Category: Featured

Across the country, life has changed dramatically these past couple of weeks.  My school district closed on Friday the 13th. One minute I was helping my students rush to pack up their belongings for unplanned school closure.  Later that day I was home with my children, wondering how I was going to structure the days and possibly weeks ahead.

Being stuck at home for a day or two because of a snowstorm or illness is one thing, but finding ourselves unexpectedly home for an extended (and unknown) period of time is a completely different situation.  

There are only so many times you can do the dishes in a day, and believe me, I’m pretty sure I’ve found the limit.  My dishpan hands can attest to that! Beyond chores (funny how my kids kept hiding every time I called their name….) it seems helpful to have a grab-bag of kids activities to make the most of this unexpected time at home.

Online Adventures

Using the internet to our advantage in these strange times is particularly helpful since most of our children tend to gravitate towards their devices.  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em – and by offering some educational or active options, you can sneak in a little learning and exercise too! Check out these suggestions:

Virtual Field Trips – the whole family can enjoy a virtual trip to a National Park, a glacier in Iceland, or a famous tourist destination like the Eiffel Tower.  Some of these sites feature 360 degree filming technology, allowing the viewer to rotate the screen to see a panoramic image. 

• National Geographic – 47 videos and counting of destinations around the world
• Google Earth – visit literally any place on Earth.  Has “voyages” as well, like “world’s largest lakes”
• Visit Mars – get inside a rover and explore another planet, courtesy of images from NASA
• Go to the Zoo – the San Diego Zoo is world-class and offers many live webcams

Free Online Art – many artists have taken to YouTube to provide free lessons for kids and adults.  

• Renowned author Mo Willems (Knuffle Bunny and Elephant and Pig book series) is offering daily “Lunch Doodles.”  These 30-minute videos are kid-friendly and engaging. 
• Free Art Lessons for Kids and Adults takes you step-by-step through a variety of projects like a pop-art donut painting. 

Yoga for Kids – YouTube is another great resource for getting your kids up and active.  Yoga provides movement, requires little space, and relieves stress – all useful things right now!

• Cosmic Kids Yoga includes stories, colorful images and mindfulness techniques.  Great for younger children.
• Yoga with Adriene has been one of my favorites for years (she’s the reason I started practicing yoga).  Her calm demeanor and variety of videos for all ages and needs may inspire you to hit that “subscribe” button.

Old School Activities

When your kids need a break from the internet, think back to the types of things we did when we were young.  Board games, roller skating, and climbing trees were my favorite pastimes. Getting offline is good for the soul, and creates opportunities for making memories together.

• Explore the kitchen and bake up a tasty treat with your kids.  Some of my favorite food blogs are:
  • Celebrating Sweets for tasty baked goods and treats
  • Mel’s Kitchen Cafe has oodles of recipes and ideas for meal plans during this extended time away from school.
• Send them out to the yard with a container of bubbles, sidewalk chalk or a soccer ball.  
  • Check out this list of 35 things to do in your backyard from Sunny Day Family.  
• No yard or yucky weather?  Here’s a list of 25 ideas for indoor fun that require little to no supplies.
• Break out the board games you have stored away (mine were collecting dust until recently) or a deck of cards for games like “go fish” and “war”.  
  • The YouTube channel Gather Together Games has quick tutorials for many games you can make at home.

Whether you decide to bake a 3 layer cake from scratch or spend the day in your pj’s binge-watching Netflix, enjoy these moments with your family.  Give yourself permission to have days where nothing is scheduled. The most important lesson you are teaching your kids is how to respond in a time of crisis.  Applaud your efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy for your family, and don’t forget that you need time for yourself as well. 

My School Dance is offering 50% off processing fees for schools still planning to host their dances this year.

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Contact:

hello@myschooldance.com

833-336-8656

Written by: Angela O’Brien

When you were making fun and exciting plans for what to do during Spring Break with friends you weren’t planning on being restricted from so much due to an outbreak of COVID-19.  All you can think about is what you can’t do, but there are still some great things you can do to have fun during this unexpected Spring Break.

Very small group activities

Plan a spa day either just you or with a couple of friends.  This is something you can do all together at someone’s house. Each person can look up facial treatments, hair mask recipes, and foot bath soaks.  Many of these have ingredients you can find right in your own kitchen or bathroom cabinet.  Play up the whole experience and play music from the spa music station or you can google ‘spa music’ and stream it on your computer.  You might want to save this one for the last couple of days, so you are looking your absolute best when you go back to school.

If you get some friends together, you can have a lip sync challenge.  Pick a few songs and draw names from a hat to challenge each other.  Or one night get your friends together and host your own Chopped Cooking Challenge.  It could be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.  Break into teams and each team picks a surprise item for the other team that they have to use!  Then have a great time eating all the goodies.   Get a couple of friends or your significant other together and all take an online cooking class.  Step outside your comfort zone and try something new and different.

Solo Activities

On your own?  Here are a few things you can do.  Go through your closet, take out things that you haven’t worn in the last year, and put them in a bag, basket, or box to donate.  Then go through and organize your closet.  If you go one step further pre-plan outfits for the first week back at school.

Try out some of the language learning apps and try out another language.  Make a bucket list of things you want to do over the summer.  Check out a YouTube video to learn how to play an instrument.  Better yet, pick a skill or hobby and make your own YouTube video!   Try out yoga or meditation.  Rearrange your room or remodel your room.  Simply changing the paint color can make a huge difference.  Check out some of the newest books at the library or on Audible.

Activities with littles

Now here is the real challenge, what to do if you’re spending Spring Break with young children.   Just a few ideas of what to do with the littles.  Just because you’re restricted from going to places with large groups doesn’t mean you can’t get outside.  Create a list of games to play outside or create an obstacle course– be sure to include crossing over a ‘lava pit’ or a ‘river filled with crocodiles’!  Make cookies, build a blanket fort, and have a picnic.   Play pirate and hunt for treasure.   Try exercising to an exercise video streamed on your computer or television.  This ends up being more giggling than exercising.  Spend an afternoon with them writing a thank you letter to a mom/dad, a grandparent, friend, a relative, or a teacher (this would be an extra special surprise for him or her).  Something kids of all ages would love, write a story and make a video of them acting out the story you wrote together.  Then make popcorn and watch the video together.  You could have a mini-movie-thon of all their favorite movies.  Create a book of all their favorite things or make a pop-up book.

Whether you spend this time on your own, with a couple of friends, or spending time with littles, make the time filled with good things to refresh your mind and body.   Getting outside, doing something new, trying different foods or learning something new that isn’t school-related can do much to recharge before you head back to school, homework, tests, studying, projects, and the books.  Right now, just breathe, relax and have a great time.

Check out our Pinterest page for more information!

If your school is still planning to host the prom, but you cannot sell tickets due to students not being in school, sell your tickets online through My School Dance. We are offering 50% off processing fees for all of the prom due to coronavirus.

March 9, 2020

Thinking about how to bring St. Patrick’s Day into the classroom for your high schoolers this year?  There are a variety of ways to use this holiday as a teaching opportunity, while also enjoying the whimsy and charm of rainbows and leprechauns.  

St. Patrick’s Day is a special day for me – as my name suggests, I come from Irish stock and have the freckles to prove it.   My three children are now in high school, but they still enjoy decorating the house with lots of gold, green and shamrocks.

Something our high schoolers may not realize is that St. Patrick’s Day is more than four-leaf clovers and rivers dyed green (shout-out to Chicago where My School Dance is based!)  Our students can definitely benefit from learning more about the holiday and how it is celebrated – on both sides of the pond.

St. Patrick’s Day Customs and Traditions  

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated as Ireland’s National Holiday, and banks, schools and some businesses close for the day.  There are parades throughout the country, and some people observe the day by going to church or spending the day with family.   

Here are some lessons and information you can share with your students about this day:

• Visit History.com to find information on who St. Patrick was, the history of the holiday, and other facts and traditions.  You can even assign the link on Google Classroom and let students explore, then report back with their findings.
• The NEA (National Education Association) has put together a wonderful list with ideas for free lessons, activities, videos and books to read about St. Patrick’s Day.

Fact vs. Fiction

Debunk the myths about St. Patrick’s day by exploring some sites that delve into the facts and fiction about the holiday.  Did you know, for example, that the original color of St. Patrick’s Day was blue? Ask your students to research this, and other interesting tidbits and in teams and report back.  Incorporating technology by sharing what they have learned via Google Slides or other digital platforms can be an added bonus.

• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About St. Patrick’s Day will spark discussions about the holiday and how we celebrate it today.
• Send students to History.com to research some myths and truths about St. Patrick’s Day.
• A lighthearted, interactive quiz teaches students while it “quizzes” them on facts about the holiday.
• Time.com has a great article and video about the history of the shamrock as a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Literature & Folktales 

St. Patrick’s Day is a great reason to explore Irish literature and folktales with your students.  Of course, English teachers likely have more than a few of these authors in their repertoire. Just in case, here are some lists and free links to Irish literature that may help round out your St. Patrick’s Day instruction:

• Check out this comprehensive list of Irish authors, their writing, and what they are most notable for.
• Irish fairy tales, which are also narrated, are great short reads for students filled with Irish folklore.
• More Irish folktales are available on this website, completely free and printable

School Spirit and Whimsical Celebrations

Now for the rainbows, leprechauns, and pots of gold I promised.  St. Patrick’s Day is a self-designated spirit day, as students are most likely going to wear green anyways to avoid the dreaded St. Patrick’s Day pinch.  As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  

• Enlist the ASB, Activities, or student leadership/culture organizations you may have on campus to promote the day with posters, announcements, and social media messages.  Give out prizes in various categories: most original and most school spirit, for example.
• Do a door decorating contest, again using your student leaders to spread the word.  Prizes encourage participation!
• Food – while fish and chips in your math class may not be feasible, what about another classic: Irish soda bread.  Many grocery stores sell it around this time of year. Or, give out a recipe like this one and have students work in teams to bake a loaf at home and bring it in to share.  Offer lucky Irish extra credit for participation.

Having a St. Patrick’s Day dance or event?! Manage it for free with My School Dance!

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Contact:

hello@myschooldance.com

833-336-8656

Written by: Angela O’Brien

March 2, 2020

The first Prom Committee meeting is underway and you’re looking for the best prom ideas- epic prom ideas.  The year is 2020 and someone suggests, The Roaring 20s!  I mean it’s perfect, right? Now what?  Where do you go from here?    Take one this suggestion one step further with the ideal theme.  There are some great iconic 1920s songs, phrases, and cultural images that come to mind that would make the perfect prom theme.  This was the age of Jazz, the Charleston dance craze, the Great Gatsby, Swing music and dancing, New York jazz clubs, Chicago gangsters, flappers, and speakeasies.

Our top ten roaring 20s theme suggestions:  All That Jazz – The Great Gatsby – Dixieland Ballroom – Swing City Blues – Rhapsody in Blue – Puttin’ on the Ritz – The Cotton Club – Ragtime Ball – Southside Swing – Windy City Speakeasy or Chicago Speakeasy or even better look up some of the names of your hometown historic speakeasies!

You’ve picked your theme now choose the colors you’re going to use for everything from the invitations to the decorations.  The classic style for the 1920s era was Art Deco and a great color scheme for any of these prom themes is black, gold, and white.  If you choose Swing City Blues, replace the black with blue.  If you use Rhapsody in Blue, try using blue, black and white/gold.

Depending on your chosen theme, add to your list of decorations jazz musician silhouettes, a Rolls Royce cut out, art deco columns, or a backroom speakeasy backdrop.  Table decorations of white plumed feathers or an art deco style light with each table named for a 20s dance, slang phrase, or person: The Bees Knees, The Cat’s Pajamas, The Lindy Hop, Bugsy’s, or Capone’s.  Placemats made to look like newspaper headlines captured from the 1920s would make a great keepsake to use for scrapbooks with pictures.

Get a photo frame or photo album keepsake engraved with the prom theme name and your class year using an art deco font.  Each printing service offers its own selection of fonts and most likely will have an  “art deco” font.  Some other common fonts would be: Bernhard Fashion, Blakely, Broadway, Metropolis, Mona Lisa Recut, Mostra, and one of our favorites, Silvermoon.  Be sure to pick up props with headbands, gangster fedoras, beads, feathers, and lace fans for great keepsake photos. Check out our favorite decor and favor retailer Anderson’s!

Now, to make prom not just a dance, but an EPIC experience.  What’s great about having a theme based around the Roaring 20s are not just the amazing decoration ideas, but activities you can have leading up to prom to get your classmates excited and involved in prom.

Here are just a few ideas to get everyone ramped up for the big day.  Host a silent movie night in the school auditorium, you could even talk to the band director and get the school orchestra to play music for the films!  Contact the local historical society and host a 1920s fashion show to get your classmates in the mood for dressing the part.  Announce that there will be ribbons or prizes to the best-dressed couple, the best ‘Zoot Suit’, and the best ‘Flapper’.  Have Roaring 20s trivia during lunch periods at school during prom week and have Charleston and Swing Dance lessons during the week.

When prom night arrives, have the DJ or band play the top songs of the era and stage great photo opps as they enter with the jazz musicians, Rolls Royce, and art deco columns.  Get one of the teachers (even better the principal and vice-principal!) to dress as maître ds to escort couples to their tables.  At various locations, have the prop tables set up for additional pictures throughout the night to make for some great memories.  Since you’ve had the Charleston and Swing Dance lessons that week, hold a dance contest!

No matter what theme you choose, get ready to have a Roaring Good Time! Sell your tickets online for free with My School Dance! Half off processing fees for prom!

Written by Midge Brody

If you want more activities or tips for your school, check out these blog posts next: The Ultimate Prom Planning Timeline, 3 Ways To Effective Classroom Management.

But wait! That’s not all. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Contact:

hello@myschooldance.com

833-336-8656

February 7, 2020

If you haven’t noticed the copious amounts of red and pink hearts, chocolates, and flowers in the stores yet, Valentine’s Day is next week! Although this holiday might not seem so important to most, you can provide a fun approach to it with different activities for your students! My School Dance has a list of 5 activities that we narrowed down as our top picks. Here they are:

• Organizations-Split your class up into groups of 5-7 students. Have each group pick an organization such as a senior living facility, a homeless shelter, a boys and girls club, etc. They then can create some Valentine craft to give to this organization and brighten their day.
• Sweetheart Dance-Have your students host a Valentine’s Day dance. You can fundraise for it and donate your earnings to a local charity!
• Lunch Dates-Have your students invite a special someone such as a family member, parent, guardian, role model, etc. to a school luncheon. It’ll be a nice chance for the students to celebrate the holiday of love with their loved ones.
• Student Names-Send each student home with a list of the student’s names in their class. Then have them write one nice thing about each student. The next day have them go around and pass each of their comments to the other students.
• Arts&Crafts-Have your students create some type of craft or an artwork. Then, have them write a compliment or something nice about another teacher, administrator, custodian, or other faculty at the school. On Valentine’s Day, have them delivered to each person.

These are just a few of our top favorite activities that you can implement with any age level. Plus, a lot of these activities don’t require a lot, if any, money to do them. You can use a lot of the supplies that you already have to do these! Choose which activity works best for you and your students and let us know how it goes!

If you want more activities or tips for your school, check out these blog posts next: The Ultimate Prom Planning Timeline, 3 Ways To Effective Classroom Management, and How To Plan A Pinterest Party!

But wait! That’s not all. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Contact:

Stephanie Hamilton

833-336-8656

We know Prom is one of your school’s biggest events for students and you’ve been planning all year long! For an event this big, you really need to start planning far in advance to ensure you get everything just right. My School Dance created an ultimate Prom planning timeline for you to stick to so you don’t stress about what needs to be done by when. Let’s get to it:

6-10 Months Prior to Prom

During this time, you should create your Prom committee and subcommittees. Once that’s done, figure out your entire budget for the dance and get that finalized with whoever is in charge of your school’s bank account. Next, choose the date of your Prom. Make sure to go through your school’s calendar to ensure there’s no other events on the same night. After the date is solidified, it’s time to choose a theme! You then can begin to fundraise and raise money for the dance!

4-5 Months Prior

This is where you get a lot of your specialities booked! The biggest one being your venue. Make sure to seek out different venues and book one for the date you chose. Then, you can choose a caterer if you plan on having food. Next, book your entertainment such as a DJ, band, photographer, etc. If your school is planning on having a Post-Prom Event, you’ll need to plan for that during these months too.

2-3 Months Prior

Choose your Prom decorations and have them ordered. Design your ticket and invitations for the dance. If you want extra safety, book security for the night of the dance. Seek out volunteers to chaperone the dance whether they’re parents or teachers. Order all favors, decor, invites, and any other supplies you haven’t to ensure you receive them by the day of the dance.

1 Month Prior

If your school uses invitations, send them out. Verify with all of your specialty companies the date and time (DJ, Band, Photographer, Caterer, etc.). Figure out the floor plan and seating area. If you have assigned seats, do that during this month. Begin to sell your tickets a few weeks out to give students a chance to gather the money. Create an event checklist for the day of to ensure everything is in place and you won’t forget anything.

1 Week Prior

Finalize a general headcount for the venue. Confirm once again with all specialty companies about the date and time they are to arrive. Assemble all of the decorations for prep.

2-3 Days Prior

Pick up last minute things, if needed. If allowed by the venue, begin to decorate the room.

Day Of Prom

Pick up last minute decorations. Finish setting up for the dance. Help speciality companies get set up in their correct locations. Run through your dance checklist to make sure you didn’t forget anything. Relax, and enjoy what you created!

My School Dance knows how difficult planning a huge event like Prom is. We created our platform to provide teachers, like you, extra help and less stress. You can utilize our platform to save over 25 hours in managing Prom this year. Plus, our platform is free. Let us help make Prom managing enjoyable for you!

If you want more Prom tips, check out these blogs: Big Or Small School? How To Choose Your Venue For Prom, 10 Prom Traditions That Might Shock You, and How To Publicize Your School Dance!

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January 24, 2020

Crazy to believe it, but love is in the air! Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and that means your school’s Sweetheart Dance will be taking place soon. Change it up this year and don’t choose a basic theme for your dance. Add some edge to it with My School Dance’s theme ideas for a Sweetheart Dance. Check them out below:

Red and Black Masquerade

Make all of your attendees wear fun, black or red, masks to hide their faces. A mystery is always intriguing to all! Make all of your decorations black, white, and red to add some color. You don’t have to go all out with decor, just some basic things. With this color scheme and theme, you’ll have a classy night going for your students!

A Sweet For My Sweetheart

Deck your entire venue out in candy themed stuff. A lot of the decor can be DIY, but you can also buy a lot of candy themed items. Have licorice hanging down the entrance way, have gumdrops surrounding the dance floor, and cotton candy dangling down the room. There’s so many different things you can do. This theme will sure be sweet!

Love Is A Work Of Heart

Make your entire theme related around artwork and hearts. It could look like you’re in an art gallery, which would be unique. Get the art students involved by having them create murals and other pieces for decor!

Black Tie Gala

Want to make your Sweetheart Dance a more formal event? Turn it into a Gala! Use black and white decor and crystals all over. Students would wear formal attire with black suits. Have all volunteers dress up too so it looks even more official!

Secret Admirer Dance

Make your theme a “love notes” theme. You can decorate the walls with love notes and have your students get involved by writing some. This would be very cost-efficient and a unique theme. You can sell roses at the dance for students to purchase for their secret admirer.

Hosting a dance is always a fun thing to do for your students. It’s even more fun when you can get creative with the theme, decor, and invites too. Try something different this year for your school’s Sweetheart Dance. It’s always nice to have some change!

Once you’ve chosen your theme, start creating your dance on your school’s My School Dance landing page. Your dance partner can help assist with any other details. If you aren’t already signed up, just sign your school up for free and get started!

If you want more helpful tips and tools, check out these blogs next: Big or Small School? How To Choose Your Venue For Prom!, How To Publicize Your School Dance, and How To Host A Sweetheart Dance On A Low Budget!

But that’s not all! Go like us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Contact:

Stephanie Hamilton

833-336-8656

January 17, 2020

When you are in charge of planning and managing your school’s Prom, it’s hard to understand everything that it entails. However, one of the biggest things to consider for Prom is the venue! A lot of schools have different venues when it comes to this formal dance. How do you know which one is right for your school?

When it comes to your school, are you considered a big school or a small school? My School Dance considers small schools to be 500 students or less. A big school is 500+. Now that you have decided on your school size, it’s time to start thinking about the proper venue. One thing to consider is if you’re allowing your students to bring out of school dates. If you do, you’ll have to increase your school size so you’re accommodating enough space with more students. If you don’t allow students to bring out of school guests, then you don’t have to worry about it!

When choosing your venue, you’ll want to make sure the venue location isn’t too far of a drive for students. I’d highly recommend nothing over a 30 minute drive for students. If the venue location is too far, a lot of students will not go.

Small Schools

If you have a small school, you might want to just stick to somewhere local like your school’s gym or cafeteria. However, a lot of students aim to have their Prom at a different location than the school. I’d suggest looking at local community centers, halls, and hotels. With a smaller amount of students, you can get a smaller venue room.

Big Schools

If you have a big school, you aren’t going to want to cram all of your students and volunteers in a small gym or cafeteria. You’ll want to look for an outside venue! Convention centers, bigger restaurants, halls, outdoor pavilions, parks, or even big boats! All of these venue options have been huge hits in the past for bigger schools.

When you start looking into your venue options some things to consider are:

• Is the venue location available for your desired date and time?
• What’s the cost for the venue?
• Maximum capacity size for the venue?
• Are there any amenities onsite?
• What type of lighting is available and will you need additional lighting?
• Is the building secure?
• Can you bring in your own DJ, Catering, Photo booths, etc.?
• Who handles setting up and cleaning up?
• How early can you arrive to prepare?
• Are their any package deals for booking?

It’s important to take into account all of these questions when you book one of the top things for Prom. I would suggest looking at multiple places first before choosing your destination. That way you get a feel for a variety of environments and deals. If your school needs help making the management process for Prom easier, sign your school up with My School Dance for free! 

Our platform allows you to save over 25 hours when it comes to Prom planning and managing! If you thought this blog post was helpful, take a look at these: 10 Prom Traditions That Might Shock You, How to Publicize Your School Dance, and Top 5 Prom 2020 Trends You Need To Know Before You Shop!

Don’t forget to follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest! Watch some How-To videos on Youtube as well!

Contact:

Stephanie Hamilton

833-336-8656

Prom is one of the most magical times for a lot of high schoolers. However, did you know that a lot of schools across the country have traditions that they’ve had for years now? Some schools are definitely stricter than others, but a lot of schools share the same traditions. Some seem pretty normal, but some seem very strange!

Here’s an insight of what My School Dance has found out about Prom traditions:

Tradition 1

Garters-It’s very common for girls to get garters that match the color of their dress. There’s always the typical “garter picture” too to show it off. I know you know what I’m talking about. Once at the dance, the girls give their garters to their dates and their dates wear them on their arms. This tradition is supposed to resemble how it’s lucky to keep a piece of a bride’s gown so they do it for Prom too.

Tradition 2

Ties-Once pictures are done, the guys usually give their dates the tie they are wearing. The girls usually wear the tie throughout the dance just like how the guys wear the garters.

Tradition 3

Pep Rallies-A lot of schools for all of their dances will have a school spirit pep rally either the day before or the week of. These are usually pretty fun because they hype the students up and make them get more involved. A lot of times, schools have fun activities or games involved too.

Tradition 4

Ditching-Some schools actually still host Prom on a Friday night compared to a Saturday night, which is crazy! How does anyone have enough time to get ready after being at school all day? That’s why a common tradition is a lot of students skip school the day of if Prom falls on a Friday. Sometimes students will even skip the Monday after Prom too.

Tradition 5

Weekend Long Festivities-Many students will make Prom not just one night, but a weekend long event. Usually, they’ll plan activities or places to go to the day after Prom and sometimes even the day after that too. It’s a weekend event for many students! A lot of students go to an amusement park, to the city, to a festival, etc.

Tradition 6

Promposals-Getting asked to Prom has changed drastically over the years. Couples went from simply asking each other a question to having to create an extravagant proposal to get their hopeful date to go with them. A lot of time and money can go into creating the perfect promposal. Once it’s Prom season, we see the creative ways that students ask their dates!

Tradition 7

After Prom Parties-When I was in school, we never had post Prom parties associated with the school. Now due to safety measures, a lot of schools are hosting After Prom Parties to ensure their students are safe, while still having a fun time. Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more schools doing this.

Tradition 8

Assigning Dates-Some schools require students to be assigned their dates. For example, they either have their students choose a name out of a hat or they randomly assign the dates. A lot of students would freak out about this, but many students that go to schools that do this don’t actually mind it. It’s a way to make sure everyone is included! Interesting tradition!

Tradition 9

Photoshoots-Prior to taking pictures at the school dance, a lot of students meet and take pictures as a group at another location. Some even go all out and get professional photographers for these photo sessions.

Tradition 10

T-Shirts-Lately, a newer tradition has emerged with the idea of Prom t-shirts. Schools create a design based on the theme of the dance and create t-shirts. They sell them and usually the money goes towards some aspect of the Prom. This seems to be a popular tradition that might be here to stay.

Now that you’ve read some of the typical traditions, which ones does your school follow? I want to know! It’s interesting to see what schools do what and to see which traditions are more common compared to others. Send me an email to let me know! 

If your school is looking for an easier way to manage such a big event, check out My School Dance’s platform! It’s free and easy to use. 

If you liked this blog post, check out these ones next: How To Publicize Your School Dance, Top 5 Prom 2020 Trends You Need To Know Before You Shop, and 10 Actionable Tips To Manage Prom Better!

But don’t stop there! Give us a like: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram!

January 3, 2020

Over the past year, something I’ve noticed a lot of dance planners struggle with is how to publicize their school dance. Me being a marketing manager, thought I could give all dance planners some helpful tidbits when it comes to the best way to market your school’s dances and events. Let’s get started!

1. Social Media-If your school doesn’t have their own social media pages, then that’s step one for you. The hot platforms for schools to be on are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The majority of students are on all of these platforms and check them regularly. Create creative content about the dance and post all over social media. Students will likely see these posts more than seeing a flyer hanging up in the cafeteria. Some things to post: dance theme, decor, polls for music selection, voting polls, members of the dance court, details, and throwbacks to past dances.
2. Email Marketing– Have your school’s Communication Associate draft up a crafty email all about the dance. You can do a series where you send an email once a week, once every two weeks, or even do once a month leading up to the dance. You can send these emails out to parents and students!
3. Club Contests– Want to get students more involved with the dances? For each dance, have a club contest related to the theme of the dance. For example, which club can create the best decoration for a Great Gatsby themed Prom. Then give the winner a pizza party or money towards their club. If it’s a fun contest, more clubs will want to participate which will bring more students in.
4. Mascot– When ticket sales start happening for the dance, have one student participate to be the dance’s themed mascot. Have this person dress up and walk around handing out flyers or some little knickknack at lunch. If the person stands out, more students will be talking about them.
5. Businesses– Go around to local businesses to try to get donations whether that’s money, decor, entertainment, etc. Then, promote these local businesses on your website and social media. Have the local businesses hang up a flyer of the dance in their shops as well!

Marketing a school dance should be fun to do! If it becomes a hassle, then you’re doing something wrong. When it comes to the content creation for the social posts, have students get more involved by creating content for it. They’ll have fun while doing it and be more excited about attending the dance.

You can get more marketing tips for your school dances when you manage your dance with My School Dance. Our platform is free for all schools to use. Check us out now!

If you found this blog post to be helpful for you, check out these posts next: Top 5 Places To Get Your School Dance Decorations, How To Hire The Right DJ For Your School Dance, and How My School Dance Was Created!

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Stephanie Hamilton

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