REGULATIONS PHILAFLAM

PhilaFLAM’s objective is to provide French language group lessons for francophone children who do not attend a French school. The association aims to provide these lessons at the most reasonable price possible without sacrificing the quality of the lessons and endangering the perennity of our association.

As a non-profit organization, we rely on the support of the entire PhilaFLAM community in order to reach these objectives. We encourage you, therefore, to be as active as you can in our association.

Enrollment

The registration process will be online only.

All students, both new and continuing, need to register online every academic year and pay the registration fee. This registration fee applies to students joining us at any time during the year.

The full online application process must be completed by July 31st.

In order to validate your child’s enrollment we request a payment of $80 ($180 after June 1st) to cover the registration costs.

For returning students, the registration fee is of $60 (160$ after June 1st).

The enrollment is complete only when we receive both your completed registration form and registration deposit.

An application alone does not guarantee you a spot in one of our classes.

The deposit fee is not refundable except in case 2 and 5 detailed in paragraph 13 “Withdraw and refund”.

We remind you that enrollment is annual. Our financial set-up and our non-profit status mean that we are not able to provide “a la carte” lessons.

Parent portal

When you register a child for the first time, you will create your own parent portal with an individual login and password.

You are responsible to keep all the information required up to date on this parent portal, especially emergency contact and medical information.

Renewal registrations will be through the portal only.

New classes

A new class will be created at a specific location only as and when a sufficient number of students can be grouped together at the same location. If you wish to create a new class at a specific location please contact us.

Trial lessons

You are entitled to ask that your child take part in a trial lesson before making the decision to enroll him/her for the year. If you wish to organize a trial class please contact the parent-coordinator of the location closest to you.

Fees

Fees vary from site to site according to our fixed costs at each location. Your fees are annual and each school year started is due in full regardless of the payment structure you have chosen (one or two payments). These fees have been calculated to ensure the most advantageous prices possible while maintaining the highest teaching standards.

Fees normally increase each year due to rising cost.

The first payment is due on September 1st at the latest in order for your child to be allowed to attend class.

Fees are calculated on an annual basis and therefore no price reduction can be accorded for lessons missed due to individual scheduling conflicts.

We offer the possibility of payment either in 2 installments or once yearly. The second installment will be due by November 15th.

We ask that you pay your fees in a timely manner, that is, within 7 days of receipt of your bill. A penalty of $35 will automatically be charged to you if the due dates are not respected. This penalty will also be charged for any bad checks.

Payments can be made by free bank transfer or check only and checks must be made out to “PhilaFLAM”. If you have enrolled more than one child at PhilaFLAM, you can use a single check but please remember to indicate the name or names of all students on your checks.

In case of enrollment during the school year, the fees due will of course be prorated according to the number of lessons your child will be attending. In this case the $180 enrollment fee (registration costs and insurance) will still be due in its entirety.

Financial aid

PhilaFLAM offers direct scholarship support. The eligibility for financial aid is based on a needs analysis of the information concerning taxable income, assets, and expenses indicated on standard application form. PhilaFLAM determines the percentage of need, which will be granted based on the recommendations from the board of directors of PhilaFLAM. The information is kept anonymous and in the strictest confidence when presented by the President to the Financial Aid Committee.

Change in linguistic level

At the beginning of the year the students are evaluated by the teachers and grouped in classes as is deemed most appropriate according to their linguistic level.

This does not preclude the possibility that a teacher may ask for a student to be moved to another level during the year if they deem it necessary. In this case the teacher will discuss the move with the student’s parents/legal guardians first.

Attendance and homework

Regular attendance to class is essential in the acquisition of a language, and we encourage our students to attend all classes during the year as far as is possible.

If your child will be absent we ask that you inform his/her teacher directly. If you are not able to do this please contact the parent-coordinator of the site instead.

Students are expected to complete classwork and homework assignments to the best of their ability if homework is expected in their class.

Behavior

Bullying, vandalism, fighting, hazing, using alcohol or drugs, sexual harassment and violence are strictly prohibited in our program.

Students must follow the rules of each establishment where classes are held as well as those of their individual teacher. Respect, courtesy, following instructions, cooperativeness and auto-discipline are expected. The teachers will be in regular contact with parents/legal guardian in order to communicate on academic progress and any disciplinary issues which may arise.

If a student behaves inappropriately, he/she will be redirected by the teacher to improve his/her behavior. At the end of the class, the student’s parent/legal guardian will be notified verbally of what happened and of the teacher’s attempt to correct the child’s behavior.

If the misbehavior is repeated, the parent/legal guardian will receive a written report. The teacher will be asked to administer a consequence proportionate to the misbehavior (avoiding exclusion from the class or group, taking into consideration the student’s age and maturity level, never humiliating the child and always favoring dialog over disciplinary action).

After the third written warning, counseling or mediation will be recommended. If mediation does not resolve the problem, the child may be temporarily or permanently excluded from the program. The parent-coordinator will be kept informed of every written warning. He and the president of PhilaFLAM will decide if suspension or expulsion is warranted.

In this case all fees already paid (including the enrollment fee) will not be reimbursed.

Accidents / Illness

If during class time a child has an accident that requires medical intervention, the association will contact the parents/legal guardian immediately. If neither parent/legal guardian can be reached, a teacher or the parent-coordinator of the site will call 911 and have the child transported to the nearest emergency facility (unless the parents/legal guardians have expressly indicated otherwise on the parent portal).

Any child who has an infectious illness will not be permitted in class. Parents/legal guardians are required to inform their child’s teacher if their child has contracted an infectious illness so that a warning letter can be sent out to the other parents.

Students with life-threatening allergies (LTA)

Parent/legal guardian of a student with an LTA (hereafter referred to as “student”) shall:

Establish a mutually supportive relationship with a continuous and open communication between the student’s teacher, student, other teachers/staff.
Inform PhilaFLAM of student’s LTA(s) prior to the beginning of the school year or as soon as possible following diagnosis by providing all necessary medical information in child information form in parent portal.
Provide PhilaFAM with all emergency medications prescribed by child’s physician:
Prescription label must be intact and must NOT expire prior to the end of

the school year. Medications that do expire will not be accepted.

The parent/legal guardian is responsible for ensuring that carried or self-administered emergency medication is unexpired for the school year.
EpiPen must be brought to class every time.
Student may carry EpiPen with appropriate order to carry and training from licensed health care practitioner. For safety purposes, it is recommended that a back-up medication be provided.
Medications in the form of a non-liquid strip, redi-tab, or chewable tablet are preferred if available. Please send a dosing cup with liquid medicine.
Provide safe snacks for your child to consume during celebrations and/or emergencies.
Be aware that teachers/staff are never responsible for reading labels or making decisions regarding acceptable snacks.
Teach child to:
Know safe and unsafe foods
Know methods for avoiding unsafe foods
Recognize the first symptoms of his/her allergic reaction and act fast by telling an adult.
Never show or share emergency medication with other students.
Never share or trade snacks, lunches, or drinks.
Respond with “No thank you” when offered foods that do not come from home or are not allowed.
Understand the importance of hand washing with soap and water before and after eating.

Arrivals and Departures

We ask all parents/legal guardian to accompany their children to the school 5 minutes before the start of class. We remind you that the teachers often use the time before class begins to prepare their lesson/classroom and we therefore ask that you respect this timing and not leave your children earlier than requested.

Late arrivals disturb the class. We therefore ask that you make sure your child arrives to class on time.

The only persons authorized to pick up the students are their parents/legal guardians or adults designated to do so on the parent portal at the beginning of the year. If exceptionally you wish that a different person pick up your child, we ask you to give a written note to your child’s teacher with the name of that person clearly marked.

Your children are insured for the two hours increment only. As a consequence, all children must be picked up on time . If picked up late, PhilaFLAM cannot be held responsible was anything to happen to your child. You thus understand that late pickup that occurs regularly is a cause of termination. In case of lateness at pick up time, the association may exact the payment of $5 per every 5 minutes as a waiting fine.

It will not be accepted that both children and parents/legal guardians linger on the premises after the pick up time.

School Supplies

Each teacher is given a budget for school supplies. Nevertheless, the teacher may ask the parents to supply at the parents/legal guardians’ own cost certain supplies. The teachers will, however, make sure that any demand of this nature stays within a “reasonable” budget.

Students are expected to bring to in class only those materials which are allowed by the teacher (pencils, notebooks or activity books…) and use them as intended.

Closing of sites and cancellation of lessons

In case of exceptional, unforeseen circumstances, an absent teacher, or problem with the premises, certain lessons may be cancelled. In this case, an email will be sent to the parents/legal guardians as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to check your emails in the case of inclement weather.

PhilaFLAM will do its best to find a solution and to make up the missed lesson(s), to this end several dates are set aside at the end of the school year in May or June in case it becomes necessary to make up missed classes.

If a teacher is unable to take their class, we will do our best to find a substitute teacher on that same day. If this is not possible we will propose a make-up lesson on another date.

In case of a problem with the premises during class time, the parent-coordinator of that site will contact the parents/legal guardians as quickly as possible so that they can come and pick up their children before the end of class time.

You are responsible for leaving and keeping updated your daytime phone number and emergency number if we need to contact you.

Communication with the parents/legal guardians

Information about the association is usually passed on via e-mail or on the association’s website. We ask you to ensure that the association remains in possession of a valid e-mail address at all times.

Each teacher will be in contact with the parents/legal guardian of their students during the school year at dates and times which he or she has chosen at the beginning of the year.

We ask that you refrain from using drop-off and pick-up times for unscheduled meetings with the teachers. If you wish to see a teacher please make an appointment to do so.

Withdraw and refund

Any cancellation of enrollment must be sent in writing to the head office of the association and addressed to the President of PhilaFLAM.

Withdraw Policy:

– If you decide to cancel your enrollment before the start of lessons for the year or during the week following the first lesson of the year, you will be reimbursed for the remaining lessons (minus the first lesson) you have payed. However, the enrollment fee will not be reimbursed.

-If you decide to cancel your enrollment during the school year, the rest of the year is still due.

Termination by PhilaFLAM:

PhilaFLAM may terminate your child’s enrollment at PhilaFLAM if the following conditions arise:

Tuition or annual registration fees are not paid in accordance with the present Regulation.
Insufficient registration and/or budgetary constraints.
The child is picked up late more than 3 times within the year.
The child is ill when brought to the program or the parent fails to promptly pick up a sick child more than three (3) times within the year.
In the judgment of PhilaFLAM, the program does not meet the developmental or special needs of your child or your child does not meet the minimal linguistic or age requirements.
In the judgment of PhilaFLAM, the child’s behavior threatens the physical or mental health of other children in the program.

There will be no refunds, except :

in case 2
in case 5 if detected and decided prior to beginning of school year.

Individual lesson cancellations during the year will not be reimbursed, instead the association will do its best to find a solution to make up the lessons missed.

Disclaimer

The students’ parents/legal guardians understand that PhilaFLAM is in no way responsible in case of fire, catastrophe, attack on the premises, damage, accidents, especially caused by their own children. The parents/legal guardians approve and accept all emergency action taken by PhilaFLAM to ensure the evacuation, medical treatment, and/or transport home or to the nearest hospital (or clinic as specified by the parents). The parents/legal guardians agree to reimburse PhilaFLAM for all expenses incurred by these emergency measures.

PhilaFLAM is not responsible for students’ lost, stolen, or damaged personal property.

Claims

For all claims please contact contact@philaflam.com