Dear NHS Class of 2009 Parents,

It is hard to believe our sons and daughters are entering their final year at Georgetown—the time has gone by so fast! Senior year is an exciting time for students as they make plans for the future. It is also filled with lots of campus events, including graduation. In preparing to write this letter, we polled the parents of the Class of 2008 to gain advice on important events and activities. Below were the most common topics.

Parents' Weekends: Parents' Weekend for NHS parents of all classes will be October 17-19, 2008. Parents' Weekend for the entire Georgetown University Class of 2009 will be held in February 2009. Senior parents are welcome to attend both weekends. You will receive more information closer to the event dates.

Senior Auction: Each year Georgetown Seniors hold an auction during Senior Parents' Weekend in February to raise money for their class gift. Parents can participate by donating items or bidding in the auction. Every parent we spoke with really enjoyed this event and highly recommended it. You will receive information about this event as it becomes available.

Commencement: Commencement weekend for the Class of 2009 will be May 14-17, 2009. You will receive information about Commencement throughout the year. One thing to consider now, however, is booking a hotel room. Even though the event is many months away, finding a convenient hotel room can be difficult—booking early will reduce the stress of this joyful time!

Senior Ball: The Senior Ball is a spectacular event held at historic Union Station in downtown Washington, DC during graduation weekend. Students usually plan a special dinner either with their immediate family or with their friends' families before this black tie event. The event is crowded and is more appropriate for adults than young children. Also, there are not a lot of places to sit so many of the women we spoke to suggested wearing comfortable shoes!

Graduation Seating: There will be plenty of lawn seating during graduation, so please invite your friends and family to celebrate. If it rains, however, NHS holds its graduation in Gaston Hall and seats can become limited, but usually there will be room for everyone who wants to attend. For both sites, however, if you have a special needs family member, Anne Marie McGowan can help with seating requests. Contact her one month before Graduation at mcgowana@georgetown.edu. Also, the NHS students auction off front row seats during Senior Auction—so if you want to be up close, be prepared to raise your paddle!

We look forward to another exciting school year; continuing to work with dedicated parents and watching our sons and daughters complete their undergraduate education at Georgetown. Throughout the year you will continue to receive information about NHS news, important dates, and events. Please do not hesitate to contact anyone on the Parents Council at NHSParents@georgetown.edu if you have questions or are interested in becoming more involved with the leadership of NHS.

Hoya Saxa,