If you asked educational consultants to name Proctor's unique qualities, they'd probably start with programs: Learning Skills, Ocean Classroom, Proctor in Spain. Then there's the fact that we own and operate our own ski hill, and own about 3,000 acres of land, and live in twenty small dorms. Eventually, they'd tackle the impossible....trying to capture the social ethos of the place.



"It has lots of academic structure," they might say, "but it's very informal and friendly." However the social dynamic is distinct, the causal factors for that ethos could never be isolated. Is it because we support people academically; that we're gunning for everyone's success? Is it all of the small group dynamics, like advisee groups and small dorms? Is it the fact that we de-emphasize class identification and seniority? Below--for yearbook purposes, sophomores pose. This is one of the few moments they'll ever meet as a class apart from the rest of the student population!



For what it's worth, ninth graders posed for Brenda's camera after Friday's assembly. This is what they look like:




At Proctor, dormitories are not class-specific. Ninth graders may be clustered in adjacent rooms, but the same small residence will have juniors and/or seniors. Seating in assembly is not by class; it's by advisor group, and advisor groups are blended fairly randomly. Seniors may get some privileges when it comes to study environments or Saturday night in-dorm time, but our policies are generally blind to class. Of course, classes such as Algebra 1, World History and Introduction to Literature will tend to be populated with niners....



But this photo from Advanced Placement Biology features a senior and a sophomore.



So the outcome is a social ethos that is generally egalitarian. This spontaneous gathering of sophomores, juniors and a senior has one commonality: they are "internationals"!




Last year, when we were considering the installation of turf fields, Director of Athletics Gregor Makechnie '90 shared a surprising observation. A neighboring school with a turf field claimed that--when the lights were turned on during the kind of free time that students are afforded on a Friday after dinner or a Saturday evening--the field becomes a magnet for kids seeking good, healthy fun and recreation. Last night, we advertised a capture-the-flag contest to be organized under the lights. The result was fantastic.


Boys and girls from all grades threw themselves into a campus-wide game that had an illuminated focal point!