Thank you for returning to MCMA for another year of music and learning! We are so looking forward to seeing you all once again.
As you all know, the safety and health of our students and faculty is at the top of our priority list for this fall, and in keeping with all provincial public health directives, we have created some safety guidelines that will be followed by all students, parents, faculty and staff entering our building this September.
The University of Winnipeg has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy for all students, visitors, and staff attending campus this fall. This policy has been extended to the MCMA as tenants on campus, and we received official notification of this requirement on Friday, September 10. The policy requires all MCMA faculty, staff, students (age 12+), and visitors attending campus to provide proof of vaccination to enter any building on the U of W campus.
The vaccination mandate applies to everyone interacting with the MCMA community in-person in our campus building (example: parents escorting their children to their lessons), or off-site. Those visiting the office on an appointment basis and MCMA students attending lessons in the teacher’s home studio are included in this policy as well. Requests for exemptions on approved medical or human rights-based grounds will be considered on an individual basis and we will do our best to work out accommodations for these individuals. Inquiries regarding exemptions should be directed in writing to the MCMA Executive Director at norine@mcma.ca
Students who turn 12 years of age and become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine will have twelve weeks from their birthdate to become fully vaccinated in order to continue with in-person activities.
At your/your child’s next music lesson, please stop by the Student Services office (1B01 Bryce Hall). There, our Student Services staff will scan either the QR code from your phone, or your vaccination card. The staff member will record your proof of vaccination for the purpose of verifying your access to the MCMA studios. Your vaccination status is collected only for this purpose and will be stored securely at the MCMA. This information will not be shared with the University of Winnipeg. When proof of vaccination is shown, no record of your personal health information is retained by the MCMA.
Once we have recorded your proof of vaccination, you will not be required to present your proof of vaccination each time you attend campus. If your lesson occurs in your MCMA teacher’s home studio, please show your proof of vaccination to your teacher and they will communicate to the MCMA office.
You can view the detailed MCMA COVID-19 Vaccination Policy HERE
As of September 7, 2021, in person lessons will be available for all disciplines. Virtual lessons may still be accommodated upon request.
Some teachers have also opted to teach virtual lessons only, even if their discipline is available for in-person lessons, and we understand and support their decision. We are able to offer students the choice of participating in virtual or in-person (if available) lessons.
Everyone entering our building is asked to complete the COVID-19 Self Screening tool ahead of their music lesson. That tool can be found here.
Please stay home if you are sick or have been in contact with someone who is sick and self-isolating. Anyone displaying illness will be sent home. If you cannot attend in person, we can arrange a virtual lesson at your scheduled time so that you don’t miss your lesson.
Yes, as per guidelines set by the University of Winnipeg, face coverings are now required in public spaces on campus – including Bryce Hall. Please watch this short video on the appropriate mask procedure. If you should happen to forget your face mask, disposable masks will be available at the office for purchase ($1.00/each).
When you arrive, please use the intercom to the right of the door to call security. When prompted, identify yourself and your teacher and security will buzz you in. If there are any issues, call the MCMA office at 204-988-7650 to be let in by our office staff.
We request that parents drop off and pick up their children outside of the building if possible, rather than entering Bryce Hall. There is limited waiting space in our building and waiting areas will have capacities posted on the door to each waiting space. Of course, we understand that you may want to wait with younger children and will accommodate one parent waiting with the child(ren).
Upon entering the building, students will follow signage and proceed up the staircase on their left. Once up the stairs, students are asked to wait in the socially-distanced spots that are designated by signage on the floor and wall outside of the studio hall door.
Students will wait outside of the studio hall door until their teacher emerges from the studio to let them in. If you want to sit in on the lesson, please ask the teacher when they come to get your child. Some studios may be large enough for three people, but many are not.
After their lesson, the student will proceed out of the building down one of two staircases, as directed by their instructor. Students will proceed out of the building via the access door at the bottom of either the Chapel Staircase or the Main Staircase to the left (where they entered the building). Please follow all signage if you are unsure of where to go.
Of course! Hand sanitizer and wipes will be accessible in all studios, and floor markings will be present to encourage physical distancing during the lesson.
Restrooms will be available for public use, and cleaned on an enhanced schedule.
MCMA staff will also adhere to an enhanced cleaning schedule of wiping down high-touch surfaces like doorknobs throughout our space and surfaces in the office, wearing masks at all times, and staying home when feeling sick.
The MCMA has implemented safety measures in our studios and offices to help keep our students, staff and faculty safe. We have HEPA filters in every studio space, and plexiglass shields in most studios. Through the University of Winnipeg, there have also been a series of measures implemented, in keeping with Public Health directives, to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. For more information on the University of Winnipeg’s HVAC return to campus strategy, click HERE
If you have questions about MCMA operations, or regarding registration, please call or email the office before coming in person to make your inquiry. If you have any questions about our safety guidelines, please don’t hesitate to ask.
We are here to help, and are striving to keep in-person contact to a minimum. Cashless payments are encouraged.
