PACT Charter School

Original Creation Date: February 2009
Last Approved By: PACT Charter School Board of Directors
Last Approved Date: November 2, 2023
Year Reviewed: 2019-2020

Dance Guidelines

PACT Charter School dances are important social events for students and provide a structured forum for social interaction. However, the school must maintain a reasonable standard of appropriate behavior and dance movements. Students must recognize that movements and dance styles present in non-school settings or portrayed in the entertainment industry are not always appropriate in the secondary school setting. Therefore, the following guidelines will be used to determine appropriate behavior and dance movements. This document will also define the responsibilities of sponsors, chaperones, and students while sponsoring or attending school dances.

Admission

1. Admission will be denied to any student absent from school for more than half of the day of the dance. Absence necessitated by medical appointments or school-approved activities will be the only exceptions. Sponsors will obtain a final copy of the daily absentee list on the dance date.
2. Admission to the dance will be denied to any student who has been suspended in-school or out-of-school, within ten (10) school days prior to the dance.
3. Students may leave the dance at any time, but they will not be allowed to return.
4. Loitering in the parking lot or around the campus will not be permitted.
5. Students and guests must leave immediately after the conclusion of the dance.
6. Admission fees will continue to be collected up to one hour after the scheduled start of the dance. Special circumstances resulting from school-sanctioned events must be brought to a faculty advisor's attention at least twenty four (24) hours prior to the dance.
7. All money collected is to be counted by two people and turned over to a school representative before the close of the evening. The funds are then to be given directly to the Business Accounts Specialist on the next school day.
8. No refunds will be given unless it is to reimburse a nominee for royalty.
9. Students and guests may be asked to show current picture identification for entry.

Behavior Expectations

1. All fights and/or verbal altercations may result in immediate law enforcement notification. For the PACT student, involvement in a fight will result in a minimum 30-day suspension from school-sponsored extracurricular activities, in addition to other consequences outlined in 507 - Behavioral Expectations & Code of Conduct Policy. Any guest involved in a fight will be barred from all extracurricular activities at PACT for the remainder of the school year.
2. Any student suspected of being in possession of or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol will be subject to a search by law enforcement.
3. Administration and the dance faculty advisor has the authority to request a student to leave the dance under any circumstances. Once a student is removed from the dance, he or she may not return and must leave campus.
4. Parent contact will be made by a PACT administrator, dance faculty advisor, or staff member administrator. If a parent is unable to be reached by the end of the dance, the student will be released to go home.

Chaperones

1. 1. In order for the dance to be held, there must be a minimum of one adult chaperone for every 20 students or a minimum of four total chaperones (whichever is greater) committed to attending throughout the entire dance.
   2. At least two chaperones must be members of the PACT staff.
   3. A BCA must be on file with the Volunteer Coordinator.
   4. Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older.
   5. All chaperones, staff, and student council members in attendance of the dance must read the 555-School Dance Policy and sign a form before the dance that affirms that they have read the policy and fully understand and will comply with it.
   6. Only official chaperones that have met the above qualifications may remain for the entire dance.
     Note: Parents/Guardians wishing to take pictures should do so at the beginning of the dance.

Dress Code

1. Dress should be modest and abide by the school 504 - Dress Code Policy.
2. For semi-formal and formal dances, school dress code is enforced at the dance with the following exceptions: spaghetti straps, strapless dresses, and backless clothing (halters) may be worn, but may not expose midriff or undergarments. They must also adhere to the length requirements in the school dress code. Dress pants and collared shirts are encouraged for the boys. All attire will be subject to the approval of the faculty at the door, and all judgments will be final.
3. For casual dances, school dress code is enforced at the dance with the following exceptions: spaghetti straps, strapless dresses, and backless clothing (halters) may be worn, but may not expose midriff or undergarments. They must also adhere to the length requirements in the school dress code. Boys are encouraged to wear a collared/dress shirt.
4. If a student is not sure that the attire will meet the guidelines, they should check with the dance faculty advisor prior to the day of the event. Students not meeting these standards will not be admitted into the event and parents will be notified.
5. If attire is altered once students are admitted into the dance in such a way as to make it violate the specified dress code standards, the student(s) may be removed from the dance. Parents will be notified.

Determining Calendar Dates for Dances

All dances will be approved through the administration at least one month in advance.

Enforcement

Failure of the Student Council/sponsoring group to enforce this policy may result in restriction from sponsoring dances for the remainder of the current school year.

Music

1. No explicit language, swearing, overt reference, or inferences to sexual content will be allowed. The DJ will play clean versions of songs.
2. Songs that are labeled as Explicit will not be played. In addition, a song not labeled Explicit will not be played if it includes the following:
   1. Strong language
   2. References to violence and physical or mental abuse;
   3. References to sexualized behavior;
   4. Racist, homophobic, misogynistic or other language or behavior that could be considered discriminatory; or
3. Dangerous or criminal behavior which could glamorize such behavior or may encourage others to imitate it.
4. Student requests may be allowed but must comply with the above guidelines.
5. The dance staff, chaperones, or secondary student council president/student leader has the right to stop any song or stop any requests that are made.

Outside Guests

1. Students must turn in a completed guest form to the office by noon on Thursday before the dance. Late forms cannot be accepted.
2. One (1) non-district guest of a PACT student may attend the dance if the guest form has been completed and signed by all parties. The behavior of all guests as well as all PACT students will be in accordance with the school district established policy guidelines for student behavior. The PACT student is responsible for his/her guest’s behavior. If any problems develop, both the guest and the PACT student will be required to leave the dance.
3. No guests over the age of 20 will be approved – NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GRANTED.

Types of Dancing Allowed

Note: These guidelines apply on and off the dance floor.

1. Guidelines:
1. No crowd surfing or holding others off the ground.
2. Hands-on waists or shoulders only.
3. No “making out” (overt and/or prolonged public displays of affection).
4. No “slamming,” “moshing,” or “grinding” will be permitted. Front to front dancing that is sexually suggestive (groping, freaking, dirty dancing, grinding, etc.), lewd or obscene will not be tolerated. Examples of other inappropriate dancing are:
1. Front to back dancing
2. Dancing with objects, such as chairs or poles
3. Bending over
4. Laying on the ground
5. Straddling or leg-wrapping
6. Touching other people’s private parts
5. For safety reasons, “Breakdancing” is only allowed in the middle of the floor after an announcement is made by the DJ. This will only be allowed at the request of the dance faculty supervisor.
2. Consequences:
1. Removal from the dance floor if students engage in disallowed dancing as defined above.
2. After a second warning, removal of dance privileges for the rest of the evening, as well as the next scheduled school dance that they are allowed to attend.
3. If large groups engage in disallowed activities, it may be necessary to stop the music and end the dance. The school administration and staff chaperones will use their best judgment to identify dance moves or styles that are contrary to the dance rules.

Set-Up and Clean Up

All dances will end at times approved by administration and scheduled with the Facilities Coordinator. A setup schedule should be established with the Facilities Coordinator. Cleanup will immediately follow the dance. The Student Council/ sponsoring group will be responsible for after-dance cleanup. All tables and all chairs must be returned to their original locations. All decorations and props must be removed and placed in proper receptacles. Cleanup of the floor will consist of removal of all debris. Any additional cost incurred as a result of failure to cleanup will be deducted from the proceeds of the dance.

Tickets

1. If sponsored by the Student Council, a Student Council representative will be in charge of producing the tickets and organizing records of students who have purchased tickets.
2. Ticket prices will be set by the Student Council/sponsoring organization prior to advertising. If advance tickets are sold, they should be less expensive than tickets at the door in order to encourage early purchases for planning purposes.
3. Tickets will be ½ price for members of the Student Council for Student Council sponsored events.

Types of Dancing Allowed

Note: These guidelines apply on and off the dance floor.

1. Guidelines:
   1. No crowd surfing or holding others off the ground.
   2. Hands-on waists or shoulders only.
   3. No “making out” (overt and/or prolonged public displays of affection).
   4. No “slamming,” “moshing,” or “grinding” will be permitted. Front to front dancing that is sexually suggestive (groping, freaking, dirty dancing, grinding, etc.), lewd or obscene will not be tolerated. Examples of other inappropriate dancing are:
      1. Front to back dancing
      2. Dancing with objects, such as chairs or poles
      3. Bending over
      4. Laying on the ground
      5. Straddling or leg-wrapping
      6. Touching other people’s private parts
   5. For safety reasons, “Breakdancing” is only allowed in the middle of the floor after an announcement is made by the DJ. This will only be allowed at the request of the dance faculty supervisor.
2. Consequences:
3. Removal from the dance floor if students engage in disallowed dancing as defined above.
4. After a second warning, removal of dance privileges for the rest of the evening, as well as the next scheduled school dance that they are allowed to attend.
5. If large groups engage in disallowed activities, it may be necessary to stop the music and end the dance. The school administration and staff chaperones will use their best judgment to identify dance moves or styles that are contrary to the dance rules.

Grade-Level Based Dances

(must be determined in advance)

1. 6th-8th Grades only
2. 9th-12th Grades only
3. Prom 11th-12th (10th must be a guest of 11th or 12th graders)
4. Other (as determined by Student Council/sponsoring organization and Administration)