Home

I have been involved in the Commons Ambassadors (CA) program for two years, and it has been both meaningful and transformative. Last year, I co-led a session on social media and identity and this year, I’m leading a session on fast fashion and overconsumption. While the program is still growing and improving, I have seen firsthand the positive impact this student-led initiative has had on our school community.

North Shore Country Day recently welcomed middle school families to campus for an alumni panel, an opportunity to hear directly from students and graduates about the upper school experience and the transition to college. The conversation offered a thoughtful, candid look at academics, student life, and what comes next.

On January 10, more than 75 members of the North Shore Country Day community spent most of their Saturday on campus for the first-ever Community Design Day, an important milestone in the school’s ongoing strategic planning process. Parents, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees and even a few middle and upper school students came together to inform, influence, and inspire the shape of the school’s next strategic plan. 

In middle school performing arts, it’s easy to focus on the final performance — the concert, play or recital. That’s what friends and families see. But while the “product” matters, the real learning happens in the process: the rehearsal work that builds skills, confidence and an appreciation for what it takes to perform.

As NSCD’s new college counselor, Mark Seamon draws on years in higher education — first as a theater professor and director at liberal arts colleges, then in admissions at Notre Dame — blending his love of teaching with a thoughtful, student-centered approach that helps students find their next step and themselves in the college process.

In this new episode of The Raider Ramble, Head of School Tom Flemma sits down with Jeff Selingo, New York Times bestselling author and one of the nation’s most trusted voices on higher education, college admissions and the changing job market. For more than 25 years, Selingo’s reporting has helped families, educators and leaders make sense of an ever-shifting landscape — and today’s conversation is no exception.

New York Times bestselling author and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo — whose latest book, “Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You,” debuted as an instant bestseller — visited campus and spoke with NSCD’s Director of College Counseling Kristen Kaczynski about the evolving landscape of college admissions and shared practical guidance on how families can take a more thoughtful, empowered approach to the college search process.

At NSCD, Interim offers upper school students a chance to step outside the classroom and explore experiences that challenge their perspectives, spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Here are just a few insights, surprises and moments of growth from their experiences so far, offering a glimpse into how these journeys are shaping the way they see themselves, their communities and the world around them.