As the snow guns blaze at the Proctor Ski Area in anticipation of our students returning to campus, Proctor’s USS/FIS Eastern Ski program continues their two week training camp at Panorama Resort in Panorama, British Columbia. 

Professional Development days at Proctor look little like they might for a public school faculty simply because the spectrum of responsibilities extends well beyond the classroom. For most teaching faculty, time in the classroom represents only half of their job as they are also advisors, coaches, and dorm parents. Within all of these roles, our core responsibility remains focused on our mission of valuing the individual and recognizing the potential of each member of our community to stretch beyond what they had thought possible.

Nine weeks and 2,000 Nautical Miles later, the schooner Harvey Gamage docked in Brunswick, Georgia completing the fall 2021 Ocean Classroom voyage. For the 22 Proctor students aboard Gamage, their term at sea has changed the trajectory of their lives. They not only learned Marine Science, Navigation, and Maritime Literature, but they learned how to crew a tall ship and how to live together in close quarters. The lessons of Ocean Classroom -- newfound confidence, independence, and perspective -- will accompany these students for the rest of their lives, and we will all benefit from their time at sea when they return to campus in December. Congratulations, OC ‘21! 

Proctor en Segovia completed their term abroad and have returned safely home after a nine week immersion experience. The power of living with a host family, exploring the city of Segovia, and learning about all aspects of the Spanish language and culture will continue to impact this group of ten students for years to come. Enjoy a final anonymous reflection from the fall Segovia group below. 

Tonight marks the end of our first trimester. Our students feel like they have been through an important transformative time during these last few months. They came into the school masked and will leave having been “unmasked,” while deepening relationships with others and themselves.

The culmination of the Fall Term provides rapid fire opportunity to see Proctor’s on-campus educational model in action. We regularly highlight the remarkable experience taking place on Ocean Classroom, Proctor en Segovia, European Art Classroom, Mountain Classroom, and Proctor en Monteverde through our off-campus programs, however, there is powerful experiential learning taking place daily on campus as well. The following events this week spotlighted just a portion of this work. 

Proctor Academy's Ocean Classroom program has entered the final week aboard the Harvey Gamage and its fall voyage along the eastern seaboard. While unfortunate weather patterns have impacted the student crew and their ability to sail into Caribbean waters, the learning taking place and adventures remain life-changing. Read more from the past week on Ocean Classroom below. 

Proctor’s fall varsity athletic teams combined for a 32-16-5 record, with both varsity girls soccer and varsity field hockey earning berths in the NEPSAC Class C Tournament. Varsity football and varsity boys soccer both narrowly missed bids to the tournament, as well, marking the first time in recent history that all four teams were in playoff contention in the same year. Read below for a preview of first round NEPSAC tournament matchups. 

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, filled with final exam preparations, we reflect on the past two days and all that transpired within our remarkable little community. Starting on Friday morning with the arrival of our Board of Trustees on campus for the first time in two years, we enjoyed a 48 hour sprint that included our final Fall Term classes, a Holderness Day pep rally in assembly, Fall Term Art Show, Dance and Jazz/Rock Ensemble performances, and a full day of competitions for Holderness Day 2021. 

We all remember where we were on the morning of September 11, 2001. Andrew Sandoe ‘94 had recently moved to Washington, DC from New York where he had completed his training with Morgan Stanley on the 63rd floor of 2 World Trade. He recalls, “The director of security at Morgan Stanley had been in the British military and was vigilant about accountability and drills. It drove all of us nuts, but when the first plane crashed (into One World Trade), he overrode the Port Authority police and evacuated the entire Morgan Stanley staff. Then he physically cleared every floor. Morgan Stanley lost 13 employees (out of 3,500), or 0.37%, while Cantor Fitzgerald lost 70% of their team. That day changed the trajectory of my life.” 

After graduating a talented group of seniors last season, Head Coach Ian Hamlet and Assistant Coach Peter Southworth had a number of holes in their lineup heading into the 2021-2022 season. After a stellar start to the season that saw the team jump out to a 5-2-2 record midway through October, the injury bug hit the Hornets hard. The last third of the season has been a challenge, but the silver lining of injuries and shuffled lineups is the opportunity to develop young players and provide chances for others to step in and make a difference. 

When William Negley ‘02 sat in the Proctor Admissions office for his interview more than 20 years ago, he asked Director of Enrollment Chris Bartlett, “Can I really do all the stuff in these brochures?” Chris responded, as he has to thousands of prospective families during his 25 years at Proctor, that each student has the opportunity to find their own path through Proctor. For William, a teenager hungry for experiences, these words laid a foundation of exploration within a world of opportunities at Proctor. 

When our students step into the studio, the wood shop, the forge, or on the stage, they shed the invisible weight of the world around them and immerse themselves in the identity-forming process of creating art. 

Proctor Academy's Ocean Classroom program continues their journey south as they make their way to Charleston, SC. Despite a string of unfortunate weather delays, the student crew is well on their way to becoming Junior Officers and running the daily operations of the Harvey Gamage alongside the crew. Read more from the past week at sea below! 

Recently, the Proctor Woodlands Research Team (Proctor’s latest evolution of academic and afternoon program work) and I traveled up to a point on their trail map - marked E7. We also traversed over to D7, and C7 - as the crow flies. To look at the flattened representation of that area on that map, those pins were actually a series of bright orange stakes in the ground set at regular intervals marking the spots from which the group would do their work. To be precise, E7 is indicated on the map in the Proctor Woodlands that stretches due northwest from the Woodlands Office. 

Each term, Proctor en Segovia affords ten students the opportunity to study abroad in Segovia, Spain. Since 1974, this program has paired students with host families, immersing young people in an unparalleled language and cultural experience. Alumni of the program talk decades later about what they learned while studying abroad. This fall's Proctor en Segovia is quickly appreciating the impact of the their time abroad. Check out their tips for traveling below! 

Proctor's Varsity Field Hockey Team boasts an 8-3 record heading into the final two weeks of their season. With a core group of seniors leading the way, the Hornets are poised for a NEPSAC postseason birth, but are cherishing each step of the journey along the way. Hear more about this team's season, team culture, and goals for the remainder of the season from team captains Cam Estella '22 and Lucy Werner '22 in this week's Team Spotlight. 

With just three weeks remaining in their term at sea, Proctor’s Ocean Classroom fall 2021 crew is thriving aboard the Harvey Gamage. Letters home from OC students recount the remarkable experiences they are having as they learn to crew a tall ship, all while taking Marine Science, Maritime Literature, Navigation and Seamanship classes. A once in a lifetime experience, Ocean Classroom is living up to its 28 year history as one of the most transformative high school programs in the world. The group is heading around Cape Hatteras for Charleston, SC right now. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon! 

Today is November 1. It is a date that looms large for high school seniors around the country engaged in the college application process. As essays, applications, test scores, and resumes have dominated our seniors’ lives over the past few weeks, our goal has been to guide them through the process, support them, and, perhaps most importantly, help students realize that their legacy at Proctor is so much more than the name next to a college acceptance letter.