FAQ - POTTS

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration, Switches, and Cancellation

Class Experience

For Parents

Downloading Webex:

Starting a Class:

Turning In Homework:

What are the rules for registration?

Please see our rules for registration document. All students must agree to these rules. If you do not agree, please do not register. Payment will be considered acceptance of these rules, even if a student or guardian does not explicitly verbalize agreement orally or in writing.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR STUDENTS UNDER 18:

Being under 18 does not excuse anyone from responsibility with compliance with the rules and regulations of the studio; students under 18 who have made payment have either earned the money themselves and are therefore fully responsible for their financial decisions, OR they have received money from a parent or guardian, and therefore have the prerogative to use this money on the authority of a person over 18.

How long do I register for?

Minimum one term (fall, winter, spring, or summer) - however many weeks still remain in that term; if less than half the term remains (except for summer), you register for the remaining classes of this term and the next term together.

We do offer a discount for full school-year registrations (in certain cases, we may limit new students from this option until they’ve proven they are a good match for the studio)

What forms of payment do you take?

Cash, cheque, e-transfer, debit - no additional fees
Credit cards (no Union Pay) - 3% service fee added to invoice
AliPay / WeChat - 1.2% service fee added to invoice

Can I switch classes?

If the studio or teacher requests that a student switches classes, there will be no fee. For other cases, please see below:

From group class to another group class...

Once per term no fee; after that, a $50 fee will be required to change; fee can be waived if you declare upcoming changes when you register

From one-on-one to another one-on-one...

The studio needs to investigate why this request is being made - if there’s a new time conflict, then there’s a $50 fee to change; if there is conflict with the teacher, then we will decide on a case-by-case basis what to do

From group class to one-on-one...

$50 fee to change

From one-on-one to group class...

$50 fee to change

From one-on-one or group to university planning package...

$50 fee to change

From university planning package to group or one-on-one...

$50 fee to change

Cancel registration / refund...

There are strictly no refunds; a student can gift his/her registration to someone else for the remaining classes for a $50 fee
Classes cannot be postponed to a later term

What happens if I am sick?

The studio intends to provide all the classes that a student registers for; as such, here are your options:

Group Classes:

If your class is also offered online, please login from home for that class
If you are too sick to join online, please watch the recording and follow all instructions; do email us for questions or additional help for that class
If joining online or watching the recording are not options, then you can join a makeup class at another time during the week; note: the makeup class may not necessarily be the exact class you miss, but we will try to make it as close as possible.

Notes:

If you miss ONE, you get ONE - in other words, you can choose to watch the recording OR come to a makeup class, but not both
If you are not willing to take any of the above options, then you forfeit the class by choice; being sick does not entitle you to any recompense on the part of the studio (after all - we aren’t responsible for your health!)
Let us know before the class if you are sick; if you simply do not show up for the class, then you forfeit the class

One-on-One Classes:

If you normally take classes in person but can still do the class online, please login from home for that class
If you are too sick to join online, we will try to reschedule the class to the best of our ability, BUT the earlier you let us know, the better. We have a 24hr-notice rule, so the closer to class time you tell us you are sick, the less likely we can reschedule and you may lose the class
Being sick is not an automatic excuse to get a free class; being sick is terrible, and we will try to be sympathetic and accommodating, but keep in mind, we aren’t responsible for your health!

What happens if the teacher is sick?

We may simply host that class online only for that day (or days, depending on the teacher’s health) if the teacher is still well enough to teach, but has symptoms of COVID or the flu; our goal is to keep people safe.
We may completely reschedule the class, again on a case-by-case basis.
We may find a substitute teacher for that day (or days), to be decided on a case-by-case basis.
***Please note it is not the aim of the studio to change teachers for no reason; but we have a responsibility to provide the classes people have signed up for, and under certain circumstances, a substitute may be the best option. Substitutes are only teachers that work here at the studio, and must follow the same standards that have been set out for the entire staff. The class, lesson, and assignments have already been arranged by the original teacher, so there is no difference in lesson content, quality, or homework.

What materials do you use?

We use a very wide variety of materials - we have over 1000 educational books in our collection; we use materials that help fulfill the BC curriculum, as well as testing organizations like SSAT, SAT, AP, IELTS, IB, TOEFL, CELPIP, and more.

What are your expectations for students?

Students should login or arrive to class 10 minutes before the class starts, or let us know in advance if this is not possible; students should bring a device to class as well as a notebook and paper; all students are expected to complete and hand in assignments before the next class.

Additionally, we expect our students to work honestly (no copying), ask for help (no leaving answers blank!), and demonstrate learning and improvement.

Do you give homework?

Yes; one-on-one classes are individualized based on student needs; for group classes, parents can choose from either tier A or tier B:

Tier A:
In this more traditional approach, students will be expected to complete and submit homework assignments before the next class and will be held responsible for doing so, including doing makeup assignments or extra work at the teacher’s discretion. Parents will continue to be prompted when assignments are missing and will be expected to work with the studio to maximize the student’s educational experience.

Results: students and parents can expect academic performance to improve, and students can expect to catch up with and surpass their peers at school, as long as they follow the curriculum given. The goal of this tier is for high performance and intellectual development.

Appropriate for: students who wish to achieve results both in the short term and long term, and who aim to attend a post-secondary institution of repute.

Tier B:
In this low-pressure approach, students will be marked on homework assignments they submit. They will complete assignments as their schedule allows. They will not be asked to make up for missing assignments, and parents will no longer be prompted for missing assignments.
Students will still be expected to participate in class and follow studio rules. We will collect marks from quizzes and assignments done during class time.

Results: students will engage in learning in the classroom; results outside of the studio context (i.e., at school) will, however, be limited. The goal of this tier is to provide some degree of extracurricular learning and engagement, but due to a reduced practice regimen and low-pressure approach, this tier can only produce limited academic performance and intellectual prowess.

Appropriate for: students who suffer from stress; students who need additional support and time, but who may not feel comfortable meeting rigorous expectations.

For either tier, parents are reminded to check their student’s progress on their report card.

What happens if a student doesn’t finish her/his work?

Homework is important for practice, and this is especially true for language development; we try to work with the student to make up for missing assignments and/or assign additional practice when appropriate; we may ask for the parents’ support when we feel it is warranted; in some cases, we may ask the student to stay after class to finish assignments; our goal is not punishment, but learning.

What are the group classes like?

The group classes teach new content and assign homework; we often take up assignments from previous weeks in class so students can ask questions, get answers and guidance, and they can see the thought process and reasoning behind certain answers that feedback on a sheet may not always provide.

We keep a digital report card so students and parents can see progress.

What are your hours?

Our admin staff is on duty M-F, 12:45pm to 8:45pm, and Sat-Sun 9:45 to 5:45pm. Note that our class hours often extend beyond these hours.

How and when can students contact you?

Our online contact is easy to use, 24/7 - however, remember that our staff are just human; our admin staff will contact you at their next availability; please give instructors a couple of days (i.e. 48 hours) to get back to you; please don’t ask teachers about homework the night before or the day of class.

(Parents) "My child won't listen / lies / complains..."

We have a whole page about how to deal with your child when they are having problems with their behaviour, attitude, or school achievements.

How do I get homework?

Go to the Homework page.
Find your class and click on it.
Type in your class password (it is different for every class).
To download everything: click on "Download" in the top right corner, then "Direct Download".

6. If you just need one file, click on it, then click the arrow in the top right corner, then "Direct Download".

How do I turn in homework?

Make it into a PDF.
Name the file correctly.
Go to the homework page, click on your class, click the icon with the assignment name. OR, if there is no assignment name, click the button called "Turn In".

How do homework cards work?

When students do especially well in a group class, a teacher may give them a homework card.

It can be used in place of ONE homework assignment in that class.

Official rules:

Homework cards expire 90 days after they are given.
(All homework cards given before January 1, 2023 must be used by March 31, 2023.)
Cards must be used in the class where they were given.
3 homework cards = 1 test card (which can be used to avoid 1 test)
3 test cards = 1 day pass (which can be used to avoid 1 class—at parents' discretion)
Homework cards will be indicated on the student's marking sheet so they can see how many they have in each class (starting in Spring 2023).