The schedule for next weekend will be a bit different from the following two weekends.   We are including a general outline so you will have an idea of what to expect.

For the first weekend, Saturday wake up time is 5:30.  Breakfast will be at 7 followed by your morning trip.  There is a coffee break in the main dining room at 10 a.m.  Park time will be late morning, around 11 a.m. with lunch following at noon.  You will be moving to the terrace dining room, located beyond the main dining room.  The seats will be assigned at some point before the meal, so you will be shown the route to your new chair when you are called for lunch.  There are no afternoon trips on Saturday, but, either before or after lunch you may be shown the leisure path, a 1/3 mile walk around the property.  The instructors will go over the guidelines regarding the path, but it is a great opportunity to get out working your dog without your instructor along.  This allows you to further the bonding process as your dog will only have you to look to as you take this walk.  Please be careful of the weather extremes (cold and icy or sunny and hot) you might encounter so you don't put yourself or your dog at risk.
Visiting time is 2-4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.  We will sometimes have a volunteer host, at times a graduate with a dog, who will greet guests as they arrive.  They will be shown to one of the lounge areas near the dining room.  You will then be called and informed of your guests' arrival.  This is your first opportunity to reinforce good social behavior to both your dog and family or friends.  Although a quick greeting is fine, settling the dog quickly will be important.  We also suggest, that if you are walking around with your visitors, that taking some performance pressure off you and your dog by going sighted guide would be best at this early time in your adjustment.  You are welcome to stroll the path with your visitors, but we ask that you do not bring them into the student wing.  Those students who do not have guests and are relaxing in the dorm area may not appreciate family groups wandering through the dorm.  We feel it is important to respect the privacy needs of all the students in class.  If your visitors have traveled a great distance or arrived late, speak to the instructors, as there may be some flexibility to allow a little extra visiting time.  At 4:30 there will be feed and park time, followed by the dinner call at 5:15 p.m.  There might be a short gathering scheduled after supper and after 8p.m. park there is often a gathering to get pizza for all those interested.

Sunday morning wake-up this first weekend will be the usual 5:30 a.m. followed by feed and park.  Breakfast will be at 7 a.m. with the trip to town for Maple-South solos shortly after.    This first weekend we feel that it is too early in your adjustment for your dog to have to deal with the church experience, so your attendance this week will be without your dog.  Your instructor will speak to you about arrangements for your dog while you are gone.    The mid-morning park will be called sometime around 11:00, after everyone has returned from town and lunch will follow at 12 noon.  Visiting hours are again from 2-4 in the afternoon.  Feed and park time will be at 4:30 pm as usual.  Dinner will be called at 5:15 and the final organized park is at 8 p.m.  There may be short meeting after dinner on Sunday as well.  On Monday morning we go back to the standard weekday schedule but with new routes to travel.  

The second two weekends will have a slightly different schedule.  There will typically be one trip into town and the rest of the weekend will be down time for you and your dog to catch your breath from the busy weekday schedule.  Sometimes, due to your instructor's schedule, you might have a Saturday off and work Sunday instead.  Your instructor will inform you if this is the case and will work around any issues with church and visitors.  The wake up time on Saturdays will remain 5:30, followed by 7 am breakfast, late morning park around 11 and lunch at noon.  Those working on Saturday will have their trips after breakfast as usual.  Those who are off would be free to relax, do laundry, walk the path, etc.  Saturday lunch is typically the meal at which new seat locations are introduced each weekend.  Visiting hours are 2-4, followed by 4:30 feed and park, 5:15 dinner and lastly by 8 pm park time.  There are usually not any organized meetings in the evenings on the second two weekends.  Sunday wake up will be 6:30, cross your fingers that your dog will let you sleep in!  Breakfast will be at 8:00 am.  If you would like to attend church, please speak to your instructor prior to the weekend so that they can find the church and service times that are appropriate.  For those working in town, trips would be taken after breakfast (sometimes after lunch if it works better with the church or visitor schedule).  Park time will be around 11:30-11:45 and lunch will be at 1:00 pm.  Visiting hours remain from 2-4 and dinner will stay at 5:15, with park at 8 pm.  The second and third weekends are the same, EXCEPT that on the Sunday of the third weekend, after the retrain students have gone, lunch will be at 12:30 and there will be an informal dinner gathering, often pizza in the dorm, for those remaining.