North Country School

[EduCativ]

North Country School strives to create a community that gives children the self-confidence, knowledge, skills, and values to lead satisfying and productive lives while contributing to their world.

• We believe that children become confident and resourceful individuals when they try new experiences and cultivate their skills toward mastery, with caring adults' guidance.
• We believe that teaching and learning are most successful when intellectual activity is linked with practical experience.
• We are committed to simple and sustainable living, making responsible choices about our use of resources.
• We are committed to sustaining a diverse and nurturing community that supports individual growth and creativity, develops resilience, and promotes social responsibility.

Creativity in children is both an innate and a teachable skill. Recognizing that creative thinking is as essential as critical thinking, we nurture creativity in our extensive arts offerings and school life areas. When students learn to be creative in their approach, ingenious science experiments, inspired literary analysis, individual writing voice, and imaginative multi-media presentations result.

Recognizing that children are inquisitive by nature and natural problem solvers, we provide hands-on and collaborative lessons that help students make the real world and personal connections. Our students engage with one another, their teachers, and the activities at hand. They learn to ask and answer their questions and develop the skills that help them do so along the way.

In the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park, our campus allows children to learn and explore in a pristine wilderness setting. Our science classes often hold hands-on labs outdoors. English and art classes climb mountains to paint landscapes and write poetry. NCS students hike, camp, ride horses, and ski on our 200 acres and miles of trails. Our students develop a deep appreciation for the outdoors and learn the value of preserving wild places.

North Country School is located in the heart of the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, of which two million acres is forest preserve. Our 220-acre campus includes extensive vegetable and flower gardens, a working farm, a maple sugaring operation, a six-trail ski hill, a thirty-six-route rock climbing crag, two riding rings, and over 3 miles of recreational trails. North Country School has long practiced place-based education, taking full advantage of its campus, the High Peaks region, and the cultural and recreational opportunities offered in nearby Lake Placid.

North Country School was founded in 1938 by Walter and Leonora Clark. Leonora Clark's sister and brother in law, Helen and Douglas Haskell, had assumed leadership of Camp Treetops in Lake Placid in 1926. Both couples' educational philosophies were influenced by John Dewey and the Progressive Education Movement. They believed that close, nurturing contact, and first-hand experiences were essential for children to develop confidence, knowledge, skills, and values. The two families enjoyed a close educational collaboration in overseeing Camp Treetops and North Country School.

View full school