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!
Proctor Academy’s winter sports are underway, and with it the excitement of a variety of games and races. The boys’ varsity hockey has been a hub of excitement thus far, with three home games over the past week including two wins and one loss. The energy from the home games has been incredibly positive, with large support from the student body in the stands. Feeding off of this energy is a team who has welcomed a slew of new players to its roster. As the team’s chemistry builds, and new players continue to mix well with the core of returning veterans, expectations are high despite playing in one of the toughest leagues in the country.
We teach to the truth in schools, and we also teach to passions. Emotions. We talk about students “finding” their passion, getting to that sweet spot where the drive become intrinsic, where the 10,000 hours of practice to become an “expert” are not a burden but a delight, where time melts in the doing. The Talent Code, The Tipping Point– how many times over the years have these books and their authors been referenced?
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!
Last night in Boston we enjoyed one of those gatherings of the Proctor family that we occasionally have. Usually our events are smaller, the venues more intimate, but last night was bigger and more structured. We had the vocal ensemble perform a medley from West Side Story, we showed a campaign video, and Patty Pond spoke to the healthy arc of a community moving forward with its values intact. Matt Nathanson sang a couple of songs. I spoke about investing in The Campaign for Proctor, and I discussed a challenging situation we are facing on campus.
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.
