It’s been a long week at school, one of those tough weeks that tests the mettle of individuals and community. It’s been a week of introspection and community reflection, and at the end of it I found myself in the office Thursday night looking at a collection of writings, old favorites by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in a book called Airman’s Odyssey. I was thinking about mountaineering and rock climbing and those experiences of impasse when you find a way forward. Tempering moments.
Earlier this fall, we posted THIS BLOG on the Proctor Sister’s Program aimed at building relationships among our female students. We know that for all of our students continuous education, accountability, and tough, honest conversations with ourselves are central to the intentional cultivation of school culture. Friday night provided a tremendous opportunity to further cultivate Proctor’s culture as we welcomed renowned sociologist and gender equality expert, Dr. Michael Kimmel, to campus.
The Proctor community mourns the untimely death of alum and member of the Board of Trustees, Shawn Hurwitz ‘83, who unexpectedly died early Sunday morning in a boating accident. Hurwitz, who was Proctor’s commencement speaker in 2012, was not only chairman of a Maxxam, Inc, a Houston-based real estate company, but a champion of providing underprivileged a quality education through his involvement in KIPP schools around the country.
With the rain this week, potentially more on the way next, water flows again in the small creeks, the Blackwater River rolled over its banks Wednesday, and we went from muggy to much cooler. It’s a fickle season with frosts, heat, floods, and a blood moon this week. On the same day the river flooded, I chatted with Corby Leith '92, art teacher and kayaking coach, and he was ecstatic about paddling the rising water. “Oh yeah, this is what we want. Definitely. It doesn’t get any better than this.” There’s always delight and opportunity in the contrast and change.
Today we mourn the passing of Honorary Trustee and past parent, Mark Cangiano, who was a part of a family that has made Proctor’s heartbeat for seventy years. Mark’s more than thirty-five years of service as a member of the Board of Trustees, his sister, Brenda Godwin’s twenty-six years of service as a teacher at Proctor, and their father’s 41 years of service as a board member represent an extraordinary commitment to Proctor Academy.
On April 11, 1977 one of Proctor’s most iconic buildings was destroyed by a fire. The entire community stood and watched as the center of campus was ravaged by flames. Not only was Cary House the residence of four faculty families and thirty-six students, but it also housed the school’s kitchen and dining hall. Read this old Chuck’s Corner for more details about the fire and its impact on Proctor.
The Profile of a Proctor Graduate describes the traits we hope each graduate possesses as they leave Proctor and move into other communities. In order to take these characteristics with them, students must first be exposed to how they are put into action here. Today was a day driven by core values as the effort of students, faculty, and staff allowed Proctor to serve as the host to the 2nd Annual Rail Trail Rally.
The start to the school year at Proctor builds slowly for weeks. Faculty trickle back to campus during the early weeks of August as syllabi are prepared, advisor letters are written, and dorms are prepared for students. Meetings happen, registration day schedules are finalized, WOFR training happens, and then BOOM, students arrive and we are off and running!
