It's time to get excited about the fall class schedule in our Adult Training program! Teachers are lining up to teach, and the administrative team has come up with a couple of tweaks to our process for Full Session Enrollment that we are psyched to roll out for the Fall 2022 session.

(In case you're not familiar, full session enrollment means you pay upfront and are guaranteed a spot in the same class each week of the session. Session enrollment has been a part of Circus Center's culture and approach to circus training for many years, because we know that a regular, consistent training regimen is the best way to learn. So we don't just offer session enrollment – we make it our best, most attractive deal for you!)

TWEAK #1: Don't send an email – Fill out a form!

In the past, we used to ask you to send us an email with all the information about which class(es) you wanted to enroll in – days, times, levels, back-up choices, it was a lot!

A form takes out the guesswork of, "Did I remember to list everything?" Everything we *need* to know will be a required field, PLUS you will automatically receive a copy of your request via email as soon as you submit the form.

For this Fall, we will publish a Session Enrollment Request form at the same time that we release the fall class schedule – Friday, July 22.

TWEAK #2: There's a deadline – not a starter pistol!

Many of our classes are very popular! But in the past, session enrollment was first come, first served, which meant that the very minute we opened for enrollment each session was a frenzy for students. Some prepared their emails and sat at their laptops with fingers at the ready to hit "Send" exactly at 10am. Others scheduled their email to send at the right time. And some got shut out because, let's face it, not everyone has the time or wherewithal to mess with all that. And EVERYONE just had to pray that their internet tubes worked fast enough to get them to the front of the line. No thanks.

This Fall, we will do things differently – we will offer session enrollment in two rounds. Both rounds are open to anyone.

Round 1

• Round 1 starts when we release the Fall Schedule on July 22 – which is also when we will open a Fall Session Enrollment Request form (that form we talked about in Tweak #1) for submissions. Students can take the next few days to review our class offerings, decide what you want, and submit a session enrollment request form. The deadline for Round 1 requests will be Monday, July 25 at 8:00pm.
• On Monday night, we will review the request pool. Many classes will have enough room for all of the Round 1 enrollment requests – so that's easy. We'll email those students on Tuesday to say, "Hey, cool, you got your class, we'll process your payment this week, huzzah!"
• For those popular classes where we get more requests than we have spots, our first move will be to loop in the class's instructor. The instructor will have the *option* to select which students to admit. This can be based on factors like grouping similarly-skilled students together, or a history of absenteeism. It can NOT be based on an instructor's personal like or dislike for a student. It's not fair to play favorites.
• If the instructor does not want to have a hand in the decision... then it's a good ol' lottery. No fair way of getting away from it. At least it'll be truly random, and not based on something dumb like internet speed.
• We will then sort through students' backup choices, etc., and email everyone no later than Wednesday, July 27.

Round 2

• Round 2 begins at 8:01pm on Monday, July 25. (The Session Enrollment Request form will never close.)
• All requests in Round 2 will be taken on a first come, first served basis.
• We will start notifying students who make requests in Round 2 on Thursday, July 28, and within 48 hours thereafter.

We think these two tweaks will make for a system that is easier and clearer for you, and more streamlined for us – win win! So, be sure that you are on our email list, and watch your inbox on Friday, July 22 for the Fall schedule AND enrollment request form.

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our teachers and staff with competitive and equitable pay, Circus Center makes an annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all of our staff at the start of each fiscal year. All of our fundraising goes to support our equity goals, like our scholarship fund, so in order to increase wages, we must increase the costs of our services.

Our last price increase was one year ago, and our next price increase will take effect on Saturday, May 28, 2022. At that time, the new prices will be:

Adult In-Person Classes

• Single Drop-In Class: $42
• 5 Class Pack: $200 ($40/class)
• 10 Class Pack: $380 ($38/class)
• 20 Class Pack: $720 ($36/class)
• Session Enrollment: $34/class (BEST DEAL!)

Adult Premium In-Person Classes

Includes Flying Trapeze and Swinging Trapeze

• Premium Single Drop-In Class: $59
• Premium 5 Class Pack: $275 ($55/class)
• Premium 10 Class Pack: $510 ($51/class)
• Premium 20 Class Pack: $940 ($47/class)
• Premium Session Enrollment: $43/class (BEST DEAL!)

Adult Online 2-Hour Classes

• Online 2-Hour Single Drop-In Class: $34
• Online 2-Hour 5 Class Pack: $160 ($32/class)
• Online 2-Hour 10 Class Pack: $300 ($30/class)
• Online 2-Hour Session Enrollment: $27/class (BEST DEAL!)

Adult Online 60/90-Minute Classes

• Online 60/90-Minute Single Drop-In Class: $22
• Online 60/90-Minute 5 Class Pack: $100 ($20/class)
• Online 60/90-Minute 10 Class Pack: $180 ($18/class)
• Online 60/90-Minute Session Enrollment: $16/class (BEST DEAL!)

This means that NOW THROUGH MAY 27 is your last chance to buy at the current, lower prices.

In-Person Class Packs are good for 12 months from the date of purchase, and Online Class Packs are good for 6 months from purchase date, so stock up now and save!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CLASS PACKS

We are delaying the release of the summer adult class schedule and the opening of registration for the summer term by one week. New dates:

• Schedule release: Friday, May 20
• Summer term opens for drop-in registration: Tuesday, May 24, 10am

(Reminder, both staff and students need more flexibility during the summer months, so all classes are offered on a drop-in basis only.)

We apologize for the delay – but please read the following message from our Executive Director, and we hope you'll understand!

Hello circus family,

Well, folks, it finally happened to me – for the first time since the pandemic began, I have tested positive for COVID-19. And of course, it happened at an especially busy time!

One of the things keeping me busy this week: I am the chief driver of the creation of the adult schedule each session. I lead our quarterly collaboration with teachers and department heads and administrators to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and out to you.

We are really close to having everything ready, but now I'm just not well enough to get us over the finish line. Rather than push myself over the edge, or push the workload down to my team, we've decided the wisest course of action is to push the release date out by one week.

I really am sorry for any inconvenience this causes – hopefully, it doesn't cause too much! Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.

Courage,

Barry Kendall, Executive Director

Back on March 3, we encouraged you to make your spring and summer plans "with an awareness that Circus Center may change our mask policy in the coming weeks."

And here we are.

Since before the pandemic, our policy has been to follow the health policies of the SF Unified School District (SFUSD). SFUSD has already dropped the mask requirement for middle and high schools, and they are dropping it district-wide (students and staff) on 4/2.

Therefore, Circus Center will drop our mask requirement for our adult programs (including classes, private lessons, and individual user training) starting Saturday, April 9 – that is, one week after SFUSD drops its mandate.

There is one significant exception to this: the youth programs (SFYC and youth classes) have decided to keep their masks on until the end of the session in late May. Therefore, the building will be 100% masked on weekdays 4-6pm; the rest of the time, masks for adult students/customers will be optional.

Masks will still be strongly encouraged, and they will always be welcomed at Circus Center. Our vaccination requirement for all patrons 12+ will also remain in effect.

A new Omicron variant is on the rise, and its potential impacts are yet unknown, especially in the wake of Spring Break and the subsequent return to (masking-optional) schools. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and follow the orders, directives, and guidance from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and SFUSD.

National, state, and local COVID protocols and orders are changing rapidly. The CDC has recommended much looser mask mandates. The state of California has announced a first-in-the-nation plan to treat COVID-19 as endemic – a persistent health risk requiring ongoing prevention and management efforts.

San Francisco took big steps in this direction with the revised health order that took effect on February 16. The order for after-school programs provided more leeway for mask removal for young people who were “up to date” on their vaccinations, including the booster when eligible. Moreover, the general order confirms that Circus Center could permit people who are “Vaccinated with a Complete Initial Series” (i.e., no booster required at this time) to remove their masks.

Before the pandemic, in response to the first major business disruptions created by wildfire smoke, Circus Center adopted a tacit policy of taking our cues about the health and safety of our children and other students from the SF Unified School District (SFUSD). Although SF schools still require 100% indoor masking, the city is generally expected to announce new rules about mask usage in schools in the coming days.

So, for now, we wait. We hold the most vulnerable among us at the center of our decision-making, and we take our time. Masks will stay on in the adult program, with limited class-by-class exceptions, through at least the end of the winter session (March 27). Masks will remain on in the youth program at least that long as well, and probably until the end of the school year.

Regardless of whether you are ready to rip your mask off ASAP or you still want as much masking as possible for now, the coming weeks and months will be a really big moment for all of us! Circus Center will not pivot quickly, thereby forcing anyone to move too fast along this path – and masks will always be welcome without question at Circus Center.

At the same time, since our classes and camps are popular and we sell far in advance, it is now time to encourage you to make your purchases with an awareness that Circus Center may change our mask policy in the coming weeks. Therefore:

• Adult Students
  • If you would not be comfortable taking class around maskless vaccinated students, please consider skipping Spring 2022 Full Session Enrollment in favor of our more flexible Drop-In Registration option.
  • We have no plans to drop or change our vaccination requirement for students ages 12+.
• Summer Camp Families
  • We have no plans to drop or change our vaccination requirement for students ages 12+.
  • We currently plan to require all campers to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test result (home antigen test is fine) taken no more than two days before the start of camp. The exact definition of vaccination will be defined according to current public health orders.
  • If you would not be comfortable sending your child to a camp where vaccinated/negative children were permitted to remove their masks, then please consider waiting to enroll in our camps until the new SF schools guidance becomes available.
  • If you purchased a summer camp spot already: We will offer you a one week opportunity to make changes to your enrollment, including full refund without penalty. Please email your request to info@circuscenter.org, now through March 9 only. After that, our usual cancellation policies will apply, and refunds will not be offered for any reason, including COVID policy, exposure, or illness.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Thank you for being part of this community as we continue to weather this storm together. 

Still Wearing Masks

In the fall of 2021, the City of San Francisco issued guidelines that permitted stable cohorts of fully vaccinated adults to remove their masks in settings like gyms. At that time, Circus Center announced that we would remain a fully masked facility because we serve many children and our coaches frequently cross over between adult and youth populations. The city's loosening of the mask mandate was short-lived, though. Because of the rise of the Omicron variant, San Francisco reimposed the mask mandate for gyms and other spaces, whether they had stable cohorts or not.

Today, February 1, 2022, the city has once again relaxed the mask rules, and is permitting businesses like ours to allow stable cohorts of fully vaccinated adults to remove their masks. Circus Center's situation, however, is the same as it was back in the fall: we still serve many children, including kids under 12 who are encouraged but not required by law to be vaccinated to enter our facility. And our coaches still cross over between adult and youth populations all the time. SO, at this time, we will continue to require masks at all times in our facility. We know this is not easy for you, and we don't love it either, but it's the responsible thing to do to keep our entire community safe.

"Vaccinated" Definitions Are Changing

As we expected, the definition of what the City means by "vaccinated" is changing. As of now, we are only required to make sure that all patrons ages 12+ have received the initial two-shot course (or single shot, in the case of the J&J vaccine). They call this "Fully Vaccinated." However, in order to participate in current/future loosening of the mask mandate or other restrictions, Circus Center will need to go a step further and ensure that all patrons 12+ have also gotten a booster shot. This is now called "Up-to-Date on Vaccination."

So our current requirements for entry have not changed, but please go ahead and 1) get your booster shot, and 2) show proof of your booster to our Front Desk team, either by emailing a photo to info@circuscenter.org or stopping by the Front Desk the next time you are in the building. The more students we can get on record as being "Up-to-Date on Vaccination," the easier our transition to mask removal will be when that time comes.

Patience and Gratitude

We understand that this is (yet another) frustrating time for almost everyone. Some of us are still really nervous about gathering amidst the barely-waning Omicron surge. Some of us are annoyed by the continued need to wear masks while training. Some of us feel both things simultaneously! Thank you all for your patience and understanding, as Circus Center tries our best to protect our entire community AND stay open.

Yesterday, the San Francisco Department of Health issued a revision to the standing health order; you can read the complete health order here. Circus Center is already a 100% masked facility with vaccination required for everyone age 12 and older, and the revision has no immediate impact on how we operate – including our ability to be open at all.

The definition of “fully vaccinated,” however, is evolving to encompass getting a booster shot, and as a business, we are “strongly urged” to begin requiring this of our patrons and staff. The government has not put a timeline in place for our business type yet, but we believe in science, so we’re going to get started now:

1. We strongly encourage you to get your booster shot, if you have not already. It is proven to improve the vaccines’ effectiveness.
2. If you have already gotten your booster shot, we say yay! And we invite you to show us your updated vaccination card (photo is fine) at the Front Desk, or you are welcome to email the photo to info@circuscenter.org.

San Francisco’s full vaccination rate is above 80%. We are beating this, and if we all keep at it, we can stay open and together safely.

Many of you may be feeling some trepidation about returning to group activities due to the current state of COVID.  Below is a reminder of our safety policies, additional steps we are taking, and recommendations for increased precautions.  

We understand that even these steps may not feel like enough for some students, and we understand and respect those feelings. If you are a...

• Session-enrolled student, you already receive one free drop-in credit with each session enrollment. In addition to this, through the month of January, if you need to cancel for health reasons, we will offer you a class credit. Credits will be good through the end of the Winter Session, and need to be claimed by contacting the Front Desk at info@circuscenter.org within one week of the absence.
• Drop-in student, you can always cancel more than 24 hours in advance with no penalty, and if you need to late cancel (i.e., less then 24 hours before class) for health reasons, you can do so without penalty. Again, you just need to contact the Front Desk at info@circuscenter.org within one week of your absence to reclaim your credit.

Circus Center follows the current health orders of San Francisco.  We fall under the category of Youth Programs AND Fitness Centers. The current policies are summarized as follows:

• All students 12 and older must be fully vaccinated in order to train at Circus Center.  The SF Health Department has indicated this requirement will extend to all children eligible for vaccines soon, but we don't have a concrete order yet.
• Masks must be worn at all times while inside Circus Center.
• If you test positive for or have been exposed to COVID, please let us know immediately so that we can alert others that might have come in contact with you.  Please email covid@circuscenter.org.
• Students MUST follow the current guidelines regarding quarantining if they experience symptoms or are exposed to someone who tested positive. A summary of these guidelines can be found here: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/COVID-19/Isolation-and-Quarantine.asp.

As a staff, we will be taking the following steps to increase safety and reduce transmission at Circus Center:

• We will continue to use air purifiers and ventilate spaces.
• Eating will NOT be allowed in the building at all.
• People are asked to step outside to take breathing and drinking breaks so that masks are kept on constantly indoors.
• Guests should limit their time in the building. We ask that you try not to come inside at all if you don't need to.
• Teachers will be strict about mask usage and evidence of symptoms. Students who are not wearing their masks properly or show evidence of multiple symptoms may be removed from participating.

Here are some recommendations that we hope people in our community will follow in order to keep everyone safe:

• We encourage everyone to get a COVID test before returning to teaching or training. We know that tests can be difficult to procure, so we cannot make this a requirement.
• If you have been traveling, we recommend that you follow the CDC's guidelines for travel. The CDC recommends monitoring symptoms for vaccinated people and isolating and testing for non-vaccinated. You can find these guidelines here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html.

We hope you are all well, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

TLDR; Your employer may match donations. Look it up and see how you can contribute to our year-end giving campaign.

Did you know that your dollar can go further at ZERO cost to you?

  
A lot of companies, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, will match donations.

What does that mean?

Matching gifts are a type of corporate giving program that essentially double an employee’s initial donation to an eligible nonprofit organization.

In essence, if you give Circus Center $1,000, your company may match that gift with a $1,000 donation of their own to Circus Center. Depending on your company’s policy, there may be opportunities to TRIPLE or even QUADRUPLE your contribution!

This corporate match is essentially a no-cost donation after you make your donation.

For Circus Center, it means that we can keep bringing equity to the center ring. We can build a bigger tent for even more to enjoy and for even more to participate.

You may be thinking - Great! I’d love to do this and support Circus Center! But, how do I do this?

Upside: Most companies make it really easy to initiate this process.

Downside: You, our esteemed community member, have to initiate this process internally.

So, what does this process look like?

Generally, it follows this structure:

Although the submission process varies for each corporate matching gift program, the standard matching gift process follows these steps:

Make a Contribution to Circus Center. You can do that HERE. Minutes within your donation, Circus Center will send you a donation acknowledgment.
Make a Matching Gift Request to Your Employer. Find the matching gift protocol on your company’s internal site and submit your request!
Your Company Reviews Circus Center to Determine Eligibility. Circus Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization, so this process usually goes pretty smoothly.
Circus Center Verifies Your Donation. Your company may reach out to us to confirm that your donation was made.
Circus Center Receives Your Company’s Matching Gift!

Help Circus Center build a bigger tent. Let’s keep moving equity to the center ring.

Donate Today

Still have questions? Contact Emily Hong Daniel (emily@circuscenter.org) with questions!

The past two years have been tough, but they have also shined a light on the things that are near and dear to the hearts of our community. Circus Center has always valued diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now, with your help, we are moving equity into the center ring. 
 
We are working to break down the financial barriers that prevent people, especially children and youth, from accessing our programs.
 
100% of your contribution to this campaign will go to two things:

1. Expanding our need-based tuition assistance program

Thanks to support from donors like you, we have offered tuition assistance to 18 families since September 1, including 38% of the members of our SF Youth Circus training program. The average award size for SFYC members is over $2,500/year!

Dylan's Story

Dylan is a 15-year-old SF Youth Circus member. Hear what they have to say: "I’ve been training at the Circus Center for the past 10 years. That’s all thanks to the people who contribute to the Tuition Assistance Fund. As a recipient, I’ve been able to learn so much about myself from the circus community. Because of circus, I have a place in a larger collective and the confidence to perform and speak publicly."

2. Engaging long-term in historically excluded and under-resourced communities

This work started in 2017 thanks to pilot funding from individual donors who believed in our vision: Circus For All, regardless of ability to pay. Today, we receive a $23,000/year grant from the City for our work in the Tenderloin neighborhood, and we are supporting and expanding that work with over $60,000 in funds raised from community members just like you.

Texas' Story

Texas is our Community Engagement Director. She’s spent every week possible during the pandemic with the children at the Tenderloin Rec Center. Here’s how she describes our work:

"The Tenderloin Tumblers need our support. This program is bringing these youth the opportunity to contribute some joy and fun INTO their community through appearances at events, community gatherings, and festivals. Having ownership and actively participating in their community bolsters a sense of belonging for our students, at a time when this particular community is struggling. These students are excited to learn circus and take their skills and their funny into the community. They enjoy being seen walking tall and representing Circus Center, the Tenderloin, their families, and themselves as individuals."

Circus Center has already committed $200,000 toward our equity programs.

Now let's take that even further.

In the coming year, Circus Center wants to do even more to move equity to the center of our values, conversations, and actions:

• Expand financial aid for adults, youth, and artists of color
• Serve more children through more community partnerships, like our new relationship with SF Rec & Parks
• Offer new professional development opportunities for coaches, including:
  • Trauma-Informed Teaching
  • Working with Neurodiverse People
  • Spotting People of All Body Types
  • And much more.

In this season of giving, will you invest in bringing the joy of circus to even more Bay Area families?

What your gift means: