As Proctor's Mountain Classroom group continues their journey westward, their travels took them to White Sands National Monument in a 60mph windstorm where they had sledding adventures galore on the gorgeous white dunes. Now the group has transitioned to Cascabel, Arizona for their solo experience. Read the student reflections from White Sands below:
Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom group was joined by program director, Patty Pond, last week at the Annunciation House where they immersed themselves in their Border Awareness Experience. World Language teacher Alejandra Young joined the group at the end of the week, at which point leaders Coco and Timbah took a well-deserved weekend off, and the Mountain crew traveled to Hueco Tanks to admire the stunning natural beauty, seek out petroglyphs, and go bouldering. The group is now driving north into New Mexico to spend the next two nights exploring White Sands National Monument with their backpacks!
Week Three….What CAN’T I say about week three? Good God (quiet chuckle and head shake) this has been the craziest week so far of Ye Old European Art Classroom! Surprisingly all this excitement had little to do with the fact that we were traveling to Normandy (a western region of France).
The Picasso Museum, tucked away in an alleyway in Barcelona’s gothic district, seemed at first glance to be an as of yet hidden gem in a sea of tourist traps. Unfortunately that pleasant fantasy was seemingly disintegrated when my companions and I arrived at the Museum proper — the site was swamped in tourists. While we were discouraged, I could make out what appeared to be a number of well-cultured locals scattered amongst the crowd. Surely they wouldn’t be attracted to the saccharine “local flavor” that the countless other “landmarks” around Barcelona had fallen prey to.
After a week paddling on the Rio Grande with Desert Sports out of Terlingua, Mountain Classroom has arrived at Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas to begin their study of border issues. Meredith '17 and Avery '17 reflect on the past week paddling a leisurely 33 miles down the Rio Grande in today's Mountain Classroom blog!
You would think that two weeks of being constantly together as a group would get old. Yet as we wander the streets of Aix looking for our own, special café to call our home-away-from-home, or painting amongst a vineyard, the mountains that decorate the horizon, I notice that as each day passes, each and every one of us grows happier and happier. We truly are in a paradise; every new day I spend here, Aix comes to feel more and more like home.
The Proctor en Segovia Winter 2016 group’s first week in Spain is full of activity. Students start building relationships with their host families, discover natural spaces along the border of the city, participate in a diverse array of afternoon activities and begin their study of Spanish language, history and literature!
Enjoy poetry by AnnIe, reflections on modern art by Zack, and Grace's thoughts about cheese!
Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom program just completed a weeklong adventure in Big Bend National Park during which they studied wilderness first aid. Students practiced scenarios where first aid skills necessary to respond to backcountry ailments and injuries were required. Check out some stunning photography from the five day trip alongside student reflections in today's Mountain Classroom blog. The group next heads out for a rafting trip up the Rio Grande! Enjoy!
