Practicalities
Our goal at Stratolab is to inspire children, while giving them a constructive environment that parents can trust. We encourage parents to discuss with us any concerns or suggestions. Contact us anytime (except during class time when we are focusing on the kids!).
Here is some practical information:
Teaching methodology: Kids learn in different ways. Some kids learn better by seeing, while some learn better by hearing or reading. We try to incorporate these methods in our teaching. First, we give a short verbal introduction to the material for the day. The main course material is demonstrated by the instructor, but is also presented via the internet which the kids can then read at their own pace. Once the activity is started, the coach is then free to visit with each student to give one-on-one instruction. This means that while all the kids are learning the same material, each child gets very individualized attention, according to his/her own needs.
Drop off and Pick up: The class doors are open twenty minutes before the class starts. We would like students to be on time to the class so that they can maximize their benefit. But we understand that life doesn't always go smoothly, so if students arrive late, they may miss the beginning instruction for the day, but they won't miss any of the main class material. Please let us know, on the enrollment form preferably, if a student is to be picked up by the parent or whether they get themselves home. If a student is not picked up on time, we will stay with the student until the parent arrives. If the parent does not arrive within half an hour, we will call the parents. We will charge a fee of $50 per hour, if pickup is late more than 30 minutes.
Missed Days: Please give us a call or email if your kid will be missing a class, so that we don't worry! If a kid does not arrive for class by the end and we have not been informed in advance, we will call the parents to check up.
Progress: We will let you know how your kid is progressing in the course. Depending on the course, we will update you through email, demonstrations at the end of class when you pick them up, or examples they can print out and bring home. We are always happy to talk to parents individually, catch us before and after class in person or by email or phone. After each course is completed, we ask both the parents and the kids to fill in a brief questionnaire. We want to know how to better improve our courses.
Lab Equipment: The courses are taught on Macintosh computers. There is one computer, an iBook 1.2GHz, for every student to use.
Discipline: To be honest, we have not yet had a problem with discipline. We try to make our courses fun, so discipline is not an issue! If we do have problems that we can't solve on our own, then we would contact the parents to discuss it and see if we can't solve the issue together. If we feel the problem is not being solved, then we will send the kid home and refund pro-rated course fees. We hope that this never happens!
Payment: Course fees are due and payable at enrollment. We accept credit card, checks, and PayPal. If you sign up for a course but have to cancel, we will refund your money if you cancel 14 days in advance. If you cancel less than 14 days in advance, we will not provide refunds unless we find another student to take your child's place.
