Dance Studio, Part 1

Last updated on September 10, 2019 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Bullying is a huge problem in virtually all different walks of life. In settings such as a school classroom or sports team where large numbers of young people are grouped together, it tends to rear its ugly head on a regular basis. As teens and kids get even more interconnected online, the problem seems to have exploded in recent years.

Perhaps you’ve noticed a disturbing trend of bullying taking place right in your very own dance studio. As the mature adults in the situation, it’s up to the director and dance class instructors to recognize bullying for what it is and do all they can to nip it in the bud. Here are some actions and attitudes you can look out for when it comes to recognizing bullying behavior in your dance studio, as well as some tips for encouraging a more caring, accepting atmosphere among your students.

What Does Bullying Look Like in the World of Dance?

Bullying in the dance studio can either be overt or subtle. It comes in many forms, from a simple rolling the eyes or giggles after a classmate makes a mistake in their technique to outright mocking and exclusion. Here are some attitudes to be on the lookout for when it comes to identifying potential bullies in your class.

Unhealthy Comparisons

Since dance is often a competitive activity, it’s only natural for there to be a comparison among dancers. Sometimes a dancer will measure her success by how quickly she is progressing compared to the rest of the students in the class. While this tendency is common and often harmless, it can become hurtful when it is taken to extremes or when negative comparisons are allowed to be expressed in an unchecked manner.

For example, laughter and degrading comments after a sub-par performance, even in practice, should never be tolerated. Dance students should avoid correcting a less advanced student’s technique in front of a group. If a correction does take place, it should be done by the instructor or in a private, constructive manner by a more advanced student so as not to embarrass the one being corrected. Individual students constantly bragging and claiming to be the best should be avoided. Such self-aggrandizing behavior is bad for overall morale.

Ostracism

Being left out is one of the worst feelings in the world. Unfortunately, whether it’s in school or at dance class, exclusivity seems to be an everyday occurrence. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this kind of ostracism, you know how much it hurts. It can take place during the warm-up time or in the dressing room when students refuse to include one or more other students in their friendly conversations, or outside the studio when some are left out of social interactions. Such exclusive behavior also makes learning group dance routines and participating in group competitions less of a unified effort. Those who bear the brunt of the ostracism are more likely to quit than those who feel accepted.

These bullying behaviors can wreak havoc on your dance studio. In the next article in this series we’ll point out a few more problem actions and attitudes you should confront if they show up in your studio.

Communicating with Parents: When Illness Hits Your Child Care Center

Last updated on April 17, 2019 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

As important as it is to do what you can to keep germs at bay, you certainly won’t be able to eliminate all contagions from entering your child care center. That’s why it’s important to have a plan for communicating with parents when you become aware of certain illnesses going around your center. With a robust child care management software system like Jackrabbit, doing so will be much more simple.

Key Communication Concepts

Whenever you find out about an illness affecting one of your staff members or children in your child care center, you want to let all other staff members and students’ parents know. When people have been in the same spaces and used the same supplies, chances are, they’ve all been exposed. By being proactive about communication, you can help keep the illness from spreading to others — both in your child care center and beyond.

The most important aspects of communication include timeliness and professionalism. Instead of paper signs on classroom doors, you can let parents know before they bring their children to your care center. Some may wish to find alternative care, and the sooner they know about the illness, the easier it will be for them to make arrangements. In addition, those who are noticing symptoms will be able to skip the guesswork and get the appropriate treatment for their children.

Communication Option 1: Instantaneous E-mails

Since Jackrabbit Care already has contact information for all families, you’ll be able to quickly send a mass e-mail to all families who have potentially been exposed. Jackrabbit also allows you to create e-mail templates for various purposes, including urgent situations. You can be proactive by creating an e-mail template for illness-related information, so it’s ready for the situation before the need arises.

Communication Option 2: Parent Portal Messages

Instead of – or in addition to – an instantaneous e-mail, you can add a message to the Jackrabbit Care Parent Portal. One way to do this is to create a message that will pop up whenever a parent goes to the Parent Portal, before they even log in.

Another way to use the Parent Portal to inform parents of any illnesses is to add a Public Message to the “News and Announcements” section. The effectiveness of this communication option is to inform parents of the importance of looking for such messages.

Whether you’re informing parents of illnesses or other urgent matters, Jackrabbit Care is designed to make communication efficient, professional, and trackable.