Our Community

Ours is an intentional school community founded out of the progressive education movement, guided by a strongly held belief in our mission and core values, and supported by the careful stewardship of generations of alumni, families, faculty and staff.

We take tremendous pride in the community ethos and vibrant school culture we have cultivated over a century. Our aspirations for our students and our school demand that we always view our school as a work in progress.

Our goal is an inclusive community where all people are treated with respect and dignity, where multiple perspectives and experiences are welcome, and where students from all cultures and backgrounds can succeed.

Grandparents Connect

Below you can watch our Grandparents Connect program recorded this year. Head of School Tom Flemma shared how we provided enriching experiences for our students in all three divisions. And hear a student performance.

Community News
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Community News

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Students Raise More Than $16K for Alzheimer’s Research

North Shore Country Day’s Dunk Alzheimer’s Basketball Bash looked a little different this year, but students rallied to find a creative way to keep the fundraiser alive for its ninth consecutive year. Despite limitations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the NSCD community raised more than $16,000 to support Alzheimer’s research during a reimagined outdoor event on Saturday, April 24

NSCD Returns to Full-Day, On-Campus Learning

When North Shore Country Day students returned to in-person learning after spring break on April 12, it was the first time all three divisions were back on campus for full days in more than a year. “Our goal all year has been for all of our students JK-12 to have the academic and social benefit of learning on campus all day,” wrote Head of School Tom Flemma in an email to parents when he announced the change.

Songwriter Ava Suppelsa '15

At just 23 years old, Ava Suppelsa ’15 has a songwriting career not unlike those writers twice her age. Ava grew up on Chicago's North Shore in a home where she was exposed to music ranging from old-school country to jazz and modern pop.

Students Return to the Stage for Spring Musical

For the first time in more than a year, NSCD students performed live on the auditorium stage March 11-13 for the spring musical production, “Hindsight 2020: Looking Back to Our Past Selves and Looking Forward to Who We Strive to Be.”

Virtual Benefit Raises More Than 350K for Scholarships

North Shore Country Day held its first-ever virtual benefit on February 25, bringing in more than $350,000 for student scholarships and supplemental support—an ever-increasing need for current and future NSCD students.

Blair Bobier '09 Works on the COVID-19 Frontline

Be sure to check out this article about #NSCD alum Blair Bobier '09 from the Chicago Tribune (subscription required).

"A dying man grabbing a nurse’s wrist, asking if God could save him. A patient celebrating a birthday, delighted to find out her nurse also had a birthday that week. A man with his mask on his chin at a Walgreens.

Steve Smith '12 Voted One of Forbes' 30 Under 30

North Shore Country Day alumnus Stephen Smith, who graduated in 2012, was recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for healthcare, released Dec. 1. Steve is the CEO and founder of NOCD, a digital health startup focused on obsessive-compulsive disorder. He wants to make one of the most effective therapies—known as exposure and response prevention—more accessible. NOCD has a smartphone app that facilitates virtual visits with therapists combined with exercises for patients to reinforce what they're learning in therapy.

John McHugh '14 Receives 2021 Marshall Scholarship

The Seeds and Roots of Connection

Building a relationship-based community requires that we see each other as members of the same group, bound by threads connecting our hearts and minds.

Gratitude for NSCD Teachers

Student Maeve Devereux '21 reflects on how grateful she is for NSCD teachers during the pandemic and their support in helping students adapt to remote and on-campus learning.

Announcing a New Century/A New Look

Students Return to Campus for Hybrid Learning

For the first time in more than five months, North Shore Country Day welcomed students back into the classroom. The school is beginning the year with a hybrid model, which incorporates on-campus, in-person learning for half the day, and a robust remote learning component for the other half.

NSCD Welcomes New Faculty and Staff

North Shore Country Day welcomed a number of new faculty and staff members for the 2020-21 school year.

NSCD Senior Izzy Cho Named a 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts

North Shore Country Day senior Isabella Cho of Wilmette, a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) award winner in writing, was recently named a 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

NORTH SHORE COUNTRY DAY Celebrates Class of 2020 With Drive-In Commencement

The evening of Friday, June 5, seniors and their immediate families drove their cars onto the field and formed neat rows in pre-marked spaces. While the ceremony was slightly pared down from a typical year, omitting a traditional processional, chorus performances and the ringing of the School bell to close out the evening, many of the important elements remained.

Centennial Benefit Raises $440,000

The spring 2020 annual benefit took on a different look and feel in honor of its 100th birthday and it was a rousing success, bringing in more than $440,000 for student experiences.

A Deeper Level of Learning

“Participation is a part of the way we do school and it reflects our roots in the progressive education tradition of 100 years ago,” says Tom Flemma, NSCD head of school. “What it looks like is nudging kids into places they wouldn’t necessarily go, gently but consistently.”

Louder Than a Bomb

One by one, our individual poets went up on stage and wowed everyone in the room. Their words resonated and their performances were impassioned and thoughtful. Our group poets also impressed the audience with their honest portrayal of high school in their piece.”

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By the Numbers

Paging

525

Number of students JK-12

395

Number of parents

125

Number of faculty, staff and coaches

3,500+

Number of Alumni

45

Number of children or grandchildren of alumni

44

ZIPCODES REPRESENTED