Proctor Academy - Soft Start

Attending a faculty meeting at Proctor, some from outside the community would be stunned by the tone and emotion. This week's opening meetings began--by tradition--honoring employees on the occasion of their 5th, 10th, 20th, 25th and 30th year at the school. Each person came forward and endured long minutes of spontaneous testimonials and expressions of love from others. It is the kindest tribute, because it is wholly open and honest. You can only imagine the ovation received by the iconic Arthur Makechnie, our beloved Food Service Director, starting his 25th year!

It is ironic that a community that disagrees on all sorts of superficial matters....that debates so many far-reaching ethical and technical issues, proclaims such devotion when it comes to something we call "Proctor." At the moment of his tribute, Art Makechnie finished by saying, "Mike asked me if I have anything to say, and I do. I love Proctor."

We tried to move the remainder of our meetings to the stone chapel, but it's not air conditioned, and some us struggled with the broiling heat. Nevertheless, we debriefed administrative issues, inviting faculty input, and decided to reconvene in the Meeting House as soon as possible.

We explored some value-laden issues! The advance of electronic communication brings us face to face with the realities of immediate communication. Now that parents access everything from attendance to teacher-generated spontaneous Notices To the Advisor, what happens if they demand a mid-term update? Like, "What's my daughter's grade today?"

The consensus was terribly significant to me, because it validated a critical quality of Proctor: We're here to advance your child's growth in every way--academic, social, ethical, physical. A student's exact grade is less important than his or her overall progress. At Proctor, growth is more significant than any number in time.

Mike concluded the opening meeting by noting that the beginning of the year is a "soft start." No bell rings and we all file into classrooms. New students arrive in stages....some going on sports camp Wilderness Orientation Friday. One hundred and twenty-seven students begin sports camps Tuesday, the same day that most new students arrive for Orientation!

The notion of "soft start" refers only to time. Tomorrow, some people arrive and engage through Orientation. More people arrive Tuesday and engage through Orientation. Then we have an on-campus orientation process. Then we start classes. Thursday, new day students enjoyed a cookout dinner with returning day students. We may start soft, but strong.