Acorn Magazine - Winter 2025

BACK

GLACIAL ADVENTURE

A group of 20 NSCD upper schoolers and two faculty members spent a week exploring Iceland’s dramatic landscapes during a fall Interim trip. They visited historic sites, began to unravel the stories that have shaped the country’s culture and studied sustainability. One of the highlights was this three-hour hike on the Sólheimajökull glacier, which is melting at an alarming rate of about 40 meters per year.

Photo by Nathan Ciral ’25

For this year’s

an

winter play, the Duff Players, a troupe of talented upper school students, presented “Scene Shuffle,”

interactive improv-style performance featuring 30 stories, scenes and games.

North Shore Country Day

310 Green Bay Road

Winnetka, Illinois 60093 847.446.0674 communications@nscds.org

Tom Flemma Head of School

Gia Anayas Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications

Christine Wachter Associate Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications; Acorn Editor

Jonathan Gibby Digital Content Manager

Tracie Frederick Acting Director of Development

Kenleigh Howard Archivist, Major Gifts and Development Assistant

Ashleigh Palmer ’04 Development Associate— Major Gifts and Alumni Relations

Photographers

Jonathan Gibby Nathan Ciral ’25

Writers

Christine Wachter

Kathy Routliffe

Andrea Shemeley Design, ACreativeMindForHire.com

Graphic Arts Studio Printing, gasink.net

The Acorn is published twice yearly by the marketing and communications department of North Shore Country Day for alumni, families, faculty and friends. Its goal is to connect our school community, celebrate achievements and capture the essence of life and learning at NSCD.

ACORN WINTER 2025

WINTER ’25 A WORD FROM TOM

‘WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW AND IMPACTFUL WAYS TO TELL OUR STORY — BECAUSE IT’S A LOVELY, INSPIRING STORY TO TELL.’

We have a school motto and a mission statement that both guide our work. If I’m really trying to be economical with my language, I sum it up by saying our job at NSCD is to help kids be the best version of themselves. To do this, to support and nurture students, takes tremendous patience, talent, energy and care. It also takes careful planning and good old-fashioned hard work.

For more than a century, these efforts have combined to build something truly special: brick by brick, lesson by lesson, student by student. It’s all in these pages: inspiring teachers, lifelong friendships, lessons learned and risks taken.

One teacher’s passion for piping plovers becomes a middle school movement. A professional development excursion sparks cross-grade collaboration and exploration. A recent graduate learns to distinguish between a tyrannosaur tooth and a crocodile scale — and discovers their relative worth today.

If you attended North Shore, you can surely replace these topics and names with ones from your era, but the song remains the same: generations of parents, faculty and staff working together to help kids be their best selves.

And what better illustration of the goals, ideas, artifacts — and even buildings — serving this noble purpose over generations than the Mac Gym. More than just games played or pounds lifted, how many personal triumphs have happened in that building since 1960? How many more will take place now that it has been gloriously re-imagined to serve generations to come?

When you visit campus — and I hope you will — come see the new Mac McCarty Athletic Center. You’ll notice how we’ve preserved most of the classic elements of the beautiful gym while transforming the facility to serve today’s and tomorrow’s students. The additions will serve the entire JK-12 community in multiple ways.

We continue to change, and we continue to grow. Even the Acorn evolves, as I hope you see and appreciate in this beautifully redesigned issue. As we navigate an everchanging world and endeavor to always “Live and Serve,” we are always looking for new and impactful ways to tell our story — because it’s a lovely, inspiring story to tell. I hope you like what you see. Go Raiders!

RAIDER ROUNDUP

COMPETED IN

ATHLETIC CONTESTS DURING THE 12-WEEK SEASON

8 teams made it to postseason play, with 10 students competing at the state level in golf and girls tennis, and girls tennis won the conference title for the first time since 2009.

16 athletes were recognized as all-conference, 2 as all-state and 1 team was recognized with the ISL Sportsmanship Award.

Serving up love and support for the breast cancer community, the Raiders volleyball teams raised more than $4,200 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation during North Shore Country Day’s annual Dig Pink event in honor of former head volleyball coach and science teacher Jen Pfannerstill.

COMMUNITY IN HARMONY

The newly formed NSCD Community Chorus made its debut on November 3, performing the National Anthem for a sold-out crowd at the Northwestern women’s volleyball game against the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Created this year by middle and upper school music teacher Timothy Mah, the chorus offers a way for the entire school community — students in grades 5-12, along with parents, faculty and staff — to come together for the joy of making music. No prior singing experience is required, just a positive attitude and a desire to make music with others in a relaxed environment.

Scout’s Honor

WE ARE PROUD TO CELEBRATE THREE SENIORS WHO HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED OR ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE THEIR EAGLE SCOUT PROJECTS — AN HONOR THAT LESS THAN 5% OF SCOUTS ACHIEVE.

These projects not only reflect the Scouts’ personal growth and commitment to service but also make a lasting impact on their local community.

NOLAN DARNIEDER

Kenilworth Troop 13

I designed and will be constructing wheelchair-accessible garden beds at an assisted living community called Lake Forest Place. Currently, wheelchair users aren’t able to access the garden because the existing beds are too low to the ground.

What advice do you have for a Cub Scout or Brownie just starting out?

For your project, find something that is personal to you, that you feel passionate about — something you truly enjoy doing. That has made the 200+ hours of work fun and engaging!

ISABEL ROBERTS

Winnetka Troop 20G

I worked with my former fourth grade teacher to build houses for

birds, bats and insects, as well as an outdoor classroom at Bell Woods in Winnetka. We also planted native plants and put together a binder of native plants and animals for the classroom.

What motivated you to keep going?

It helps that both my parents are scoutmasters and both my brothers are also Eagle Scouts. I was not about to be the only non-Eagle in my family. I also had a lot of friends I made through Scouting who encouraged me to keep going.

KELLY WYNE

Lake Forest Troop 46

I planned, fundraised and constructed a 10 x 20 x 6-foot privacy fence at Woodlands Academy, where my older sister attended high school.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from Scouting? Perseverance. Being a Scout teaches you so many life skills and values necessary for a good life and will follow me for the rest of my life.

Coach McHugh’s Ultimate Playlist

Anyone who’s ever worked with Athletic Director Patrick McHugh knows about his holiday CDs — a mixtape of sorts that he would share with his colleagues who loved music as much as he did. This tradition continued until around 2020.

“I still make a playlist,” he explained, “But no one listens to CDs anymore.”

For those who miss those shimmering discs of joy, Patrick compiled a playlist of his top songs from his 30-year tenure at NSCD. Each song holds a special meaning for him, capturing moments and memories from his time here.

LISTEN NOW >>>

TOM FLICKINGER RECEIVES FOSTER HANNAFORD RECOGNITION

On November 13, North Shore Country Day honored Tom Flickinger with the Foster Hannaford Recognition, celebrating his distinguished service to the school. As a parent of six NSCD alumni, former trustee, campaign leader and generous donor, Tom has consistently been the first to roll up his sleeves — to volunteer, give, serve, lead and support with unwavering dedication. His commitment has made a significant impact on the school community.

As he accepted his award, Tom reflected on the 26 years since his daughter Grace ’12 entered junior kindergarten. With five lifers and one child who attended from fourth to eighth grade, the Flickingers spent a combined total of 75 years enrolled in the school. “To say that the Flickinger family believes in an independent school education is an understatement,” he laughed. “We’re so grateful for the North Shore Country Day community.”

Visit nscds.org/hannaford to read the full citation, see the list of past recipients, and learn more about the Hannaford Recognition.

Offstage with Sam ’29 and Lula ’32

The Beukenkamp siblings recently completed their second season of “The Nutcracker” with the Joffrey Ballet — marking Sam’s fourth production with the company, following roles in “Frankenstein” (2023) and “Atonement” (2024). When they’re not performing at the Lyric, the duo trains at Dance Center Evanston. We caught up with them to learn how they balance the demands of school and their passion for dance.

What’s your favorite part about performing with the Joffrey?

Sam: The experience of performing in front of thousands of people with friends beside you.

Lula: You get to meet a lot of different people of all ages.

What’s the funniest or weirdest place you’ve ever had to do your homework because of a dance commitment?

Sam: A bathroom.

Lula: Yeah, same.

Who goes through more ballet shoes, and do you have a favorite pair?

Sam: Me! And I don't have a favorite pair, I go through them too fast.

Lula: Me! And yes, I have a favorite pair. [Counting of classes and ruined heels ensues.]

If you could have any role in any show for one day, who would you want to be and why?

Sam: Mother Ginger in the Nutcracker! The lady on top of the house when all the walnuts come out. The music is amazing and the cast is funny.

Lula: A walnut, but you have to be tall enough to fit in the suit.

Do you see yourself pursuing dance as a career?

Sam: Yes, I want to find a way to keep dance in my life as I grow up.

Lula: I would like to make the costumes.

CHARLOTTE GRAHAM RIDES TO THE TOP

Charlotte Graham ’25 competed for the prestigious Maclay Trophy at the National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, in November. This event brings together the nation’s top junior equestrians to showcase their skills in one of the sport’s most challenging competitions.

Charlotte trains six days a week at her barn in Libertyville with her 12-year-old horse, Kingston, whom she describes as “wonderful” and “like a big dog with his own personality.” Despite her rigorous training schedule, Charlotte balances her passion for riding with other pursuits, including playing tennis (she competed at the IHSA state tournament the weekend before the Maclay finals) and mentoring NSCD's FIRST LEGO League team.

Earning a spot at the Maclay finals is a significant achievement. Only 150 of the country’s best riders qualify, either by accumulating points throughout the year at qualifying events or by excelling at regional competitions, like Charlotte did.

The National Horse Show spans several days and includes multiple phases of competition. Charlotte competed in the first jumping round, finishing in the top half of the field. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “It was my first time at the Maclay, and I was super pleased with how we performed.”

Balancing her many commitments requires focus and careful planning. Charlotte said it’s all worth it. “At the end of the day, it’s about a love for horses and the relationships you build with them.”

ANNIE AGGENS ’88 TAKES STUDENTS ON AN ARMCHAIR EXPEDITION

From North Shore to the North Pole

North Shore Country Day kicked off this year’s Franke Fund theme of “Adventure and Exploration” with a Morning Ex visit from Annie Aggens ’88. The polar guide is the director of Wilmette-based PolarExplorers and she’s led more than a dozen expeditions to the North Pole, as well as the South Pole, Greenland and Iceland. However, her presentation focused on more than just icy landscapes and polar bears. It was about mindset.

“Being an explorer is more about who you are than where you go,” Annie told the students, emphasizing that anyone can be an explorer in their own right — whether it’s navigating the Arctic or taking on new challenges in everyday life.

Annie described the “muscles” of courage, resilience and tenacity that are often more important than physical strength when overcoming obstacles. She drew parallels between her expeditions and the challenges students might face in their own lives,

encouraging them to embrace failure as a learning opportunity.

“Explorers come in all shapes and sizes, and they don’t just climb mountains,” she said, inspiring students to apply the explorer’s mindset to their own passions, whether in the classroom, on the stage or in the lab.

Her visit is the first of several events and other programming planned for this year’s Franke Fund theme, designed to foster a culture of exploration and discovery across all grade levels.

The Franke Family Fund was established in 2008 by Barbara, Richard, Katherine ’77 and Jane Franke ’80 to support programs that enhance students’ experiences during the academic year. It encourages faculty to develop creative and unique ideas that are school-wide in scope, broad in interpretation and application, and significantly and positively impact the school community.

BACK IN THE MAC

After nearly a year of anticipation, North Shore Country Day School celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated Mac McCarty Athletic Center in December. Designed with input from the school community and a focus on health, wellness and student engagement, the updated space promises to enhance the athletic and physical education experience for students of all ages.

The gym, which closed in February 2024 for renovations, now boasts state-of-theart facilities, modernized features and improved accessibility. These upgrades, funded by generous donations from school families and alumni, aim to support both athletic development and the broader goals of fostering community and wellness at North Shore.

A STUDENT-CENTERED VISION

The vision for the $14 million renovation was to create a space that serves all students, whether they are varsity athletes, students in a physical education class

This is a space where everyone can find their place — on a team, in the weight room or cheering from the stands.

— Rebekah Kauffman, Assistant

Athletic Director

or spectators. Assistant Athletic Director Rebekah Kauffman highlighted the center’s role in encouraging community through sports. “It’s about more than athletics,” she said. “This is a space where everyone can find their place — on a team, in the weight room or cheering from the stands.”

The reimagined gym includes features that make the facility more inviting and functional. Natural light pours into the space, which is brighter and more open than before. The updated weight room and functional fitness space, complete with turf and modern equipment, is designed to

welcome students who may not be part of a team but want to stay active. “We hope this encourages more students to come in, get a workout and feel connected,” Rebekah added.

ENHANCING PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The new athletic center expands opportunities for PE classes across all divisions. According to PE Department Head Katia Adams, the additional space and improved facilities allow for a greater variety of activities, including soccer drills on the new turf and advanced

agility exercises. “The new setup lets us expand our lessons, ensuring students can explore and develop their physical skills in ways that weren’t possible before,” she explained.

The renovation also addresses safety concerns. Updated flooring provides better grip, minimizing slips and falls during activities, while HVAC improvements ensure a comfortable environment year-round. “The old gym’s extreme temperatures made some classes and events challenging,” Katia noted. “With these upgrades, we can focus on maximizing student engagement.”

A HUB FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS

The Mac McCarty Athletic Center aligns with North Shore’s commitment to promoting health and wellness. Kristen Allen, the school’s head athletic trainer, expressed excitement about her expanded training space.

“The new athletic training room is three times the size of the old one, allowing us to support multiple students simultaneously,” she said. There’s also more storage and counter space, as well as a private office for more sensitive conversations, for example, if she suspects someone might have a concussion.

Allen emphasized the broader benefits of the renovation. “Having a modern, functional space shows students we’re invested in their well-being,” she said. The inclusion of an elevator and reconfigured flow throughout the building also ensures better accessibility for all students, including those with injuries or mobility challenges.

BUILDING SCHOOL SPIRIT

The gym renovation is about more than just functionality — it’s a symbol of pride for the North Shore community. Updated bleachers, scoreboards and a redesigned lounge area create a welcoming atmosphere for spectators. “The newness brings such an energy and excitement,” Rebekah said. “North Shore Country Day is such a great place to be an athlete and a great place to witness sports in action.

It’s the same building, but now it represents a modern, high-performance space.

— Patrick McHugh, Athletic Director

Throughout the basketball season, I know we’re going to pack the stands and make it a fun experience for everyone — players and fans included.”

With the ability to host larger events and incorporate new technologies, the Mac is also set to become a hub for community gatherings, from holiday programs to fundraisers. “The renovations honor the building’s history while looking toward the future,” explained longtime Athletic Director Patrick McHugh. “It’s the same building, but now it represents a modern, high-performance space.”

A NEW ERA FOR NORTH SHORE

The reopening of the Mac McCarty Athletic Center is a pivotal moment for athletics and

physical education at North Shore Country Day. By addressing both practical needs and community aspirations, the center is poised to enrich student experiences and inspire future generations.

“We’re establishing a new era,” Patrick said. “This new space is a reflection of how much we care about our students’ growth and success, and how the school is supporting their athletic hopes and dreams.”

As students and faculty step into the reimagined space, the Mac McCarty Athletic Center stands as a testament to the school’s commitment to living and serving through innovation and excellence.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

1960s Time Capsule Unearthed in Gym Renovation

An offhand conversation between Head of School Tom Flemma and alum John Darrow ’65 led to an incredible discovery during the renovation of the Mac Gym — and may have saved a piece of history from being lost forever.

“You know I helped bury the time capsule in the cornerstone when they first built it,” John said casually.

Tom’s jaw dropped. Nobody currently at the school knew about a time capsule in the gym, and the photo in the archives

only showed students laying the cornerstone. John produced a second photo taken that day from a different angle — one that showed him and his classmates lowering a large copper box into a cement block on the northwest corner of the building.

The original plan had been to completely demolish that portion of the wall containing the cornerstone. Would they have found the capsule without John pinpointing its exact location? Maybe, but there was a real risk it could have been damaged in the

“The Team of 1929” plaque Footballdeflated, with air pump needle still in tube

North Shore cookbook “Treasures Truffles and Trifles: Recipes Tried and True” 1958

8x10 football photographs 1959 team with signatures including Mac

process. Instead, the box and all of the contents were found surprisingly well-preserved after nearly 64 years.

School archivist Kenleigh Howard said she wasn’t sure what to expect when they retrieved the box.

“I was just hoping there would be something in good condition that we could salvage to display and share with the school community, something with historic value that we could use to draw ties between the North

You know I helped bury the time capsule in the cornerstone when they first built it.

— John Darrow ’65

Shore Country Day of 1960 and the North Shore of today,” she said. “When we finally opened it, I let out a little breath of relief because everything was remarkably intact.”

The contents offered a glimpse into life at North Shore Country Day in 1960 and included a school directory, student work, sports memorabilia such as a field hockey ball and a deflated football, postcards, fliers, brochures, a yearbook, news clippings and an issue of Newsweek magazine featuring

Newsweek magazine October 17, 1960 -

“The First-Lady-to-Be: ‘Pat’ Nixon or ‘Jackie’ Kennedy

an article on the next First Lady: Jackie Kennedy or Pat Nixon.

“There was a long process schoolwide to decide what would go into the box,” John explained to the school community during a Morning Ex in October where the capsule’s contents were revealed.

In the same way, the current NSCD community spent the fall deciding what to place into a new time capsule installed in the renovated gym. This time, a record of the contents will

remain in the archives, and the time capsule itself will be slightly easier to find and access. But most people will have to wait another 50, 75 or even 100 years to find out what’s inside.

Kenleigh added that selecting items for the new time capsule took considerable thought. “We have both the opportunity and responsibility to represent how we see ourselves and everything that’s happening around us today.”

1961 Mercury Meteor Advertisement

withstand the extreme temperatures of outer space

ECHO "skin"

DuPont Mylar Polyester film can

Copy of 1960 Mirror

GUARDIAN OF THE

P lovers

MIDDLE SCHOOL HUMANITIES TEACHER SARAH WALSH’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION SHAPES LESSONS BOTH ON THE BEACH AND IN THE CLASSROOM

Early mornings on Montrose beach are profoundly quiet, a stark contrast to the usual sounds of the city. The gentle lapping of Lake Michigan’s waves replaces honking cars, and instead of the bustle of tourists, you might spot a solitary fisherman waiting patiently for a catch, or a pair of walkers getting their steps in before the day begins. Instead of blaring sirens, you hear the subtle symphony of wildlife: chirping crickets, the caw of the red-winged blackbird and, if you’re lucky, the plaintive whistle of a piping plover — a tiny endangered bird that has returned to the area in recent years.

“It's rare to be in the city and not hear people noises,” explains middle school humanities teacher Sarah Walsh. “Part of what makes these mornings so special is that you're in the middle of this dense urban area, but you only hear nature. It’s such a gift.”

Montrose Beach has become a second home for Sarah during the summer months. Since 2019, she has been a volunteer monitor for Chicago’s beloved piping plovers, Monty and Rose, and their offspring. What started

as a casual summer activity, suggested by her sister, soon became a passionate commitment to protecting these rare shorebirds.

The piping plovers, once nearly extinct in the Great Lakes, had not nested in Illinois for more than 60 years — until Monty and Rose arrived. The pair first appeared in Waukegan in the spring of 2018 and attempted to nest in a parking lot with little success. The following year, when they showed up at one of Chicago’s busiest beaches, the entire city rallied around them. Volunteers flocked to Montrose Beach to watch over the birds, and the birding community put out a call for help. “I knew very little about birds when I started,” Sarah recalls, “but the story of Monty and Rose was so inspiring that I jumped in.”

Since then, Sarah has become deeply involved in the conservation efforts spearheaded by Chicago Piping Plovers, a collaboration between the Chicago Bird Alliance, Chicago Ornithological Society and Illinois Ornithological Society. Working closely with the U.S. Fish and

A slew of volunteer monitors watched over the four piping plover chicks that were born at Montrose Beach last summer.

Photo by Matthew Dolkart

Middle school humanities teacher Sarah Walsh (right) volunteers as a monitor for Chicago’s beloved piping plovers who nest at Montrose Beach from May to August. During Community Engagement Week, she brought a group of middle school students birding at the Magic Hedge sanctuary at Montrose Point (page 18) and to clean up the adjacent beach (above). Later in the week, students sold baked goods to raise money for Chicago Piping Plovers (bottom right).

Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Chicago Park District, Chicago Piping Plovers organizes hundreds of volunteers to monitor the birds and educate the public about the importance of habitat preservation.

Sarah spends hours at the lakefront each summer, guarding the birds from off-leash dogs and predators like seagulls, while teaching beachgoers about the plovers’ plight. This summer, Sarah started with a weekend shift in mid-May and added a second weekday shift once school let out.

For two hours, twice a week — and sometimes more when covering shifts for other volunteers — Sarah would head over to Montrose Beach to watch over the birds. She usually took an early morning weekday shift, starting around 6 a.m., and a midday shift on the weekend. Some days were longer, like on the Fourth of July, when she monitored the plovers for six hours straight.

“You have to be ‘on’ for that entire time,” Sarah explains. ‘You’re watching the birds, you're making sure they're safe, keeping track of who's in the nest for how long. Where are the babies? Are they feeding? Are there predators nearby? It's a mix of keeping

them safe, trying to educate the public and then recording all this scientific data because everything we learn about them is designed to help grow the population.”

Sarah loves being able to talk to curious beachgoers about the plovers. The Great Lakes Piping Plovers were placed on the Federal Endangered Species list in 1986, and at one point, only 13 breeding pairs remained in the region. Part of their decline was due to nest disturbance and habitat deterioration. However, over the past two decades, conservationists have worked to restore the dunes at Montrose Beach back to their original state. Today, the Montrose Dune Natural Area and adjacent Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary are home to more than 300 species of birds as well as a variety of threatened and endangered native plants.

When the plovers come back to the beach in the spring and summer, the area around the nest is fenced off to help minimize disturbances, but it takes a coordinated effort to keep them safe.

“I wish more people understood that the piping plovers didn't choose to nest in the city — we built a city in their territory,” Sarah says. “And that goes for all the wildlife and plants along our lakefront. We took their space. I want everyone who uses the public beaches and parks in Chicago to realize how special and unique these places are, and to respect the critters and plants that call those places home.”

Although Sarah teaches humanities, not environmental science, her passion for conservation finds its way into her work at North Shore Country Day. During middle

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A PIPING PLOVER

1 2 3 4 5

Piping plovers begin their northward journey in early April, leaving their wintering grounds to stake out a new territory and establish a nest in the Great Lakes region. Usually the nest is on the beach, in an area with small stones that help camouflage the eggs.

Plovers typically lay one egg every other day until they complete a clutch of four eggs. Both parents take turns watching over it.

Chicks hatch throughout the month of June and into July. They are precocial, meaning they can run about and feed themselves within hours of hatching. It takes them three to four weeks to grow enough to be able to fly.

In the first half of July, females begin to head south, leaving their mates to finish raising the chicks. By the end of August the males and most of the chicks will also have left.

Piping Plovers are more tied to a territory than to a particular mate. Pairs don't stay together yearround, but if they're successful at raising chicks they will often return to the same site and may pair up with the same mate year after year.

Source: greatlakespipingplover.org

school Community Engagement Week, she leads a group focused on environmental stewardship, incorporating lessons on habitat rehabilitation and endangered species. “I want my students to understand that small actions can have a big impact,” she says.

For the past several years, Sarah’s group has spent at least one day out of the week down at Montrose Beach exploring the bird sanctuary and cleaning up trash. They’ve also raised more than $1,500 for plover conservation through bake sales and raffles.

“It’s amazing to see the students take what they learn and run with it,” Sarah proudly notes. “They decided they wanted to protect these little birds, and that’s what they’re doing.”

Life as a piping plover is perilous. Last year at Montrose Beach, only one chick,

Nagamo—an Ojibwe word meaning “he or she sings” — survived from a clutch of four. Nagamo’s parents, Imani (Monty and Rose’s offspring) and Sea Rocket (a captive-raised female), faced numerous challenges, as did another male, Pippin, a bachelor, who spent most of the summer at the beach but never found a mate. Sarah hopes she’ll see them again in the spring, but it’s a toss-up.

“If they survive migration, hurricanes and human threats, they might return to Montrose next year — but there’s no guarantee,” Sarah says. “That’s one of the hardest parts: We wish them luck at the end of the season, knowing the odds are stacked against them. Every plover that comes back is a miracle.”

Though the work is challenging, Sarah finds it deeply rewarding. In her spare time, she’s working with another local teacher to write a

curriculum to help train volunteers, so if and when Nagamo comes back to start a family in the spring, there will be plenty of wellprepared humans on hand to watch over them. “It’s hard work, but knowing we’re helping to protect this species for future generations makes it all worth it.”

A MONUMENTAL COLLABORATION

FIRST, SECOND AND EIGHTH GRADERS EXPLORE DR. KING’S LEGACY THROUGH MONUMENTS, COMMUNITY AND THE POWER OF WORDS.

When first grade teacher Sarah Lipworth joined a group of teachers from all three divisions on a walking tour of Winnetka as part of a professional development exercise in September, she didn’t expect it to spark a collaboration among her students, the second graders and their eighth grade buddies. But she was so inspired by what she learned, she had to find a way to bring it back to her classroom.

The activity focused on monuments and included a stop at the Winnetka Village Green, where on July 25, 1965, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a crowd of about 8,000 people. Decades later, in 2007, a group of eighth graders from Washburne Elementary in Winnetka successfully campaigned to commemorate the event with a historical marker in the square. During the exercise, teachers reflected on the significance of the event, imagining what it might have been like to be there by taking on the roles of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

“I minored in peacemaking as a rhetorical practice, so I had learned a lot about Martin Luther King,” Sarah explained. “Something I've always thought about was how to bring that to a young child.”

After the activity, Sarah spoke with eighth grade history teacher Kirk Greer, who led the exercise. Kirk and eighth grade English teacher Megan Beaudoin talk about the importance of monuments with their students, particularly in preparation for the annual eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. So they started talking about how they could bring the grades together in a meaningful way.

“Kirk taught these lessons in such a cool way for eighth graders,” Sarah said. “He and I started brainstorming ways to adapt them for first and second graders as well. Then he suggested bringing our buddies into it.”

Sarah shared the idea with her co-teacher, Sarah Clausen, who immediately saw the connection to the first grade’s community studies. “It all comes back to community,” Sarah Clausen said. “It’s such a large theme in first grade. We start with our classroom community, explore our school community and then expand to the Winnetka community. And all of that is helping our first graders build awareness of the people and places around us to understand how they work together.”

The first grade teachers approached second grade teachers Rachel Raab and Cristina Torres, who were also excited about the possibility of a cross-grade

collaboration. While first, second and eighth graders are always paired for buddy activities throughout the year, this project provided a rare opportunity for cross-grade academic learning.

“In second grade, we continue to expand on the first graders’ foundation and talk about local government, civic responsibility and the history of Winnetka,” Rachel explained.

With everyone on board, the first and second graders prepared for a walking field trip to the Village Green. In class, they learned about Dr. King’s legacy and examined photos and videos of various monuments honoring his work, including some in Chicago. At the Village Green, they visited the historical marker and discussed Dr. King’s 1965 speech, focusing on themes of equality and justice.

After the trip, the younger students met with their eighth grade buddies to hear about the monuments they had seen on their trip to Washington, D.C., including the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Before their visit to the nation’s capital, each eighth grader had selected a monument or memorial to study in depth. They conducted research, wrote analytical essays to explore the style and message of their chosen site and delivered presentations on location during the trip, sharing insights with classmates and even curious tourists who stopped to listen.

To bring the experience full circle, the eighth graders adapted their presentations to share with their first and second grade buddies in an age-appropriate way. The younger students then shared their own impressions of the local Martin Luther King Jr. historical marker in Winnetka. The lower schoolers also presented what they had learned during a lower school gathering.

“Experiencing a memorial on a local level, understanding why events from so long ago still matter today, and then hearing about similar experiences on a national level from their buddies is powerful,” Rachel said. “It’s the kind of learning that can stay with them as they grow and study more history.”

The first grade teachers hope the project leaves a lasting impression — especially about the power of words. “When the eighth graders asked them what they knew about Martin Luther King, the first graders said he was really good at giving speeches and he used his words,” Sarah Lipworth said. “That’s something all first graders are learning. When we’re feeling frustrated, we don't use our hands; we use our words.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CAPTURE CAMPUS LIFE

A THROUGH THEIR LENS

s they wander the halls of the middle school, a group of enthusiastic young photographers is making waves. The Middle School Yearbook Photography Club, a new addition to the school’s extracurricular lineup, brings together students who share a common passion for capturing their academic and social surroundings through a camera’s lens.

For many years, North Shore Country Day’s yearbook, The Mirror, has been spearheaded by a team of upper school students. However, the yearbook is a JK-12 publication, so it only made sense for middle schoolers to step up and get involved, explained middle school digital media and design teacher Gerald Daye, who is the co-advisor for the yearbook.

The club has quickly grown into a popular activity among students. Students go out “on assignment,” photographing sporting events, school dances and other school activities. Then they meet during recess to review their work with Gerald and Jonathan Gibby, the club’s other co-advisor and NSCD’s digital media manager, who has been a professional photographer for 18 years. Meetings cover everything from the technical skills required for quality photography and the artistic flair needed to tell a compelling story visually.

Eloise Stone ’30 said she inherited a love of photography from her mom and thought it would be fun to learn more about it. The yearbook photography club also gave her another reason to attend her friends' games. “The club gives you skills for high school if you want to do photography,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about how to focus the camera, and how to capture good shots with good lighting. It could spark an interest that could follow you for your whole life, and it’s a fun way to socialize with friends.”

Top: Photo by Felipe Moreira ’31

Middle: Photo by Eloise Stone ’30

Bottom: Photo by Cameron A’Hearn ’31

Right: Photo by Wes Turitz ’31

I've learned a lot about how to focus the camera, and how to capture good shots with good lighting.

— Eloise Stone ’30

Gerald and Jonathan have been working with the students and teaching them how to use the cameras — school-provided DSLRs — showing them all the different settings and teaching the basics of framing and composition. And one of the adults has been going with the students on the assignments, so they can answer questions and help troubleshoot.

“What has impressed me so far is the dedication of the students. They are truly committed to the images they take and strive to capture great photographs,” Gerald said. “I love it when they ask for feedback or want to show me the pictures they’ve taken with their cameras. It feels rewarding to witness this enthusiasm, as my goal has always been to provide these students with opportunities early on and to put a camera in their hands — especially for those who may not have considered their abilities behind the lens.”

The enthusiasm stems not only from a love for photography but also from the roles these students play in documenting school life — a responsibility they take seriously.

“It's inspirational to see things from a middle schooler's angle, literally and figuratively,” Jonathan added. “They capture moments adults don't have access to and might otherwise miss.”

TOMATOES:

CULTIVATING SUCCESS THROUGH PEER TUTORING

Three years ago, Amanda Ni ’25 noticed her peers struggling academically and decided to take action. As a sophomore, she founded TOMATOES, which stands for “TO MA ster, TO Earn Success” — a peer tutoring program that connects middle and upper school students who need academic support with volunteer upper school mentors.

Now in its third year, TOMATOES has grown into a bustling operation, helping students across all subjects while fostering leadership and connections between different grade levels. It’s a testament to the unique opportunities that arise in a JK-12 community like North Shore Country Day, where older students can guide and support their younger peers.

“I thought it might be helpful to give a little support to students who were struggling,” Amanda explained. “It’s something that can be improved with just a little extra help. And the school’s size makes it easier to initiate new programs.”

Before kicking things off, Amanda met with middle school faculty, including NSCD’s two middle school learning specialists. She wanted to gain insight from them about what would be most helpful for the students who would be receiving tutoring. North Shore offers robust learning resources for students, so Amanda wanted to make sure TOMATOES could fulfill a different need.

The club began modestly with 17 upper school volunteers and 14 middle school students. The second year, they expanded, offering tutoring services to upper schoolers as well, and had about 20 volunteers matched with 20 students seeking help. So far this year, 18 students have signed up, and requests are still coming in. Amanda, with the help of co-leaders Callie Zhao ’26 and Shirley Ni ’27 put together a website and form that interested students can fill out to request help. They also ask for referrals from teachers.

A Win-Win for Everyone Involved

The TOMATOES program isn’t just about improving grades. It offers a unique opportunity for younger students to form meaningful connections with their upper school peers.

“Developing a connection with an upper school student who can serve as a role model is definitely a huge benefit,” explained middle school learning specialist Christine Ritchey. “The tutors can relate to the middle schoolers because they’ve been in their shoes and in some cases have even taken the same classes. They can offer advice in ways that adults in their lives sometimes can’t.”

The tutoring sessions are designed to be flexible and supportive, often focusing more on study habits, homework strategies and time management than re-teaching material. The program’s structure gives students the opportunity to develop executive functioning skills that help them balance schoolwork with

Shirley Ni ’27, Callie Zhao ’26 and Amanda Ni ’25 head up TOMATOES, NSCD's peer tutoring program.

extracurricular activities — a skill that tutors are well-equipped to teach, as they are also managing busy schedules themselves.

For example, middle school learning specialist Linda Arts noted, “Many students learn strategies like how to focus on math for 20 minutes without distractions or plan their week better to balance activities like Science Olympiad and basketball with their homework.” These skills, in addition to the subject matter help, reduce frustration and stress, allowing students to build confidence in their abilities.

The benefit extends to the upper school tutors as well. In addition to earning credit for community service hours, the upper schoolers are gaining a unique opportunity to practice skills that will benefit them in the future. “I’ve definitely improved my speaking and my ability to explain things to others,” Shirley said. “And I learned how to build a website. It’s been a really rewarding experience.”

Navigating Challenges and Growing as Leaders

Running a peer tutoring program is no small feat, especially for high school students managing their own academic responsibilities. Amanda, Callie and Shirley have risen to the challenge, collaborating on everything from organizing tutoring sessions to building a website for TOMATOES. Amanda reflected on the balance: “It’s definitely gotten easier now that I have more help. With Callie and Shirley’s support, we’ve been able to accomplish a lot.”

Callie, a junior who joined the club early on, echoed this sentiment: “I love helping people, and it’s fun working with middle schoolers. It feels really satisfying when they understand something we’ve worked on together.”

The biggest challenge for TOMATOES has been scheduling tutoring sessions, as both middle and upper school students have busy after-school commitments, particularly with sports. “Arranging after-school sessions can be tough when students have conflicting athletic commitments,” Christine explained. “However, the program leaders have made a dedicated effort to find creative solutions.”

Despite these logistical hurdles, the club has maintained its commitment to offering individualized support. While one-on-one tutoring remains the gold standard, the group recently started offering drop-in consultancy sessions during middle school study halls, where upper school tutors assist any student needing help during a free period.

Fostering Community in a JK-12 Setting

In addition to the academic benefits, TOMATOES has had a significant social impact on the school community. The peerto-peer model fosters strong relationships between students of different ages, something that is particularly special in a JK-12 school environment. As Christine explained, “Having another

student who ‘gets it’ can often be more positive and productive than trying to navigate these issues at home with parents.”

She shared a particularly powerful story about a middle school student who was new to North Shore and struggling to adjust. They signed up for TOMATOES at the recommendation of their advisor. “The student’s experience was so positive that it actually helped them decide to stay at North Shore for upper school,” she recalled.

For many parents, TOMATOES has been a welcome relief, alleviating some of the tension that can arise when families try to help with schoolwork at home. As Linda noted, “It really takes the stress out of homework. Parents who no longer need to nag their kids feel a tremendous sense of relief.”

Looking to the Future

As TOMATOES continues to evolve, Amanda, Callie and Shirley are excited to see where the program will go next. They hope to increase participation, from both upper school students who can serve as tutors and middle schoolers in need of assistance.

Reflecting on her experience leading the club, Amanda had simple but impactful advice for other students who might want to start something similar: “Take action, even if you’re scared. I wasn’t the most outgoing person, but I had this idea and I gave it a shot. Students are usually excited about new ideas, so if you have one, just go for it.”

Callie agreed and added that if you’re passionate about something, the most important thing you can do is to use your voice. “If you want to lead, don’t just keep it to yourself. Talk to your teachers about it, talk to your friends. You'll find the people who are interested in doing it with you. You just have to ask.”

Growing Great Habits

Some words of wisdom from some of the TOMATOES tutors:

“Schedule your homework into separate chunks of time so you don’t attempt to multitask different subjects at the same time.”

— Callie Zhao ’26

“Go step-by-step when you are still learning a new topic so you can become more comfortable with it, particularly for math.”

— Samuel Rapoport ’26

“Study in a library or public place to help hold yourself accountable.” — Raina Khanna ’26

“When you study, make sure you remove any distractions from your desk.” — Amanda Ni ’25

“Check your Canvas on a regular basis. Create a calendar for your assignments, and set a deadline for yourself to finish them before the actual due date comes.” — Shirley Ni ’27

Stronger Together

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION HELPS BUILD COMMUNITY AND MAKE LIFELONG CONNECTIONS

At North Shore Country Day, a sense of community is a cornerstone of the school’s identity, and one of the clearest examples is the extraordinary involvement of parents in daily school life. From volunteering for special events, building connections through book clubs and other social activities or delivering meals to families in need, parents play an essential role in shaping the unique culture at NSCD.

The importance of parental involvement traces back to the very foundations of the day school movement. Unlike boarding schools, day schools sought to offer students the benefits of academic rigor while allowing them to return home to their families each evening. This philosophy emphasized the “healthful influence of parents” as a vital element of a child’s development — an ethos that remains deeply ingrained at North Shore.

“There’s so much research that talks about how parent engagement is crucial to educational outcomes,” explained Parents’ Association President Robyn Schuster. Robyn and her husband, Jonathon, have been part of the NSCD community since their eldest child, Ari ’27, was in junior kindergarten, followed two years later by Zo ’29. “When kids see that their parents and teachers are working together as a united front, it gives them the confidence to take risks, try new things and learn who they are.”

When her children were in lower school, Robyn often looked for what she considered “light lift” volunteer opportunities — picking up a shift or two of lunch duty or helping with a classroom event. As a full-time working parent, she doubted her ability to commit to more significant roles. That changed when Zo reached sixth grade, and Robyn was invited to serve as a grade chair.

“I had such an incredible experience with those parents that I started to think I could do more,” she recalled. “I realized that what I thought had to be a full-time job was actually a collaboration with a supportive group of people.”

From organizing the annual Homecoming Carnival to coordinating the Heritage Celebration Potluck, the Parents’ Association leads numerous initiatives that bring the community together. With more than a dozen committees, the PA offers parents opportunities to take on as much or as little responsibility as they have the time and energy to commit to.

Over the past few years, PA leadership has taken measures to make it easier for working parents to participate. Grade chairs who cannot make it to campus during the day can now join steering committee meetings via Google Meet. Additionally, the January PA meeting, which coincides with the State of the School address, is held in the evening rather than the morning. Many volunteer and social opportunities are also scheduled during evenings or weekends, providing more flexibility for families with busy daytime schedules.

Robyn explains that the school’s motto of “Live and Serve” naturally inspires parents to participate. “Our parents genuinely want to contribute to the community,” she explains. “That sense of service and partnership is a natural extension of their decision to join a school like NSCD.”

A perfect example is the Helping Hands Committee, which provides support to school families as well as faculty and staff during times of need. Whether facing an illness, welcoming a new baby

There's so much research that talks about how parent engagement is crucial to educational outcomes.

— Robyn Schuster, Parents’ Association President

Top: Parent Mayja Pastrana cheers on runners during a Homecoming fun run. Bottom Left: Parents gather in the Hall Library to hear from psychologist and author Dr. David Yeager on the power of the growth mindset and its impact on adolescent development. Bottom Right: Parents Paul DeWoskin ’86, Maggie DeWoskin and Ruhma Ghazi attend Homecoming festivities.

or navigating a personal challenge, families can request assistance with meals, household help or transportation — there are no strict guidelines. Once a need is identified, the committee chair sends out an email, and often those needs are met within minutes.

“You really see the best of humanity,” said Lauren Grossman, who has chaired the committee for the past several years. “People genuinely want to help. You often hear, ‘Let me know what I can do,’ but without direction, people do nothing. This committee provides a clear way for them to step up and make a real difference.”

With a mission focused on fostering parentto-parent connections, the PA emphasizes the importance of getting to know one another beyond classroom involvement. Events like grade-level parent gatherings are intentionally adults-only, creating opportunities for deeper connections.

Parent Dani Vanden Heuvel took this idea a step further by creating the Parent Engagement Committee, which coordinates activities like sip-and-paint nights, paddle tennis outings and a thriving book club that now boasts 50 members across two groups.

Dani and her husband, Peter, joined the NSCD community right in the thick of the pandemic when their children, Joaquin ’30 and Rafael ’33, were in third grade and senior kindergarten. Having recently moved to the North Shore area, Dani decided to be proactive about making new friends.

“I started thinking, what could I do to meet people,” she recalled. So she approached PA leadership with ideas for events that would bring together parents from different grades and divisions, who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get to know each other. “We were looking for ways to help parents connect on a personal level. When you find your people, you’re happier, your kids are happier, and you feel like you belong here.”

The Parents’ Association organizes several parents-only events throughout the year as a way for parents to get to know each other and build friendships. Top: A paddle tennis outing. Middle: A group of dads at a Class of '33 parent gathering. Bottom: One of two PA-sponsored book clubs.

HERITAGE CELEBRATION

Parent Aya Morsi and her daughter Nour Darwish ’37 attend the annual Heritage Celebration potluck. Each winter, the PA Global Community Connections Committee invites school families to bring a dish that represents their culture and share a meal with other school families.

Mac Devereux ’23 holds up a tyrannosaur tooth he discovered during a dig at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada.

A JURASSIC JOURNEY

As he explains the journey that took him from North Shore Country Day to McGill University in Montreal, Canada — from challenging high school chemistry and biology classes to a dinosaur dig in western Canada — Mac Devereux ’23 takes what he calls a detour into the globe-trotting history of Anthony Bourdain.

“It's kind of weird, because it’s pretty unrelated, but I became really interested in

He got a taste of his future in the summer of 2024, when he joined a team of McGill students and instructors on a three-week trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park in the Canadian province of Alberta, spending A LOVE OF ADVENTURE AND A PASSION FOR SCIENCE, FUELED BY HIS TEACHERS AT NSCD, LED MAC DEVEREUX ’23 TO CANADA’S MCGILL UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE’S NOW UNEARTHING THE PAST TO SHAPE HIS FUTURE.

Anthony Bourdain TV shows and books. I saw how he was able to travel the world and have all these amazing experiences,” he says of the late chef and travel documentarian.

“And I thought, I'm passionate about science and biology, and I don’t want to be in the same place doing the same thing every day.”

Mac’s epiphany allowed him to knit together his lifelong passion for the sciences and his determination to make

his life one of travel and discovery. Today he studies biology with a concentration in conservation, ecology, and evolutionary biology, which he expects will allow him to meet that goal.

I'm passionate about science and biology, and I don't want to be in the same

place doing the same thing every day.

two of those weeks on a dig. He learned a great deal about both teamwork and independent effort while hunting for fossils in a striking environment — discovering, for example, that not all dinosaur fossils are worth keeping. His own discovery, a tyrannosaur tooth, is now his, while a crocodile scale he found is now in McGill’s Redpath Museum.

The throughline for Mac has always been science. When he was young, it was simply because he wanted to understand the world around him, and he found the tools to do so in science. It just made sense to him, he says, and he couldn’t understand why other kids weren’t as in love with science as he was.

“You find something so interesting to the point where you think, ‘Why isn’t everyone else, like, totally set on this?’” he says.

A kid’s understanding that science entails a wealth of different fields meant Mac was able to move along from astronauts and

space, to his desire as an 11-year-old to be an engineer. By that time, he was an NSCD student.

Mac was born in Chicago, but his parents, Clarke and Katie, moved their family to Winnetka when he was just a toddler. All three of the Devereux children attended NSCD — first his older sister, Maeve ’21, followed the next year by Mac and little sister, Quinn ’25, when Mac was starting third grade and Quinn was entering first. “Now that I'm older, I think it’s probably just because my mom didn’t want to drop us off at two different places,” he jokes.

Mac’s love of science continued unabated through lower and middle school, fueled by Science Olympiad, which he described as a “great creative outlet,” but it was in high school that he turbocharged that affection with effort. As he approached 10th grade, he decided that if he wanted to continue on a scientific life path, “I should start challenging myself.”

He had taken physics as a freshman, but he was particularly fond of chemistry. So when it came time to choose a chemistry class for 10th grade, he signed up for the more advanced offering. He grins when he says he thinks NSCD teachers and administrators were a little reluctant, but he was determined and he pushed back on his own behalf. He loved the class, so the following year he decided to take AP chemistry along with biology, which he considers a scientific field that is built on chemistry.

By the end of that first class, his teachers were on board with his next self-assigned challenge: “I did well in the [10th grade chemistry] class, and they said ‘OK, you wanna take two science classes — go for it.’”

Mac credits his chemistry and biology teachers for pushing him in a way that made him thrive. The AP chemistry class taught by Joan Ryder was by far his toughest class, he says now, and one of the first to legitimately challenge him.

He also praises the biology classes taught by former NSCD teacher Becky Corrigan: “She recognized that I was passionate about this, and she did everything to make sure I could follow that path.”

Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice Mac says he got from a North Shore teacher was from his upper school Chinese language instructor Di Li.

Li Laoshi, or Teacher Li, “was upset with me because I wasn't working very hard in her class. She helped me to become an actual hard worker. It applied to her class and every other class I took,” he says.

By the time he graduated, Mac knew his future lay in the sciences. His parents supported his decision, despite their own lack of scientific expertise. (His father is a lawyer, and his mother is a social worker.)

After graduation, Mac headed north, to Canada’s renowned McGill University. Older sister Maeve had considered McGill, but went elsewhere. Mac’s mom told him he should consider it. Today — still with a touch of happy wonder — he says the choice was perfect, starting on his very

first day, when a group of students he didn’t know invited him out to eat with them.

There’s always something happening at McGill, and he says that suits him just fine. He might not have known just how much would happen to him until he took an Introduction to Ecology class. He found it cool; even more interesting were the stories one of the class instructors told about a research trip to Uganda.

The instructor told Mac that if he was truly interested in research, he should attend a particular set of research-oriented seminars. At one session, he ran into a student acquaintance who told him about an annual trip students could take to dig up dinosaur bones in Alberta. The acquaintance suggested that he apply with the professor in charge, to see if he could be part of the 2024 trip.

Mac was certain he didn’t have the necessary requirements, but he took a chance and emailed the professor about it. In April of 2024, he got word back that he’d been accepted for this year’s trip. In June, he and the rest of the student team drove to Brooks, Alberta, near Dinosaur Provincial Park, where they were granted permission to dig under the auspices

of Hans Larsson, director of McGill’s Redpath Museum.

(At the beginning of the trip, Larsson asked team members if anyone could drive a truck. Mac put up his hand and said he could probably figure it out; Larsson tossed him the keys to the museum’s truck, and said, “It goes in a straight line.”)

Mac beams when he talks about his experiences, from being hit with the beauty of the park’s landscape as they drove into it, to learning how to plaster cast fossil bones for transport. He also learned not all bones are important:

“[Larsson] picks up something, says, ‘This is a bone,’ and everyone’s taking pictures of it, and he just throws it over his shoulder, and we’re like, ‘What?’ He shows us there are chunks of bone everywhere, and most of it doesn’t matter, because you can’t trace it to a specific dinosaur.”

He and other students spent part of the dig working on their own, and part of it learning from Larsson, who hoped each student would find something of importance during their work. Mac did: He discovered a crocodile scale in a section of the park’s stone cliffs where it shouldn’t have been. The scale is somewhere in Redpath’s archive, he says.

He also found a tooth, which Larsson confirmed was a tyrannosaur’s. Mac still has it. The team found a ceratopsian dinosaur’s head, complete with its frill, which came back to McGill. Their team helped another group, from the University of Alberta, haul the articulated hadrosaur skeleton it found — 600 pounds, including the plaster cast, Mac says — up from the canyon to the plateau.

The day Mac found a hadrosaur radius by himself was the happiest day of his dig, he says.

“I was digging out this dinosaur bone by myself. I was in the desert, with a hammer and a chisel, and I was playing the Rolling Stones on my phone, because I need music when I do this. It was so cool!”

By dig’s end, energized by his work and by the stories team leaders told about their own research trips around the world, he knew he’d found his calling. He’s now thinking about becoming a university teacher and researcher, and staying in Canada, possibly at McGill, since he loves Montreal. (Ask him about smoked meat, Canada’s very own deli offering, or about Neil Young, whose music he also loves.)

“I feel like most of my life, I've been fighting boredom,” Mac says, a comment harking back to his appreciation of Anthony Bourdain. Now that he’s found his path, he won’t have to worry about that.

Bottom: Uncovering a complete hadrosaur skeleton with all the bones still arranged in the proper order. Top right: Hauling the hadrosaur with its plaster jacket — a combined 600 pounds — up a hill. Top left: Not all bones are worth keeping. Opposite page: Taking a rest after a long day of digging.

Photos by Mac Devereux '23

A HERITAGE STORY

investing in tomorrow's teachers

By Julie Schmidt, Lower School Administrative Assistant

North Shore has been a part of my life since 1999 when my daughter, Anna ’13, began her “lifer” journey at the school. Our Early Childhood experience was charmed, with extraordinary teachers who engaged Anna’s imagination as well as her intellectual curiosity.

As I began to wind down a career in consulting and finance a few years later, I was approached by Tom Doar, then head of school, to consider a position in the school’s admissions office. I did, and have been a part of the North Shore administrative staff in multiple/varying positions ever since.

I have been fortunate over the years to develop treasured working relationships and friendships with dedicated teachers who work tirelessly to nurture intellectual and emotional growth in all of our students and with administrators whose commitment to thoughtful planning and management of all aspects of the school’s operation is unparalleled.

Years ago I decided that North Shore Country Day was an institution worth promoting and protecting. It is not perfect; what institution is? But I see unlimited potential through a collective commitment to consciously and continuously reevaluate what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.

North Shore holds a unique position as an independent school in one of the best public school districts in the country. One of our strengths is the diversity of the student/family population because we can draw from a wider geographic area than our public school competitors. Another advantage as a private school is the operational flexibility to make changes in course offerings, programming and personnel when strategically necessary. Our challenge, and opportunity, lie in providing something unavailable and/ or more compelling to a discerning and demanding market. Continuing to provide the academic experience our families expect is likely to require the courage to identify and embrace change as the future unfolds. It is my opinion that, among other things, North Shore’s future success depends on capitalizing on these advantages by finding and hiring the very best teachers.

I believe in the value of an independent school education. I believe in the people who dedicate themselves to developing

young minds and hearts despite the universal undervaluing of their work in this country. Our best teachers have obviously not chosen this career for the money, but I would love to see our best teachers recognized and compensated at levels resembling those in business. It is fun to imagine a world where the brightest, most talented students choose careers in education; a world where the most successful college grads are fighting for teaching positions as aggressively as they now do for finance and tech positions because they know that is the best path for securing their financial future.

It is my sincere hope that, some day, in some small way, my planned gift will contribute to promoting a program of salary enhancement for recognized teaching excellence. Nothing would make me prouder or happier.

To learn more about planned giving, contact Acting Director of Development Tracie Frederick at 847.881.8809 or tfrederick@nscds.org.

CLASS NOTES

1950s

Joyce Fern Glasser ’55 reflected on her lifelong journey in education and psychology. Last year, at age 85, she donated her author’s copies to the Alumni Library, including “Living Wisely and Serving Well” and her most recent book, “You Matter: Heal Ourselves. Heal our Children. Heal the World!” — published in 2021. Seeing the words “You Matter” on a wall hanging in the art room in the summer 2024 Acorn magazine sparked her gratitude for her NSCD education. Her books, including “Core Healing” (2007) and “The Elementary School Learning Center for Independent Study” (1971), focus on self-knowledge and growth, drawing from her work with 1,800 clients. “Being a Country Day graduate laid the groundwork for my ability to relate to diverse populations,” she said. Now, at 86, Joyce remains a “student of becoming” and ever grateful for her NSCD foundation.

Thomas Taylor ’55 had a recent pleasant visit with his sister, Margie Taylor Jenkins ’46 in Sandy Spring, Maryland. They are both in good health and heart.

1960s

Bruce Jarchow ’66 along with his wife, Nancy MaCabe-Kelly, and their son, Bert Jarchow ’07, invited several NSCD alumni to laugh the night away at The Second City Comedy Show "Been There, Still There," in August. Pictured from left: Maureen Wilde, Elizabeth Ingram ’82,

Bruce Jarchow ’66, Molly Ingram McDowell ’80, Liz Miller Leonard ’80.

Diana Gillispie ’68 , an artist based in Asheville, North Carolina, was an accomplished student under John Almquist’s guidance and continues to make waves in the art world. During an alumni trip to Asheville with Bill Hinchliff ’64 , a group of alumni were fortunate to reconnect with her unexpectedly while she exhibited at a local artists’ show. Her work

was recently featured in Carolina Home and Garden in an article titled “Working in the Post-Whimsy World,” by Tom Kerr.

Lucy Bartholomay ’69 shared, "I will be participating in the South Coast Art Drive (a juried South Coast Art Show) again this year. Many of you have asked if I had a website where you can see my work. I do! Got it up and running a few months ago. lucybartholomaystudio.com.

courtesy of lucybartholomaystudio.com

If you are interested in helping organize a service project in your community for the 2025 Live and Serve Day, please reach out to Ashleigh Palmer ’04 in the alumni office. Let's build a coast-to-coast day of service!

Top: Steve Geering '70. Bottom: Cathy Kleiman Bartholomay '79, Patty Washburn Stephens and Bill Bartholomay. Right: Dana Brown Davenport '96 and Hilary Bishop Scott '96.

Have a look!

1970s

Steve Geering ’70 performed at The Larkspur in Palm Desert, California, with his friends, the Fun with Dick and Jane Band.

Cathy Kleiman Bartholomay ’79 wrote from Boulder, Wyoming, where she recently discovered an NSCD connection at Obo’s Market and Deli in nearby Pinedale. To her surprise, Obo’s is owned by Patty Washburn Stephens, who taught at NSCD for 21 years starting in 1983. Cathy spotted an NSCD alumni car magnet in the market and couldn’t resist snapping a photo with Patty!

1990s

Hilary Bishop Scott ’96 and Dana Brown Davenport ’96 attended the 140th anniversary celebration of St. Paul AME Church in Glencoe.

2000s

Alex Moffat ’00 starred as Keith in the off-Broadway production of “The Big Gay Jamboree” at the Orpheum Theatre from September 14, 2024 to January 19, 2025. Alex, best known for his sixseason tenure on Saturday Night Live from 2016 to 2022, has also appeared on TV shows like “The Bear” and in films such as “80 for Brady.” He made his Broadway debut in “The Cottage” in 2023. Alex had a chance to visit

with former faculty members Sophie Hiland ’18 , Cassandra Hiland and Molly Ingram McDowell ’80 after one of his performances in New York City this fall.

Charlie Doar ’03 shared "I am fortunate to spend my yearlong sabbatical in Perth, Australia with my wife and three kids. I'm working at Hale School and doing my best to become someone who looks like he belongs at the beach." (See Alumni Reflection, page 46.)

Quinn Andersen '04 celebrated her wedding to Charles Leger with her sister Kelsey Andersen '06 and nieces Lydia '35 and Marissa '34 Sanchez-Andersen.

Xochitl Carmona ’09, founder of Werk Mija, an apparel and accessories brand celebrating Latina culture with empowering messages, recently received a $10,000 Elevate Together grant. This grant supports the growth of Black- and Hispanic-owned small businesses. Reflecting on the milestone, Xochitl shared: “I’ve never needed Werk Mija products like our ‘No Pares, Mija’ T-shirts, ‘Chingona Fuel’ mugs or ‘Believe In Yourself, Mija’ stickers more than during my journey through motherhood. On July 29, we received an exciting email about the grant award and on July 30 my second baby, Mateo, was born. I know this new addition will inspire so much for the business, and the award will help support that. Can’t wait for future onesies and Mami merch!”

Charlie Sklare ’09 celebrates a new position as Manager of Biomedical & Systems Engineering at True Digital Surgery.

2010s

Sam Skinner ’12 , a business development director at Axio, recently visited Drea Gallaga’s entrepreneurship class. Sam highlighted the role of adaptability and data-driven decisionmaking in growing a business.

Alumni gathered to celebrate Malini Valliath ’14 and Austin Jordan's wedding in St. Helena, California, in August 2024. Pictured from left: Morgan Mostrom ’14, Riley Mostrom ’11, Livvy Whitmore ’19, Malini Valliath Jordan ’14, Caroline Whitmore Bonetti ’11, Rebecca Kirtley ’14, Meera Valliath Temple ’11 and Maya Valliath ’19.

Top: Alex Moffat ’00 and friends after his show in New York City. Bottom: Malini Valliath Jordan '14 and fellow NSCD alumni at her August wedding.

HOMECOMING reunion weekend

September 27-28, 2024

ABOUT 150 ALUMNI FROM COAST TO COAST RETURNED TO CAMPUS WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TO RECONNECT WITH FORMER

CLASSMATES, FACULTY AND STAFF.

The festivities kicked off Friday evening with a reception on campus in the Hall Library, where alumni and their guests were among the first in the NSCD community to get a sneak peek at a few of the items discovered in the 1960 time capsule removed during the Mac Gym renovation. (See story, page 16.) This year, we honored reunion classes ending in 9s and 4s. Various formal and informal reunion class dinners and gatherings were held off campus — including an '80s decade party at the home of Sarah Geist Rosen '86 with a special performance by Mark Bransfield '86 and Liam Davis '86.

On Saturday, alumni, parents of alumni and former faculty gathered in the auditorium for a program that included an update from Head of School Tom Flemma, a panel discussion with current students, the Francis R. Stanton ’27 presentation to educator and historian Kathryn Wilsey Lerch ’64 and the Jay Bach Iron Raiders Society recognition for alumni who participated in 12 consecutive seasons of athletics during upper school.

Throughout the weekend, guests also had the chance to view the latest exhibition in the John Almquist Gallery, a community art show featuring photos of beloved family pets, as well as cheer on athletes and tour the campus to see how it’s changed over the years. Both on and off campus, it was a weekend to remember!

2 3 7 8 11 4 5 13

HOMECOMING CAPTIONS

1. Justin Weinstein, Kaitlyn Johnson Weinstein ’14 and Sydney Shafer ’14

2. Cathy Kleiman Bartholomay '79, Andy Sullivan ’79 and Michele Kraft Makris ’79

3. The Class of 1964

4. Head of School Dinner

5. Cheryl Huyler '94 and Danielle Less McDowell '94

6. The Class of 2009

7. The Class of 1984

8. Liam Davis ‘86, Sarah Geist Rosen ‘86 and Mark Bransfield ’86

9. David Plazas ‘94, Elizabeth Graettinger '94 and John Frank '94

10. The Class of 2004

11. Chris Allen, Carol Marshall Allen ‘74, Alice Marshall Vogler '69, and Tracy and Bucky Marshall '71.

12. Iron Raiders

13. ’80s Decade Party

CLASS NOTES

Kathryn Wilsey Lerch ’64

HONORED WITH 2024 FRANCIS R. STANTON ’27 ALUMNI RECOGNITION

On the Saturday of Homecoming Reunion Weekend, Kathryn Wilsey Lerch ’64 was presented with the 2024 Francis R. Stanton ’27 Alumni Recognition for her exceptional contributions to education, history and community service. A distinguished educator and historian, Kathryn founded and directed the Legacy Initiative Project, a 25-year endeavor that engaged students in researching and publishing wartime histories through the “Words of War” book series. Her passion for history extended beyond the classroom, where she organized transformative educational trips and inspired generations of students. Kathryn’s commitment to community shines through her leadership in numerous civic organizations, and her remarkable achievements reflect the school’s motto, “Live and Serve.”

The Stanton Recognition is given each year to alumni whose lives exemplify this motto. To recommend an NSCD alum for this distinguished honor, please contact Ashleigh Palmer ’04 at apalmer@nscds.org or 847.881.8848.

SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT NSCDS.ORG/ STANTON TO READ THE FULL CITATION, SEE THE LIST OF PAST RECIPIENTS, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STANTON RECOGNITION.

Rory Hayes ’17 recently started a position at One Institute as the Public Programs Manager. One Institute is the oldest active LGBTQ+ org in the country, specializing in uplifting and sharing queer and trans history. They facilitate yearlong programming, as well as the Circa: Queer Histories Festival in October. This happens in Los Angeles as well as virtually.

Caroline Lommer ’19 was excited to start medical school last fall.

2020s

Allie Charnas ’20 , a former NSCD varsity field hockey player, returned to campus to referee the middle school field hockey games. Her experience and connection to NSCD brought great energy to the matches, inspiring our middle school players.

Elizabeth Savin ’21 , a manufacturing and design engineering major at Northwestern University, is also pursuing a certificate in Integrated Marketing and Communications from the Medill School of Journalism. Passionate about startups, she has found invaluable opportunities through Northwestern’s startup hub, The Garage. Currently, she serves as program director of The Garage’s Propel program, where she introduces female founders to the entrepreneurial resources available. This past summer, Elizabeth interned at

Amper Technologies, where she helped automate the “quote-to-cash” process by implementing new technologies for quote creation, revenue recognition and more. Reflecting on the experience, Elizabeth shared, “Participating in meetings across different departments allowed me to learn more about the inner workings of a startup. The team was incredible, and it was so exciting to collaborate with all of my colleagues!”

Charlize Guillen ’22 , now studying mechanical engineering at Northwestern, was part of a team that recently won the prestigious Artemis Award in NASA’s BIG (Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing) Idea Challenge. Charlize and her Northwestern teammates spent nine months developing their winning project, METALS (Metal Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar Structures). The team’s innovative approach — a compact, expandable metal structure designed for lunar use — impressed NASA and industry judges at the BIG Idea Forum held in Las Vegas in November. Reflecting on her time at North Shore Country Day, Charlize said, “North Shore encourages students to be innovative and to take risks, and those were among the main factors that drove this project and made it successful. North Shore helped me develop my creative thinking skills and embrace the meaning of being a team player. All my classes prepared

me for this project, whether it was through problem-solving, writing or analytical thinking. However, Dr. Jerry Rietveld's Applied Physics & Engineering and Engineering: Research, Design and Development classes gave me a taste of engineering and inspired me to pursue a career in this field.”

Lance Zhang ’22 shared exciting news: His paper, "RoboCasa: LargeScale Simulation of Everyday Tasks for Generalist Robots," was recently published at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference. Since starting the project with Soroush Nasiriany over a year ago, their team has grown to nine members,

Classes celebrating special reunions include: 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020

If you are interested in joining your reunion planning committee, contact Ashleigh Palmer ’04 at apalmer@nscds.org or 847.881.8848

WINTER CELEBRATION

We were thrilled to welcome young alumni and former faculty and staff back to campus for the first Winter Celebration in the newly renovated Mac McCarty Athletic Center. Members of the Classes of 2021-2024 returned to reconnect with friends and faculty, then joined the annual celebration, where they helped send NSCD students into winter break on a high note. This year’s gathering was especially memorable, marking a new chapter in our cherished tradition.

with Lance contributing more than 15,000 lines of code, hundreds of hours of asset curation and data collection. Lance thanks Soroush for presenting their work in the Netherlands at RSS 2024 and acknowledges co-authors Abhiram Maddukuri, Adeet Parikh, Aaron Lo, Abhishek Joshi, Ajay Mandlekar and PI Yuke Zhu. Check out their project at robocasa.ai.

Alumni from the Class of 2023 Jack Ryan , Teddy Gallun , Tae Won Lillig and Hugo Hourihane gathered for a night out at a Cubs game last season.

marriages

Quinn Andersen ’04 to Charles Leger

August 2, 2024

CJ Charnas ’16 to Emily Leiter ’16

August 24, 2024

Malini Valliath ’14 to Austin Jordan

August 18, 2024

Anna Flickinger ’10 to Matt Dernlan

September 1, 2024

births

Leo Ivan Bobier

June 28, 2024

Blair Hunt Bobier ’09 and Dan Bobier

Louis Ilia Newman

June 29, 2024

William Crane Newman ’98 and Caitlin Newman

Luke Edward Johnson

July 21, 2024

Meredith Price Johnson ’07 and Danny Johnson

Mateo Tena

July 30, 2024

Xochitl Carmona ’09 and Francisco Tena

Lochlan Kaplan Gegg

August 2, 2024

Kate Rooney Gegg ’02 and Chandler Gegg

Anna Lavender Keefe

September 3, 2024

Alex Kaplan Keefe ’09 and James Keefe

Jenny Olivia Bonetti

September 22, 2024

Caroline Whitmore Bonetti ’11 and Brant Bonetti

Colin Pierce Thomas

October 5, 2024

Karen Block Thomas ’09 and Matt Thomas ’09

IN MEMORIAM

Leonora (Lennie) Hunt Ross ’53

March 19, 2024

Sister of Con Callahan Jr. ’51

Judy Neuses Logsdon ’51

April 21, 2024

Peter Robert Thompson ’68

May 7, 2024

Joanne Orput

May 11, 2024

Grandmother of Lille van der Zanden ’16

Ida Cardone

June 2024

Mother of Annie Cardone ’96

Julia (Judy) Adams Bartholomay '41

June 6, 2024

Wife of the late Henry (Hank) Bartholomay III ’41

Mother of the late Bart Bartholomay ’63 , Charley Bartholomay ’66 , Lucy Bartholomay ’69, Julie Bartholomay Geer ’71 and Mimi Bartholomay

Sister of the late William C. Bartholomay ’46

Aunt of Bill Bartholomay and Cathy Kleiman Bartholomay ’79

Sally Simmons Kiper '56

July 1, 2024

Cousin of Dee Dee Ehrhard '55

Charles Waddell Sample

July 3, 2024

Father of Charlie Sample ’81

Stephen Bent

July 11, 2024

Husband of Anne Searle Bent ’69

Uncle of G.P. Searle ’03 and Todd Searle ’05

Geung Goo Lee

July 17, 2024

Grandfather of Eun Hae Lillig ’21 and Tae Won Lillig ’23

Mila Carolan Stenson ’45

August 15, 2024

Mother of Mila Delaware ’70

Sister of the late Patti Eck ’47

Phillip Turberg

August 22, 2024

Grandparent of Brooke Bondurant ’13 and Cara Bondurant ’16

Rollie M. Warner Jr. '48

September 4, 2024

Douglas W. Mabie

September 12, 2024

Father of Rachel Mabie ’12 , Heather Mabie ’14 and Ross Mabie ’17

Jane Doolittle Velde '52

September 20, 2024

Sister of Laurie Doolittle Ansaldo '62 the late John Doolittle '64

Stephen W. Edwards '52

October 9, 2024

Thomas J. Corbett Sr.

October 28, 2024

Father of Tom Corbett Jr. ’74 and Julia Corbett Snyder ’75

William (Bill) B. Davis ’65

October 30, 2024

Brother of the late Robert Davis ’60 and Jim Davis ’64

Sue Pick

November 6, 2024

Wife of the late Tom Pick ’48

Sister-in-law of the late Mary Pick Hines '49

Aunt of William Hines ’73 , Anne Hines Young ’77 and David Hines ’81

Great-Aunt of Hugo Hines '20 and Okkie Hines '21

Ronald Paul

November 8, 2024

Father of Lisa Paul Renaud ’85 and Karen Paul ’88

Grandfather of Abby Renaud ’19

Josie Saltoun ’84

November 8, 2024

Sean E. Murphy '84

November 18, 2024

Brother of Jason Murphy '83

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE

We want to hear from you! Share your recent accomplishments and milestones— weddings, births, new jobs, retirements, alumni meetups, and more. Submit a class note online at nscds.org/alumni-connect, or reach out to Ashleigh Palmer ’04 at apalmer@nscds.org or 847.881.8848.

Former Faculty

Linda Kiracibasi wrote, "I am so excited to share that the song written by the lower school chorus in 2019 with composer Jim Papoulis, "All You Need," is being published! This is actually our second song with Jim to be published. "There Is Peace" (2002), was published in 2015. Jim had put the recording on his website, and received so many requests for the printed music that he decided to publish it. It has been one of his best sellers!"

ALUMNI EVENTS

Join us for the following regional events

Chicago Regional Gathering and "La Bohème" at the Lyric Opera: April 9, 2025

Raleigh-Durham/Greensboro Regional Gathering: May 1, 2025

SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT NSCDS.ORG/ ALUMNI-EVENTS FOR UPDATES.

ALUMNI REFLECTION

Charlie Doar ’03

AFTER 17 YEARS AS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TEACHER AND COACH, CHARLIE DOAR ’03 IS ON A YEARLONG SABBATICAL IN PERTH, AUSTRALIA WITH HIS WIFE, ANITA, AND THREE CHILDREN. AMONG OTHER DUTIES, HE’S SERVING AS A COLLEGE COUNSELOR AT HALE SCHOOL TO BOYS INTERESTED IN STUDYING IN THE UNITED STATES.

The word “adventure” never really resonated with me. As someone who has followed a conventional path before, during and after North Shore Country Day, I’ve associated the idea of exploration with either a cliched movie or something daunting and untethered. That theory was tested one year ago when my wife suggested that for my sabbatical, we take a break from our busy lives in Boston.

let alone realize that it’s the most isolated major city in the world. But as Dean described a city that felt like the world’s best-kept secret and a community that promised to “wrap its arms around us,” I was convinced — enough — to make the leap.

The following months we waited in limbo for a work visa to be approved, and I lay awake many nights wondering how we’d navigate the logistical challenges of moving with three young children to the other side of the world. During one phone call with Dean, he sensed my unease. “You won’t have answers to all of your questions now,” he told me. “Instead, embrace this as an adventure for you and your family.” It was the first time that I found comfort, rather than uncertainty, in that word.

the first of two 11-hour flights that would eventually bring us to Perth.

The whirlwind continued as we toted jet-lagged kids to one big box store after another, trying to furnish a barren rental house and settle into our new schools, country and life. One night as we sat on Trigg Beach with a front-row seat to the sun lowering over the Indian Ocean, our children’s laughter nearby as they splashed in the surf, my wife turned to me and said, “This is everything.” In one of those rare moments when life slows down and allows you to observe the scene around you, it was Anita’s way of saying this whole crazy idea was worth it.

“Let’s go somewhere with the kids,” she said. Through an independent school connection, in January ’24 I had my first Zoom call with Dean Dell’Oro, the headmaster of Hale School in Perth. I didn’t know anything about Perth,

On June 7, our visa was finally approved. In the next three weeks, we bought plane tickets, sold two cars, rented our house, said goodbye to friends and family, and packed up our lives into 10 suitcases and a few carry-on bags. On July 2, we boarded

To the “reluctant adventurer” reading this, consider stepping off the treadmill that is your life and put your faith in something, anything, that feels right. For me, it happened to be a person Zooming from the southern hemisphere. Though friends and family questioned our move, I’d found someone we could trust, someone to whom we could tether our adventure.

Bridget (5), Mac (8) and Shay (6) on their first day of school in Australia.

Charlie and his family between 11-hour flights in Doha, Qatar.

Artwork by Robbie Song ’36, inspired by abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. In Emily Culbert’s lower school art class, first graders learned how Kandinsky, a Russianborn artist, was believed to have synesthesia — a rare condition where one sense triggers another. For Kandinsky, this meant seeing colors when he heard music and hearing music when he painted.

LAST LOOK

The late Tom Garver ’52 took this and many other photos as a boarding student in Leicester Hall from 1948-52. He donated a collection of negatives to the school archives in 2012. “I had a mild interest in photography at that time, but this grew over the years to the point that in the summer of 1950 I worked to earn enough money to buy a good camera, an Exacta, an early single lens reflex 35mm camera, but with a waist-level viewfinder. ... The film was slow, but there are some nice portraits.”