Over 1,400 Visitors Arrive on Campus for Family Weekend

This past weekend, over 1,400 parents and student relatives arrived on campus to attend Friday and Saturday classes. In addition to classes, parents also participated in other events—on Friday night, families mingled at a cocktail reception and visited open theater, dance and music group rehearsals, and on Saturday afternoon, families enjoyed watching and cheering their children on during their athletic competitions.Family Weekend provided parents an opportunity to schedule a meeting with their child’s adviser, attend different programs to learn more about the Academy activities such as the college application process or the Academy’s finances and simply spend quality time with their child.Every year, the Academy surveys the opinions of the previous Family Weekend and uses the results to make changes for the next year.Dean Mischke commented on the survey process.“We basically have ‘Did you attend the event,’ ‘Did you like the event,’ “Do you have any comments on the event?’ We basically just look at the percentages and comments and it advises us for the next year for what we can do better,” she said.The changes to Family Weekend were well received this year. Many parents commented on the beneficial seminars the Academy offered.“The parent seminar ‘Cracking Kids’Secret Code’presented by the counseling office, should be required for all parents. The seminar analyzed communication between teens and their parents, by giving tips and techniques for effective communication,” Michelle Drake, mother of upper Lauren Karr, said.Drake also praised Hassan’s address to parents. “I really enjoyed Principal Hassan's address to the parents, which touched on many topics affecting the students and the Academy,” she said. Teachers ran classes as usual on Friday and Saturday with the goal of providing parents an accurate experience to what happens daily at the Academy in classes.Yongqing Ju, father of upper Rebecca Ju, appreciated this opportunity to observe his child’s classes and see Harkness in action.“[Family Weekend is] always helpful because most of us never knew anything about Harkness because we didn’t grow up in Harkness. This year, something new was iPads, and we got to see how iPads are used in classes,” he said.

"[Family Weekend is] always helpful because most of us never knew anything about Harkness because we didn’t grow up in Harkness. This year, something new was iPads, and we got to see how iPads are used in classes."

Many teachers agree that Family Weekend is beneficial for parents, providing them the chance to observe classes as well as spend some valuable and rare time with their child.“I think it’s a good thing for parents to come and see what students do and the amount of mental exhaustion that they go through," English instructor Ah-Young Song, said. “I think it can really enhance the connection that parents have with the community and ultimately, that sense of community is really important at Exeter.”Teachers were also able to relax during the long weekend. Ms. Song spent time with students and parents on the weekend. During her spare hours, she was able to enjoy the weather and the surrounding areas of New Hampshire and Boston.Because Family Weekend is only four days, many international students’ parents were unable to make it. Yannick Yao, a lower from China, explained that for international students’ families, it’s especially difficult and expensive for parents to fly from their home country to Exeter.Despite the disappointment of not getting to see their parents like other students, international students still enjoyed the long weekend, relaxing and spending time with other students whose parents could not come as well. Instead, Yao attended a Go tournament with Go Club on Saturday.Youngmin Song, a lower from South Korea, stayed in Exeter and spent the weekend hanging with his friends that didn’t leave campus. Song and his friends ate in town at Penang and Las Olas.For students whose parents were able to come to campus, Family Weekend was especially exciting. Students enjoyed bringing their families to their classes. Some students went home while many others, who live further away, spent the weekend in Boston and nearby areas.Upper Emma Kim, a day student, went to Boston to celebrate the weekend. “My parents make an effort to make the weekend special,” she said.“They took me out to all of my favorite restaurants over the weekend and even took me into Boston. My parents try to take time to do what I want to do, so it's a special day for me.”Lower Hannah Mackay, who lives in New Hampshire, really enjoyed sharing her Academy experience with her family. She was also able to return home and spend time with her friends from home.Mackay explained, “It was so nice to see my friends sometimes I feel that I am getting too busy to keep up with the texts or the calls so being able to have a day to just reconnect with them was so needed.”In general, Exonians, families and teachers alike enjoyed Family Weekend. As lower Eric Tang said, “Overall, I felt that family weekend was very successful. I enjoyed showing my parents around school and around town, and it was great to be able to talk with them again, even for only one weekend.”