<p>Yes! </p>
<p>We went the day before and stayed at a hotel. Ate lots of comfort food and shopped at the mall to get things too bulky to bring on the plane (comforters, blankets, sheets, etc.). If you are flying and getting a rental car, there are malls on the way to Watertown. One is nearby in Waterbury, but there are more choices closer to the airport. </p>
<p>Last year the school had the boy’s sports teams unload the girl’s cars instead of “working out.” Those kids worked hard but got everything delivered to the incoming girl’s rooms. Very well organized. The students wore shirts that said “Taft Moving Company.” </p>
<p>Your daughter will be contacted over the summer by her “old” girl - a more senior student who serve as guide that day and will take you and your daughter around to meet her teachers, explain the class schedule, help you find classes in advance, and explain how to get to their mail boxes. You can also find out your roommate if you call later in the year. My D and her roommate started communicating via Facebook.</p>
<p>Depending on the room and dorm there are some things that are helpful to get once you’re there:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>we bought a shower caddy at the nearby K-Mart (plastic tote/bucket for shower and bath supplies). </p></li>
<li><p>I bought a hanging shoe rack for her closet but she ended up hanging it on the curtain rod and used it to store things such as her alarm clock (she was on the top bunk).</p></li>
<li><p>Her roommate’s dad brought them both one of those closet organizer shelf kits (two shelves) because they were the right width and height to put on a desk for extra storage.</p></li>
<li><p>a combination lock (or key lock). One drawer on the desk or dresser is lockable for valuables.</p></li>
<li><p>I bought a metal shoe rack at Target because there is NEVER enough space for their clothes, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Get hangers! (we bought the thin velvety kind at Marshall’s down the street).</p></li>
<li><p>Detergent and misc. if she’s doing her own laundry (and a roll of quarters).</p></li>
<li><p>I bought them 3-M and over door hooks so they could hang their robes and coats on the door. </p></li>
<li><p>I insisted she use a microbial mattress cover. The dorms are clean but still - I liked having the extra layer between her and the school mattress. We also got a new pillow. </p></li>
<li><p>Some “snacks” for her room to get her started.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Mostly - we marked up the Taft packing list they post on-line with “what we wanted to pack” and “what we could buy locally.” It was fun bonding because if we didn’t do something we’d be crying all night about the pending separation. But Taft really makes you feel welcome when you arrive and if she contacts her “old girl” she can get tips about what works and what people often forget. </p>
<p>But like I said - if she forgets something (or you do) there is a Marshall’s in town, a K-Mart not far away, and the Waterbury Mall which the students visit on the weekend (takes about 30 minutes via city bus).</p>
<p>For dress code - one or two formal dresses for sit-down dinners. After a while the girls “trade” clothes. No t-shirts with writing on them or logos are allowed in class. Or jeans. Those can be worn on weekends and free time, but think “conservative” when choosing what clothes to bring. Warm clothes and boots since there was a lot of snow this winter.</p>
<p>If you go early enough, you can scope our her room, then make a dash for the store to get whatever you think you need (extension cords, alarm clock, whatever…). I also discovered that I can ship her “care packages” from Amazon.com. If you know someone with a Prime membership, they can share it with up to 3 people at no cost. That way you can get free 2-day shipping to send packages to Taft.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>