Many schools operate with trimesters rather than traditional semesters. Trimesters configure well with athletic seasons, holidays and a spring break that is a given in the United States. Proctor, however, may be the most "trimesterized" school in existence. Since 1972, each year-long course has been offered as independent credit-earning thirds of the whole, enabling extraordinary curricular freedom and creativity. 

 

Suddenly, we're back from Thanksgiving Break, and have plunged into the winter trimester, a term that will be interrupted in 17 days by an extended holiday vacation. Twenty-three students are back from the adventure of a lifetime: sailing a 130' schooner from Gloucester to San Juan. Nine students are back from a trimester at Proctor in Spain. The return of a critical number of "old" students--who know the landscape--creates a kind of fresh start for those of us who knew the on-campus community that was (from September-something to today.)

 

Yet, for those students returning from a trimester abroad or at sea, their new community includes 123 students they haven't known until now...123 students who now know the school very well!



Meanwhile, this winter, ten students will be touring and exploring the American Southwest on Mountain Classroom; ten students are off to Proctor in Spain; eight students will be based in Aix-en-Provence, France on European Art Classroom, three students are studying at the American School in Tangiers, Morocco, and one student will attend the Country School in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This is a Proctor education.

 








The start of the winter term is a very real beginning for this community!