Policies, terms and conditions.
During the pandemic:
Courses in person: Proof of full vaccination and masks are required to attend our courses. Parents or guardians who accompany unvaccinated children to class should show proof of vaccination. Please read CDC recommendations.
The building installed an air purifier system, and we also bought additional air purifiers for the classrooms.
Students, teachers, and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness, or COVID-19, should stay home and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care, regardless of vaccination status. If a student tests positive, please notify us immediately, in order to communicate to the class that a COVID-19 case occurred, therefore everyone should get tested and communicate their results to us. If a student is in quarantine because they have been exposed to someone positive, they should stay at home and attend class on Zoom (except for 2-3 and 4-6 yrs old Saturday courses, for which Zoom is not an option.)
Everyone, teachers and staff, students – adults and children – are required to show a negative PCR test done in the last 48 hours before class, or a rapid test done in the last 24 hours to be admitted in class, the first lesson after Thanksgiving and Christmas break.
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Courses on Zoom: For copyrights reasons, students can only request 2 recordings out of 10 lessons, or 1 recording out of 5 lessons, when absent. If more classes are requested, an additional fee of $15 per class needs to be paid (please call the office).
Hybrid courses: Students can come in person, or connect via Zoom to the same lesson. The teacher is in class.
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
The standard course (adult courses) meets for a 2-hour session once a week for 10 weeks or twice a week for 5 weeks for a total of 20 hours of instruction. We also offer courses that meet for 1.5 and one hour.
Teens & Kids courses are annual and meet for 30 weeks, for 1.5 hour classes, or 1 hour (for the 2-3 years old).
Courses have a minimum of 5 students (and a maximum of 12 students) – smaller groups during Covid pandemic, allowing the virtual option.
If less than the minimum register, the course may be offered with a surcharge, or the hours of the course may be adjusted.
Courses that don’t use textbooks, add $5 or $10 for material provided by the Instructor.
ICS members get discounts on courses. Siblings also get a discounted rate. Senior Citizens (65 and over) receive a small discount. Note: Discounts are not cumulative, and do not apply to Tutoring or Immersion courses.
TUTORING:
Tutoring is taught on an hourly basis, paid up front in a package of 5 or 10 hours. Packages are not refundable. Students will not be reimbursed for missing a scheduled session, but it is possible for tutorial students and a teacher to mutually negotiate a change of meeting time before the scheduled appointment, with at least 24 hours’ notice.
Small group tutoring is offered at a discounted rate. At-home tutoring may be available, and depends on location.
Immersion course for those traveling to Italy, 16 hours over two days on a weekend (minimum 8 students), course materials included. With less than 8 students, this course will meet for 13 hours instead. With less than 4 students, the course is postponed to the following scheduled date.
Drop-ins for most classes are also available.
WITHDRAWAL AND MAKE-UP POLICIES
Students may switch courses, assuming a place is available, during the first two weeks of classes.
Withdrawal policies:
Students withdrawing up to 7 days before the first class will receive full refund of tuition, minus a $15 refund transaction fee.
Students withdrawing up to 6 days before the first class, or after just one meeting will be charged the value of three drop-in classes.
Students withdrawing from a course after the second meeting will not be refunded, but a partial credit towards the next registration will be issued, if the withdrawal is due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., health).
For the Immersion courses, a written cancellation can be accepted with full refund up to seven (7) days prior to the class.
Make-up policy: If you must miss a class for reasons of health or family, please notify the office. You may request to attend a similar class (possibly with a different teacher) during the same session. No make-ups extending into the next session. This policy holds for both conversation classes and regular classes.
Weather Related Closings or delays: On days in question, please call 301-215-7885, or visit our web site at http://archive.italianculturalsociety.org for up-to-date information. We follow Montgomery County Public Schools and DC government decisions as a guideline. For classes canceled by the Italian Language Program, a make-up date will be scheduled.
RETURNED CHECKS: There will be a $30 fee for any checks returned by the bank.