The Buzz

It’s very ironic that I have the blog this week for Proctor Academy's European Art Classroom because Dave always makes fun of me for not reading them. I click the blog for the pretty pictures like these:  

As Proctor's Mountain Classroom group continues their journey westward, their travels took them to White Sands National Monument in a 60mph windstorm where they had sledding adventures galore on the gorgeous white dunes. Now the group has transitioned to Cascabel, Arizona for their solo experience. Read the student reflections from White Sands below: 

A fickle New Hampshire winter grips us. Rain this week, record December and January warmth, tendrils of snow instead of banks – these are not promising signs. Global warming? El Nino? Pinning the blame doesn’t lift spirits of the powder hounds. We know it’s bad when the Weather Channel’s “mixed precipitation” forecasts look…well…promising.

There are few people who have been a bigger cheerleader for Proctor Academy over the past sixty years than Artie Pratt '56, former captain of the Proctor football team. Not only has Artie hosted Proctor events at his home in Naples, Florida, championing all that is Proctor to anyone who will listen, but he has also shaped student lives on campus through his steadfast commitment to Proctor Athletics, and especially the Proctor Football program. 

Last week, we published a post on the need to practice social courage in our day-to-day lives. As we unpack this complicated concept of social courage, the notion of helping establish boundaries for our students becomes increasingly important. Students may dislike the boundaries adults impose in their lives, but deep down inside, they know they need them. Our role as educators and parents is to help them understand why.

When we pause and look at our lives, it is fascinating to see how various events unknowingly prepared us for where we are today. As Annie Waterman ‘00 embarks on a new venture AOW Handmade, an international consultancy connecting artisans and buyers around the globe, she sees how each step in her journey prepared her for this new adventure.

Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom group was joined by program director, Patty Pond, last week at the Annunciation House where they immersed themselves in their Border Awareness Experience. World Language teacher Alejandra Young  joined the group at the end of the week, at which point leaders Coco and Timbah took a well-deserved weekend off, and the Mountain crew traveled to Hueco Tanks to admire the stunning natural beauty, seek out petroglyphs, and go bouldering. The group is now  driving north into New Mexico to spend the next two nights exploring White Sands National Monument with their backpacks! 

Week Three….What CAN’T I say about week three? Good God (quiet chuckle and head shake) this has been the craziest week so far of Ye Old European Art Classroom! Surprisingly all this excitement had little to do with the fact that we were traveling to Normandy (a western region of France).