<p>Looking into JBS for 11 yr old DD and NCS looks like such an awesome and different type of place. I have searched and have not heard much about it on here. Is there anyone who knows anything about it?</p>
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It is an excellent school. Very different from many others, but a great place for the right child. We looked into JBS for oldest kid in 4th grade but did not end up pursuing the idea, but did visit North Country School. We do know a few people who sent kids here though, and part of me wishes we did pursue it at that time. Every kid I have met who went there (along with adults who attended years ago) has praise for the place.
It is very outdoor oriented. Kids are outside all the time and they are right on the edge of mountains and wilderness so there are a lot of opportunities. They are not big into team sports (loy-key basketball and ultimate frisbee I think are their only team sports, and these are not really competitive) but they do a lot of hiking, rock climbing, all kinds of skiing and the like. They have a riding program, too, as they have a working farm and barn on campus (they produce a lot of their own food). They have a rock climbing mountain and a ski hill on campus as well. Kids are all required to be involved in the farming program, taking care of the animals and helping in the gardens.
The arts are heavily emphasized and academics are strong. They do not give letter grades until 9th grade so transcripts will not be traditional in this way, but this does not seem to hinder high school placement. Reports are very thorough. They are state of the art in terms of technology in the classroom, but limit electronics and connectivity outside the classroom. Kids may not have cell phones or wired devices and they really try to provide an environment that focuses on the daily life there rather than the high pressured media blitzed world. Kids can call and skype home and have access to computers, but it is structured so as not to be omnipresent. In other words, they really try to support kids to grow an develop within a community without the pressures and constant distractions of social media and the internet, etc.
It is definitely not the school for everyone, but for many kids it is really an excellent environment for the middle school years and is definitely worth exploring. Especially for kids who might feel out of place at more traditional schools, this might be an excellent fit.
The website is pretty comprehensive and there are a lot of photos and the like. They post daily photos and blurbs: http://northcountryschool.org/category/photos-daily/
Thank you so much! I have read the website extensively and I just think the school looks wonderful, I just hadn’t really seen many “outside” reviews or descriptions of the place. I think it is perfect for middle school kids. I guess because it isn’t really “traditional” it doesn’t get much notice on here, but I did want to ensure that academics were very good beyond the rest of the good things I seem to have read.