News

North Shore Country Day eighth graders recently had the chance to experience a day in the life of an upper school student during Rising Raiders Shadow Day. Each student created a personalized schedule of four classes and spent the day rotating through upper school courses, exploring the other side of campus, and getting to know current students and teachers. They also had the opportunity to learn about student activities during the 9:30 block, and hear from varsity coaches and upper school athletes during lunch. 

One of the highlights, students agreed, was how welcoming the upper school community felt. “My favorite part was just engaging with all the upper school students,” said William Levi ’30. “They were really welcoming.” Vivian Beaudoin ’30 agreed, noting, “They were nice to us even though we were a lot younger than them.”

Students were excited to get a glimpse of the academic experience that awaits them next year. “I really liked seeing what they were learning about in class — kind of like a preview of what we might learn if we take those classes in upper school,” said Anika Venu ’30. “The teachers were also very welcoming. I thought they might be more strict, but they were similar to middle school teachers and really approachable.”

The eighth graders sat in on a wide variety of classes, from AP Calculus and statistics to Mandarin, digital photography, Human Geography and chemistry. “We did some chemical reactions in chemistry class,” said Grady Macejko ’30. “That was fun.” 

Shivam Kotte ’30 appreciated having the chance to choose his own schedule: “We all got a bunch of different class choices for each block and could rank them. It was cool to experience what classes might be like in high school.”

In addition to academics, students got a taste of the freedom and responsibility of upper school life. “It felt a lot more free,” Vivian said. “You could just go anywhere you wanted during CWP.” Shivam added, “Even in class, there isn’t always a set schedule — you just go with the flow and get your work done.”

The day also sparked excitement about what’s to come next year. “I’m really excited to play sports in the upper school and represent the school,” said William. Ella Wilson ’30 is looking forward to Interim Week: “I think it’s super fun that you can go out into other communities and even travel to different countries or places in Illinois.”

For many, the visit day reinforced what makes North Shore special. “Because it’s a small school, the teachers can focus on you personally and give you more opportunities,” William said. Grady, who plays hockey outside of school, added that the small environment will make it easier to work one-on-one with teachers when he misses class.

As the eighth graders look ahead to next year, they are eager to try new things, explore clubs and take advantage of the many opportunities upper school offers. “A lot of the upper schoolers told us that clubs helped them figure out what they wanted to do with their future,” Anika said. “I think it’s really nice that you get the opportunity to try a bunch of different things.”