At the time of this article going to press, Proctor Academy had just received results from its fourth round of COVID-19 testing on campus: all negative, again. While much may change in the two weeks from this article being written to it being printed in the November Beacon, the update from Proctor’s campus on October 16 is incredibly positive as we work to stay negative.
Academic Classes
Beautiful fall weather and limited rainy days have allowed Proctor’s faculty and students to spend many class days outside under tents, in Adirondack chairs, or enjoying Proctor’s woodlands. Both students and faculty are incredibly thankful to have been able to return to in-person learning this fall after spending the Spring Term remote.
A revised academic schedule has intentionally slowed the pace of each academic day (longer classes, with longer passing time between classes), while outdoor all-school assemblies, advisory groups, and club meetings every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday have brought the entire community together safely.
Interscholastic Athletics
Through the hard work of Proctor’s Athletic Department, coaches, and students, Proctor’s interscholastic athletic teams have remained in action throughout the Fall Term, competing against Lakes Region Schools each Saturday after both schools release a full report of COVID-19 cases on campus. Masks, social distancing on the sidelines, and an increased focus on health and safety have allowed these competitions to take place and have provided a much-needed normalcy on campus each weekend this fall.
Check out Proctor’s athletic website for updates on recent results, but please respect the fact that all athletic competitions this year are closed to all spectators, including parents.
Dormitories and Boarding Student Life
For Proctor’s 240 boarding students on campus this fall, life has hovered between normal and inconvenient, as face masks are required of all students on-campus and in dormitories. The silver lining of this fall, however, has been all boarding students staying on campus every weekend (weekend travel away from campus is prohibited) and the building of dorm culture through weekend activities and an intramural activity league.
All of our boarding students (and dorm parents) will be anxious to head home for Thanksgiving Break on November 20, but are making the best of what has been a most different Fall Term on campus.
Health Center and Campus Well-Being
Few departments on campus have worked as tirelessly as the Health Center Staff to keep the Proctor Community healthy. Whether it is managing biweekly COVID-19 testing for all 500 members of the community, distributing daily medications, setting up appointments for students, or deciphering regular illnesses from COVID-19, Director of Health Services Sue Norris and her staff including Katelyn Churchill, Mindy Bicknell, Michele Stetson, Dawn Allaire, Katrina Allison, and Abbey Theroux have been remarkable this fall.
Likewise, Proctor’s Housekeeping Team of Diane Benson, Jane Walker, Brenda Brown, Pam Brown, Candi Adams, Marisa Carter, Bill Clark, Jeannette Gerrior-Cartier, Alice Grover, Cindy LaValley, Katina Maxwell, Deb Parkman, Hazel Platte, Elaine Rondeau, and Rebecca Smart have done an incredible job sanitizing all corners of campus.
Proctor’s Dining Services Team also deserves credit for their flexibility in feeding a campus of 350 hungry teenagers. Kudos to Barbara Major, Caleb Dunklee, Jamie Ardine, Kathy Bennett, Anjela Carlson, Dylan Carlson, Dakota Donnelly, Kevin Farrington, Hunter Hawks, Barbara McNair, Dara Mori, Hannah Munson, Tucker Peters, Marko Seccareccio, Emiliee Shedd, Judith Shedd, Russell Towle, and Amy Woods!