This week at Proctor marks the period of settling. Just as the leaves in their autumnal colors change and fall, so, too, does our affective model of education begin to shift, unfold, and deepen as a storyline in a novel does. Every school where I have worked has a rhythm all its own.
After a week of unexpected obstacles and quick pivots, Proctor Academy's Ocean Classroom program began their journey south with a high winds passage through the Cape Cod Canal as they sailed toward New Bedford, MA. Morale is high on board Harvey Gamage as students begin to fully appreciate and understand what it means to live and learn at sea. Read more from the past week on Ocean Classroom below.
Each fall, the trails throughout the Proctor Woodlands are littered with acorns that threaten a rolled ankle even among the most nimble of hikers. As winter snows recede and spring temperatures catalyze the annual rebirth within the 2,500 acres of land Proctor calls home, some of these acorns will sprout and grow into saplings.
As parents of young children, we were often reminded not to blink, reassured that while the days were long, the years were short. In the midst of sleepless nights, incessant changing of diapers, and tantruming toddlers, this advice fell on largely deaf ears. But now that our kids are older, well, we blinked.
Proctor Academy's Ocean Classroom program enters their fourth week at sea aboard the schooner Harvey Gamage. As students engage in classes, begin to get headrig clearance, and learn the ins and outs of life at sea, the crew prepares to head out of the waters of coastal Maine and begin their journey south where warmer weather and new adventures await! Read more from the past week aboard Harvey Gamage below!
With back to back home games to kick off the 2021 season, Proctor’s varsity football program has been front and center this fall. Opening wins over Portsmouth Abbey (31-7) and Canterbury School (19-17) have the Hornets off to a tremendous start to the season. Relying on veteran leadership and new talent, Head Coach Ben Rulli is optimistic about what this group of young people can do as they grow together both on and off the field.
As educators, we engage daily in the unending balancing act of providing our students a sense of freedom and a sense of connection. While the pendulum of independence swings back and forth within a culture depending on the prevailing norms of the time, what we know at Proctor is that the adolescent brain biologically craves independence, and yet is only able to pursue that independence when surrounded by a nurturing community.
