After four day solos in the Arizona desert, the group planned and executed a week long backpacking trip through the Superstition Wilderness, Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom program enters the final two weeks of their term-long expedition throughout the American Southwest. Check out reflections from Vienna '20 and Jane '20 in this week's Mountain Classroom blog!
Certain events throughout the year remind us of those stewards of community responsible for sustaining the Proctor of today in a way that is consistent with the Proctor of yesterday. On one of the busiest weekends of the winter, our Board of Trustees met to discuss the 2019-2020 budget, tuition rates, and the greater landscape of independent school market place, celebrated the opening of Phase 3 of the Farrell Field House renovation, hosted six home games, and capped the night with the 12th Annual Proctor Ski Area Celebration.
It’s been quite a week. The grey, the rain, the pelting sleet, the icy walks, the sand tracking everywhere. The sand. That so, so trackable sand that finds its way through the Maxwell Savage doorway, up the stairs to World Languages, into the Faculty Lounge, down to the Bookstore. It winds its way like a thin, flat, gritty blade into every building, never content with just the walk-off mats or entry grates. It’s entitled sand, bold sand, and in a dreary week of February when the temperatures will range from 0 to near 60, that sands seems purposefully wrought by one of those quirky New England weather patterns. It’s been a week of trudging.
Little by little the days are getting longer. This week’s sun and warmer temperatures have buoyed our spirits and put a noticeable bounce in everyone’s step. Overnight rain and ice reminded us how closely tied our emotional state can be to the barometric pressure. As we look toward the final three and a half weeks of the Winter Term, we lean into the scaffolding of support that surrounds each of us at Proctor.
While the winter weather has been anything but consistent over the past few weeks, the one thing we can all count on is Proctor’s girls’ varsity hockey team being a scrappy, fun team to watch. Comprised of a group of girls filled with determination to compete against New England’s best despite a relatively small roster, the girls show grit and passion every time they step foot on the ice. When combined with great chemistry on and off the ice, Proctor’s girls’ varsity hockey team has found success this winter even though the results in terms of wins and losses may not be quite what they desire.
(Sketching at the tomb of Paul Cézanne)
In a week where the south of France saw many more rainy days then it usually does, our European Art Classroom crew continued to make the most out of every day. Our Mondays and Thursdays here in Aix-En-Provence, are our only days where we truly have a set schedule. We begin the day with French class, followed by a well informed art history class by Dave.
Front and center on our website is the tagline “Customize Your Experience”. The breadth and depth of Proctor’s offerings allow each student to pursue a wholly unique Proctor journey, but have we over-personalized Proctor? Have we focused so heavily on catering to each student’s needs that we have forgotten the individual’s responsibility to others and to the community? How do we simultaneously live the values of “TOGETHER” and “Customize Your Experience” and appreciate the lessons that live in both.
Proctor Academy's winter Mountain Classroom group surpassed the midway point in their journey west. After a week of climbing at the Cochise Stronghold and spending time with adjunct instructor Chris Farrell (former Mountain Classroom instructor) and program director Patty Pond, the group is ready to head off on their next adventure. Read reflections from Marshall '19 and Drake '20 in this week's blog post below!
