One of the perks of vacation is taking time to look back through the 283 blog posts we published as a community over the past year (wow!!!). Each of these posts, written by faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni, represents a piece of Proctor’s story. As a whole, they provide a wonderful narrative of a school deeply committed to providing an education that operates at the intersection of individualized academics and experiential opportunities within a strong, nurturing community. Today, we share the Top 10 most read blogs of 2016! 

Campus is quiet this week. It’s during vacations that we allow ourselves to recharge. We spend much needed time with family and friends, catch up on appointments we didn’t have time to schedule during the chaos of the regular school day, and make a few last minute holiday shopping trips (don’t forget to visit our Buy Proctor site for some great gift ideas!).  We make a welcomed, tangible downshift from the speed at which our lives are otherwise being lived.

As you sit on your couch this evening and procrastinate your holiday shopping yet again, do yourself a favor and CLICK HERE! If you didn't click and are still reading, we'll work on you a bit more before asking you to click the link again at the bottom of this post. Proctor's alumni network is expansive, and as we seek to strengthen this network of talented, creative, driven individuals, we thought we would take the first step in creating a micro Proctor economy online. We introduce to you: Buy Proctor! 

Every weekend at boarding school is packed with activities. One of our greatest strengths at Proctor is providing students the an opportunity to pursue their passions. Academic classes, art electives, and afternoon programs integrate this exploration into the academic week, however, weekend activities provide yet another outlet for students to have fun, try new activities, and spend time together in community. This past weekend epitomized why boarding school life is so appealing! 

When was the last time you allowed yourself to follow your passion? We all have pieces of our lives that represent our passions, but few of us have the confidence to wholeheartedly throw ourselves into that which fuels our souls. Moriah Cowles ‘02 is one of those rare individuals whose life’s compass consistently points to true north: her passion for blacksmithing.

Another fresh coating of snow covered campus last night as we reach the midway point in this quick three week stretch between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Student Leaders Cope Makechnie ‘17 and Nick Ho ‘17 sent out a campus wide Secret Santa list last night, wreaths are hung around campus, and a general excitement about the upcoming holiday season prevails on campus. As students work through projects, readings, and begin to delve into the Winter Term, we are reminded of our unique role as adults living and working in a boarding school community.

Opportunities for hands on learning constantly present themselves to teachers at Proctor. Whether it is designing and building a solar oven in AP Environmental Science, meeting with a K9 officer during Criminal Justice, or studying a local fishery in Biology, students and teachers are constantly immersed in their own learning. The past month has afforded a unique set of hands-on experiences due to New Hampshire’s important electoral votes during the 2016 Presidential Election. Today’s Academic Lens post features student reflections on their front-row attendance at Barack Obama’s November 7 speech at the University of New Hampshire and photography by Sarah Ferdinand ‘18. Many thanks to Social Science teacher Fiona Mills for organizing the outing for more than two-dozen students. Enjoy! 

Each trimester at boarding school brings with it transition; changes in the weather, new classes, sometimes a dorm swap. Life at Proctor involves more transition than most schools, however, as we welcome back thirty students from off-campus programs, and get used to life without thirty others who are embarking on a life-changing experience abroad during the winter months. These added transitions aren’t always easy, but having almost 20% of our student body transitioning between on campus and off each term breathes vitality into every corner of the community.