Youth Program Policies

General Information

You’ll receive a confirmation email with the dates and times of the class you registered for.
Show and Try vs. Performance
- Most Wise Fool classes and camps end in an informal “Show and Try”. This means we set up the room with all the circus disciplines they learned, and they are able to take you around the room and show off their skills on their own timeline with the support of their coaches! Sometimes there are pre-planned performance elements.
- Any “performance” class or camp ends in a sit down performance. These are always free and open to family and friends!
Please make sure when you register your child that you enter an e-mail you check regularly, and that any relevant parents/guardians can access. We will be sending out important information via e-mail.
- Please add the following emails to your safe sender list:
  - noreply@goteamup.com
  - youth@wisefoolnm.org
  - mail@wisefoolnm.org
Your confirmation email will include the location of the class and directions to the specific classroom where classes are held.

You may sign-in for classes 5-10 minutes before class starts.
Seasonal camps have an arrivals window built-in to the first 15 minutes of the camp- therefore, drop-offs are only allowed 5 minutes before the camp start time.
You must enter the building with your child and ensure they are with a Wise Fool staff person before leaving. Wee Kids class requires that the parent stay with their child until class starts. For all other programs, you can drop off your student as long as a Wise Fool staff member is present.
Most camps offer Before Care- you must sign up for this separately and in advance.
Please pick up your student promptly when classes or camps end and if possible, wait for your student outside of the classroom to minimize distraction! Please use the sign-out sheet.
Our policy is that if you are more than 5 minutes late to pick up your child, we will charge a $5 Late Pickup Fee. If you know that you will be late to pick up your child, please call (505) 992-2588.

Please do not bring your child to circus class if they are sick with a contagious illness.
If they are showing visible signs of illness, their coach may request they wear a mask.
Wise Fool knows that COVID-19 is still impacting our community. While we are a mask-friendly space, we do not require them for everyone. We will have masks available for free. Please let us know if you have a mask-related access need.
We have basic first aid available on site
Our coaches are CPR certified
Please note you will need to authorize an emergency care release in order to sign your child up for class:
- In case of emergency, I authorize WFNM camp staff to care for and act as guardian of my child until I can be reached. This includes first aid care and possible transportation to proper treatment facilities should the situation warrant it.

Access needs are anything that a person needs in order to have access to a space. They do not need to be disclosed and sometimes preference is not to disclose. If you or your student has a particular access need that you want us to be aware of in order for them to participate in this class, let us know!
Most classes provide an opportunity to share access needs at the start of class, including coaches, and we have class agreements in place to support bodily autonomy and asking for help in meeting needs.
Some examples of access needs: Your student is easily disturbed by loud sounds and will wear headphones during some or all of class, needs a snack every 30 minutes, will miss classes without warning, or requires a language interpreter.

The class is not a low-sensory environment, but we can provide low-sensory short-term spaces.

We encourage students and practice as coaches to use circus as a regulatory activity. We allow for students to meet their needs to leave the learning environment, but we encourage participation to resume as soon as it is possible.
We are setup to provide ASL interpretation upon request.

Please make sure your child comes dressed in work-out/athletic/comfortable clothes, and either with leotards or shirts that can be tucked into pants or tight-fitting enough so that they won’t come up when the child goes upside down.
Long hair must be tied back.
For aerial classes: no watches, rings, necklaces, or zippers.
Students should wear or bring sneakers for stilt walking.
If these attire requirements are an issue, please let us know!

Afterschool classes do not provide snack, so please check in with your child’s needs for food between school and circus class.
Camps all provide snacks, but lunch is brought from home.
We cannot always meet all dietary requirements for snacks, but please let us know of any allergies or restrictions in advance and we will do our best!