What’s Up with NSCDS? – #2: “Live and Serve”

The second in an occasional audio documentary series, which explores the history, people, places and traditions of North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, IL.

In this second episode, we answer the question: What’s up with the school’s motto, “Live and Serve”?

LISTEN TO What’s Up with “Live and Serve”?  (full version, 21 minutes)

Since our school’s founding in 1919, the notion of Service – to the school, the community and the world – has played a central role. The desire and goal to “make the world a better place” in ways both small or large, permeates what we learn and what we do.

When thirty 3rd graders pore over twenty-five years’ worth of school year books to learn about the realization and implementation of the school’s motto, you wind up with a lot of fascinating facts and history. So much so, that we needed twenty-one minutes to tell the story of “Live and Serve” during the first quarter of North Shore’s history, from 1919-1945.

The audio documentary begins with service on campus, including “Dig Day.” It then moves on to service to the local area, as embodied in the annual “Toy Shop.” World events, including the Great Depression and WWII impacted the nature of “Live and Serve” and we tell you about that too. The audio doc ends with a lovely story, written in the 1923 year book.

The audio doc features almost 70 voices drawn from all segments of the North Shore Country Day School community, which is only fitting given that the notion of “Community” is as vital and profound a component of our school as is “Live and Serve.”

Thus, among the narrators and readers,  you will hear:

  • one or more voices from all fourteen grade levels, PreK-12th grade
  • faculty
  • staff
  • administration
  • students who attended the school from PreK through 12th grade (“Lifers“)
  • students new to the school this year
  • buddy pairs (PreK & 12, 3rd & 9th)
  • alumni
  • student siblings
  • parent & child narrators
  • grandparent & grandchild narrators

This piece truly reflects upon, and takes advantage of, North Shore Country Day School as a PreK-12 Community – as well as the traditions, activities and philosophy which have defined the school for over ninety years.

[COMING SOON!! — WATCH THE “Live and Serve” SLIDESHOW – View photos from the NSCDS archive while listening to an abridged (13 minute) version of this audio documentary.]

(This project was inspired by a similar one done by WLRN, South Florida Public Radio, as part of their series “Under The Sun: What’s Up with South Florida?”)

Third Grade Audio
“See” the world through third grade ears

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