Private Boarding School in New York State

North Country School:
Located in Lake Placid, Essex County, New York, North Country School is a junior co-educational boarding and day school offering a traditional curriculum for children in grades 4-9.

Boarding and Day Programs for Boys & Girls in Grades 4-9:High-Quality Academics:
Of the many things we are to children, we are first an academic school. Our traditional core curriculum, enriched by hands-on projects and activities, focuses on the acquisition of solid academic skills. Small classes allow for attention and instruction that challenge each child according to his or her ability. We have high expectations for students.

The arts is an area of exceptional strength, reflecting our longstanding belief in the importance for children of personal expression. We also offer an ESL program for international students, robust library and computer resources, and a Learning Lab for academic support.

Our curriculum conforms to national standards. We are deliberate in helping students develop a solid base of skills and coursework that will be transferable to their next school. The organization of the curriculum varies according to grade level. Students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades meet in homerooms and are taught by a team of two teachers. The academic program in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades is departmentalized, with core subjects meeting five times weekly.

Standardized tests of the Educational Records Bureau (ERBs) provide objective measures of academic achievement. Formal written evaluations from teachers about each child’s progress are sent to parents at mid-year and in June. Informal communication with parents by mail, email, and telephone is routine.

Secondary School Placement:
North Country School’s Secondary School Placement Program is designed to assist 9th graders in selecting an appropriate secondary school, and to help them prepare for and navigate the application process successfully.

Learning Lab:

Support Classes:
Math and English support classes develop skills and strategies to help meet individual needs within each grade level's academic curriculum. Support classes typically have two to six students who meet two or three days a week, with the corresponding subject teacher often leading the class. The goal is to work on skills and strategies to increase students' independence and academic success.

Individual Remediation:
Based on both quantitative and qualitative assessments and observations, the Learning Lab designs interventions to support the needs of individual students. In a one-on-one setting, specialists utilize applicable strategies and assistive technologies to help struggling learners in the development of literacy and math skills.

Segregated English Class:
On an as-needed basis, a separate small-group English class may be created to address the needs of students with learning disabilities who require a modified curriculum. The goal of this class is to develop students' skills so they can return to mainstream classes and achieve success.

Arts Program:
The goal of the arts program is to foster a lifelong love of the arts so that every student finds an area of artistic expression that they continue long after they graduate. Small class sizes allow for one-on-one attention, which often accelerates the creative learning process for students. Studios are frequently open on weekends for students to practice and advance their skills during their free time.

Just as important, our school culture encourages and celebrates artistic endeavors of all kinds outside the studios. Students’ drawings, photographs, ceramics, and weavings are displayed proudly in places of prominence throughout the school.

English as a Second Language (ESL):
Students have one to three periods of individual or small group (two to six students) ESL instruction daily, according to their grade level, functional language ability, and needs. Initial ESL needs are determined as part of the admissions process then refined as the student’s English proficiency improves.