The fall athletic season at Proctor has been filled with moments of elation and heartbreak, celebration and mourning, the shattering of expectations and feeling that we fell just short. We compete because of the lessons athletics can teach us; lessons of teamwork, collaboration, and selflessness. We compete because it allows us to measure ourselves and our abilities against like-minded competition. We compete because it pushes us to find and explore the best of ourselves, and that is just what our teams did this fall. 

Our Instagram feed has been dominated by athletics photos and videos from Holderness Day, however, so much more has been happening over the past few days on campus. A celebration of the arts at Proctor with the Fall Term Art Show and Jazz/Rock and Band Recording Concert kicked off Holderness Weekend and tonight’s Innovation Night put culminating academic experiences on display for the community. 

Nearly every School Leader candidate over the past decade has rooted their platform in a promise to bring more “school spirit” to Proctor. This year’s leaders, Grace ‘23 and Maks '23, have done their part to help build school spirit this fall, and their energy has been infectious within the community. The spirit they have helped build within the school was on full display this past weekend. 

After ten weeks of practicing, training, working, and playing, the Fall Athletics season has come to an end for most of Proctor’s teams. For the varsity girls soccer and varsity football teams, their season continues with an appearance in the NEPSAC Tournament. 

When Kate Kozain ‘12 walked across the stage at Proctor’s Commencement ceremony, she did not plan to join the armed forces. Her goal was simple: to pursue an education and career where she could help others and make an impact. As a recently appointed Tillman Scholar at the University of North Carolina School of Law the impact she is having is immense. She is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor and intends to practice law as a criminal prosecutor when she graduates.

At high schools across the country, the final games of the fall athletic season often occur between the fiercest of rivals. Many of these rivalries date back well over a hundred years, evolving over time, but always keeping at the core a mutual respect and healthy competitiveness with the other school. Such is the Proctor // Holderness rivalry. 

New students arrived on September 6 for Wilderness Orientation, their faces filled with uncertainty. How would they fit in socially? Academically? Athletically? Artistically? How would they find their friend group, who would sit with them at meals? Today, during a packed Brown Dining Commons lunch, we look around and see connected faces, smiles, seemingly endless Spirit Week energy. We see young people who are finding their way through their high school experience, with the support of an amazing, tireless group of adults who keep this community running. 

Since the 1940s and 1950s when all students were required to ski during the winter months, Proctor Academy’s identity has been rooted in snow sports. Today, the school is proud to announce that U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named Proctor Academy a Gold-certified club, the highest honor granted by U.S. Ski & Snowboard.