This past week, we welcomed our parents onto campus for Hyde’s Fall Family Weekend. Along with many of the usual parent weekend activities, Hyde's traditions involve bringing together the entire community, families, students, and faculty, to create a shared learning atmosphere. Some of the weekend activities were:
- Academic classes
- Athletic contests
- Family Seminars
- Community Meetings
- Performing Arts for everyone
- Family time
Our theme for the weekend was "Courage: I learn the most about myself through challenge and taking risks.” During the Family Seminars, students and parents gave each other feedback on their responses to the following questions:
- What would take courage for me to explore this weekend?
- What would take courage for us as a family to explore?
- What is a core strength of mine that I need to bet on?
During the Saturday morning community meeting, a panel of students, parents, and faculty spoke on similar themes:
- When was a time in your life when you found the courage to face something, go after something, or work through something?
- Who in your life has modeled courage for you? What did you learn from them?
Throughout the weekend, the atmosphere was filled with the synergy of families working on their growth. This included students whose parents were on campus as well as international students who engaged in the exercises with their parents on FaceTime.
When asked about lessons learned from the weekend, comments included:
"I learned that it takes courage to risk failure when going after high expectations."
"My dad and I are in a new place together."
"The international students really inspired me this weekend."
"I saw my family members in a new light."
"It was fun to hang out with all the Hyde families!"
Students go to school. Families go to Hyde. What a powerful weekend we had together!
Laura D. Gauld '76