NAPA News - Week 3, Term 3, 2025
FROM THE DIRECTOR
This edition of the newsletter focuses on some important updates around studio safety. We kindly ask all families to take a few moments to read through the information carefully, as it helps us keep our studio a safe and supportive environment for everyone.
Drop-Offs & Pick-Ups: Keeping Our Studio Safe and Respectful for All
As our studio continues to grow, we want to ensure that we’re all working together to maintain a safe, respectful, and smoothly operating environment for every student, family, and staff member at NAPA. We’ve recently reviewed our procedures around drop-offs and pick-ups, and we’re implementing a few important reminders and updates.
Drop-Offs
Students should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their scheduled class. While we’ve previously allowed early arrivals to wait in the courtyard, following WHS recommendations and in light of recent events, this is no longer permitted.
Students will not be allowed on site until a staff member is present.
The front gate will remain closed until supervision is available.
Staff are not responsible for supervising students before this 15-minute window.
We understand this may require a shift for some families. For those College families who do need to drop off early, the café across the road has become a popular spot for students to wait and do schoolwork before class begins.
Pick-Ups
We’re also seeing an increase in late pick-ups, which can have a significant impact on our staff, many of whom head straight to other teaching roles after their time at NAPA. Some young children are being left for up to an hour after their class concludes.
Please collect your child promptly at the conclusion of their class.
If you’re unexpectedly delayed, contact us as soon as possible.
Frequent late pick-ups may require a review of your child’s scheduling.
Why This Matters
These procedures aren’t just about rules — they’re about creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. Unsupervised students pose both a safety concern and a legal risk, and staff deserve to have their time and responsibilities supported just as much as our students do.
We’re grateful to every family who helps us uphold these standards and ensure that NAPA remains a place of excellence, trust, and mutual respect.
If you have any questions or need to discuss your family’s circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Security Cameras at NAPA: Prioritising Safety and Peace of Mind
You may have also noticed some new additions around the studio. Smile! You are on camera.
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe and secure environment for all students, families, and staff, we’ve recently installed a camera system throughout the studio.
These cameras have been placed in common areas, entry points, and hallways — never in changing rooms, bathrooms, or private spaces — and are intended to support the following:
✅ Enhancing student safety
✅ Monitoring and responding to any incidents that may occur
✅ Protecting our staff, students, and property
✅ Providing clarity in the rare event of a dispute or concern
While we pride ourselves on the positive culture within our studio, we believe proactive measures like this help uphold the values we all share — respect, responsibility, and care.
If you have any questions about the camera system or how footage is managed and stored, please feel free to reach out. We’re happy to provide further information or reassurance as needed.
Wellbeing
Let Curiosity Lead, Not Pressure
Exploring your identity as a performer without the weight of expectation
In the world of performing arts, especially when you’re young, it’s easy to feel the pressure to have it all figured out — to know your "type," master your craft, and start building your brand. You might feel like you need to be exceptional now, to stand out, to have a perfectly curated résumé before you’re even sure who you are.
But here’s the truth: your early years as a performer are not about perfection — they are about discovery. This is your time to explore, experiment, and get curious. Let that curiosity lead you, rather than pressure dictate your choices.
Try the things that don’t seem like your "thing." If you’re a dancer, explore acting. If you’re a singer, take a clowning or movement workshop. Learn a musical instrument. Take voiceover classes. Write your own monologue. Watch films from cultures and languages you don’t know. Step outside the routine of classes and explore the vastness of the creative world around you.
Not everything you try will “fit” — and that’s the point. Every experience, even the ones that challenge or frustrate you, helps you understand your strengths, your interests, and your uniqueness. It’s through exploration that you find the joy, freedom, and personal flavour that make your artistry stand out in the long run.
Resist the urge to lock yourself into a box too soon. You don’t need to have a fixed brand, a clear trajectory, or a long list of lead roles to prove your worth. In fact, the performers who shine brightest later are often the ones who gave themselves permission to play in the beginning — who stayed open, curious, and flexible.
There’s no rush. Let your path unfold. Follow what excites you, even if it’s off the beaten track. And remember: pressure can make you perform, but curiosity will make you grow.
CHERUB OF THE WEEK
IRIS MCCORMACK
THIS WEEK WE ARE CELEBRATING IRIS MCCORMACK!
This week we’re celebrating Iris McCormack! Iris is a member of our Broadway Tweens class and has been a “NAPA Cherub” for many years! This year her teachers have noted that she consistently shows up prepared, focused, and ready to give every class her absolute best. She never skips a beat and leads by example with her dedication and drive. What truly sets Iris apart is her generosity—she’s always quick to lend a hand to fellow cast members, especially those who may have missed a class.
Thank you, Iris, for your unwavering commitment and team spirit. That’s what being a NAPA Cherub is all about!
PERFORMANCE TIPS
Talent Gets You in the Room — Kindness Keeps You There
In the world of performing arts, talent is your ticket in. Your skill, your presence, your artistry—they’ll get you noticed. They’ll land you the audition, the callback, maybe even the job. But talent alone isn’t what keeps you working. What truly sustains a career in this industry is who you are when the spotlight isn’t on you.
Your attitude, how you treat others, how you contribute to a room—these things matter. In fact, they often matter more than your technical ability. Directors, producers, choreographers, and casting agents talk. So do fellow castmates, crew members, and teachers. They remember the people who were kind, professional, collaborative, and gracious—even in the tough moments.
This industry is smaller than you think. The ensemble member you barely interacted with might be directing your next show. The quiet lighting tech might become a producer. That peer you once competed with in an audition could be the one casting their own project—and deciding whether to bring you in. People rise. Paths cross again. And reputations follow you.
So how do you build a good one?
Be the person others want to work with again. That doesn’t mean being perfect—it means being real, respectful, and reliable. Show up on time. Be prepared. Take direction with humility. Celebrate other people’s wins even when you’re still waiting on your own. Listen more than you speak. Offer help when it’s needed, without seeking praise or recognition. Lift the energy of the room. Learn everyone’s name—not just the “important” ones.
And when things don’t go your way? Don’t let bitterness speak louder than grace. Learn from the disappointment, then move forward with dignity. A kind and grounded performer is someone people will remember—and want to bring back.
The truth is, skill might open a door, but your character determines how long that door stays open. And in many cases, it’s what opens new doors you never even knew existed.
A Note to Parents: Be Their Champion, Not Their Hurdle
Parents play a powerful role in a young performer’s journey. Your love, support and belief in your child matter deeply. But in this industry, especially when it comes to auditions and casting rooms, how you support them can make or break opportunities.
Directors and casting teams aren’t only watching the children—they’re observing the parents too. Are you respectful? Patient? Kind to staff? Do you encourage your child’s independence, or try to control the process? A talented child with an overbearing or difficult parent can be seen as a risk—not because of the child’s ability, but because of the environment surrounding them. Fair or not, your behaviour can affect whether your child gets the role.
So be their champion, but not their bulldozer. Don’t clear every obstacle—help them learn to climb. Let them make mistakes, find their voice, handle rejection with grace, and learn how to show up professionally. Advocate when necessary, but know when to step back.
Empower your child to become their own advocate. Teach them to ask questions, take feedback, show gratitude, and own their journey. Be the steady support behind them—not the storm in front of them.
