Thanks to the enthusiastic response of our talented and generous eighth grade parents, the eighth grade party was destined for success. From the beginning, there was an immediate outpouring of support regarding every aspect of the 8th grade party. Parents who couldn't give of their time were generous in their donations. Parents who could give of their time were quick to not only sign up for committees, but chair them, as well. We were extremely fortunate to have Amy and Gary Levinson as chairs of invitations. The invitations were beautifully designed and they set the tone for the theme of this year's party: MTV.

Due to this generous donation, we were in a much better position to afford one of the best DJs in the business: The Stephen Scott Extreme Team. Their DJ, MC and dancers were so incredible that it became nearly impossible for us to get the kids off the dance floor for food, let alone photos. Thanks to the many generous donations, we were able to increase the number of dancers to nine.

The various committees worked hard throughout the year to provide the best of everything. From the beautiful decorations, the scrumptious food, the professional photographs packed with as many friends that could fit within the boundaries of the seriously cool backdrop, to the goody bags filled with great giveaways, our committees could not have done more to make this party a special memory for our teenagers. TLC went into every aspect of this party, right down to the homemade chocolate lollipops that Robyn Diamond single-handedly made.

Becky Freifeld and Zalena Senatore did an outstanding job heading the decorating committee; Zirza Tejeda and Terry Eagle co-chaired food and were committed to providing the most kid-friendly food money could buy; Karyn Miller chaired party favors and worked wonders with her budget; and Irene Pond and Anne Doscas co-chaired photos and made an excellent decision to have The Main Event provide professional photography and still remain within the confines of their budget. Marie Aguilar and Renee Lauffer came through on the mammoth cleanup. With help from parents Anne and Stan Bratskeir, we were able to have news coverage of the night's event.

Security, headed by Paula Wersen and Kathy Foreman, was a gargantuan task not only because of the number of security contracts that needed to be collected, but because this was the largest eighth grade party to date. We are happy to report that there were no incidents. Our hats go off to these parents for a job well done.

Thanks to each and every one of you. Our only regret is that we cannot list each of you by name. You were a great group to work with and we wish you a relaxing summer. You deserve it.

8th grade party co-chairs

Wanda Matthews, Athene Cavallaro and Debbie Rashti