Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom program arrived in southern California after a trip to Joshua Tree National Forest. Read all about the crew's guest visitors (Patty Pond and Lynne Bartlett), visit to heaven's gate, and simple pleasures found in San Diego in this week's blog post.
Bonus Weekend falls in the middle of a Winter Term that operates at breakneck speed; every moment filled with some sort activity - an extra help, a practice, an open studio, a dorm meeting, a research paper. This four day respite affords us a chance to breathe, to slow down and recenter ourselves before we enter the final stretch of winter that is equal parts exhilarating and exhausting.
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Traveling to Barcelona has always been a dream of mine, so I was incredibly excited on the days leading up to our excursion. The travel day was very long and tiring. We were on a bus heading to Madrid by 10:30am, dashing on the metro to the “Renfe,” or Spanish train service, station as soon as we arrived. The train flew through the Spanish countryside and about three hours later we were in Barcelona. After another sweltering hot, sauna-like metro ride, we were within walking distance to our hotel. Exhausted, we took the 45 minutes of free time to do absolutely nothing — and I was totally happy that.
As young parents raising small children, my wife, Lindsey, and I were frequently reminded by our colleagues and friends with older children, “The days may be long, but the years are short. Don’t blink.” In the midst of endless diaper changes, waking up five times a night to night-parent, dealing with toddler tantrums, and then showing up at work as if we were well rested and ready to think creatively, we found ourselves blindly trusting our friends and repeating their advice as a means of maintaining sanity.
As my third alarm of the morning goes off, I realize it’s probably time for me to wake up, especially since I kind of forgot to pack for Paris. Did I mention we were leaving in two hours? I rolled out of bed and began stuffing enough clothes to last me a month into my duffel bag, for a five-day trip.
More than a decade ago, Proctor experimented with an integrated arts course as a Freshman Seminar. Students were able to experiment in different arts disciplines within the context of self-exploration that sits at the core of our ninth grade wellness curriculum. While our wellness seminars have evolved from this model, maybe we were onto something back then that current research is now reemphasizing: immersion in the arts and improved wellness are inextricably linked.
Proctor en Monteverde, Proctor's revitalized sophomore study abroad off-campus program in Costa Rica, welcomes five students to one of the most biodiverse regions of the world for a nine week term abroad. River '22, Patrick '22, Bella '22, Katherine '22, and Cassidy '22 share reflections from their first weeks in Costa Rica below. Enjoy!
Proctor's boys’ varsity basketball team has no place to hide on their schedule. Playing in the nationally recognized Lakes Region and with a non-conference schedule of NEPSAC AAA and AA teams, this year’s squad faces challenging games every week. Under the leadership of veteran head coach Gregor Makechnie ‘90 and first year assistant coach Ben Bartoldus ‘10, the boys’ basketball team is well on their way to reaching their team goals of helping one another maximize their potential, improve offensive and defensive execution each day, and playing the best basketball at the end of the season.
