This newsletter will appear on our website www.jmds.net
along with lots of other information.
Please look at class notice boards each week.
Term
Dates: Saturday
20th September (please see below) – Friday 5th December
2008
Due
to the unavailability of Sunnyside Church Hall on Saturday 20th,
there will be no classes on this day. We
will instead take Saturday 6th December.
No
classes during half term: Saturday 25th October – Friday 31st
October
*
Monday 6th October Grade 2 & 3 modern will need to be
combined at 5.45pm for 1 week
*
Singing classes to be held at Woodhall Farm on 29th Sept &
6th October in Revel Room
Dates
for Your Diaries
Saturday 28th June
Rehearsal for Presentation Day 1pm – 6pm, Berkhamsted Collegiate School
Sunday
7th December
JMDS Choreography Competition, Berk Civic Centre 1pm
Monday
15th December
ISTD Ballet examination session. To
be confirmed.
Examinations These
commence on 2nd July and lots of pupils & teachers have been
working very hard to prepare for these. In
view of the fact that at least 12 months of continuous syllabus work is the norm
before taking an exam, & we have spent 4 months on show work, we do
extremely well to enter the amount of exams we do.
I hope you are practicing at home and really putting the finishing
touches to your smile and presentation of your work.
Please do remember to smile as the examiners see plenty of children who
don’t! On 19th July
session, the examiner, Miss Strachan will be monitored by Miss Elizabeth
Harrison who is not only the Vice Chairman of the Imperial Ballet Faculty but
was also my wonderful teacher.
Unusually,
we shall be having an extra exam session for ISTD Ballet on Monday 15th
December. Any pupils who would like
extra lessons from September should see Miss Jayne.
I am available on Thursdays but could possibly be available on another
day if not a Thursday. Once
again I would like to underline the fact that all exam decisions are made my
myself & my teachers and I have to say that some parents at Woodhall Farm
have given Miss Katie and myself a rather ‘rough ride’ on our decisions this
term. We don’t expect to be
treated this way & we also have no interest in holding anyone back.
You must realise that most schools take a full year to work on exam work
& because of our show in February we have done an amazing job to teach the
exam work in just a term & a half. I
am happy to explain why a child is not entered but we cannot work miracles &
will not put up with being bullied!
British
Arts Awards 2008
We had a fantastic year at the British Arts and did so very well.
I was delighted to be placed runner up in the Teacher/School of the Year
Award. If you haven’t seen our
results please look on our website.
British
Arts Awards 2009
I had originally planned not to enter this year but feel that a number of
children would be disappointed. Therefore
I am planning just 1 preliminary session in late January, 1 semi final at
Berkhamsted & may not be able to commit myself to attending Finals.
Pupils are most welcome to enter.
New
Drama Teacher I
am delighted to welcome Liz Raba as our new drama teacher.
It is our plan to really develop the drama at JMDS & therefore we
have split the 2 classes into 3 new age groups.
Please see the timetable for details.
Liz is a extremely highly qualified teacher & drama therapist with a
whole range of new things to bring into our classes.
Please have a look at her cv which will be on the teachers’ page of our
website in a week or so. Liz has
directed shows including the Old Town Summer School & has such a lot of
ideas for broadening our drama groups. She
intends to work on lots of different aspects of drama & I would very much
like to encourage more senior students to take this class.
You may come along and give it a try for a couple of weeks, free of
charge.
Summer School
We still have spaces for our summer school at Hobbs Hill Junior School
from 4th August. Details
can be found on our website or call me for a leaflet.
The children have great fun and the week ends in a mini show.
Also, Lauren was one
of nine girls selected as ISTD Senior Ballet Scholars for 2007/8, Lauren has
attended a series of six classes led by Royal Ballet Company First Artists
Francesca Filpi and Vanessa Fenton. Throughout the classes, the scholars worked
on improving both technique and performance quality. They learned extracts
from solos from Cinderella, Swan Lake and La Bayadère, getting tips from the “pros”. The series
of classes concluded with an open demonstration, organised by the ISTD, in the
main theatre of Laine Theatre Arts, Surrey on 18th of May.
Lauren said she had really enjoyed all of the classes - she felt she had been
challenged and stretched in different ways and had learned a great deal. At the
demonstration, she performed very confidently in both class and solo dances.
Lewis
Sanders has got down to the final auditons for Billy Elliott, which are to be
held at the end of June so we shall eagerly await news.
It would be so exciting if Lewis got this huge part.
I also put Lewis forward for the Oliver auditions & we shall wait
& see how he gets on.
Syanne
Day will be leaving us this term to go the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham
& we wish her the very best of luck and hope she will always remember her
time at JMDS.
Congratulations
to all of the above for maintaining such a superb standard.
I am very proud.
Please read the terms of payment below to avoid late
payment surcharge & non-notification charges:
Please note the small change in fees this term,
which is due to hall hire & tuition cost increases.
All fees are due on the first lesson of term –
I will be coming into classes during the first week, from 22nd September
to collect cheques and cash which have been given in to teachers, so
please bring the money with you on the 1st lesson or ensure your child takes it
with him/her to hand in. My thanks
to those parents who always pay promptly. Unfortunately
we are still chasing fees from some parents after half term; therefore we impose
an extra charge of 10% of total fees, which are not in the office
by Monday 6th October. After
the first week of term it is your responsibility to ensure payment reaches Miss
Jayne and is not simply given to a teacher, otherwise the 10% will be added.
You accept the responsibility for this extra charge by your child
attending classes at JMDS.
Please ensure that any cash is put in an envelope with your child’s
name on it and if the cheque is in a name different to that of the pupil please
write their name on the back of the cheque.
If your child does several classes please only write one cheque for all
of them. Cheques to J Wilson please.
Please note that I require one month’s notice in
writing if a child no longer wants the class place.
You have agreed to this when signing your child’s registration form
& these are kept on file as proof of your agreement.
You will be subject to half a term’s fees should this notice not be
given. If we have to write to you to
requesting payment you will be subject to a £5 administration charge.
Notice must not be given verbally to teachers - IT MUST BE IN WRITING TO
MISS JAYNE by 20th August at the latest.
My thanks for your co-operation.
I shall
look forward to welcoming you all back in September after a nice long summer
break.
With
very best wishes
Miss Jayne
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