Middle School Parents (6,7,8) - School Dance Chaperone?

[luvsJack]

I'm just amazed that there are still schools that have middle-school dances. IME they have been pretty much gone since the late 1970's -- too much fear of potential liability.

all the schools around here have them. Our school only allows kids from our school to attend except the 8th grade prom--they can bring a date from another school. Other school allow kids from other schools but they must be same grades (no high school age)

The high school has several after Friday night football games and they allow junior high kids to attend. I haven't let dd go to one though.

We also have "dances" for k-6th but they are more like parties with loud music. We set up games and other things for the kids to do.

They are really good fund raising events.

 

[dansamy]

8th grade dance is much more of a "dance" than the rest-- the girls get totally dressed up in nice dresses, have their hair done nails done etc and many come with corsages on from their dates. It is a big date night out for the 8th graders- some kids do just come in groups of boys or groups of girls but lots come with dates. The teachers have their work cut out for them on those nights keeping these kids from getting to close!

I am sooo not a fan of this sort of stuff. A date? In 8th grade? Really? These are 13 year old children! Perhaps working in the area I do has jaded me a bit! I am a nurse and I work pediatrics and frequently work extra on the postpartum unit. I get to see the 14 year old "mothers" who started dating at 12 or 13, etc. Honestly, I am concerned for all aspects of my child's well-being. Emotionally and mentally, they just aren't ready to make the sorts of decisions that dating asks them to make.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox and shut up now!

 

[kirstenb1]

I headed up the middle school dance committee for the PTA for 2 yrs. We'd schedule a ton of additional activities for kids who don't like to dance, so heck yeah, we had about 20 parent volunteers at each one. I really didn't like to ask the teachers to volunteer...I figured they'd been with kids all week, time to give them a break. Some of the teachers would volunteer anyway, which was great.