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NPAS ZOOM GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS

In the current environment none of us know when lockdown levels will change. It is our absolute plan to hold classes live in studio each weekend. If the level increases or decreases we are prepared to 6 young people in their pod in to class, the full class of 2 or 3 pods, and our final option, to provide classes online Live on ZOOM. If we do have to move to Zoom we will be doing it in NPAS style, live, with your teacher, and your classmates – lots of interaction and all the fun and inclusion of an NPAS class. Here are some questions answered.

 

What exactly IS Zoom?

The leader in video-conferencing platforms, Zoom allows users in any geographical location to come together in a livestreamed virtual meeting space. You need a computer / laptop / iPad with a built-in video camera and microphone.

NPAS have a Zoom Pro account.

 

Set-up

Downloading and installing Zoom is very easy but get a parent to do it for you. No account set-up is required. As for getting students into a meeting or other “digital event,” including a classroom, NPAS will send you a link for each class you are booked in for.

 

Spam and messaging from randoms

Junk messages, scams and nuisance calls and texts from strangers are a way of life on some other video-calling apps. With Zoom, if someone sends you a meeting link, and you don’t know them or don’t want to participate, you do nothing – and that’s the end of it. Ignore all Spam. Your NPAS Classlink will work for the 10 weeks of term, or however often we need to use it. When classes are live in studio there will be no Zoom classes. Zoom is being used as a last resort to providing you with your class .. it is not in addition to real class. We will provide one or the other.

 

Get your Parent to sign up and sign in for you

When you are starting with Zoom make sure to get help from a parent. We want your parents to help in set up but then for the hour of class we want just you to be onscreen. We would like to see your own name onscreen with your image. The class is for the student only and we want to follow the rules we follow in real class. It would be great if you could put up a suitable back drop when you are in class – it helps with focus and gets rid of distractions, and you should be the only one interacting with the teacher.

 

Safety and Other privacy concerns

Please make sure your privacy settings are at the top level. You will not be able to record a class to keep for later. The class is Live and in keeping with our desire to keep the classes as similar to real classes in studio they are one off classes. Zoom has said it is constantly adding new features to focus all of its efforts on addressing privacy issues. Please keep your Zoom application up to date.

 

Safety tips for kids using ANY video-calling app

  • NPAS will require that a student in a class has their camera on all the time during class. The teacher needs to be able to see the students to interact with them.
  • Never join a meeting or accept a request from someone you don’t actually know.
  • Check out the platform’s privacy settings – you will be surprised at some of the defaults – and adjust them accordingly. Get a parent to do this.
  • Always leave personal details out of your profile

 

A note to parents

Find a space in your home which suits the class – enough room to Dance, a space in which to Sing without interruption. For very young students you may need to help them get connected and help them during the process.

 

Technical support and Help

If we have to switch to ZOOM classes, even for a week or two during term we will have a technical team available to help you out with connecting to class. The office is open Tuesday to Friday to help with any questions you have and all weekend to help out. We will have 3 options to connect, by phone on 01 8944660, by text on 089 4449533 and by email at info@npas.ie . We are always available to help.

 

We are so very excited to get back to class and we really hope that all classes will be in person in a  studio. If they are not, and if health and safety protocols mean we have to switch to ZOOM we will be doing it in an NPAS way. We will work so hard to make it fun, educational and confidence building experience for all our students, a class they look forward to, and a class they virtually run into each weekend.

 

N – New experiences can be amazing – ZOOM will be fun and not forever!

P – Perform. Find a suitable space for your class, where you can dance & move

A – Always remember you are part of your class & your teacher is delighted to see u

S – Super. We are very lucky to have you in our school. You are all Super kids!

 

This year due to Covid restrictions we may have to resort to online ZOOM classes. We will attempt at all times to keep our classes live and in Studio. If this is not possible due to advice from the HSE, NPAS will operate during any lockdown period online.

ZOOM TERMS & CONDITIONS
Please read the following information and conditions before you join/take part in classes:
They are very important for the safety of our students and the enjoyment of their classes.
Parents and Guardians are responsible for ensuring the space you undertaken this online class in is suitable and safe. This is of the utmost importance. Please read the following additional terms and ensure that all guidelines are followed.
 1. Ensuring the space is a sufficient size to accommodate the student moving freely and the space should also be free from obstacles and dangerous items.
2. The student registered for the class should  be the only person partaking in the class, or watching the class. This is a GDPR Regulation to protect other children and young people in the class. There is NO Recording of any Zoom class permitted.
3. Students who are taking the class should always be dressed appropriately, including appropriate footwear.
4. Please  take extra care to ensure that private or sensitive data is not shared; for example,
addresses or emails (both physical and digital) should not be on display. Always make sure your privacy settings are set correctly and up to date.
5. You should not allow your siblings/others to participate alongside you if they are not registered for the class. We treat Zoom classes, in so much as possible, as if we are in the Studio for real.
6. We require you to be warmed up before a dance class, and to inform the teacher of any injuries or conditions that they need to be aware of. If this is of a personal nature, you should send an email to the school email address the day before the class and we will make the teacher aware.
7. NPAS accepts no liability for any injuries sustained by those participating in the classes, nor do we accept any liability for damage to personal property caused during the classes.
By signing up to take part in these online classes and in being a part of our NPAS Family and community, you are saying that you will abide by the terms listed here. Thank you and enjoy your class!