<p>We took our son to Thacher last Saturday for his freshman year.
It was a bittersweet feeling, since it is his first time leaving home and parents.
We are excited and half-emptied at the same time. </p>
<p>I felt that one good thing about Thacher is their week-long camping trip to Golden Trout Wilderness before the actual class starts. Most of the new kids may have homesickness or miss their families and friends back home. By having a week-long hiking with their own backpack, they will just be busy and have less time to think about the family. By the time they get back from the trip, I guess they will have already made friends and gained the sense of belonging to the community, which should help lead to soft-landing. The camping has long been Thacher's tradition and I think it is fantastic in that sense.</p>
<p>Hi Patronyork - We just dropped our son off at Thacher last Saturday, too! So I know exactly what you mean. </p>
<p>Agree the camping experience is a wonderful idea, on all levels…helps too that it takes the kids off the grid and away from pacing parents (such as myself). </p>
<p>Delighted to get a text Fri night saying they’d arrived and survived and even hit some highs, as in 12,500 feet. So far off to a good start.</p>
<p>Of course, I’d love for the transition to whoosh past as fast as the last week, but know that it will take time to settle in. </p>
<p>Wonder when kids start to really feel at home (know there’s a spectrum). But in the main and for those with Thacher kids do most tend to feel “gelled” and settled in it pre- or post- Thanksgiving or the holiday break?</p>
<p>Look forward to meeting you on campus patronyork.</p>
<p>Our son was still settling in when he came home for Thanksgiving (which corresponds to the end of the first trimester) - figuring out time management, academics, horse program, and where he “fit-in” as far as his core friend group. By Winter Break (a short 3 weeks later) he was pretty much “in-the-groove.” (And as always - every kid is different, and “your mileage may vary.” Some of his friends were 100% at home within a few weeks, and some were still making adjustments throughout the year.</p>
<p>Some other schools do the camping trip/orientation thing. In my research, I see that Holderness in NH does it too. What a great idea. It would make the dorms seem like luxury!</p>
<p>I am glad your son started at Thacher. We may have already met. What a nice welcoming party on Saturday night. Were you there?
My son never bothered to send us an SMS. Maybe he was already too busy enjoying the new life without parents…</p>
<p>@mountainhiker, </p>
<p>Again, I am so grateful for your help and advice. (Same to Thacherparent) You guys help us (at least us, the parents) a lot. </p>
<p>@Oldmacdonald</p>
<p>Exactly, when I went to the army boot camp a long time ago and was later assigned to my own military house, I felt like it was a hotel room compared to the ones in the boot camp!</p>
<p>Mileage definitely varies, but most kids settle down during the first half of freshman year. My son had a group of, say, 10 good male friends by Thanksgiving. As time passed and essential natures continued to be unmasked, there were ongoing friendship refinements. Some kids he got closer to, others faded a bit, new relationships got formed etc. Most of the time, the kids are friends with the bulk of their class, and close friends with a smaller group. Pretty normal stuff. Because the school is small and has a very inclusive and happy esprit de corps, no one gets left behind.</p>
<p>What a great way to state this! Part of the growth our son experienced in his freshman year was learning that first impressions are not always accurate. I expect this is one of the benefits our kids gain from attending boarding school - by the time they get to college, they have gained so much knowledge about getting to know other people far beyond the “surface” level.</p>