Sawyer Tips: How to Use our Course Catalog

Our registration system and course catalog use a software called Sawyer. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this tool! Access the full catalog here.

1. Searching
   • You can search for a specific class by clicking “More Filters” and then “Activity.” Type your keywords and see what comes up, or scroll through the list.
   • You can also use the filters mentioned above to sort for different instructors, days of the week, and more.
   • If you are looking for “categories” like woodworking, ceramics, etc, use the buttons on our home page.
   • The “Age/Grade” search functionality works well for youth 12 and under. For teens, instead use this link, as many classes labeled for “Adults” are actually open to teens.
2. Gift Cards on Sawyer
   • You can buy a gift card for any class here.
   • Gift cards purchased in Sawyer can only be used for classes listed in the online course catalog. They cannot be used for Open Ceramics Studio, which uses an in-person punch-card system instead of online enrollment.
   • If you are holding a gift certificate from 2024 or earlier, please contact us at info@arbutusfolkschool.org to apply your certificate to a class. Don’t worry, gift certificates never expire! We just have a different system for older ones.
3. Emails
   • Using the Sawyer software, instructors of a class you are taking may send emails to the enrolled students with announcements regarding class and other reminders. Sawyer also sends automatic reminder emails for upcoming classes, as well as confirmations and receipts. Many students have opted out of emails from Sawyer and therefore do not receive these messages. If you have not seen any confirmation emails or other messages but would like to receive them, check your settings to ensure they match your preferences. Feel free to contact us at info@arbutusfolkschool.org if you would like to confirm registration or class details.
   • When you sign up for a class, you are also asked to opt in or out of our Arbutus Folk School monthly newsletter which shares upcoming classes & events. If you would like to opt in, click here.
4. Family Enrollment
   • If you are enrolling a child, spouse, or friend, Sawyer refers to the child, spouse, or friend as the “Participant” and you as the “Client.”
   • Please ensure that the person your are enrolling is the person intending to participate in the class.
5. Payment Plans
   • Anyone is welcome to take advantage of payment plans for eligible classes. This option is typically offered when a class costs $100 or more.
   • If you choose to use a payment plan, Sawyer will collect an initial deposit, then any payments after the first one will be processed automatically on a pre-set schedule. The final payment is set to two weeks before your class start date.
   • We do not charge extra for the use of payment plans. You will pay the same amount whether you make payments or pay all at once.
6. Waitlists
   • Our system will collect a waitlist for classes once they are full. Please join the waitlist for classes you’re interested in, as we often end up offering them open spots!
   • Sometimes it will look like there’s an opening in a class, but if you aren’t able to enroll yourself, that means there is a waitlist for the class that receives priority for the open spot.
   • If you’re on a waitlist and we offer you an open spot, and do not hear from you, you may be removed from the waitlist to allow others access to the spot.
   • If a class starts extremely soon and a spot becomes available, please note that we may open that spot to everyone on the waitlist rather than individually inviting students in the order received.
   • Unfortunately, we are unable to notify waitlisted students every time a similar class opens for registration down the road, so please keep an eye on our website, newsletter, and socials for class announcements in the future!