Continuing to Soar

Hi everyone! I’ve been hard at work trying to finalize the summer and fall schedules. It is quite a task to get a schedule together that suits our families, while accommodating the needs of all our instructors.

 It has also been a time for me to step back and make sure all the business portion is being handled properly. This blog will share some changes that you will see this summer and next fall. In an attempt to just be open, I will also include reasons why we are making some of these changes. Please know that our heart is to always serve our families.

Change 1 – We will have 2 Young Authors Classes this summer. Mrs. Beth Vinyard has an English degree and is a gifted teacher. One class will focus on students going into grades 3-5, who are struggling with their writing. The other class is for more advanced writers going into 5th-7th grades. The class will be on Monday and Tuesday evenings in July. Students will get a total of 10 classes. The course is $100.

Change 2 – We are having a few teacher changes. Mr. Caleb, one of our music instructors, is getting married in May. His fiancé’ is finishing college in Hattiesburg. The couple will be residing there at first, so he won’t be returning to Soar. However, Mr. Cole will be able to teach banjo to any of Mr. Caleb’s current students. Also, Mr. Dakota will be finishing his master’s degree from Southeastern. As his future plans are still a little unclear, we know he will definitely be with us during the summer. However, we are not currently scheduling him for the fall. We wish him the absolute best in all his future endeavors and are so grateful for all he has brought to Soar. We are currently interviewing for one more qualified music instructor. Mr. Taylor, Mr. Cole, and Miss Jessee will all be returning on staff. In addition, we are adding one more dance teacher to our staff. Miss Hayley Farace, who has been a competition dancer and assistant for years, will be teaching one of our preschool dance classes next year. It is a joy to watch students become teachers!

Change 3 – Our administrative staff is changing too. As Soar has grown, I felt it necessary to have someone working along side me with emails, our accounts, and so many other clerical parts to make Soar run efficiently. Mrs. Cheryl has another job that did not allow her to increase her hours at Soar. I have hired Shannon Payne, who you will see around Soar soon, as our office manager in the fall of 2019. She will slowly be learning all the ins and outs of Soar. Mrs. Cheryl will move to the lobby assistant position. Mrs. Vicki will not be returning with us. Again, we appreciate all that she has done for Soar and wish her nothing but the best.

Change 4 – In the summer and the fall, the Rhythm & Notes class we offered when Soar opened will be returning. This is a 30-minute music class for 4 and 5 year olds. They will work on concepts such as beat, tempo, singing, and reading music. Those enrolled in the fall will sing two songs in our music recital.

Change 5 – We are dividing our art program up a little more. Our Creativity class will now be for 5 and 6 year olds. We are offering a new class called Art Introduction for 7 and 8 year olds. They will learn techniques in both drawing and painting to help them choose which course they would like to continue on with from there. Drawing 1 and Painting 1 will be for 9-11 year olds. Drawing 2 and Painting 2 will be for 12-14 year olds. We will now offer Drawing 3 and Painting 3 for 15 year olds through adult. We stick closely to the ages for which class a student is in. If the student is advance, we will find ways to challenge that student in their class.

Change 6 – All fall tuition will be the same as last year. However, there are three small places we are increasing the prices on during our 2019-2020 year. Our dance costumes are currently $65 for recreational costumes. To be able to cover the tax and shipping rates for these costumes, we are having to raise each costume to $70. Also, we currently charge $12.50 for each piano book. The manufacturer raised their rates. We will need to charge $15 per book. Lastly to cover the Columbia Theatre’s fees, ticket prices will be rising by $1 in 2020.

Please know that we work hard to keep the prices down so our families can afford being a part of Soar. We also feel it is important to be open and honest with our families. Be on the lookout for our summer and fall schedules that will be released soon. We look forward to continuing to provide a quality, Christian fine arts education.