If we look back to the first blog post of the year on September 13th, we discussed the academic journey each Proctor student has the opportunity to enjoy. For the Class of 2013, their time as Proctor students is complete; student speeches during Commencement illuminated just how diverse, well-rounded and incredibly talented this class was, but perhaps more importantly, how enthusiastically they embraced their individual and collective Proctor experiences.

The final weeks of the school year were filled with activity, but today we focus on a dozen of those recent graduates and their culminating projects in Advanced Placement classes. With AP exams pegged to the College Board schedule, all are complete by the second week in May, presenting a unique opportunity for AP students and teachers: two weeks to dive into in-depth study on a specific project without the constraints of a 'test' waiting for them.



The AP Government class welcomed Eric Johnson '88 (above at his Tucker Mountain Maple sugaring operation) and Jasen Stock (a lobbyist for the New Hampshire Timberland Owners' Association) on May 15th, the day after their AP exam. Eric and Jasen introduced the dilemma facing timberland owners in New Hampshire: the proposed 12 cent gas tax to fund interstate and infrastructure maintenance (including 'red list' bridges needing immediate repair) would cut into NHTOA profit margins considerably, but state budgets are incredibly strained. 

Over the ensuing two weeks, students researched the transportation repair budgets, NHTOA proposals and the history behind fuel taxes to develop their own recommendations to the New Hampshire Timberland Owners' Association on how to proceed that you can read in full HERE.



While the AP Government class gained real world experience working alongside the New Hampshire Timberland Owners' Association, the AP English class took a different approach to their work by making the literature they have been reading come to life.

Students were assigned to create artistic representations of the pieces they using live actors as they created a Tableaux Vivant Tour around campus. Thank you to Shauna Turnbull for sharing the images and captions along the right sidebar explaining a few of the student creations. Photos do not do the student creativity and execution of this assignment justice!

Other AP courses took a similar approach as AP Economics students generated exhibits ranging from interactive ibooks to comic books to dramatic videos to teach the community about economic issues. All in all, the last two weeks of AP courses represented a great way to end the year for students as they truly brought their studies to life!