Creative Drama | Family Handbook

Classes are held at ImaginOn, 300 E 7th St. Charlotte, NC 28202 | MAP

Education Team

EG Engle, Director of Education
Mary Katherine Smith, Camps & Community Programs Manager
Morgan Southard, Education Program Manager
Karen Steele, Resident Teaching Artist
Breana Venablé, Resident Teaching Artist
Contact the Education Team
Meet our Teaching Artists

Program Overview

Students explore their imaginations, build confidence, and develop important social skills through games, crafts, and songs. There are separate Fall and Winter sessions. While the structure of our classes stays the same, we introduce new materials and books to explore each session. NOTE: Students must be the eligible age as of the first day of class.

  Sneak-A-Peek & Final Sharing

  • With the exception of Side-By-Side and Tiny Toes classes, each session is an independent experience for students to learn and explore so parents are not allowed in the classroom. This said, there are opportunities for families to observe class, and you will receive communication from your Teaching Artist about both of them.
  • We provide a mid-session Sneak-a-Peek for families to observe the class as a “fly-on-the-wall.” Video and photography are discouraged at this time. Please wait until the Final Sharing.
  • Every session ends with a Final Sharing for families and friends. At the Final Sharing, students demonstrate activities and skills learned throughout the session as well as class specific projects. Students will also share an adaptation of one of the stories explored during the session.
  • A full schedule of important dates including Sneak-a-Peek and Final Sharings is listed below.

  Communication With Families

We are committed to providing you with all the information needed to be prepared and have a wonderful class experience.
  • One month prior to the start of class you will receive a reminder email with brief information about your class and a reminder about our cancellation policy. This reminder is sent to the email address you used at registration.
  • One week prior to the start of class you will receive an email with important information about class. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at education@ctcharlotte.org.
  • Following each weekly class, you will receive an email from your Teaching Artist about class content and activities. Feel free to ask any questions in that reply.

  First-Day Parent Orientation

On the first day of class, parents are invited into the classroom to meet your student’s teaching artists and receive important information about your class. This orientation will last 5-10 minutes. After the orientation, you will step out of the classroom. While students are in class, parents are welcome to wait in the public spaces of ImaginOn (Tech Central, public spaces on lower floors). Adults are not permitted to wait in the Teen Loft or Pre-Teen area.

  What to bring and wear

  • Reusable water bottle with your student’s name
  • Students should wear comfortable clothes that they can move in. Skirts and dresses are fine, but please wear leggings or shorts underneath. Please wear shoes appropriate for movement/dancing (sneakers, dance shoes, or closed-toed shoes). No sandals, flip flops, or crocs please.
  • Students can keep personal belongings/backpacks in a cubby in the rehearsal room. All personal items (toys, etc) must remain in their backpacks during class.

  Parking, Drop Off, & Pick Up 

Parking
Limited parking is available underneath the building for parents for up to 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, cars in the garage will be at risk of ticketing from Preferred Parking. 
7th Street Garage is available for parking after 5:01 PM Mon-Fri, and all day on the weekends. Bring your 7th Street Garage ticket to the Class Assistant or the Box Office for validating. We are unable to validate any other parking on the street, garages, or surface lots besides 7th Street Garage. Any tickets acquired while parking during your class will be your responsibility, as Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is not responsible for any parking violations incurred during class time.
Drop Off 
  • On the first day of class, we ask that you walk your student into the building and attend the First Day Parent Orientation. 
  • After entering ImaginOn, parents and students should walk up the ramp and check in the Class Assistant in Tech Central. 
  • The Class Assistant will take their attendance. 
  • Please encourage your student to visit the restroom before class.
  • While students are in class, parents are welcome to wait in the public spaces of ImaginOn, except for the Teen Loft.
  • Inclement weather alerts will be sent out on EZ text alert, and posted on our website. CTC Education staff will also call your preferred number.
Pick-Up
  • All Creative Drama students must be released to someone with the Pick-up card or security code. You will receive the pick-up card and your student’s security code on the first day of class. 
  • After class, the Teaching Artist will open the classroom door. Parents can gather outside of the classroom, and the Teaching Artist will ask each adult for the pick-up card or the security code, and release each student to their adult.
  • Students will not be released to any adult who does not have the pick-up card or the security code.

  Policies and Other Information

Click on a heading to learn more...
Inclusive Classrooms
All classes at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte are inclusive. Open communication with families helps us create a successful environment for every student. The Education Staff will note any allergies, chronic illness or medical conditions that were listed on your registration form. This information is only shared with Education Staff as necessary.
Contact the Education Department if you want to discuss your student’s needs further or have any tips or strategies to help them be successful.
Absence Policy
Theatre is a team sport, so we encourage the whole team to be present and ready to work for every class! If your student will be absent for any reason, notify your Teaching Artist as well as education@ctcharlotte.org in advance. If it is a last-minute emergency or occurs during class time, call the Class Assistant at 704-236-6638 as soon as you are able.
Because each class builds on activities from earlier classes, absences may affect a student’s participation in the program. There are no refunds or make-up sessions for missed classes.
Discipline Policy
Our goal is that every student will have a wonderful experience in class, and we encourage positive reinforcement and conflict management and resolution. In the case that we encounter behavior that negatively impacts the class environment, the following incremental course of action will be taken:
  1. Teaching Artist will talk with the student individually.
  2. Student is asked to step away from the activitivy until the Teaching Artist invites the student to return.
  3. Teaching Artist will speak with the parent/guardian after class and/or send an email.
  4. If the behavior continues, Education Administration contacts the parent/guardian and further action is determined. Grounds for immediate suspension or removal include but are not limited to causing physical harm, putting him/herself or others in danger, and harmful behaviors towards staff.
Inclement Weather & Building Closings
If the ImaginOn building is closed due to severe weather or some other emergency, Children’s Theatre will not hold classes. We will send out a text alert through EZ Text. Please make sure your account has your current cell number listed as the preferred number. Text alerts will be sent to the preferred number. You may also check the ctcharlotte.org homepage for updated information.
If a class is canceled due to inclement weather, building closure, or other unforeseen circumstance, we cannot guarantee make-up days will be scheduled. There will be no pro-rated refund for canceled classes due to inclement weather, building closures, or any other unforeseen circumstance.
Illness & Personal Emergencies
Please do not bring students to class if they are showing any of the symptoms listed below. Symptoms include:
  • Fever - Defined as having a temperature of 100.5°F or higher.
  • Vomiting - Please do not bring your student to class if they have vomited within the previous 12 hours.
  • Rash or Spots - Defined as frequent scratching of the body or scalp, lice, rash, or any other spots that resemble childhood diseases, including ringworm.
If a child becomes ill during class, the parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up them up. If they cannot be reached, the staff will call the emergency contact listed on the registration form. In the event of a serious emergency, 911 will be called first.
Medication
We generally do not administer drugs of any type. This includes over-the-counter medicines like Tylenol, Advil, etc. Our basic policy is that all medication must be self-administered by the student, although we evaluate each special case individually. If the medicine must be administered by a parent/guardian, we are happy to make any arrangements. Please enter any important allergies, chronic illness, or medical conditions during the registration process. If you have already registered and would like to add this information, please contact our Education Department.
Video & Photography
Both are allowed for the final Sharing. Recordings are for at home, personal use only. Please don’t post these on social media. We ask you to avoid flash photography of any kind. Children’s Theatre of Charlotte does not produce or sell media/recordings. Photographs of students taken in class by Education Staff may be used in promotional materials.
Refund & Transfer Policy
Refunds: A full refund for Creative Drama classes may be requested prior to these deadlines:
  • 1 month before the first day of class = 100% refund
  • 2 weeks before the first day of class = 50% refund
  • 1 week before the first day of class = 25% refund
  • No refunds from the day programming begins.
Transfers: Registration can be transferred to another session in the same program as the original registration, subject to availability.

Refund / Transfer Request

  Creative Drama Important 2024-25 Dates

Classes take place as scheduled on holidays and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School workdays (unless noted).
By Sept 23  Parent sent Orientation Video for Fall Session
Sept 26 - Oct 2 First day of classes for Fall Session
Oct 26 & Oct 29 Sneak-a-Peek for Fall Session (week 5)
Oct 26 Last day of class Side-by-Side Fall Session 1
Oct 31 No Creative Drama classes | Halloween
Nov 2 First day of class Side-by-Side Fall Session 2
Nov 25-30 No Creative Drama classes | Thanksgiving week
Dec 9-14 Final Sharing week for Fall Session
Jan 6-11 First day of classes for Winter Session
Jan 20 No Creative Drama classes | MLK Day
Feb 4 & 8 Sneak-a-Peek for Winter Session (Week 5)
Feb 8 Last day of class Side-by-Side Winter Session 1
Feb 17 First day of class Side-by-Side Winter Session 2
March 12 -16 Sharing week for Winter Session
Feb 15 First day of class Side-by-Side Winter Session 2
Mar 11-17 Final Sharing week for Winter Session

Have Any Questions?

Box Office
Email | 704-973-2828 (noon-5 PM, M-F)
Education Team
education@ctcharlotte.org | 704-973-2837
Class Assistant
Email | 704-973-2812
ImaginOn | 704-416-4600
Library branch hours may differ from education class hours. Please click here for more information.
Tax Information
Our Tax ID number is 56-1028031.
Thank you for participating in the education programs at Children's Theatre of Charlotte!