The fall trimester ended Thursday morning after final exams.



Some classes include presentations as part of final assessments. In Economics, Kat and Ned are pitching a business plan to maximize income for a certain local ski area....



The start of a vacation is cause for much emotion here, for several reasons. First, being highly unpretentious and non-hierarchic, we tend to be more demonstrative than formal communities. On top of that, we've just accomplished a stunning amount of work, and we have grown a lot over ten weeks.

 

Then there's the fact that twenty-something students are off to Proctor in France, Spain, Mountain Classroom, Morocco and Costa Rica. We'll see them again at the end of Project Period in late March! 

Proctor Chorus's term finished with a triumphant performance of Vivaldi's Gloria, accompanied by professionals on harpsichord, violins, viola, oboe, cello and trumpet.



Coincidental to the end of term are the arrivals of some highly emotional letters from distant parents. The mother of a current student today writes to the school, "I love our partnership in raising our child. While being injured has been hard for (Name)…the circle of love, support and care is beyond measure. God Bless everyone who has gone that extra mile to hold the safety net for our boy. We are grateful. Proctor you are one of our many Thanksgiving Blessings. Blessings and Grace to faculty, staff and all the brilliant behind-the-scenes folks who make things flow. Enjoy your much deserved break."

Chris sang Saturday night as part of the jazz/rock performance entitled "Affirmations."


The other day, Mike received a letter from the mother of a very recent graduate, addressed "To the administration, staff, faculty, Board, and all those who work to make Proctor the incredible learning community it is..." 

I suspect you can see where this is going.

 

She recalls--four years ago--visiting six prep schools across New England, each offering "...solid educations, beautiful facilities, impressive programs, and engaged faculty. But there was something about Proctor -- something about the questions they asked." 
We asked, "How would you summarize your expectations of Proctor for your child?" 

 

She tweaked the question and responded, "I would hope that Jacob would become an integral part of the Proctor community and find new and greater ways to use his gifts to serve and better that community. I would hope that Proctor would help Jacob see beyond his school years and begin to understand where his skills and abilities could take him during his adult years. Finally, I would hope that both Jacob and Proctor would gain and learn from each other, so after their time together, both could say that they had benefitted from the experience."

 

She goes on to declare, "So...now, with tears streaming down my face, I thank you for fulfilling my hopes for Jake just as I know you continue to educate, motivate, and inspire each and every student, whether you are a groundskeeper, a coach, a member of the Board, a house parent, a faculty member, an administrator or any of a hundred other people who, together, make up the community known as Proctor."

 

Thanksgiving. What an honorable holiday!