Since its inception, Proctor has cared deeply about stewarding the environment. Our annual celebration of Earth Day provides an opportunity to welcome guest speakers to campus and to replace classes with hands-on workshops.

We can feel the momentum start to shift toward the end of the year as the weather warms, the river beckons, and in early evenings students spontaneously gather at the firepit, by the pond, and outside the Wise Center. During this time we are reminded from an unlikely source to use our skills! 

This week, most of us were lucky enough to see our families. A mix of emotions overtook us students, as we were happy to spend time with our families, we were also quick to realize that our lives here, as exciting and adventurous as they are, will not last forever.

Last night I listened to students retelling Ocean Classroom stories from over a year ago. The stories about sea-sick watches, lost shoes, guarding against rats in port all came out in rapid fire and humorous bursts. But most fascinating to watch was the way they braided narrative together, the way the back and forth collaborative process played out as the memory of one teller stoked memory from another.

It would only be fair to say that a lot has happened in the last week and a half. This past weekend Aunt Lori came to visit and Pete and Coco took some well deserved personal time. We spent our days in the Littleton Public Library, the Leanin’ Tree Art Museum and in Boulder enjoying some Ben & Jerry’s and random little shops.

A reluctant blogger….

I come from a family of English teachers and fell in love with reading and writing long before the Internet. I read voraciously throughout my childhood devouring all the Little House on the Prairie books, and I wanted to be Nancy Drew. In high school I read all of Jane Austen’s novels during a winter break, and I still re-read them every year or two—just for pleasure. 

This week, European Art Classroom took on Paris. The learning was dense and we left exhausted, but we will continue to carry the energy Paris gave us throughout the rest of our travels this term.

Families arrived on campus this morning to attend classes, assembly, and athletic practices before engaging in parent/teacher conferences. As our last post discussed, the purpose of this weekend is to check-in on growth, progress, and learning.

Our next stop on our-cross country adventure featured a rafting and kayaking trip on the San Juan River in Utah. After a day of classes and preparation, we met our river guides, Kay and Amanda. The next few days would be filled with learning and prove a powerful experience for all of us.

Spring Family Weekend begins Friday morning with families attending classes, assembly, and afternoon commitments before beginning parent/teacher conferences at 1:00 pm. Fall Family Weekend seems like eons ago, and as families arrive, they will be reminded just how their students have grown this year.

Naked men, the international cold, and New England women taking on French mountains.

Last winter I decided to sign up for a term abroad in a country called Costa Rica as part of Proctor's off-campus programs. I had no expectations at all for what I was going to experience. Most people probably think of Costa Rica expectation as a destination for tourists on spring break or summer vacation, but from what I have learned it is more than that!

The way this spring has unfolded, with three inches of snow on the ground Thursday morning, it’s hard not to think February thoughts even as we lean towards May. I saw Wari in his thick winter coat yesterday morning and asked him about the snow. “I am ready for it to go,” he said. He hopped a little, bounced up and down on the balls of his feet as though wanting to get into the game of spring, or maybe he just wanted to warm up. His jacket was zipped to his chin.

The members of Mountain Classroom began the week by climbing into Sea Biscuit, our newley named bus, with a week of once in a lifetime opportunities ahead of us at Joshua Tree National Park. The eagerness to climb was felt throughout the group - a group filled with experienced climbers and new ones.

Today was our second of three Admission Revisit Days. We share our campus, facilities, programs, and, most importantly, our students with prospective families. It is our students who define our school culture, are the face of Proctor, and ultimately it is the relationships families make with our students that most heavily influence their decision to attend Proctor.

Our two-month adventure in Europe started in the United States, specifically in Boston after we said goodbye to everyone’s parents and Kayden. There was obviously a very indisputable sense of excitement among us that night. We left Boston that evening and after hours of flights and layovers, we finally found Dave and Jen waiting for us at the airport, along with Fifi and Liv. At last, we were all united.  

More than 150 families will attend our three Admission Revisit Days over the course of the next week. Each will walk away with an authentic sense of who we are as a school. More importantly, perhaps, each will have the chance to talk to our students about how Proctor’s educational model has transformed their lives.