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Frequently
Asked Questions
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Finding
Classes
 How
can I find out where classes are being offered?
Are
classes at private schools or YMCA's available to non-members?
Deciding to Sign Up
How
do I register?
How
do I know if my child is actually placed in a class?
How
much does it cost?
Is
the class just for children or do the parents participate, too?
What
do I get when I sign up?
How
can I pay for classes?
What
if the class I want to take is full?
Taking Classes
What
involvement, if any, is needed by parents?
What
do I and my child need to do to prepare for each class?
What
changes will I see in my child?
What
if my child misses a class?
After the Last Class
What
do we do after the class has concluded?
Are
there other classes available?
I
know lots of friends who want to bring their children.
No Classes in Your Area
How
can I get Polite Child in to my area?
Getting Involved
I
want to bring the Polite Child program to my area! How can I
do that?
Can
I teach a Polite Child class? What are the qualifications?
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Q: How can I find out where classes are being offered? |
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A: The best thing to do is to visit our web site
and view the class
schedule. Or, you can call us at 425.485.4089.
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Q: Are classes at private schools or YMCA's available to non-members? |
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A: In many cases, yes, but sometimes they are limited
to current students or members. This is a decision made by
the school, not by The PoliteChild®.
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Q: How do I register? |
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A: It depends upon the location of the class. In
some cases, the hosting schools wish to register students
for PoliteChild classes, but in other cases, you can register
directly with The PoliteChild. The class
schedule on our web site specifies whether classes are
open to non-members or not.
To register
with The PoliteChild, we ask that you print a copy of our
Registration Form (PDF,
Word, ZIP),
indicating which class you’re registering for. Mail
or fax the completed registration form to our office. If you’re
mailing the form, please include your credit card information
or a check; if you fax the form, you may include your credit
card payment information or mail a check separately.
When registering
with The PoliteChild directly, please note that we hold a
firm place in class for your child only upon receiving payment
for that class. If something comes up that causes your child
to miss one or more classes, you can call for a makeup, reschedule
the class, or request a refund subject to the terms of our
Refund and Cancellation
Policy.
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Q: How do I know if my child is actually placed in a class? |
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A: If you register directly through The PoliteChild,
once we have received a completed Registration Form (PDF,
Word, ZIP)
and payment, we will confirm the placement of your child in
that class. Should class start dates or times change, we will
notify you in advance either by email or by phone, depending
on which method of contact you’ve given us, and the
timeframe or conditions of the change.
If you
register through a school or other organization, they may
have their own method of confirming this class with you. Often
we do not receive class rosters until a day or so before the
beginning of class, so we do not know which children are actually
registered and confirmed.
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Q: How much does it cost? |
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A: The price of the course depends on the age group
of the student, the course itself, and, sometimes the location
of the course. Some organizations, like the YMCA, offer discounted
course fees to their current members. Course costs can be
quickly found by clicking the highlighted links for each class.
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Q: Is the class just for children or do the parents participate,
too? |
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A: Generally, the classes we provide involve in-class
instruction for the children only. We do have some courses
that involve parents during the class, such as our Holiday
Manners course. Our program is a family-based curriculum,
however, in that we provide our parents with resources and
materials to help support and reinforce the learning and practice
of Good Manners, etiquette, and social skills at home.
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Q: What do I get when I sign up? |
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A: The “package” you receive as part
of the class varies depending on the class, the age group
for which you have registered, and the location. Generally
your class fees include instructor time, all class materials,
including any interactive teaching aids that may go with the
class, a Parents’ Guide or similar parent resources,
certificate of completion, and a subscription to our monthly
on-line newsletter.
Some classes,
such as SocialSmarts,
include a graduation tea or social and special graduation
gift. These gifts may change without notice, subject to class
limitations, age category, or stock on hand.
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Q: How can I pay for classes? |
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A: When registering through a school, or an organization
like the YMCA, generally you will pay the school or organization,
using payment methods the school or organization uses. If
you are registering directly with PoliteChild, we take checks,
as well as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
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Q: What if the class I want to take is full? |
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A: If the class for which you want to register is
full, we can put you on a waiting list. To do this, you would
register for the class as you normally would. When we receive
your completed Registration, we will notify you if the class
is full. We can give you the option to have your child placed
in another open class, reschedule for an upcoming class, refund
your money (subject to our Cancellation
Policy), or extend the class to include your child. If
the class has many extra students signed up, we also have
the option to add an Instructor or teacher’s assistant
to help with the course, depending on the flexibility of the
facility and the course.
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Q: What involvement, if any, is needed by parents? |
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A: Over time we have seen that your child’s
success in our courses is strongly linked to parental involvement.
Parents should read the materials prior to each class, and
again afterwards. Your child is learning and having fun in
PoliteChild classes, and your active involvement and reinforcement
is important if your child’s behavior changes are to
become a permanent part of his/her social skills. If you are
not actively involved in working with our program during non-class
time, you may see temporary improvements, but your child may
quickly slip back to his or her previous patterns of behavior.
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Q: What do I and my child need to do to prepare for each class? |
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A: Be familiar with the school’s location,
show up on time, work on the program materials between classes,
and be supportive of the learning and fun that your child
will experience in the class!
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Q: What changes
will I see in my child? |
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A: Your child will start using the skills learned
in each class. With reminders, encouragement, and praise,
your child’s behavior will change for the better. As
he or she becomes more aware of Good Manners and proper behavior,
don’t be surprised (and please don’t be angry!)
if your child corrects an occasional slip on YOUR part! This
is actually a positive sign and shows that your child’s
knowledge and awareness of what’s proper and expected
is increasing!
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Q: What if my child misses a class? |
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A: If your child misses a class, whether due to unplanned
or planned circumstances, you can call our office and schedule
a makeup. If you know in advance that your child will be absent,
we can provide you with the materials for that missed class
at the class just prior to the planned absence. Depending
on the course, if your child misses two or more consecutive
classes, it may be best to postpone further class sessions
in the present course and reschedule to re-take the course
at another time. More on this policy can be found in our Refund
and Cancellation Policy online.
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Q: What do we do after the class has concluded? |
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A: Continue monitoring, reminding, and praising your
child for his polite behavior. Take advantage of situations
about manners and etiquette and turn them into teaching opportunities.
These can be good situations or examples of negative behavior.
These opportunities (especially the BAD ones, unfortunately)
are EVERYWHERE! For more ideas on extending your child's knowledge,
have a look at our recommended
reading list.
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Q: Are there other classes available? |
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A: Yes! There are intermediate and advanced classes,
as well as classes for special occasions. And, we’re
constantly developing new curriculum, because so many of our
parents have requested an on-going program for their children.
The good news is that our possibilities are endless! And,
we’re always looking for suggestions, too, so if you
don’t see a topic in which you’re interested mentioned,
please contact us!
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Q: I know lots of friends who want to bring their children to
PoliteChild classes! |
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A: By all means please encourage your friends to
sign up for a PoliteChild class!
We are
presently developing a referral program that will recognize
and reward your spreading the word. Also,
if you like, with enough friends – and their children
– you could also be eligible for a custom
class at your home or neighborhood, if that’s more
convenient for you than one of our many public classes.
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Q: How can I get Polite Child in to my area? |
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A: First, let us know! Write,
call, or send us e-mail.
Tell us where you live and a little about your community.
Be sure to tell us what school(s) your child(ren) attend.
Your community may be on our expansion plans, but if you are
anxious to get a class organized right away, we can send you
one of our Pioneer Kits that will help you get a new class
organized in your area.
Also,
it’s a great idea to let your SCHOOL know about us.
We stand the best chance of being invited to offer our classes
through a school if the parents make the initial contact.
That might be through your PTA, your teacher, or your principal,
depending on your school’s structure.
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Q: I want to bring the Polite
Child program to my area! How can I do that? |
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A: Write, call,
or send us e-mail.
Tell us about yourself and what you would like to do to help
us get involved in your community. For additional information
about getting classes started, see the response in the “No
Classes in your Area” question.
We are
looking for individuals to help in several areas, including
business development, program coordination, teaching, and
more!
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Q: Can I teach a Polite Child class? What are the qualifications? |
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A: Yes, if you have three years (or more) experience
teaching children in classrooms or extracurricular activities.
Actual teacher accreditation is not required, but it is helpful.
We’re
looking for qualified teachers all the time, so you can be
sure to find a job description on our web site on the careers
page.
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