Residential Life

North Country School has no dormitories. Instead, groups of no more than 12 children live in houses under the supervision of caring faculty houseparents, some of whom have families of their own. Each student has a roommate of the same gender and age, but each house group typically includes boys and girls in different grades from various backgrounds, cultures, and religions. Seen as one of the great strengths of the program, the resulting mix of students resembles different-aged siblings and helps each house become a true home away from home—a place of safety, where every child belongs. Day students are assigned to houses, so they, too, can share in the intimacy of the house group.

Houses typically come alive in the evenings after dinner, when younger students begin most weekday nights with a half-hour free reading period. Homework then takes center stage, with houseparents helping students with assignments. After eighth and ninth graders return from study hall in the main building, students fill the remainder of their evening with quiet games, conversation, listening to music, phone calls home, and showers. Bedtimes vary according to age and grade. The exception to the weekday routine is Home Night every Wednesday, when house groups cook and eat supper together at home, then enjoy special activities like a campfire and s’mores or a trip to town for ice cream or a movie.

The house is the center for much of students’ living and learning experiences at NCS, with houseparents piecing together the many dimensions of each child’s growth.