The nature of the academic year sometimes causes us to forget all that has happened in the last calendar year. A look back chronologically at the past calendar year through highlighted blog posts from each month allows us to relive some of the best moments from the second half of the 2018-2019 school year and the most memorable events of the 2019-2020 academic year to date. Sit down and scroll through the images, click on the links, and read the stories below to remind yourself of all the good you have been part of as a member of the Proctor family during 2019. Here's to an equally powerful 2020! 

Three years ago, Proctor art curator Molly Leith connected with renowned sound artist, Spencer Topel, about designing an installation for the atrium of the Fowler Learning Center. Originally planned as a student collaboration during Project Period 2019 last March, the complexity of the project postponed the installation until the first week of December. After a week of ropes, rigging, and detailed construction alongside Brad Hardie of Fireside Design Works, Time Lines now graces the Fowler Learning Center. 

We are a relatively small school, 370 students and 90 teachers, where we call each other by our first name. We always say hi as we pass on walkways between classes. We think we know each other. But how often do we merely assign an identity to others based on a first impression of their outward projection of self? He’s a soccer player. She’s a hockey girl. Oh, he’s a drama guy. A gamer. A skier. 

The steady stream of prospective families through our Admissions Office over the past month resulted in a 20% increase in October tours over our five year average. While a far-too-early indicator of enrollment numbers for the 2020-2021 school year, it is a data point. There’s something intriguing about this random school plopped on 2,500 acres in the Blackwater River valley between Ragged Mountain and Mount Kearsarge. So what is it? Why are families interested in Proctor when all of the data shared by the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) and TABS on independent boarding school enrollment trend the opposite direction? 

When we pause long enough to listen, to truly listen, we can softly hear purpose as the background music to our journey through life. We begin to piece together good out of bad and recenter ourselves on that which holds the deepest meaning in our lives. 

Drive along NH Route 11 and you will encounter beautiful scenery, farms, open fields, views of Mount Kearsarge and Ragged Mountain, and the varied architecture that speaks to an evolution of a town without strict zoning laws. You might conclude that while quaint, the village of Andover is far from a cultural center. Take a step off of Main Street into the Lovejoy Library, Wilkins Meeting House, or Brown Dining Commons and you will quickly realize your premature conclusion to be false.  

We hear often the value of being a generalist, of embracing different pursuits and being well-rounded individuals. Yet, time and again, specialists are rewarded for being the best at what they do. Professionally, we rarely see someone promoted for simply being above average at many things. College coaches claim they want multi-sport athletes, but more often than not reward specialized athletes with scholarships. The mixed messages our children receive as they discover who they are and what passions live within them are not only unhealthy, but have created an unsustainable environment for our schools. 

The Class of 2019 graced us with their artistic talents over the past four years. Every graduating student is required to take three art courses at Proctor, however, many choose to dive far deeper into their artistic pursuits. The graduates below will be studying art in college next year - be sure to keep an eye out for their work in the future!