Parents Arrive on Campus for Family Weekend

Over 1,500 Exonian family members and friends visited campus last weekend to get a first-hand look at student life. Visitors sat in on classes, watching performances in the Bowld and Goel Theater and cheering on fall sports teams in their matches against Deerfield.

Family Weekend provides students with the opportunity to reconnect with their families and friends, meet many others in the Exeter network and enjoy some much-needed down time.

“Family Weekend lets parents have an appreciation for the enormous amount of hard work you guys are doing because parents who didn’t go to Exeter might think back to their own high school years and realize what you’re doing is a lot harder,” Ahern said.

This time is especially important given the nature of boarding schools. Michael Gomez, the father of upper Noel Gomez, thought it was an opportunity to feel connected and get involved at Exeter. “When your kids go to school right where you live, you’re more connected and you know what’s going on,” he said. “But when your kid is at boarding school, it’s harder to do that so Family Weekend is really important, and all of us go each year.”

And, like most other parents, Gomez’s parents are always eager to take part in their student’s life, even if it was their third Family Weekend. “Each year, there is always something different—whether it be new teachers, new subjects, or new extracurriculars,” Noel’s mother, Erika Gomez, said.

Michael Ahern, father of upper Erin Ahern, shared a similar opinion. “Family Weekend lets parents have an appreciation for the enormous amount of hard work you guys are doing because parents who didn’t go to Exeter might think back to their own high school years and realize what you’re doing is a lot harder,” Ahern said.

Ahern felt that the weekend demonstrated what an Exeter education gives students. “Family Weekend also lets parents see what they’re paying for. I get the sense that some of the kids like to put on a show when the parents are in the room. So, the fact that the parents are in the room can sometimes impact the discussion itself,” he said.

Lower Nick Garey shared a similar opinion. “Students try harder in class to impress their parents and people who don’t talk as much will jump in the conversation more.”

Prep Amy Lum, however, found that the class dynamics had shifted dramatically in the opposite direction when parents shadowed the students. “Usually our math classes are really, really loud but when all the parents were there, it was dead silent for the first 10 minutes,” Lum said.

The weekend also served as an opportunity for younger siblings of Exonians to consider the possibility of an Exeter education. “[Classes] allow me to gauge what student life is like at Exeter,” said Victor Matheos, younger brother of alumnus George Matheos ’18 and upper Thomas Matheos. Matheos also noted that his experience could have been more fulfilling if classes acknowledged the younger family guests more, since many of them may not be familiar with the potentially advanced material.

Although Family Weekend is filled with activities from sports games to performances, students feel that it could be improved. Upper Nathan James felt that the school should run more events like Family Weekend to keep families updated on their children’s lives. “We should have a Family Weekend every term so your parents can meet all your teachers,” James said.

However, Spanish Instructor Viviana Santos argued that the fall term is the only optimal time for Family Weekend, as the autumn weather allows for visitors to roam campus. Allison Goddard, Assistant Director of Alumni and Parent Relations and a key planner of the event agreed. “The beautiful weather helped make it a quintessential fall weekend in New England,” she said.

Garey also believed that Family Weekend mainly served new students and their families. “Family Weekend is to show the parents a sense of what Exeter is like, and it also gives new students that are feeling homesick a chance to see their family,” Garey said. “After their first term here, most of the students have gotten used to Exeter.”

Regardless, Family Weekend provides all Exonians, their families, and their friends a much needed break and a chance to bond over life at Exeter. “Every year, we always look forward to [Family Weekend],” said Mr. and Mrs. Gomez.