North Shore Country Day School

Private country day school in Winnetka, Cook County, Illinois, United States

North Shore Country Day School

Address

310 Green Bay Road

Winnetka

Cook County

Illinois

60093-4094

United States

Coordinates| 42°5′55″N 87°43′45″W﻿ / ﻿42.09861°N 87.72917°W﻿ / 42.09861; -87.72917
Information
Former names| Rugby School (1893-1900)
Girton School (1900-1919)
Type| Private country day school
Co-educational
Motto| Live and Serve
Established| 1893
Founder| Perry Dunlap Smith
CEEB code| 144435
Head of school| Thomas J. Flemma[5]
Faculty| 85
Grades| JK-12[1]
Enrollment| 540
Student to teacher ratio| 8:1
Campus size| 16 acres (6.5 ha)[6]
Campus type| Suburban
Color(s)| Purple and white  [1]
Fight song| "O'er the Fields"[1][2]]
Team name| Raiders[1]
Accreditation| ISACS
Publication|

* Acorn (administration newsletter)[3]
* Prosody (literary magazine)[3]

Newspaper| Diller Street Journal[3]
Yearbook| Mirror[3]
Endowment| $35 million (2021)[4]
Tuition| $40,220 (2023-24 for 9-12th)
Website| nscds.org

Auditorium

North Shore Country Day School is a selective prep school in Winnetka, Illinois. It took its current form as a coeducational school in 1919 during the Country Day School movement, though it started as the Rugby School for Boys (1893-1900) and Girton School for Girls (1900-1918).[7][8] It consists of a lower school, a middle school, and an upper school. North Shore Country Day School offers a liberal arts education with students representing the community's values of respect and inclusiveness.[citation needed]

## History[edit]

In 1893, Francis King Cook opened the Rugby School for Boys in the nearby village of Kenilworth.[9] Within the next decade, due to the opening of the fee-free Joseph Sears School, Cook moved his school to the present site today in Winnetka. Shortly after, the school reimagined itself as the Girton School For Girls.[10] The school built three more buildings on what was then known as the Garland Estate, but by 1918-19, the school began to encounter funding difficulties. A group of parents and alumni from the Girton School and the local area came together in 1919 and chose Perry Dunlap Smith to found the North Shore Country Day School for girls and boys of all ages. With the popularity of the Country Day School movement, this was seen as the next logical step for the school. The school continues to have no class rankings and no academic awards.[11] As it became clear the Country Day school would outlast its time as a traditional school, the founder and first headmaster Perry Dunlap Smith hired Chicago area architect Edwin H. Clark to redesign the school grounds.[11][12]

The school was one of 27 schools selected from a group of 250 candidate schools in the U.S. chosen in 1933 for the Eight-Year Study: alternative admission standards for admission to 200 selective colleges. As a progressive country day school, there was to be an enriched core curriculum with independent study.[13][14] The school sought to fit the curriculum to the students' needs rather than to require a fixed course of instruction.[15][16]

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, the school was one of 21 schools that publicly supported the Kennedy administration's policies of racial equality, stating that independent schools must offer the benefits of a quality education to all qualified students.[17]

In July 2016, following the retirement of W. Thomas Doar III, Thomas J. Flemma became the ninth head of school in North Shore's history. Before being hired by North Shore, Flemma was the Associate Head of School and Dean of Faculty at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.[18]

## Academics[edit]

### Curriculum[edit]

The school follows a liberal arts curriculum, offering classes in literature, mathematics, social studies, the sciences, world languages, and the fine arts.[19]

### Rankings[edit]

In 2024, the school was ranked the 4th best K-12 school in the state of Illinois (of 67) and 102nd best in the country (of 3,142) according to Niche.[20]

### ACT results[edit]

For the Class of 2016, the middle 50% ACT range was 29-33.[21] The exam is marked out of 36.

### Post-secondary[edit]

Typically, NSCDS has a 100% success rate in university and college placement.[22] In 2013, 8% of graduates chose universities outside the United States.[22]

## Service learning[edit]

The school's dedication to service learning extends throughout the campus into other continents. In 2007, the junior class, (class of 2008), decided to raise money for helping a village in Tanzania.[23] They organized a read-a-thon and succeeded in raising almost $30,000 used towards buying land in Tanzania.[23] Some of the students organized a trip to go to Tanzania at the end of the 2008 school year. Seniors are required to perform a Senior Service, a community service project lasting two full weeks.[24] They can work with friends at any community service place. After the Senior Service ends, students create presentations and show the parents and students the results of their community service. This occurs in the last few weeks of the school year.[24]

## Athletics[edit]

Physical education is required at all grade levels, and interscholastic competition is required of students in 6th to 11th grades. North Shore is a member of the Chicago Independent School League and competes against eight other secondary schools in the Chicago area.[25] North Shore's main rivals include the Francis W. Parker School, Latin School of Chicago, and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.

As of 2019, the following sports were available:[26]

Fall

* Cross Country (Boys and Girls varsity, boys JV,[27] middle school)
* Field Hockey (girls: varsity, JV, middle school)
* Flag Football (coeducational: middle school)
* Golf (Boys and Girls: varsity, JV, Development)
* Soccer (boys: varsity, JV, middle school)
* Tennis (girls: varsity and JV)
* Volleyball (girls: varsity, JV, freshman/sophomore, middle school)

Winter

* Basketball (boys and girls: varsity, JV, freshman/sophomore, middle school)
* Paddle tennis (varsity)
* Track & Field (boys and girls: varsity)

Spring

* Baseball (boys: varsity, JV, middle school)
* Soccer (girls: varsity, JV, middle school)
* Tennis (boys: varsity, JV)
* Track & Field (coeducational varsity, middle school)

## Notable alumni[edit]

Main article: List of North Shore Country Day School people

North Shore has more than 3,000 alumni residing in the United States and worldwide.[28]

Notable alumni of North Shore in the arts include Richard Appel (1981), executive producer and co-showrunner for Family Guy[29]; Richard Marx (1981), Grammy Award-winning musician and the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart;[30] Pete Wentz (1997), the bassist, lyricist, and backup vocalist for Fall Out Boy; John R. MacArthur (1974), President and Publisher of Harper's Magazine;[31] Alex Moffat (2000), a Saturday Night Live cast member;[32] and Jonathan Strong (1962), a critically acclaimed novelist.[33] In sports, North Shore is represented by Jereme Richmond (attended for one year), former shooting guard for the Delaware 87ers and gold medalist with the United States team in the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship;[34] Peter Callahan (2009), an All-American and seven-time Ivy League title-winning middle distance runner while at Princeton University;[35] William C. Bartholomay (1946), an insurance executive and the former owner of the Atlanta Braves responsible for moving them from Milwaukee;[36] Michael Reinsdorf (1985), President of the Chicago Bulls;[37] and Rocky Wirtz (1971), billionaire owner of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.[38] North Shore alumni who played a role in politics include John Macy (1934), former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom;[39] Garrett Muscatel (attended for one year), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the Grafton 12th district and youngest openly LGBT politician in the country;[40][41] James L. Oakes (1941), former Vermont Attorney General and Chief Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit;[42] and Aaron Swartz (attended, but did not graduate), an internet activist, co-founder of Reddit and member of the RSS development team.[43][44] In the sciences, North Shore is represented by Katherine Sanford (1933), an American cell biologist and developer of the first lab test for Alzheimer's disease;[45] Francis Daniels Moore (1931), a former Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and member of the first surgical team to perform a human organ transplant;[46] and Anne Young (1965), former Chief of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and current Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.[47]

* Notable North Shore Country Day alumni include:
* Family Guy executive producer and co-showrunner Richard Appel (1981)

* Co-founder of Reddit and member of the team that created RSS Aaron Swartz (attended)

* Saturday Night Live cast member Alex Moffat (2000)

* Fall Out Boy bassist, lyricist, and backup vocalist Pete Wentz (1997)

* Grammy-nominated harpsichordist Jory Vinikour (1981)

* President and Publisher of Harper's Magazine John R. MacArthur (1974)

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Fast Facts". Winnetka, Illinois: North Shore Country Day School. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
2. ^ "Explore North Shore Country Day".
3. ^ a b c d "Publications". Winnetka, Illinois: North Shore Country Day School. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
4. ^ "By the Numbers - North Shore Country Day".
5. ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment". Chicago Tribune.
6. ^ "Our Campus". Winnetka, Illinois: North Shore Country Day School. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
7. ^ "History". Winnetka, Illinois: North Shore Country Day School. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
8. ^ "Old-fashioned progressive." Time Apr. 5, 1954. retrieved November 21, 2006
9. ^ Kilner, Frederic Richard. Kenilworth: First Fifty Years, https://archive.org/details/kenilworthfirstf00kenirich.
10. ^ The Girton School for Girls yearbook, The Girtonian, 1907. https://archive.org/details/thegirtonian1907
11. ^ a b Hinchliff, William (Fall 1998). "North Shore Country Day School". The Gazette. Winnetka, Illinois: Winnetka Historical Society. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
12. ^ Edwin H. Clark designed many buildings in Chicago and its North Shore suburbs, including Winnetka Village Hall, Plaza del Lago in Wilmette, the Lincoln Park Zoo Reptile House, and the Chicago Zoological Park along with many private residences. http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/findingaids/id/14436
13. ^ "High Schools Begin A Big Experiment; Group Named to Test Newer Methods Under a Revised College Entrance Plan. 200 Colleges To Assist Units Scattered Over the Country Join in Effort to Systematize Student's Educational Career." By Wilford M. Aikin, Chairman Commission on the Relation of School and College. The New York Times. New York, N.Y.: June 4, 1933. pg. E7
14. ^ "'Progressives' Hail New Type School; Advocates of 'Unshackled' Preparation Say Students Met College Tests. Entered Without Credits Records of 332 Men, Women In 18 Institutions Are Offered for Comparison. Social Problems Emphasized." By Eunice Barnard. The New York Times. New York, N.Y.: August 1, 1937. pg. 77
15. ^ "Tiny College Offers New Teaching Course; Illinois Institution Trains the Students to Aid Creative Ability of Children," The New York Times. New York, N.Y.: November 21, 1937. pg. 5
16. ^ http://www.8yearstudy.org/index.html Aikin, Wilford M. Adventure In American Education Volume I: The Story of the Eight-Year Study" Publisher: Harper and Brothers;New York and London. 1st edition (1942). ASIN: B000CEBXUU. retrieved November 20, 2006
17. ^ "Private Schools Support Equality; Racial Statement Backed by 21 Secondary Educators", The New York Times. New York, N.Y.: September 1, 1963. p. 43
18. ^ UGC, Chicago Tribune. "Dr. Thomas J. Flemma Named New Head of School of North Shore Country Day School". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
19. ^ "NSCD_Profile_2018-19_FINAL (1).pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
20. ^ "2021 North Shore Country Day Rankings".
21. ^ NSCDS School Profile 2016-2017. Rep. N.p., 2016. Web. https://nscds.myschoolapp.com/ftpimages/138/download/download_1960363.pdf
22. ^ a b "Home". nscds.org.
23. ^ a b "NSCDS08 | North Shore Country Day | Travel Blog". www.travelblog.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
24. ^ a b "Requirements | North Shore Country Day School (NSCDS)". www.nscds.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
25. ^ "Philosophy". Winnetka, Illinois: North Shore Country Day School. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
26. ^ "Team Pages | North Shore Country Day School (NSCDS)". www.nscds.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
27. ^ "Track & Field and Cross Country Statistics". Athletic.net. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
28. ^ "North Shore's Alumni Association has more than 3,000 members worldwide. | North Shore Country Day School (NSCDS)". www.nscds.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
29. ^ "ACORN – Fall 2018". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
30. ^ "Richard Marx '81 (2007)". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
31. ^ "John R. (Rick) MacArthur '74 (2014)". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
32. ^ CrowdTorch. "Alex Moffat LIVE from SNL (Current Cast Member) and Second City at Arlington Drafthouse". acdh.arlingtondrafthouse.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
33. ^ Jessen, Art (2014-07-11). "A Writing Life". ACORN. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
34. ^ "Jereme Richmond: The introduction". www.news-gazette.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
35. ^ "Peter Callahan - Men's Cross Country". Princeton University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
36. ^ "William Bartholomay, insurance executive and onetime baseball lord, dies at 91". Crain's Chicago Business. 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
37. ^ "Michael Reinsdorf, with his own business, denies interest in running White Sox and Bulls". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
38. ^ "CELEBRATE "THE BREAKAWAY" WITH ROCKY WIRTZ at AT THE BOOK STALL". Winnetka-Glencoe, IL Patch. 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
39. ^ "John W. Macy, Jr. '34 (1984)". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
40. ^ "North Shore Attends Carl Sandburg Model United Nations". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
41. ^ "New Hampshire Democrats Celebrate Historic 'Firsts' and Record-Breaking Performances on Election Day". NH LABOR NEWS. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
42. ^ "Judge James L. Oakes '41 (1997)". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
43. ^ "RSS Creator Aaron Swartz Dead at 26". Harvard Magazine. 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
44. ^ Berger, Susan. "Aaron Swartz: North Shore teachers recall Internet prodigy". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
45. ^ "Dr. Katherine Sanford Mifflin '33 (1990)". North Shore Country Day School. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
46. ^ "Harvard Gazette: Francis Daniels Moore dies at 88". news.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 2002-02-25.
47. ^ "NSCDS ~ Dr. Anne Young 1965 (1995)". www.nscds.org. Retrieved 2016-03-03.

## External links[edit]

* North Shore Country Day School -- official site

* v
* t
* e

Independent School League

* Elgin Academy
* Francis W. Parker
* Lake Forest Academy
* Latin School
* Northridge Prep
* North Shore Country Day
* Regina Dominican
* University of Chicago Lab
* Willows Academy
* Woodlands Academy

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