When perfect weather intersects with events on campus, a certain magical vibe emerges. Such was the case this past Friday as sunshine, blue skies, and temperatures in the mid-60s welcomed families to campus for our Spring Family Weekend celebration. 

Last Friday, we hosted the first of our three Accepted Student Days. Throughout the day, we offered a window into the Proctor community, answering questions, listening, engaging, and connecting with families who listed Proctor as one of their top school choices in the late stages of looking at high schools. Our efforts to share the best of Proctor makes me reflect on a host of important factors in choosing a school, particularly why it is important to remind our accepted students and their families of why they were initially enthralled by Proctor in the first place.

During an address to the Board of Trustees on October 9, 1971 in Holland Auditorium second year Head of School David Fowler stated, “Proctor has always been more interested in people and their potential than in test scores. We will continue this policy. What we are trying to make clearer is our personality as a school. Every student must understand what we stand for, who we are, and why we are doing what we are doing.”

Dear Future Hornet, 

You just received an email from our Admissions Office sharing that you were accepted to Proctor for the 2023-2024 school. You will make up an incoming class that is one of the most talented, diverse, curious, and fun groups of students we could imagine. You found Proctor because you and your family believe that there is more to high school than a traditional classroom, and you see Proctor as the place where you want to “do” school differently. 

Sometimes the busiest weekends are the ones where our community shines most brightly. The past 72 hours were packed with games, activities, races, and moments where the best of Proctor was on display. 

From the earliest moments of parenthood, we learn that life will be filled with contradictions of independence. We simultaneously want them to stay little forever, and we want to never change another diaper. We want to protect our children, and want them to see the world. Competing emotions weave themselves together into an irreplicable sort of love that helps us find a place like Proctor where our children will spread their wings and find themselves, even though we know saying goodbye is so, so hard.

In just over a month, Proctor’s 120 new students will head into the wilderness of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains for five days of backpacking, camping, and exploring. The experience that awaits them - the vastness of the wilderness, the challenges of hiking high peaks, and the relationships forged with classmates and faculty leaders - will lay the foundation for their Proctor journey. 

As educators, we are always a bit challenged by Accepted Student Days as we simultaneously want to put our best foot forward for each visiting family while remaining true to who we are. A well orchestrated Accepted Student Day is critical to showing families the entirety of the Proctor experience, and yet the trust we place in our students to showcase the best of Proctor is what families will likely remember.