Here’s an opinion piece from today’s Globe. Sad but true; another ‘traditional’ event going by the wayside, as kids spend more and more time on social media.
FWIW, my kid attended an all-girls BS. There were monthly dances with students from all-boys schools, and occasionally, another coed school in the area. She attended the first one with some friends, and never went again. The reason? “It was creepy and disgusting, Mom. Just a total grindfest. I’d rather watch Netflix with my friends in the dorm.” Made me sad. 
Hope this link works!
https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2019/05/09/the-death-school-dance/0qDFkGjMdA3uynfPXayWaI/story.html?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter
Based on Facebook pictures from proud moms, the school dance (beginning in middle school) is alive and well in the Philadelphia area. At my kids" middle school, there was a “fun night” with an array of activities, including dancing. That seemed to work well.
Best dance is at the old fashioned camp up in the north woods- after a month of no phones and no electricity. Old fashioned fun. The girls canoe over to the boys camp for a once-a-summer Dance (like the one in the original Parent Trap). The teens have not been on social media for a month, so they seem really excited to see other teens in real life?.
My DD is at an all-girls school as well and their dances are alive and well! There is some grinding, but it’s not the majority of girls and most of them think that’s pretty gross. They mostly like going and dancing with their girlfriends and meeting some of the guys from the visiting schools.
@Golfgr8 I love your comment! My DD goes to a month long camp in the mountains and like you said, there are no electronics, no phone, no social media and those teenagers REALLY look forward to the square dance they have! ?
It is a shame that school dances have devolved to blasted music and grinding. Schools should not allow this.
I feel a sense of relief that kiddo is at a BS with dances and close supervision. A local public school just had their post-prom party shut down hours before it was to start. A group of kids rented a house via AirBNB to host a wild party. They stocked the fridge and coolers with Jell-O shots an booze for 300 kids. They charged $80 per kid, including the bus ride. Luckily, a school security officer found out about it and informed the authorities before it even started. I am hearing about high school kids in the NE who were going to prom-weekend parties on the Cape and/or at the Jersey Shore.
We can beat that one. At our local public school, teens told their parents they were going to prom, after parties, etc., and not to worry about them for the weekend. Never went to the dance. Hopped on a plane to Cancun instead. After parties at beach houses are both common and booze-filled.
^^^And this is exactly why our local HS hires buses and requires the students to take the bus to/from prom. If you have a ticket and don’t show up, parents will be called.
Wow @roycroftmom ! That is a story - they actually made it to Cancun?
Yes, they did. Quick flight-Maybe 2.5 hours?
@brantly - Ours does the same and they have to blow require a breathalyzer before boarding the bus if there is any question as to their status. Two students were caught this year. There is also an officer at the prom that will breathalyze if kids go in and out.
Same re: breathalyzer before bus. They also search bags. Not sure about officer at prom. I don’t think they have that.
Wow re: going to Cacun. Those are pretty brazen kids. We keep the passports in the safe but I cannot imagine my kids ever goung that route and thinking they would get away with it. I ask too many questions. And didn’t the parents check on the story? In any case, where dis they get the credit card to but the tickets?
I’m surprised re:Cancun since Mexico requires minors to have notarized letters from parents authorizing international travel? (Or maybe they’ve changed the rules?)
By May of senior year everyone here is 18, and,almost all have credit cards by 16.
Are there any other parents on here who feel sad that our kids will never understand how great it was to “slow dance” to The Platters (“My Prayer”) or any other romantic song of that era? Do kids not understand how sexy ROMANCE actually was?