The Buzz

Ask any of Proctor’s Social Science teachers about Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and they will eagerly offer an explanation of social contracts and the rationale for forming communities around agreed upon rules and structures in order to preserve life and liberty. Whenever we join a community (nation, state, town, school, church, service club, or otherwise), we voluntarily sacrifice some of our individual freedoms because we believe the benefits gained from living in community outweigh the cost of forgone individual rights. Each of us makes this same decision when we join the Proctor community.

Over the past few months, I’ve been listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast, Revisionist History. Maybe it’s because of my love for basketball and fascination with the statistics Wilt Chamberlain was able to amass during his career, but Gladwell’s episode The Big Man Can’t Shoot struck a chord with me as we prepare for the upcoming school year and the work we will begin with our students in less than a month. 

Sharing a room with a roommate is one of the most stressful parts of attending boarding school. Will they snore? Will they keep our room too messy? Will they listen to different music than me? What if their feet smell? These fears are valid (your roommate will probably be different than you and may have smelly feet), but we want to reassure you the opportunity for personal growth and the formation of deep friendships makes having a roommate one of the most valuable experiences you will have at Proctor.

Proctor Academy first opened its doors as a village school serving the children of Andover. Day students have always been a critical part of the Proctor community, however, our student community now includes students from around the globe with day students comprising roughly 25% of the student body. 

Proctor's mission statement serves as a guide in our quest to educate a diverse body of students for the 21st century. While mission statements do not vary much between schools, the manner in which a school goes about achieving its mission varies dramatically. Over the past five years, our faculty has collaborated to develop an outcome statement (The Profile of a Proctor Graduate) and a curriculum guide (Proctor’s Characteristics of Good Teaching) to further inform our educational model. These declarative statements serve as our mission in action, and provide a constant reminder of who we are and who we desire to be as we shape the collective experiences of our students in the classroom, in our advisories, on the athletic field, in the art studio, and in the dormitory.

August is nearly upon us, and that means whether we like it or not, there is only a month left of summer! While we are excited for students and faculty to return to campus for the 2016-2017 year, the change of pace on campus during the summer months is welcomed. Proctor hosts Gordon Research Conferences each year, welcoming more than 1,000 scientists from around the world (including two Nobel Prize winners) to weeklong sessions during which conferees share research, spend time in the outdoors, live in dormitories, and enjoy the fine dining prepared by Proctor's Dining Services team.

Last week we discussed the relationship between the concepts of nudge and mindfulness as framed by the Ted Radio Hour on NPR. Today, we look at a portion of that program, Reshma Saujani’s “Can Coding Help Girls Take Risks?” and its application to our students at Proctor. Take a few minutes to watch Saujani’s talk below before reading on.

Celebrating the 4th of July in Andover, New Hampshire should be added to your bucket list. The dawn 'til dusk celebration organized by a team of volunteers from the town is small town Americana epitomized. Andover's population swells from 2,000 more than four times that as visitors flock to to the town green for a flea market, musical performances, raffles, games, parade, and once the sun sets, fireworks over Carr Field!