News

North Shore Country Day welcomed Kaaz Naqvi this fall as assistant head of upper school and dean of students. A Lake Forest native who recently returned to the area with his extended family, Kaaz is eager to focus on student life, community and connection — and, when the weather cooperates, his daily bike commute.

You recently moved back to the Chicago area. What brought you here?
I spent the first 17 years of my life on the North Shore — first in Northbrook then in Lake Forest. After high school I lived elsewhere, eventually landing in Dallas, but I’ve always felt like a Midwesterner at heart. The only reason I went to Dallas was because my sister got a job there, and it’s really important to me to keep family together. While we were there, we also moved my parents and my wife’s parents down, so the whole family was in one place. When the idea of coming back came up, our parents were nostalgic about coming home, so we decided to relocate together — four households in all. The North Shore felt right for our daughter and our parents, with the lake, access to the city and a community that feels like home. 

That must have taken a lot of coordination to move four households at once.
It took about 12 months. If anybody hadn’t wanted to do it, we wouldn’t have. That commitment to staying together is central to my goals in life. My parents are immigrants, and I’ve always felt part of my story here is to help keep our family connected in ways they couldn’t be with relatives still in Pakistan.

Your daughter and niece are both starting at North Shore this year. What’s it like having family on campus with you?
It’s wonderful. My daughter Zameera ’35 is in third grade and my niece Aleena ’37 is in first. We had already chosen North Shore for them before I accepted this role, so it feels like lucky timing. Being two buildings away is pretty special.

What are you most excited about in your role as assistant head of upper school and dean of students?
I've been tasked with trying to figure out ways to help build student culture — to make them really feel connected while having a lot of fun and utilizing the different structures that already exist, like advisory, Morning Ex and other traditions. The academics matter immensely, but the social interactions, sense of belonging and memories students make often last the longest. The structure of the upper school gives students this opportunity to build these really close relationships and connect with all of their peers, not just a small subset of them. 

What are some ways you’re hoping to build that sense of community?
Advisory is a big one. I want it to be a place students look forward to: more games, friendly competitions and activities that get them working together. The goal is for advisory to feel essential to life at North Shore.

We’ve heard you sometimes bike to school. True?
Yes! I live about a mile and a half away, so it’s an easy 10-minute ride. I started biking daily when I taught in Minneapolis, which is a great biking city, and I’m happy to be back on two wheels here. I rode most days this summer, except in the rain. Once it drops below 40 degrees I might call it quits — or maybe not! The real challenge is ice and snow.

If you could go back and take one high school class again, what would it be?
I loved band. I played clarinet and later trombone. I wasn't particularly good at my instrument, but just being in the space where there's music around you and you're part of producing music, even if you're not doing it super well, is lovely. It’s so enriching to be able to have an interlude of music for 40 minutes in your day. I’ve just started learning piano with my daughter — she’s already better than I am.

What’s on your playlist these days?
I’m more radio than playlists. I gravitate to classic rock from the ’60s and ’70s — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Elton John, Cat Stevens — which connects to the era I love studying and teaching.