This past week, we went on an incredible voyage to Valencia, Spain. The five days we spent there were filled with traditional Spanish food, Flamenco, so much historically significant art, gelato, group dinners, sketching in our carnets, the beach, card games, milkshakes, walking, bus rides, an aquarium, and lots of educational opportunities.

Onto the fourth week, the term's halfway point. It was also the first week which the group spent in Aix after a weeklong excursion spent in Amsterdam. Personally, I was not sure how we were going to continue to have fun in Aix after returning, but this past week was more than fun.

The week started off with a Monday of recovery from Paris. Because Sunday was Easter, we had class at the house instead of catching the bus into town.

The ramp up to student arrival can feel prolonged, but when we finally have our entire community together for that first assembly of the school year, it is electric. 

This week was our first 5 day trip away from our home, Casa Grande. On Monday the 25th we left for our adventure, loading up the van with our painting supplies, bags, crazy creeks, and Carnets (sketchbooks) in hand.

At the very tail end of two remarkably smooth Registration Days (thank you parents for following directions and doing your part to arrive on campus prepared!), the student crew of Ocean Classroom 2020 arrived on campus for their COVID-19 tests. The motto that will guide every decision aboard Roseway over the next nine weeks is simple: Ship, Shipmate, Self. The application of these words to our on-campus community has never been more important than it will be this year. 

For our new boarding students, the notion of sharing a dorm room with a roommate is either the most exciting aspect of starting at Proctor, or the most anxiety-inducing. Will they snore? Will they be messy? What if they like to stay up too late? What if they don’t take safety precautions seriously? These questions are valid, especially as we plan to return to school in an environment unlike any other we have experienced. 

Bonus Weekend falls in the middle of a Winter Term that operates at breakneck speed; every moment filled with some sort activity - an extra help, a practice, an open studio, a dorm meeting, a research paper. This four day respite affords us a chance to breathe, to slow down and recenter ourselves before we enter the final stretch of winter that is equal parts exhilarating and exhausting.