While the Waukesha School District is still looking to ban grinding and other the students are starting to take responsibility on their own.
Superintendent Todd Gray told the Waukesha School Board’s Policy Committee that he has met with the principals and several “good” students at the area high schools. The students told him grinding hasn’t been as significant of a problem as thought. Additionally, principals are watching for the inappropriate sexual behaviors.
Waukesha South High School set up ping pong tables at the last school dance, Gray added.
“They don’t feel it as a point where it is potentially scaring kids away,” said Gray about the students’ thoughts on grinding. “With the additional activities happening at the dance, there are other things to do other than so-called grinding.”
The students told Gray they wanted to handle the inappropriate behaviors instead of having the Waukesha School Board take official action. Still, the school board is developing a policy that requires students to agree to follow specific rules at school dances, including “tasteful and respectful” partner dancing that is to be vertical and face to face. Students that do not follow the rules risk being kicked off the dance floor or out of the dance.
The school district may implement the policy in April.
While school board members are looking to take official action, the students attempts at curbing the sexually suggestive dancing did not go unnoticed.
“You have to commend the students,” said School Board Member Patricia Madden. “They want to do it themselves and they can be very effective with their peers.”
Everyone gets all dolled up to play ping pong? Have you lost your collective minds? Have a prom and set reasonable stadards for behavior. Some actions deserve a warning so if kids act out of line give them a warning. If they choose to repeat ---boot them out. The kids will choose if they want to be at prom or not. You do not need to create diversions---you need to teach responsibility and accountability.
We have discovered that students thrive in a structured event with all of the appearances of the structurless caios. In turn we have brought pool tables, ping pong tables, free arcade games, bands, large scale games etc. When you think about if Prom is a reproduction of a high class ball or banquet. In the real world these such events are filled with business chat, public statements, large elegant dinners and one of the massive diferances is alcohol and age. Generally speaking when a person consumes alcohol they are more social. Obviusly we are not suggesting the service of martinis and miller light, what we do suggest is the facts. We know that when a adolescent is not stimulated that adolescent will stimulate their selfs. What we have found after working with entire school districts is that dances with activities that can stimulate a social interaction among the students we found that both the reputation and attendance were significantly increased. There were also a reduction in underage drinking activities. Bottom line.... Where is the fun at?
However are we asking too much of people many of whom can drive a car and are nearly old enough to VOTE that they be able to act reasonable for a few hours for a formal event?