Private Lesson Policies
Updated on June 1, 2025
STUDENT ABSENCES
Make-up lessons, credits, or refunds are not provided if a student misses their lesson. Some teachers may wish to provide flexibility, discussed and formalized on a case-by-case basis, no fewer than 24 hours in advance. For teacher absences, make-up lessons are provided. Please contact the Pakachoag office for more information or further clarification.
Add-On Lessons are available at a reduced cost. These additional lessons are scheduled during the period between the date registered school year lessons are completed and the final school year date of June 13th. See the ADD-ON LESSONS section for more information.
Students are expected to be available to attend all school year lessons from their first lesson date through the week of June 8th.
Flipping lessons to remote is regular practice if either party cannot attend in-person but are otherwise available.
TARDINESS
Lesson time lost due to student tardiness will not be made up, credited, or refunded.
With Advanced Notice of Late Arrival: The teacher will remain for the duration of the scheduled lesson time.
Without Advanced Notice of Late Arrival: The teacher reserves the right not to teach or leave the School for the day if the student does not arrive within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled lesson time.
TEACHER ABSENCES
Make-up lessons are provided for teacher absences and tardiness until the number of lessons registered, with absence and other adjustments, have been met. Outstanding make ups that the teacher cannot meet by the end of the session – June 14, 2025 for the school year and August 23, 2025 for the summer session – will be credited or refunded.
WEATHER CANCELLATIONS
One make-up lesson is provided for a weather-related School closure annually. The office does not call or email students/families directly to inform of weather cancellations. Closures are posted on the School’s Weather page and office phone greeting (508) 791-8159.
Decisions around School closures are made according to weather conditions anticipated after 1 PM and proceeding into the evening. If public schools are closed, the School may not necessarily be closed, as weather conditions may improve later in the day.
If the School is open, the teacher is present, and the student does not attend their lesson, it is considered a student absence and will follow the above student absence policy.
Flipping lessons to remote is regular practice and strongly encouraged if attending a lesson in-person is not possible. If a remote lesson is mutually agreed upon, the teacher is present, and the student does not attend, it is considered a student absence and will follow the above student absence policy.
FEBRUARY & APRIL PUBLIC SCHOOL VACATION WEEKS
February and April public school vacation weeks are not part of the 34-week school year calendar. Lessons may be scheduled by mutual agreement between the student and teacher in coordination with office schedules. Using these two weeks as an attendance ‘catch up’ is strongly encouraged. It also helps provide consistency of week-to-week learning.
While students are not required to schedule make-ups during public school vacation weeks, if a lesson is scheduled by mutual agreement between the student and teacher and subsequently 2 cancelled less than one week prior by the student, it is considered a student absence.
HOLIDAYS
The School is OPEN for lessons on:
• Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Weekend: Saturday, October 11th – Monday, October 13th
• Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11th
• Good Friday: Friday, April 3rd
• Juneteenth: Friday, June 19th
If the teacher is present and the student does not attend their lesson on any of these days, it is considered a student absence and cannot be made up. If the teacher is not present/available to teach on one of these holidays, it will be communicated in advance, and be considered a teacher absence.
The School is CLOSED for lessons on:
• Labor Day: Monday, September 1st
• Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday, November 27th – Saturday, November 30th
• Holiday Break: Monday, December 22nd – Wednesday, January 1st
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 20th
• Memorial Day & Weekend: Saturday, May 24th – Monday, May 26th
• Summer Break I: Monday, June 30th – Saturday, July 5th
• Summer Break II: Monday, August 25th – Saturday, August 30th
ADD-ON LESSONS
Additional, reduced-cost ‘Add-On Lessons’ are available to students enrolled by or before March 22nd once all school year lessons, with adjustments, have been met. All Add-Ons registered must be held before June 14th.
Add-On Lesson Tuition:
• $32 per 30-minute lesson
• $42 per 45-minute lesson
• $52 per 60-minute lesson
Credits or refunds are only provided for teacher absences.
WITHDRAWALS
If a student withdraws at any point, all lesson and weather cancellation make ups outstanding are forfeited. Families will not be charged for teacher absences.
Every-week students – full school year: Four-lesson written notice to the office is required. The student may choose whether to attend the final four lessons. Billing is adjusted based on the number of lessons transpired at the point of withdrawal notification plus four.
Alternating-week students – full school year: Two-lesson written notice to the office is required. The student may choose whether to attend the final two lessons. Billing is adjusted based on the number of lessons transpired at the point of withdrawal notification plus two.
Pre-approved term students: Two-lesson written notice to the office is requested. Credits or refunds are only provided for teacher absences.
Summer session students: Two-lesson written notice to the office is requested. Credits or refunds are only provided for teacher absences.
A refund is provided for any lessons paid beyond the adjusted lesson count. These are issued by check in late-June for the school year and late-August for the summer session.
Any inquiries regarding school year attendance records must be made in writing to the office, admin@pakmusic.org, by May 25, 2026. The directors will work to resolve any questions prior to