twins in middle school

Dear Twinsmom,
I guess you can tell by my name that I also have twins at FUMA. My sons are day students, but they did attend the middle school in eighth grade. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Col Feathers, Major Blanchetti and Mrs Haislip. Your sons will find that they are great listeners and know how to speak to your sons and guide them as they need it. There will also be some upper school cadets who live with the middle schoolers who can be great peer support for them as well.
My sons have been in the upper school for several years and are growing in their individuality. On a few occasions they had the same class and were competitive to out do the other, but it was not a problem. They each do different sports, have different friends, and different interests.
I used to think my sons "needed" to be together, but they do not. The middle school is small and they will see each other quite often during the day.
Please feel free to contact me, as I do know how you are feeling.
Enjoy the FUMA experience watching your sons grow into young men, and WELCOME!

While rooming brothers can seem like a more comforting idea, please rest assured that, from FUMA's perspective it is not the best thing to do. For every young man coming here, adjusting to boarding school is a challenge and a life changing experience. Learning to live with a "stranger" and adjusting to that lifestyle is part of the growth experience here.

It is important for young men to learn to cope in new environments and, while jumping out of the nest and learning to fly can be scary, it is a part of transitioning toward adulthood.

Please bear in mind that our middle school is, by most standards, quite small. It is important to note that the relative amount of time they will spend in their rooms is minimal (sleeping, cleaning, maybe watching a bit of TV). Your sons will have plenty of opportunity to interact outside of the barracks, but they will also find themselves on a level playing field with the other boys who do not have the comfort of having a sibling at the school.

Providing each boy his own blank sheet of paper on which to write his own FUMA story is the reason for not rooming brothers together. Trusting the system can be hard, but rest assured that everything we do is to help each young man get the absolute most out of his FUMA experience.