Mocktails, cute couples hugging under stone arches, white pletha-leather couches and oodles of sweet teens having innocent fun. - That's what a UParty sponsored by Standard Bank Schools Pro20 is all about! So we found tonight St John's High School, at an incredibly fun party, attended by thousands of teens many from from surrounding schools such as Kingsmead, Saheti, Rodean and Edenvale High. And the best part? Their parents could also rest easy in the knowledge that their children were enjoying innocent, safe fun under the stars.

Charming St John's Matric Dance Committee member, Daniel Fisher explained before the party that St John's holds this social every year to raise funds for the matric dance. It's for under 18s only and the first social event for the new Grade 8s - for whom it's pretty much compulsory, so they really feel part of the school.

With Standard Bank as the sponsor of this year's event, the vibe and party offering was taken to a new level - with a VIP lounge offering non-alchoholic mocktails, mini burgers and sophisticated wraps and a happening dance floor with live video streaming. As at the other three UPartys held country-wide this year, the Schools Pro20 Activation team greeted the teens on arrival by encouraging them to participate in fun batting, bowling and dance activities to win cricket bats, vouchers and much more. Tebogo Motswene, Advertising and Sponsorship Manager for Standard Bank explained that the UParty's create the perfect environment for the bank to build its relationship with teens, create interest around the Schools Pro20 Challenge and introduce them to the Standard Bank Achiever Account.

We did a tour of the dance floor and gorgeous open areas, where everyone relaxed, surrounded by the school's historic stone buildings and chatted to various couples, shiny looking girls in cute floral dresses and cool dudes with skew caps and hip tees. It soon became clear just how upbeat and excited everyone was. Flopping on his pletha lounger, Logan Geldenhuys, a new Grade 8 at St John's told me he found the VIP area astoundingly good and worth the extra money he paid for his ticket. He also seemed really relieved to have finished what he called a four-pager. I figured out this was four pages of writing he was tasked to do by an older boy, as part of his initiation at the school. In it he had to describe (of all things) the history of the toasted chicken mayo sandwich! Despite this he didn't seem too phased by his first few weeks at high school at all! Later cutie Samantha Dean happily hugged Neville van der Spuy her boyfriend of five months and confessed she loved the chip and dip and was having a great time.

... There were countless other lovely moments and the enjoyment and enthusiasm hung in the air as sweetly as the chiming bells in the stone towers signalling each hour slipping away.