Earlier this week, we published the 2017-2018 Greenbook (Proctor’s Student Handbook) and sent a series of permission forms to parents to complete in advance of the upcoming school year. This process takes place each summer, both for returning and new families, and serves as an important acknowledgement of the rules, expectations, and boundaries essential to sustaining the Proctor community. The temptation for some might be to glance over the forms, identify where to sign or initial, and click submit. To check the box and move on with summer plans. Our hope is this process is a bit more intentional because we recognize joining a community, especially a community like Proctor, is not something you should take lightly.

As the year comes to an end and we prepare to watch the Class of 2017 head off to their many college destinations, we are always conflicted. Where is she going to college? Did he get off the waiting list at so-and-so University? Why do we do this? We cannot help ourselves. We have read the articles by Frank Bruni, analysed the data showing the lack of correlation between elite schools and economic success, and the longitudinal studies showing that happiness cannot be ranked by US News and World Report.

With another week around the corner, excitement for what is coming ahead starts to grow. The time for reflection on this week's adventures has come though and in the wake of my mother's visit I'm happy to have this week's blog. 

Campus is quiet this week. It’s during vacations that we allow ourselves to recharge. We spend much needed time with family and friends, catch up on appointments we didn’t have time to schedule during the chaos of the regular school day, and make a few last minute holiday shopping trips (don’t forget to visit our Buy Proctor site for some great gift ideas!).  We make a welcomed, tangible downshift from the speed at which our lives are otherwise being lived.

Over the past few days, we've highlighted different members of the community who make a quiet, but powerful impact on our day to day lives at Proctor. Today we express our gratitude for the type of parents Proctor attracts: innovative, trusting, adventuresome, outside the box thinkers who wholeheartedly empower their child to suck the marrow out of the Proctor experience.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of working at a boarding school are those moments throughout the course of the year when you are able to experience tangible moments of transformation. Spring Family Weekend is one of those moments (as are Fall Family Weekend, Commencement, and Reunion Weekend). Our family comes together and we are reminded of the hard, very real, work we all are doing alongside our families to help our students navigate adolecence. 

Flying over the South of France only 9 days ago was the first glimpse I got of the mountains and the surrounding water of the Mediterranean Sea. Was I really here? When I was offered the spot on this wonderful program only a little over a month ago I had many things running through my mind. Excitement. Disbelief. Fear. Could I make this possible? Could I go?  

The Buzz has quickly become our most visited page on our website welcoming over 60,000 visitors during 2015. Here are the top five blog posts based on number of views and engagement from our community. Enjoy this brief glance at 2015 and be sure read more posts on The Buzz!