<p>We have a hotel room reserved for the April week-end but my High School daughter now has a night track meet on Thursday night and a AP practice test on Saturday. We mentioned to our son that we might skip the event and come back for Memorial Day weekend and he was little upset because he wants us to meet the parents of his good friends. Thought I would ask if other parents can give me some insight of the event.</p>
<p>I have no insight other than the fact that we'll be there! :)</p>
<p>Can your D stay with a friend for the weekend and make it to her events? (I've nver heard of having a scheduled AP practice test...and I'm willing to bet that if something involving a weekend away that SHE wanted to do came up, she would be lobbying you to skip it. ;) )</p>
<p>Worth the trip. The valley is a delight in early spring and there's a good range of structured academic/arts/athletic/social programs to sample. Administration presents enough speeches, receptions, q&a's, you come away almost glad to be writing whatever check you do. You will learn to use the career center way before the need is perceived in your child's mind. Meet his new friends (reduces awkwardness when they arrive unexpectedly at your home) and their parents (feel less anxiety when he arrives unexpectedly at their's). Be able to associate mystery credit card charges with actual places you've seen. All good fun. Considering the intense parent orientation of the weekend, a kid could feel kind of abandoned without one present. You only get two shots at this and the soph family weekend is less elaborate -- it happens in summer when the other class years are away from campus.</p>
<p>Agree with OK13 that is is great weekend for parents and really fun for students to share their school and friends with their families. At this point, they really feel as if they own it a little and want to share. Maybe you can have one parent attend (happens often). If neither can make it, no doubt your son will be 'adopted' by a friend's family for the weekend. There is a family weekend during sophomore summer as well - also fun - maybe a better opportunity for the whole family.</p>
<p>We went last year and the weather was horrible (cold and rainy). The lectures were interesting enough, but not all that valuable. We live close by so we had visited many other times so maybe we didn't find anything that exciting. If given the chance, I'd rather visit in May (better weather), but that said I wouldn't have missed it. We're looking forward to the sophomore family weekend this summer!</p>
<p>Hi Omadre, we have no parents weekends to go back for :( .</p>
<p>That said, if this is your first time going back since drop off, I think it is definitely worth the trip and I totally agree with OK. It is one thing when your child comes home for thanksgiving/chiristmas break and you see how happy they are and how they are thriving, but it is a different feeling to see them in "their element". They are really glad to have you there to meet the friends, parents of the friends, to take them out to eat (Always a line at molly's and you know that Lou's is going to be packed on saturday morning). </p>
<p>Did not get to go for sophomore family weekend so I did not come back to Hanover until senior year.</p>
<p>If you can make the track meet thursday night, fly out early friday morning (talk to the teacher and ask if she can do the practice test and bring it back monday). It will definitely give her something to do on the plane and hopefully this could be a win-win situation.</p>
<p>Regardless of what you decide to do for family weekend, be aware--Memorial Day is always a day of reading period before exams. Your son may be concerned with staking out a spot in the library than visiting with you...</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your info. We worked it so that my daughter will stay home for the April trip (I guess the AP practice test is also the class final) and then we will come back for Memorial Day weekend with our daughter. For Memorial Day weekend we will spend a couple of days looking at schools for my daughter and then come up to Hanover for Saturday and Sunday and return on Monday. Son has his spot in Baker that he goes to already. He showed it to us last week. It is an incredibly quiet room with lots of wood paneling and old furniture. He says the chairs are just uncomfortable enough to keep him alert.</p>