Dear Parents
We are pleased to share with you the DBIS Instrumental programme for 2019/20. Our instrumental lessons are offered during the school day and support our classroom music lessons, ensembles and performances. Our instrumental teachers are professional musicians within Hong Kong and have a wealth of experience in performance, teaching and music within educational settings who enjoy excellent reputations.
Instrumental lessons are extremely popular with over 240 students learning. We anticipate these numbers to continue to grow. Learning an instrument is a very special experience and an integral part of a child’s education.
Instrumental Lessons Available
Instrumental lessons are offered to students on the following instruments.
Year 1 – Piano and violin
Please note instrumental lessons will be offered to Year 1 students from term 2 only. This is to enable them to transition smoothly and settle into their new class.
Year 2 – Piano and violin.
Year 3 – Piano, violin, cello, acoustic guitar and flute.
Years 4 to 12 – Piano, violin, cello, voice, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, ukulele, drum kit, acoustic guitar and bass guitar.
Instrumental Hire
Where available, instruments may be hired from our school for any student who wishes to begin instrumental lessons. For those students who have hired instruments previously, and who are continuing their lessons, it will be necessary for parents to purchase an instrument so that priority for hiring can be given to beginners. Instrumental teachers will be happy to suggest retailers and brands. If you wish to hire an instrument please indicate on the application form. Please note piano, drum kit, bass guitar and guitars cannot be hired from school therefore students must purchase their own.
Price of Lessons
Lessons are provided at a rate of $210 for duo session and $320 for individual session. Please note that individual lessons will be the norm. The only exception will be established lessons which are already taught in pairs. Ultimately, all pairs will revert to individual lessons as students progress.
Timetabling
Lessons are timetabled weekly on a rotating schedule throughout the school day. Â Lessons are 30 minutes in duration. Lessons missed due to school trips will be eligible for a make up lesson, however, any lessons missed due to personal holidays, student absence or when students forget their lesson time will not be eligible for a make up or refund. Lessons missed due to student illness may be eligible for a make-up lesson dependent upon whether capacity exists. This cannot be guaranteed. Â Â Students in Year 3 and below or in Year 10 will be prioritized. Students in Years 11, 12 and 13 will have lessons scheduled during break, lunch, before or after school, depending on availability and capacity
Re-enrolment for existing students
Students who were taking instrument lessons last academic year have been issued an invoice which can be found in the documents section of the Parent Portal. To access the invoices, click on Parent Information on the main menu and select Document & Files. Â The invoice for your child is in a folder called Instrument Lessons. Please settle the invoice on or before Friday 23 August at the DBIS Office.
If you no longer wish your child to continue with instrumental lessons, please complete the lesson cancellation form before Monday 26 August – dbis.hk/1UXGsJN. If the school does not receive any lesson cancellation notification by the above date, the school will assume your child is continuing with their instrument lessons. Â Link to the form can also be found on the instrument page of the Parent Hub.
Enrolment for new students/instruments
For new students or students wishing to take lessons in a new instrument, please complete the new student enrolment form – LINK. Â Please complete the online form before Monday 26 August. Â Please ensure that the parent contract is read in detail. The link to the parent contract is HERE.
Payment
Lessons for new students will be charged for the full term once enrolled. Â An email with details of the lesson day and invoice information will be sent as soon as lesson schedules are finalised.
Cheque payment must be handed in to the school office on or before Friday 30 August. Online bank transfer is also accepted provided that the transfer slip and student information are emailed to the school office for reconciliation purposes.
Bank details as follows:
Bank name: Discovery Bay International School Limited
HSBC account number: 111-459624-001
Should there be any queries, please feel free to contact the school office or myself.
Kind regards
David Spencer
Head of Performing and Creative Arts