Yes. If you are planning to attend Fall Family Weekend please register all family members that will attend so that we can provide name tags and plan for meals.
We are pleased to welcome parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends to enjoy the Cushing experience at Fall Family Weekend.
Save the Date for Fall Family Weekend 2025!
Friday + Saturday
October 17-18, 2025
At the height of fall foliage, we invite parents and family of Cushing students to campus to get a first-hand sense of the Cushing experience at Fall Family Weekend. The weekend includes in-class visits, meetings with teachers and advisors, arts showcases, athletic events, and a parent reception with our Head of School.
Scheduling Appointments with Teachers and Advisors
The Pick-A-Time reservation system opens at 10:30 am ET on Friday, October 4. Invitations to book appointments with teachers and advisors will be sent directly to registered families. Appointment slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend registering for Fall Family Weekend sooner rather than later, to make sure your family receives an early invitation.
Once our reservation system is open, please follow the steps below for scheduling appointments with faculty, advisors, and college counselors during family weekends:
- First go to MyCushing and log in.
- Click on the image that looks like a sticky note that says "Schedule your appointment."
- Once there, select the date on which you'd like to schedule your appointment.
- You will see a color-coded schedule for your child's teachers. Select the colored box that corresponds to the time you'd like to schedule.
- On the next screen, select if you'd like to have a reminder sent to you and click "Create Appointment."
- You will get an email confirmation for your appointment.
- Follow this same procedure for each appointment you'd like to schedule.
Please note: To allow you to have travel time between buildings and rooms, you won't be able to schedule appointments back-to-back. We advise you to schedule appointments for math, science, and performing arts together, as they're generally located in the Joseph R. Curry Academic Center. Likewise, history and foreign language classes are in the Main Building, and Academic Support and English classes are typically located in the English Building next to the Main Building. Art classes are in the Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts, which is next to the English Building.
If you have questions about scheduling, please contact us at [email protected] or (978) 827-7400.
2024 Fall Family Weekend Recap
Friday, October 25, 2024
- 8:00 am - 4:00 pm — Registration (Tent outside Main Building)
Come see us at the registration tent, we’ll have information for you regarding the weekend, a gift for our Senior and PG parents, and name tag for all registrants. The tent will be open all day, so feel free to drop by, unwind, and enjoy a snack too. - 8:30 am - 10:15 am — Teacher/Advisor Meetings (Various Classrooms)
10-minute meetings scheduled in advance of Fall Family Weekend - 8:30 am - 4:00 pm — College Counseling Meetings (College Counseling Office, Main Building, 2nd Floor)
Meeting times with College Counselors are reserved for Seniors and PGs only - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm — Family Portraits (Outside of Main Building)
Come take a family photo with your student. Use the beautiful New England autumn colors as the perfect backdrop.
10:35 am - 3:30 pm
Class Visitation
(Various classrooms)
We’ve adjusted our Friday schedule so that all classes meet for a shortened period on Friday in hopes that you will be able to attend some or all of your student’s classes. Many parents say that class visitation is a highlight of their weekend, so don’t miss out!
PS. Don’t be swayed if your student says other parents don’t attend classes – most do!
- 11:00 am - 2:00 pm — Lunch (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm — Black Student Union and BIPOC Group Gathering (Rotunda in Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
Meet and greet for students and families with Eddie Buggie, Director of Inclusion and Community Life. - 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm — Visual Arts Open Studio and Student Portfolio Exhibit (Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts/Maude Bowen Carter Gallery)
Visit our visual arts department to see students' works.
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Head of School Reception
(Tent outside Main Building)
All parents are invited to a parent reception hosted by Head of School Dr. Randy Bertin. Come and meet fellow parents and friends while your student is at their afternoon activity.
- 5:00 - 7:00 pm — Dinner (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
Home Athletic + Performing Arts Events
- 5:30 pm — Girls' Varsity Soccer vs. Proctor (Quimby Field)
- 7:00 pm — Performing Arts Showcase (Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, Bottom Floor)
Sit back and enjoy a few pieces selected by our talented performing arts students.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
- 8:00 am - 12:00 noon — Registration (Tent outside Main Building)
Come see us at the registration tent, we’ll have information for you regarding the weekend, a gift for our Senior and PG parents, and nametag for all registrants. The tent will be open all day, so feel free to drop by, unwind, and enjoy a snack too. - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm — Teacher/Advisor Meetings (Various Classrooms)
10-minute meetings scheduled in advance of Fall Family Weekend - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm — College Counseling Meetings (College Counseling Office, Main Building, 2nd Floor)
Meeting times with College Counselors are reserved for Seniors and PGs only - 9:00 am - 1:00 pm — Brunch (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
- 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm — Teacher/Advisor Meetings (Various Classrooms)
10-minute meetings scheduled in advance of Fall Family Weekend - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm — College Counseling Meetings (College Counseling Office, Main Building, 2nd Floor)
Meeting times with College Counselors are reserved for Seniors and PGs only - 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm — The Raft Food Truck (Outside the Main Building)
Come and enjoy some fan fuel and sweater weather snacks before a game or stroll around campus.
Home Athletic Events
- 12:00 pm — Girls' JV Soccer vs. Marianapolis Prep (Martin Field)
- 1:00 pm — Boys' Varsity Soccer vs. Dexter Southfield (Quimby Field)
- 2:00 pm — Varsity Volleyball vs. Loomis Chaffee (Watkins Field House)
- 3:30 pm — Varsity Field Hockey vs. Kimball Union (Quimby Field)
Away Athletic Events
- 2:30 pm — Boys' and Girls' Cross Country at Williston-Northampton Shaler Invitational (Away)
2:30 pm boys' race; 3:10 pm girls' race.
Notes on Signing Students Out
Please note: You may take your student off campus using our REACH system only after their last commitment (a game, practice, or activity) has concluded.
Monday October 28 and Tuesday, October 21 are “free” days with boarders returning by 7:30 pm Tuesday evening and practices for varsity athletes beginning at 2:00 pm on Tuesday.
On Friday of Fall Family Weekend (10/17), the earliest departure time from campus will be 5pm as students are expected to attend after-school activities. Students who have games or performances will need to set their departure for the conclusion of their event. We ask that students do not get plane tickets any earlier than 8 pm on Friday. Students need to return on Tuesday (10/21) by 7:45pm check-in. There is no school transportation to/from airports around Fall Family Weekend.
If you cannot make it for Fall Family Weekend and/or your student chooses to stay on campus we will be holding a full calendar of meals and events.
REGISTER FOR FALL FAMILY WEEKEND
Making Plans
Lodging options in the area are extremely limited. We recommend that you book as soon as possible. Please see a list of options below as well as a list of places to eat in the area.
Hotels
The Colonial Hotel
625 Betty Spring Road
Gardner, MA 01440
(978) 630-2500
6.5 miles
Great Wolf Lodge
150 Great Wolf Drive
Fitchburg, MA 01420
(978) 343-9653
9 miles
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
99 Erdman Way,
Leominster, MA 01453
(978) 534-9000
14 miles
Springhill Suites by Marriott – Devens Commons Center
27 Andrews Parkway
Devens, MA
(978) 772-3030
23 miles
Inns and Bed and Breakfasts
The Maguire House
30 Cobb Rd.
Ashburnham, MA 01430
(978) 827-5053
1.5 miles
Howarth House Bed and Breakfast
81 Ross Street
Fitchburg, MA
(978) 342-2851
10 miles
Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn
5 Old Street Road
Peterborough, NH
(603) 784-5766
20 miles
The Monadnock Inn
379 Main Street
Jaffrey, NH 03452
(603) 532-7800
20 miles
Restaurants
The Tavern on Central
3 Central Street
Ashburnham, MA
(978) 827-1272
.5 miles
The Gardner Ale House
74 Parker Street
Gardner, MA
(978) 669-0122
6.5 miles
Blueprint – American Bar & Grill
10 Village Square
Westminster, MA
(978) 668.5580
7 miles
The 1761 Old Mill
69 State Road East
Westminster, MA
978.874.5941
7.5 miles
Sawa Asian Bistro
360 Timpany Boulevard
Gardner, MA
(978) 632-3888
10 miles
Brady's - Chef Inspired Cuisine
37 Mechanic Street
Leominster, MA
(978) 537-7111
13 miles
Logan's Table
16 Central Street
Leominster, MA
(978) 401-2962
13 miles
Luccas American Kitchen
511 Lancaster Street
Leominster, MA
(978) 537-7100
15 miles
Fall Family Weekend FAQs
Do I have to register to attend Fall Family Weekend?
Can grandparents and siblings attend?
Absolutely! All family members are welcome.
How do I make appointments with teachers and advisors?
You can schedule individual meetings with teachers and advisors. The system is called Pick-a-Time. To access Pick-a-Time please login to MyCushing and go to the RESOURCE board. When the Pick-a-Time is available (a few weeks before Fall Family Weekend), you will see a yellow post-it note icon. If you are unable to attend or fit an appointment into your schedule you may email a teacher for a phone call or Zoom appointment after the weekend.
Can I take my student off campus?
Yes. A student can leave campus (after checking out properly using the REACH system) after their last commitment for the weekend. Students will not be excused from an athletic game. It is a long weekend. Boarding students should return by Tuesday, October 29 by 7:30 pm. (Varsity practices begin at 2:00 pm on October 29, so varsity athletes should plan to be on campus earlier on the 29th.)
Can students stay on campus all weekend?
Yes. Not all students have family attending and will be on campus. Dorms are open and supervised and meals and activities are planned.
What is the dress code for Fall Family Weekend?
Fall Family Weekend is all about comfort and showing your Penguin spirit by wearing Cushing garb or purple and white if you have it!! The dress code is casual, even for the reception. You will do a lot of walking around campus so please wear comfortable footwear.