Entering Colorado provided Mountain Classroom with the opportunity to head to over 10,000 feet in pursuit of snow. We made home at Leadville's High Mountain Institute where we rented skis and down pants, among other gear, for going adventuring in the Mosquito Range. Our mission was to enjoy the spring skiing and learn about how adaptable the human body is at elevation and in snow camping conditions. It was a blast!
It is hard to believe 4 years ago I was applying to college. It is even harder to believe I am in my last semester at St. Lawrence University preparing for my next journey in life… a career. It is a common understanding as a senior not to talk about the dreaded "J" word because we get enough inquiries from parents, relatives, and professors who constantly ask, “Do you know what you are doing after graduation?”
With Spring Family Weekend upon us, we have already reached the midpoint in the spring athletic season. For the boys’ varsity lacrosse team, the first four weeks of the season have been jam-packed with games, including challenging out-of-league matchups with some of New England’s strongest squads. For coaches Tucker Prudden and Phil Goodnow, as well as captains Chandler Devaney ‘17, Dillon Fitzpatrick ‘17, and Sam Fulton ‘17, the team’s hard work has laid a foundation for future success during the second half of the season.
Proctor's Mountain Classroom community transitioned to a hunter/gatherer mindset as we drove away from California. On our way to Boulder, UT we paddled through the Black Canyon seeking out hot springs around every corner. Once in Boulder we began fasting in preparation for learning how to butcher a sheep under the direction of Laurel Holding and Carrie Ryan. Both have acquired their skills over many years as instructors for various organizations, including the Boulder Outdoor Survival School.
The Cloud Forest School in the Monteverde Region of Costa Rica once again welcomed four Proctor Academy sophomores to their spectacular rain forests and generous host family homes for the Spring Term. This unique off-campus program allows a select group of tenth graders to study abroad while continuing their core sophomore classes at the Cloud Forest School. After four weeks of living, learning, and exploring Costa Rica, Auggie '19, Ellie '19, Will '19, and Asher '19 share photos and reflections on their term abroad to date!
Living in Aix-en Provence for the past three weeks has felt so surreal to me. It’s as though I need to keep pinching myself so I know that I am not dreaming.
Mountain Classroom is spending our spring studying food. We started the term by getting our hands dirty on the Midland School’s farm in Los Olivos, CA. Ranch Manager, Nick Tranmer, was our gracious host, as we camped out in a beautiful field nearby campus, before heading into the San Rafael Wilderness for a first aid themed backpacking trip. After backpacking we returned our thoughts to food systems by visiting Duncan Family Farms, a large-scale organic farm growing salad greens in New Cuyama. Now we are en route to the Colorado River for a canoeing trip in the Black Canyon below the Hoover Dam.
While complaining there is “nothing to do on the weekends” seems to be a right of passage for every adolescent (enrolled at boarding school or otherwise), Proctor’s weekend activities council does a masterful job planning Weekend Love each week. The breadth of on- and off-campus activities offered varies week to week, taking on the personality of the faculty assigned weekend team duties, and there is always something to do.
