Nashville and Williamson County Chapters
Cotillion 2024-2025 Season
 

Junior Cotillion- There will be a police officer directing traffic into and out of the parking lot. Please use your blinker so the officer will know you desire to turn in. DROP OFF: Pull in and drop at the portico and exit. If you wish to enter with your child, you must park in the parking lot. PICK UP: Please make an immediate left into the large parking lot, find an available spot and wait for your child to exit. Please be patient, safety is the top priority.

Once we receive both payment and registration, we will notify you by email that your child is on the waitlist. Children remain on the waitlist until Mid-May when we begin to match them up based on the boy-girl 1:1 ratio. You will receive a postcard in the mail around the week of May 15th to let you know if your child is still on the waitlist until another boy/girl has registered OR if your child has been accepted. Children are ACCEPTED based on a first-come, first-serve basis according to the date that both payment and registration were received. Getting your registration and payment in promptly is important as we did have to turn away a lot of parents who wanted to register after we were already full. Class times are assigned in August and accepted students will receive that information via email AND mail. We do encourage you to always check your email from us. We generally send only 2 emails per month with important tips, updates, any changes, and any assignments for you to follow up on with your child. Your email is removed once your child completes the program unless you have opted to join the Advisory Board or have signed up for an additional year of the program. The answers above are dates that relate specifically to Junior Cotillion (Grades 6-8).

You can register after May 1st IF registration has not closed due to being full. You will automatically be put on the waitlist once you both register and pay until another boy/girl is registered to even up the ratio until full. You may not be notified until as late as September 1st if you registered after May 1st. Students on the waitlist who have paid and registered, but are still on the waitlist on September 1st will be asked if they would like a refund or to apply the amount towards a spot for the next school year season. Students that we were unable to accept will receive their refund during the month of September either by a credit issued to their credit card or by check. Class Times are not Assigned until Mid August and Classes do not begin until September.

All students are automatically put on a waitlist in the order both REGISTERED AND PAID in the order it was received, on a first-come, first serve. On May 1st, we accept students in the order that both their registration and payment were received, then on a 1:1 boy/girl basis, until we are full. The students are then notified around May 15th of their acceptance via postcard. Students who register after May 1st will be put on the waitlist on the same, first-come, first-serve basis on an equal boy-to-girl ratio until we are full. You will receive an automatic email when you register if you are on the waitlist. If you do not see it, please check your junk/spam filter. You may not be notified until as late as September 1st if you registered after May 1st. Students on the waitlist who have paid and registered, but are still on the waitlist on September 1st will be asked if they would like a refund or to apply the amount towards a spot for the next school year season. Students that we were unable to accept will receive their refund during the month of September either by a credit issued to their credit card or by check. Class Times are not Assigned until Mid August and Classes do not begin until September. **Dates and answers are different for Pre-Cotillion Grades 1-5.

It is a three-year Nationally Certified curriculum designed to give middle schoolers instruction and practice in the courtesies that make life more pleasant for them and those around them; to give them training in standard ballroom dance, and to provide opportunities to practice and enjoy these skills. It is a rite of passage for students as they bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood. Let’s face it, middle school is an awkward time both socially and emotionally for many children. It is our goal to give them opportunities to experience proper social situations to make middle school easier for them. We teach them important Life Skills, give them a safe environment to practice the skills, and give you material to reinforce them at home.

First-year 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students will be divided up to attend together with other students from their school unless you have made a different request at the time of registration. The schools are matched together based on what will make an equal 1:1 boy-girl ratio at the beginning of the season. This is why it is important to try to stick to your assigned class time each class whenever possible. We have more than one Year I class on class days. If your student has a conflict on a particular date that is unavoidable, you are allowed to request a different class time that month as space permits by filling out a form. Contact the office to receive the form link. From September to February, we meet one time per month (generally) for 90 minutes. We generally do not send out communications during the months of May, June or July due to so many being at camps or on vacation. You will hear from us Mid-August. Mid-August, your student will receive their assigned class time in the mail. Please refer to the class dates and times that you receive in August as the most up-to-date information. As sometimes we have to add class times or days after we have sent out the invitations. You should also receive an email with the updated dates & class times. Pre-Cotillion classes are divided by grade. Pre-Cotillion I is for 1st and 2nd grades. Pre-Cotillion II is for 3 ,4 , 5th graders.

No, no one is perfect. We are working to help you instill in them that behavior and choices affect everyone they come into contact with in a positive or negative way. Our desire is to help them make positive choices in how they choose to interact with others and to feel comfortable in social interactions.

Junior Cotillion students ( grades 6-8) are put in class times with other students from their school unless you have requested something different at the time of registration. Sometimes children go with friends from church or sports instead. We would need to know that at the time of registration to be able to accommodate that request. Children do not necessarily sit with their friends. They sit boy/girl as they enter the room and those seats are their “home base” seats for that class day. Part of what they are learning is how to interact with people they do not know. Pre-Cotillion students are assigned to the class time their parents registered them. Pre-Cotillion I is for 1st and 2nd grade long ladies and gentlemen. Pre-Cotillion II is for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

Because the cost to serve each child is the same, they do pay the same amount for registration.

Nashville and the surrounding counties are growing rapidly. We do our best to find an advisory board member for every school. However, there are a few each year where we do not have representation. If you do not see your school, either contact the office, or you may go on and register. If your child attends school in an adjacent county and you would still like to attend, please call our office so we can either help you find a chapter close to you or see if you are eligible to join our chapter. 615-604-1185

Junior Cotillion-- Grades 6th-8th Typically classes start in September and occur one time per month (generally) and end in February. Each month the class is 90 minutes long. Pre-Cotillion--for grades 1-5, initially the program will be offered only in the summer. Each class is 90 minutes long and will be taught over three consecutive days. The program may expand to other locations, time slots, and dates. Stay tuned for more details.

We strive to maintain a 1:1 boy/girl ratio. However, there are times when students move due to games, etc that may affect that ratio and fail to let us know that they will not be in their assigned class. Each student changes dance partners every 30 seconds or so, so they usually only have to dance by themselves once during the class at most. We tell them to practice their own dance steps until their next partner.

Our chapters of Junior Cotillions invite the children during their 5th-grade year to participate during their 6th-grade year. We also allow first-time rising 7th & 8th graders who were unable to do it during their 6th-grade year. YEAR II classes are for students who have already completed year I. Pre-Cotillion I - 1st -2nd grade Pre-Cotillion II - Grades 3, 4, and 5.

You must be a parent, legal guardian, or grandparent of a participating student in order to attend. Duties are easy for most busy parents. The list of things that a chaperone can do is: help check in students at the registration table, sanitize hands after they greet the director and/or teachers, help keep an eye out for the occasional students acting up during class, help sanitize hands prior to refreshments, help serve punch and cookies, help shake hands of the students as they exit by introducing themselves to you, Thank You or Goodnight plus one positive thing about their experience during class. We call it the Good Night Plus One principle as every child needs to remember to thank their host when they are leaving. We also have a couple of parents sanitize one last time after that handshake as they are walking out the door. We spread out the responsibilities based on how many chaperones commit and are able to make it to the class. We ask chaperones to come 20 minutes early and stay about 10 minutes after the class they choose to chaperone. To Request a date to chaperon, please go to www.nljcnw.com/chaperon to request a date.

Yes, If you have a homeschooler or homeschool program, you are welcome to register for Cotillion assuming your child is rising into 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and lives or attends school (home or outside tutorial) in Williamson or Davidson County. If you are not in one of those counties but adjacent, contact us at the office and we will help you find a chapter or may be able to allow you to register with us. Pre-Cotillion I is for rising 1st and 2nd graders Pre-Cotillion II is for rising 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

Junior Cotillion-(Grades 6-8)-There will be no refunds after June 1 except in the case of extraordinary circumstances such as illness, in fairness to students who are placed on the waiting list. You are committing to bring your child to a class each month for 5 months from September until February and to the Ball in late Feb. Spots are not held unless you have both paid and registered and spots fill up quickly. Staffing, supplies, and venue contracts are made by June 1st so there will be no refunds if you drop after that date. Thank you for being so understanding. Waitlisted Students: We make every effort to accept students in the order they both registered and paid until we are full on a balanced ratio basis. Students who paid and are not able to come off the waitlist prior to September 1st are refunded their fee or offered to transfer to the next season. Pre-Cotillion-(Grades 1-5) - There will be no refunds after April 1st except in the case of extraordinary circumstances such as illness, in fairness to students who are placed on the waiting list. Spots are not held unless you have both paid and registered and spots fill up quickly. Staffing, supplies, and venue contracts are made by April 1st so there will be no refunds if you drop after that date. Thank you for your understanding. Waitlisted Students: We make every effort to accept students in the order they both registered and paid until we are full. Students who paid and are not able to come off the waitlist prior to Pre-Cotillion classes beginning are refunded their fee or offered to transfer to the next season or next class dates.

Often spam and junk filters will filter out emails. The best way to prevent this is to add our email address to your contacts or address book on your computer/phone. This usually allows the emails through so that you do not miss any communications or updates. suzette.wimpy@nljc.com Sometimes the contact we have for you has an error in it. If you do not find it in your spam/junk, please contact the office.

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Members are required to conduct themselves at all times in accordance with the courtesies taught. The directors reserve the right to request the withdrawal of any lady or gentleman who fails to show progress in this area. At no time will the students be allowed to loiter around the facilities or in the restrooms. Parents of Junior Cotillion members have a standing invitation to observe one Junior cotillion class. Chaperones will be assigned randomly, and parents are asked to observe one class during the year. It is a joyous sight to see these young people in action. Parents are encouraged to stress the importance of prompt arrival and departure for each event.

The class location is: The Martin Center, 960 Heritage Way, Brentwood This is for Junior Cotillion students grades 6-8.

The Pre-Cotillion program setting will encourage children to be comfortable together, make new friends, and enjoy themselves. Through role-playing, hands-on experience, and storytelling in a peer group, young ladies and gentlemen are expected to leave the program beginning with confidence and poise that comes from knowing the proper thing to do. It is an introduction to the Junior Cotillion program and helps prepare students for more advanced manners and etiquette training. A few of the pre-cotillion topics covered are listed below. PRE-COTILLION I First-Second Grade Manners in the home Being introduced Paying and receiving compliments Birthday party etiquette Basic table manners PRE-COTILLION II 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Greeting and shaking hands Rules of introductions Sports etiquette Fast Food etiquette More advanced table manners Basic line dance. STEP 1: REGISTER HERE: Williamson Co Pre-Cotillion Step 2: PAY HERE: NLJCNW.com

Women Chaperones / Guests For Class- Conservative knee-length dress / skirt & dress shoes. Male Chaperones/ Guests For Class- Khaki or Dress Pants, Collared Shirt and Tie, Jackets Optional, but Preferred.

The dress code for adult chaperons/guests attending the ball is the same as when you are chaperoning a class with the exception that gentlemen are required to wear a dark suit jacket or blazer. Adult gentlemen are not required to wear a tuxedo to the ball, adult ladies are not required to wear white. Women Chaperones / Guests For Class- Conservative knee-length dress or longer / skirt & dress shoes. Students will be required to wear short white gloves, but parents/guests are not required to do so. Male Chaperones/ Guests For Class- Khaki or Dress Pants, Collared Shirt and Tie, and Dark Jackets are required. Yes, Bow ties are fine!

LADIES DRESS CODE FOR CLASSES— DRESS / SKIRT LENGTH: Conservative knee length or longer dresses or skirts (no shorter than 1 inch above the knee) Please, no strapless dresses at any event. SHOES DO’S AND DON’TS: Shoes must at least have a back strap in order to keep them on while dancing backward. No Tennis Shoes. No flip-flops or slides – they are too dangerous! GLOVES Gloves REQUESTED for classes, REQUIRED for dances. They are required for the December class and Grand Ball in February. They do add a layer of protection during cold/flu/COVID so many have opted to wear them for classes as well. Gloves are available at the name tag table for $10 cash.

LADIES DRESS CODE FOR CLASSES— DRESS / SKIRT LENGTH: Conservative knee length or longer dresses or skirts (no shorter than 1 inch above the knee) Please, no strapless dresses at any event. SHOES DO’S AND DON’TS: Shoes must at least have a back strap in order to keep them on while dancing backward. No Tennis Shoes. No flip-flops or slides – they are too dangerous! GLOVES GLOVES REQUIRED for DANCES. They are required for the December class (Holiday Dance) and Grand Ball in February. They do add a layer of protection during cold/flu/COVID so many have opted to wear them for classes as well. Gloves are available at the name tag table for $10 cash. Holiday Dance Photos credit: Monica Cado Shellabarger

The Grand Ball is a semi-formal event for which appropriate dress is required. Ladies should wear knee-length or longer age-appropriate WHITE dresses (nothing strapless) and short white gloves. Shoes must be hard-soled for dancing and must have a back strap or closed heel to prevent slipping. See samples below from last year. A PDF is available with some links to dresses that COULD work for ideas. ALWAYS get your dress early so that you can be sure that the material is not too thin causing it to be see-through or not fit.

PANTS: Khaki pants or dress pants COLLARED SHIRT AND TIE (Bow ties are fine) JACKETS FOR CLASS-Optional HOLIDAY DANCE-REQUIRED SHOES Hard-soled shoes are best for dancing. No athletic shoes or boots, please.

The Grand Ball is a semi-formal event. Gentlemen should wear black tuxedos and dress shoes. (no tennis shoes or boots) Samples from last year are shown below. Most Tuxedo stores give discounts. Street Tuxedo is available before and after class during the months of January and February for fittings. They do provide savings for Junior Cotillion students. You can also visit them at any of their store locations. Portraits and Paintings by: KevinWimpy.com and for more information go to Cotillion Portraits.

Please notify us of the allergy and treatment protocol for your child when you register. If your child develops allergies during the season, please notify us as soon as you are aware and give us instructions for handling any exposure. About the snacks. We only serve a snack during the short 90 minute class as a teaching tool to allow them the opportunity to serve and be served by others. Consuming a snack is not required. If your child has a touch-sensitive allergy, please ask them to say "No Thank You" when they are offered a snack to prevent any possible exposure. DURING CLASSES: Children that need to bring inhalers, Epi pens, or Benadryl have two options during class: Keep it on their person at all times using a bag with instructions. If they don't want to keep it on them, they need to put it on the Music table and remember to pick it up before they leave class. There will be a snack served during class and a drink. Typically the snack is Chips a Hoy Original cookies because it has fewer allergens than many other options. We also generally serve Kirkland brand organic lemonade or Country Time lemonade because it too has fewer allergens than other options. FOOD AT PRE-COTILLION CLASSSES: Pre Cotillion I - Goldfish crackers by Nabisco (https://www.campbellsfoodservice.com/product/pepperidge-farm-goldfish-baked-snack-crackers-cheddar-cheese-4/), Fresh fruit, Sprite, Lemonade or water, a cupcake. Pre-Cotillion II- Goldfish crackers by Nabisco (https://www.campbellsfoodservice.com/product/pepperidge-farm-goldfish-baked-snack-crackers-cheddar-cheese-4/), Fresh fruit, Sprite, Lemonade or water, a cupcake, rolls and butter. FOOD AT JUNIOR COTILLION SPECIFICALLY: DURING HOLIDAY DANCE & GRAND BALL YEAR I: During the Holiday Dance and during the Grand Ball are the only times we serve cake. The cake is nut free but does contain eggs. Richland Country Club hosts the Grand Ball and will substitute sorbet for your child upon request if they are allergic to the cake option. They do not allow outside food to be brought into the club. If neither is an option for your child they may simply reply, “No, thank you.” when dessert is offered. Just remind us again at that time when you RSVP for the Ball event and we are happy to tell Richland that your student needs the sorbet option. If that doesn’t work, they can just skip the cake or sorbet as it is just an exercise in serving and being served. They may just answer "No Thank You" when asked if they would like either. DURING THE YEAR II INSTRUCTIONAL DINNER: If your child has allergies, please request a menu at least two weeks PRIOR to the event so we can go over ingredients and ask Richland to respond accordingly. Richland does not allow anyone to bring in outside food. The cake does not contain nuts, but does contain eggs so the only other dessert option is sorbet. For the Year II instructional dinner, the menu varies each year and is not determined until a month or so prior to the event. Typically a soup, a sorbet, chicken Parisian or similar, a couple of vegetables, roll, butter and cake. They will make a vegetarian option for individuals if they are aware at least two weeks prior.

While teaching etiquette and manners, students learn how to be a good host and how to be a good guest. We do not consider politics when we make decisions about masks. We remain flexible and responsive to federal, state, local, and facility guidelines which hosts our events when updating our mask policies. We encourage parents to check the Facebook page, emails from us, or the website for current information prior to bringing their student to a class. We are not requiring it at this time (July, 2022) due to current federal, state, local, and facility requirements. Please understand that this policy can change in response to COVID. We ask students to respect that some adults and students or their family members are immune-compromised and may choose to wear a mask.

PARENTS You are required to check your child for any symptoms prior to class. If your child has any symptoms or has been in contact with anyone who has tested positive, they will not be permitted to attend this month's class and will need to follow the workbook. They must be a minimum of 24 hours free of fever over 100 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting, unexplained rashes or any other contagious symptoms.