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North Shore Country Day marked the ceremonial opening of its 108th school year on Wednesday, August 26, bringing the entire community together for Opening Morning Ex and a morning filled with tradition, reflection and a warm welcome to the year ahead.

The day began with the annual Parents’ Association Kickoff Meeting and new family welcome breakfast, drawing an energetic crowd of parents to campus before students gathered in the auditorium for the first all-school assembly of the 2026–27 school year.

“This is our 108th year of school at North Shore Country Day,” Head of School Tom Flemma told the community. “I love the start of school every year and I can’t wait for this moment, when we are all together and we begin our journey.”

This year, 505 students from 53 ZIP codes are enrolled at North Shore, including 111 new students. Opening Morning Ex gave the entire JK–12 community a chance to welcome them while taking part in one of the school’s longest-standing traditions.

A highlight of the morning was hearing from five members of the Class of 2027 who have attended North Shore since junior or senior kindergarten. The annual “lifer speeches” offered plenty of humor — and a reminder of just how much can happen over 13 or 14 years at the school.

Ari Schuster ’27 reflected on arriving at North Shore as “an extremely shy and quiet kid” and the confidence she has gained since.

“My time at North Shore has helped me find my voice and embrace it, and for that I am so incredibly grateful,” she said. “North Shore has built a platform that encourages me to be outspoken for what I believe in.”

Emily Ver Eecke ’27 encouraged younger students to appreciate the everyday moments that can become some of their most lasting memories.

“Don’t wait till the end to appreciate the things in the middle,” she said. “Remember to say yes to things, put yourself out there, and pay attention to all the little things that don’t seem important right now.”

Colin Wiercinski ’27 recalled lessons learned from everything from an ill-fated SK building-block project to middle school dances, offering a simple piece of advice for students as they grow: Ask questions.

“You’d be surprised what a single question can turn into,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just an answer. But other times it turns into something completely different — and more meaningful. You end up learning something you didn’t know you needed, from a person you never would have expected to learn it from.”

Cooper Larsen ’27 encouraged students to resist the pressure to follow someone else’s path.

“Do what you find interesting and take classes that intrigue you,” he said. “Once you stop worrying about what other people are doing, everything becomes much more fulfilling.”

And Avery Avedisian ’27, who returned to North Shore in fourth grade after spending a year in California, reflected on the feeling of coming home to a community she had missed.

“Whether it’s your first or 14th year here, I can promise you one thing — it will go by very quickly,” she said. “There truly isn’t another place as warm and inviting as North Shore’s campus.”

Their reflections reinforced the theme Tom returned to in his closing remarks: Morning Ex is not simply a school tradition, but an opportunity to strengthen the community it brings together.

“Morning Ex always was, above all, about community — both building it and expressing it,” he said. “To me what that really means is working to make sure that everyone here at North Shore feels seen, known and that they belong.”