Table Of ContentThe North Shore
Country Day School
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'A Community
of Learning"
I
lived in Winnetka for many years before I first came to North
Shore as a part-time Middle School English teacher. Almost
immediately, I felt I had come home. I had spent most of my
childhood on the campus of Swarthmore College, where my mother
was director of dramatics, and the atmosphere was imbued with
both the seriousness and the joy of learning. Dinner conversations
could be both cosmic and comic. Intellectual acuity and creativity
were often entwined. On weekends, the Astronomy professor played
the piano to accompany silent Charlie Chaplin films.
The professors I knew never seemed satisfied with the impressive
store of information they had amassed; they kept learning and re-
learning, thinking and rethinking. They seemed thirsty for questions
that had moral implications, that enlarged their vision. As my father
put it, "It's not the pursuit of happiness as much as the happiness of pursuit."
My father had been a professor earlier in his life, as had my
mother's father. I always knew I wanted to become a teacher, and
when I did, it was in a "family" school, one that encouraged and
expected intellectual inquiry while enveloping you in laughter
and love. When I came to North Shore in 1976, I found that same
kind of home.
NSCDS, founded in 1919, is unique in today's complex world. As
we near the 21st Century, we can look back and recognize how lon-
glasting are the principles of our beginnings. Community, democracy,
artistic and physical development, and global consciousness seem
even more valid today as core values. The most forward looking
educational philosophers speak in similar terms, with one addition:
technology.
It is an honor for me to be among teachers who love learning,
love children, and feel called to combine those two loves in teaching.
It feels right to be part of a school that inspires students to stretch
their minds and hearts, to make their way in the world with courage
and faith, and to be committed to making a better world.
We may think we are sometimes standing in the dark, our view
limited and our road rough, but we believe in our path and hold the
candle high to light the way.
Welcome to The North Shore Country Day School.
Julia L. Hall
Head of School
The North Shore Country Day Schoot
"A Community of Learning"
4 The \SCDS Community 20 All-School Programs
Students, faculty, parents, trustees, and Ranging from a Master-in-Residence
alumni, make NSCDS the special com to the International Students' Program,
munity that it is. Special cross grade NSCDS offers programs each year which
friendships forged by students in grades enhance the learning environment for
JK-12 enhance the school community. the school community.
5 Mission 23 NSCDS Traditions
In preparing students for the 21st Morning Exercise, Work Day, and other
Century, NSCDS remains true to its traditions help to shape the character of
four founding principles: Community, the School and of the educational experi
Democracy, Artistic and Physical ence for all NSCDS students.
Development, and Global Consciousness.
College Counseling
6 NSCDS: Beginning in the junior year, two
A Community of Learning college counselors begin working with
In developing lifelong learning skills, students to help them ask the questions
we encourage students in grades JK-12 and do the research necessary to find the
to take intellectual risks. We foster their best college "fit." NSCDS graduates
curiosity, exploration and playfulness. go to colleges and universities all over
the country and abroad.
11 The Campus
The sixteen-acre campus of NSCDS "51 Admission and Financial Aid
houses three separate schools, a library, NSCDS students come from 25 sub
a theatre, an art gallery, playing fields urbs and Chicago. Applications are
and two gyms. encouraged by January 15. In admitting
students, the admission office looks
15 Arts
for students who display intellectual
Artistic development is one of the core
promise, positive behavior, and achieve
principles of the School's philosophy. All
ment. Several financial assistance
students experience fine and performing
programs are available.
arts as part of a well-rounded education.
The NSCDS Invitation
17 Athletics ^
For more information about the School,
"Athletics for All" is the philosophy at
or to schedule a tour of the campus,
NSCDS. Through P.E. classes and athletic
please contact the Office of Admission.
teams, all students develop physical
fitness and a sense of teamwork.
The 1\SCDS Community
K
Community is the heart of Because our teachers serve as
The North Shore Country Day School. The coaches for athletic teams, advisors for
school is a size that works: everyone is a extracurricular activities, and academic
part of this "community of learning," and advisors for individual students, they
the friendship, camaraderie, and respect know and understand their students
that develop among its members are as whole people.
enduring and transforming.
Parents founded NSCDS, and today
There is a feeling of warmth on
parents continue to play vital roles in the
the campus. Our buddy program pro
life of the school. The Parents' Association,
motes relationships across grades, and
a vehicle for communication between the
our all-school assembly, Morning Exercise,
school and home, and The Woman's Board,
enables us to come together to learn
a fundraising group, support and enrich
as a whole school.
the NSCDS community through dedica
We work, play, experiment, discover, interact,
tion and hard work.
achieve, share and learn together.
The Board of Trustees, the School's
The Students at The North Shore
governing body, is composed primarily
Country Day School come from twenty-
of current parents as well as parents of
five suburbs and Chicago and represent
alumni and alumni themselves.
racial, cultural and religious backgrounds
from around the globe. Each student Alumni also play an important
brings individual character, strengths role in the life of the School. The Alumni
and interests, and together students create Association, an organization committed
a talented and motivated community. to keeping alumni connected to the
school, plans and organizes several
The Faculty is committed to
events each year.
excellence in teaching and comes to
NSCDS from all over the country and
abroad. More than 75% of the faculty
has advanced degrees. With a school-wide
student-teacher ratio of seven to one,
individual attention is the hallmark of
each classroom.
4 NSCDS
The mission
o/vie North Shore Country Day School is to
educate students for the 21st Century, while preserving the values and
culture of the School's founding headmaster; Perry Dunlap Smith.
We build on the four principles which are the core of The North Shore
Country Day School's philosophy: Community, Democracy Artistic
f
and Physical Development and Global Consciousness
Community We also cheer for their athletic
In essence the "school is a community"- endeavors-when they challenge them
an extension of the family, an environ selves physically, when they work, not
ment in which parents are the School's for stardom, but with and for the team.
partners. Students are part of a challenging
Global Consciousness
learning community that encourages
The School's motto, "Live and Serve,"
friendships and shared experiences across
reminds us of the need to connect with
grades, that values cooperation and com
the world beyond ourselves and beyond
mitment. Morning Ex. is a tradition that
the School. We ask students to respect
creates as well as expresses community.
and value the richness of cultural differ
Democracy ences. We hope they will contribute to
Perry Dunlap Smith said, "Education the larger society as thoughtful and
should be the presentation of conditions responsible citizens.
for choice, for the exercise of reason."
lit looking to the future, we want
We want students to learn by partic
students to be skilled in using the
ipating, to be caught up in the world
evolving technology of computers and
of thought.
telecommunications, as well as knowl
We value them as individuals, cultivate
edgeable in the disciplines of math
their strengths, encourage risk-taking,
and science.
expand horizons.
To be prepared for a multilingual world
We have high expectations for them as
of interdependent cultures, they must be
critical thinkers and educational explorers,
able to write and speak effectively and
becoming independent learners.
work cooperatively.
Artistic and Physical Development We expect them to become adults
The arts are the way of keeping "all the who continually ask probing questions,
avenues of the soul open and in use." evaluate complex ideas analytically,
We want students to create, imagine, creatively and ethically, are open to new
and improvise. answers, and are capable of leadership. *
We line the walls with their paintings
and applaud their songs.
J\SCDS: A Community of Learning
6 NSCDS
Front their earliest years, children
are in classroom settings that encourage
imagination, exploration, educational
excellence and playfulness. The size of
North Shore makes education an active
dialogue between teachers and students. "I encourage my students
We have no shadows; all students to be creative thinkers and
inventors. I want them to
are expected to be engaged in their own
learn as much as they can
learning as well as in the learning of
about the math and science
their classmates.
of life and integrate these
We take enthusiastic, curious and subjects into the real world
determined students and put them as much as possible."
together with dedicated, passionate Barbara Zeien
and demanding teachers. Our classes sixth grade math and
are intimate, provoking, challenging and science teacher
thoughtful. Students develop a positive
self image by confronting difficult
issues and meeting those issues with
NSCDS 7
confidence, intelligence, compassion and Based on traditions established from
resolve, and so our courses are about the earliest days of the School's founding
inquiry-asking questions that if answered headmaster, Perry Dunlap Smith, NSCDS
"On an individual and lead to more questions. has developed innovative programs
class level, the technology In all endeavors we want our students that build on and enhance the School's
has made us much more to take intellectual risks. Without fear of mission.
independent, because we
making mistakes, students try new things With the establishment in 1993 of
have many more sources of
and deepen their level of understanding. the 21st Century Fund, a one-million
information to complement
We create an environment with an dollar fund to achieve distinction in the
what comes directly from
the teacher. We developed overriding sense of respect where we areas of languages, global consciousness,
a 'team' concept in class encourage participation. math, science and technology, we have
that encouraged us to share We want students to learn to articulate designed new curriculum and courses
our knowledge and work
their opinions and to accept the opinions to prepare our students for the challenges
together to achieve
of others. By keeping their minds open that await them in the next century.
our goal."
and flexible, students are best able to In addition, a recently adopted three-
Jeff Meyer '97
grasp new ideas, adapt to new ways of year plan for the School reconfirms our
student in AP U.S. History
learning, and effectively manage the bom commitment to the humanities and to
Pilot Class which used lap
bardment of information they face in this interdisciplinary, theme-based
top computers in lieu of
text books technological age. learning.
We work to develop a student's sense We expect students to master core
of discovery, responsibility, self-confidence concepts and also to explore connections
and curiosity in a supportive, rigorous among the various subject areas in order
and engaging setting. to develop deeper understanding.
8 NSCDS
