NUMATS (Northwestern Center for Talent Development) Award Ceremony

[cjzimmer1]

Has anyone ever been to one of these? My son just got an invitation to attend but since I know nothing about it, I'm trying to decide if it's worth the effort to attend since we would have to find a babysitter for the younger kids. Is there more involved than just naming the kids who got the awards? They said they'd mail them if we couldn't attend in person. Or is it something really important like on the level of graduation and we should really make the effort to go?

Thanks for any input you have.

[The Dragon Academy]

I know people who schedule their month around the ceremony.

Congrats to your DS. It is quite an honor to receive an award.

[higginszoo]

We went to the RMTS ceremony. My son made some great friends just sitting there before/during (the children were seated roughly according to award, so he was with other top 10% fourth graders).

[MariaT]

We went last year. As part of the ceremony, one of the archeology professors from Northwestern gave a presentation on her work in Mexico. It was very interesting. After the ceremony everyone was invited to an ice cream social. It was a very impressive ceremony. How many times do our kids get to hear their names called out in a big auditorium, then walk across a stage in front of their peers and family to receive an award? My son was beaming when he came off the stage with a medal around his neck.

On the other hand, he had missed a whitewater rafting trip with his Boy Scout troop that weekend. Later, when he saw the pictures from the rafting trip, he told us that he wished he had gone rafting rather than to the awards ceremony. So much for the priorities of a 12-year-old.

This year he is invited to the ceremony again. My son, now 13, said he wants to go to the ceremony. But there is a chance there will be a camping trip that weekend. If there is, we will send him camping instead--if that is what he wants to do.

I was glad we did it once, so he could have that experience. It also has whetted the appetite of his younger brother to get recognized as well.

Maria