Proctor is a school that believes character emerges through experience, mentors, and self-reflection. Character cannot be mandated. It roots and grows from within in accordance to the environment without. Its emergence is no small source of anxiety for parents and educators who watch character emerge quickly in some, painfully slowly in others. It is clear that boundaries play a part in character development, but rules are not the definitive means to that end. Still, discipline matters.
Each summer Proctor students and faculty travel to connect with communities around the globe. Summer Service trips to Guatemala and Southeast Asia are once again planned for Summer 2016, and we cannot wait to see the impact of these service trips on both the communities and our students involved.
Now in its fourth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Our celebration of #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season of giving. But before you jump online and press the “Give” button to support Proctor, we want to make sure you understand why your gift matters.
We know coming back from vacation can be challenging, especially after relaxing with family and friends. With the start of the Winter Term, we kick off a new athletic season (perhaps the most exciting at Proctor!), new classes, and have a chance reflect on the first term. A little solace for those students making the return trip to campus today? They are not the first, nor will they be the last, to arrive in Andover after a Thanksgiving vacation!
During this season of giving thanks, we are incredibly thankful for the natural world that surrounds us. As you sit around the fireplace following your Thanksgiving meal and your family dog wanders over to lie next to you, remember the message Carl Safina shares in his most recent book Beyond Words: animals can think and feel.
Last year, we published a blog post You Are What You Assess. As students enjoy a week of vacation following exams, we revisit the message in that post with a look at last week’s final assessments.
There is a shift on campus, a transition that is more than the collective relief of exams completed. Some students will be back on campus in a little more than a week, while others are getting ready to head to France, to Spain, or to spend a term on Mountain or in Costa Rica. This is the break that reveals the tidal rhythm of the school and reminds us of our constant motion.
Eight weeks ago, twenty-one Proctor Academy students boarded the Schooner Roseway in Gloucester, Massachusetts on a perfect September day. Family and friends waved goodbye with tears of hope and pride creeping down their cheeks. They knew, as did the students aboard the Roseway, the experience that lay ahead would be transformative. As program director Dave Pilla told families aboard the Roseway in September, "Your sons and daughters will return changed."
