NCS: the last few hours

Just hours to go, and everyone is keeping one eye on the weather reports. A very full last day ... Regular morning chores and classes, final Geometry podcasts, packing, sorting dirty laundry, Level I/II performing “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree,” singing/acting out the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and Santa and his Elves (Jae Hyouk, Adam, Taylor, and Noah) ... An assortment of pictures below to fill in the time until the students return back home. Happy Holidays!

NCS: locker clean up

The first of our pre-vacation ramp locker clean up days started at 3 PM. Houseparents – Rebekah and Ryan – oversee David loading up all his stuff, even cramming a ski helmet on top of two knit toques and a Santa hat. Babacar and Sophie are equally loaded down! Tonight is our dress up holiday banquet and tomorrow Santa (a ninth grader) makes a stop at NCS. We are keeping our fingers crossed for good travel weather on Wednesday.

NCS: open houses

Just prior to the December vacation we have had a long tradition of festive visiting from house-to-house. This morning Woods (orange juice and banana bread), Bramwell (quiche and hot chocolate), and Mountain House (crepes) hosted breakfast for the rest of the school. Last evening’s dinner was hosted by Balcony, Algonquin, and Cascade House. (You’ll notice the Charlie Brown tree in the background which came from forested corners of our property, and was picked out, cut, and decorated during the last homenight.)

NCS: open houses

Just prior to the December vacation we have had a long tradition of festive visiting from house-to-house. This morning Woods (orange juice and banana bread), Bramwell (quiche and hot chocolate), and Mountain House (crepes) hosted breakfast for the rest of the school. Last evening’s dinner was hosted by Balcony, Algonquin, and Cascade House. (You’ll notice the Charlie Brown tree in the background which came from forested corners of our property, and was picked out, cut, and decorated during the last homenight.)

NCS: a wintry Saturday

It was –17 degrees this morning at barn chores! Eventually the temperature climbed to a balmy 10 degrees. Despite the chill, it was a wonderful day with snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice climbing, and a hike up a modest-sized mountain. The enclosed picture shows the crew that was clearing snow from the pond to go ice skating.

Yesterday we opened the ski hill, a relatively rare occurrence for the Fall term (only one year in five is it open during December). Tonight we have Open Houses ... More on that tomorrow.

NCS: field trips

North Country School has always placed a huge emphasis on experiential learning, and thus field trips are a critical component of our curriculum. Yesterday the Level I class traveled to Ward Lumber (owned by a day student family), however a smattering of other NCS trips would include: Crown Point, Adirondack Museum, overnights at the John’s Brook Lodge, Montshire Museum, canoeing on the the St. Regis, a Spanish trip to Costa Rica, and an Outward Bound course off the coast of Florida.

NCS: final projects

We have 6-12 inches of snow forecast for this evening. A full slate of winter activities set up for the weekend, as well as our traditional Open House festivities. Students are hurriedly finishing projects: from these 6th graders preparing for their formal debate, to my geometry students preparing their two minute podcasts which will be posted on our website, and on to ceramic and fiber arts students completing projects for holiday gifts. At Lunch today, Taylor let the community know that we had 136 hours left before the start of vacation.

NCS: wishes

Today Libby ran our Town Meeting. Given the upcoming holidays, we had a discussion about "miracles" and the parts they play in the various faiths of the world. Then we segued into a related, but different, activity. The question became: If you could wish for a miracle -- for yourself, your family, your community, or the world -- what would it be? The students then wrote these wishes onto strips of paper, which in turn were made into rings of a long chain that we'll hang in the building.

NCS: recess

10:30 – 10:45 is recess ... a very important time ... snacks, hoops, socializing, knitting, emailing, sit-down ball, sledding, and even sometimes, getting a quick start on your homework. Yesterday morning the temperature at the barn was –12 degrees, today the temperatures have moderated quite a bit. One week until vacation and your children are getting pretty excited!

NCS: snow physics

Level IV snow physics: from graupel to stellar dendrites, on to snow pits and crystal metamorphosis, and finally avalanche transceivers to grid searches for buried skiers. Across the country every 8th grade Earth Science class does the water cycle, but none to my knowledge does it quite this way. A unit that is one part theory, one part hands on experimentation, one part research, and one part practical application. A model that stays true to form for much of what we teach here. (In the picture Larry Robjent is talking about the formation and shape of individual snow crystals. He is using the interactive Smart Board which is the result of previous parent Annual Fund gifts.)

NCS: last days of Fall

Hello. Temperatures are above freezing now, but due to plummet this afternoon and stay there for another week. The final days of the Fall are incredibly hectic ... The Level I and II production of Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree, Open Houses, Holiday Banquet, Santa, teachers writing reports, Hock and Selden’s effort grade breakfast, and then the furious last minute packing for vacation!

The enclosed picture is of 4th-6th graders practicing their lines for the upcoming performance.
Hock

NCS: town meeting

Today’s NCS Town Meeting was a discussion about: What are the major problems President-elect Obama will face when he takes office? (It is impossible to see the whiteboard clearly in the picture, however I believe our students nailed almost all of the big problems: from terrorism to alternative energy, job creation to foreclosures, Iraq to Afghanistan, as well as a volatile stock market and potentially bankrupt auto makers.) We finished off the meeting by watching a short YouTube video with Doris Kearns Goodwin talking about Team of Rivals and how it relates to the President-elect’s cabinet.
Hock

NCS: ski season

The ski season is here. Today during out time, there is a group splicing the tow rope on the ski hill, and there is another group (pictured below) cleaning klister off skis as well as base waxing race skis with John and Liz. (Oh, and by the way, John and one of our 8th graders – Will – mounted 25 pairs of new nordic skis on Sunday. This terrific addition to the outdoor program was made possible by current parent gifts to the Annual Fund. My thanks for all those who have given, and to all those who are about to make a gift to support the wonderful work that teachers are doing with your children.)

Hock

NCS: post Thanksgiving

Hello. I hope your travels home went smoothly. It was wonderful to have so many of you on hand to share our Thanksgiving feast. (I have enclosed a quick snapshot from that sit-down dinner, as well as a picture of an 8th grade class discussing Of Mice and Men.) On a related note, the faculty and I were greatly moved by your sharing at Thursday’s Town Meeting, and I can honestly say, that figuring out “what success means for your child,” is our core business at NCS.

Hock