We’ll be allowing 5 students for each morning and afternoon start time with 30 minutes in between.  This should allow us to get each group in and situated to avoid crowding at the door.

10 students or less
The studio space has been opened up and emptied out, a space where we can often host 35+ kids is now set up for just 10.  In the photo above you can see a preview of the space.  There are two machines per table but one will be for morning and the other for the afternoon.  There is no waiting area, this is a drop off only situation.

3.5 Hour sessions and full weeks only, no full-day students
Since kids will be wearing masks, a 3.5-hour time slot seems about right.  This also gives us time to stager start and end times plus allow time to clean between sessions.  Not allowing full-day students reduces exposure for each group of morning and afternoon kids in a given week.

Masks are worn by all employees and students
We will be doing our very best to encourage kids to wear their masks the entire time they’re here.  We all know this is hard but also necessary in this “new normal”.  Of course exceptions will be made for medical necessity and we’re going to be making customized masks which I think will make it a lot more fun.

Daily temperature checks for employees and students
Temperatures will be recorded along with sign-in data for each student and employee. Handwashing upon arrival, before and after eating, and end of class.  Hand sanitizer will be available for between handwashing.

Scheduled snack times, no off schedule eating will be permitted.

No Chester
It’s really not fair for anyone, including Chester, to have an off-limits puppy in attendance.  He’ll be staying home for the Summer.  I do worry about his level of social interaction so I am excited to have him back in the studio eventually.  Don’t worry, he’s not alone, there’s a working from home lap to sit on.

Dedicated workspace, tools, and machines for each student for the duration of the week.
Sewing stations are placed six feet apart and all personal belongings will be kept at the station.  Stations are now placed along the walls so there are no students across from each other.

Disinfection procedures between morning and afternoon sessions.
Hospital-grade disinfectant will be used on surfaces and bathroom facilities.
We have installed an additional electrostatic filter on the central A/C system.
The studio will utilize an ozone system to automatically disinfect the entire studio space each night.  Ozone has been shown to be effective and safe against viruses like Covid-19.

Booking Will Also Be Different

While I’m hopeful we can operate the entire Summer, I’d like to plan ahead for the possibility of being closed down early by the state of MA.  To avoid giving refunds (and offer peace of mind for families to book ahead of time) we won’t be collecting payments until the first day of the week you’ve booked.  This means you’ll be booking your Summer with no prepayment or deposit.  This is a bit of a risk since we won’t have any recourse for no-shows, with the much-reduced capacity we really need every booking to follow through.

I’m also going to ask that payments are made in cash or checks. Eliminating credit card processing fees is a great way we can keep costs down and prolong viability for the studio. 

I’ll send you a total due on the first day in your confirmation email.  If you have credits (time or unused classes) in your account then those will be deducted from your total.