Decorate the walls of the dance with pictures taken throughout the school year. The school yearbook committee should have photographs on hand from school events and activities. Ask your students for photos taken during school trips and parties held away from school, as well as photos from school-sponsored events. Blow up some photos into poster-size images and hang smaller images in groups along different walls as collages.
Ask parents for photos of their kids in early years. Send home letters and request baby pictures and pictures of kids before junior high school. When you arrange the images on the walls, hang a blank sheet of paper underneath. During the party, the students take turns guessing who each photo belongs to and writing their guesses on the piece of paper. Turn the activity into a party game by awarding prizes to students who guess correctly.
If the students are all going on to the same high school, decorate the walls with memorabilia from that high school. You can use pennants, letterman jackets and other items showcasing the school’s colors and mascot. For a twist on the same idea, use pictures and memorabilia from popular high school movies and TV shows. Hang movie posters from “The Breakfast Club,” “High School Musical,” “10 Things I Hate About You” and posters from other movies and shows set in high school.
Give the students something to celebrate with a carnival-themed eighth grade promotion dance. Setup concession stands with cotton candy, candy apples, fried doughnuts, hot dogs and other food you might find at a carnival. Banners, balloons and other brightly-colored decorations mimic the carnival feel. Add a few game stands that work with the carnival theme. Let the kids take turns trying to knock over milk bottles and pop balloons. Ask a favorite teacher to serve in the dunk tank and let the kids try to knock the teacher into the water.