I don't have any actual party ideas for you. However, I can suggest a behind-the-scenes idea that always helped my chapter stay sane during work week!
We had a secret sister program called Sunshine Pals that started immediately after classes ended for summer break and lasted through the first day of rush. Each sister drew a name from a hat at the last meeting before the break, and that was her secret pal. The slip of paper that held the pal's name also had her home address on it. So, the girls would send each other anonymous notes during the summer to keep DZ on everyone's mind, even though they weren't at school and around their sisters on a daily basis.
When rush rolled around and it was time for work week, the girls would start bringing in little gifts for their Sunshine Pals -- a decorated cup, a bag of candy, a funny card, etc. It was so much fun trying to guess who your pal was. She would always have another sister deliver your gift, or would secretly sneak it into your bag or car when you weren't looking!

On the first day of Rush, everyone gave their pal a big basket of goodies and revealed their identities.
We found that the program kept the girls' spirits up and helped them to get along with each other better during work week. Rush can be such a stressful time -- it was nice to keep things positive.

Plus, a lot of girls got to know each other better through the program -- girls who didn't hang out with each other the year before became close friends by the end of Rush.
Hope this helps! By the way, tell your CCD Lisa hello for me. She's a good friend of mine from the Atlanta alumnae chapter.
DZLAM,
Carrie