We have a small school. Our middle school dances are 6-8th grade. Our last dance of the year, we invite the 5th graders to participate as next year they will be attending the dances.
We are K through 8 and I agree that the middle school kids need 'their own thing'. (I have kids in grades K all the way up)....).
When we want to include everyone we have family fun nights, have a dj, etc. And when we're exhausted from chaperoning all of these functions, we have parent-only dances!!
The older kids get the dances, get to volunteer while the younger kids get field trips to the zoo or the farm. We try to be fair but in different ways.
Our grade 6-8 middle school just opened this year. We have about 3 dances hosted by our student council and/or honor society. The administration feels these dances should be open to all students as we are trying to promote camaraderie. Some students and parents, however, feel the dances should be for 7th and 8th grade only; that 6th graders should look at it as a right of passage that they will achieve next year. Some 8th graders, it is said, don't want to go to dances when the "babies" are there. Last year the old school was grades 4-8 and the 4-6 graders had parties and the 7th and 8th graders had dances. As for me, I don't like to see the 7th and 8th graders pairing off-- I don't think we should be promoting "couples" at this age, and I think there's less of that when the 6th graders are included. How do other middle schools handle dances? Please let me know. Thanks!
