The anticipation of sharing a room with a roommate can be one of the more stressful parts of starting at a new boarding school. Will they snore? Will they be messy? Will they like a different kind of music? What if they like to stay up too late? The answer to these questions may be yes, but we want to reassure each new boarding student that the opportunity for personal growth and formation of deep friendships makes having a roommate one of the most valuable experiences you will have at Proctor. Here are what a few of senior dorm leaders have to say about the benefits of living with a roommate. 

Roughly 20% of Proctor's students live locally and make the commute to Proctor's campus each day. While these day students  take part in evening study hall and extra help sessions, participate in all campus activities, and have access to all Proctor has to offer, incoming day students often feel apprehension about how they will balance being a day student at a boarding school. This year's Day Student Leaders Lilly Menard '22, Sasha Mackenzie '22, and Jake Allison '22 share their perspectives and advice below on how to navigate the challenges and take full advantage of the opportunities of being a day student at Proctor.

Understanding ourselves is the first step to understanding how to do your best work. As adults, we are cognizant of the environment needed for us to be our best: level of ideal structure, types of colleagues who complement us best, independence, clear guidance. We learn this overtime, throughout different professional experiences. But what about our students? How do we help them understand the conditions needed for them to do their best work, and are we providing an environment in which they can thrive as self-aware, curious, inquisitive, self-advocating learners? 

How do I enter? That was always one of the questions I would ask the director when I worked in theater or TV. What is he (the character) thinking? What has just happened? I realize, at that moment, these are the questions that guide my current journey. 

Early this week, returning and new families will receive an email from Assistant Head of School Karin Clough outlining a series of permission forms and start of year information. Included in this communication will be the 2021-2022 edition of the Student Handbook, a document that has long served as the guide to how our Proctor community functions. 

During my recent trip to Spain and since arriving on campus in Andover this week, I have been reflecting on Proctor's off-campus programs and the way these programs complement, support, and naturally extend from on-campus academics and activities. In our little corner of Segovia, Spain, where Proctor operates an off-campus linguistic and cultural immersion program, life seems to move at a slower pace, providing a natural opportunity for reflection and introspection.

The Class of 2021 was filled with talented students, each of whom will pursue their passions in college, professionally, or during a gap year. Check out these members of the class who will either play competitive athletics next year or study a specific art discipline in college and be sure to follow their careers in the years to come! 

Backcountry driving, just like backcountry anything, can reveal much to you. Like some divination tool, it tells you mostly where you are going by revealing where you’ve been. That’s what I tried to do when I drove halfway across the country to Proctor’s campus last weekend in great anticipation of the longer journey that awaited me as a member of the Proctor community. During this meandering drive from the midwest, I figured I could only focus on what lies ahead.