1 . Every experience makes us grow — nowhere is this more true than at North Country School (NCS). The NCS experience includes both classroom and experiential learning. Their courses help every child unlock their hidden potential and passions.
NCS was eye-opening for Sam Shi. He discovered his passion for biology as he learned about the wildlife and ecosystems (生态系统) within the Adirondacks. “The hands-on, placed-based teaching styles were extremely interesting,” he says. “A whole new type of appreciation occurs when you learn about living things while actually being surrounded by it.”
NCS students grow and learn effectively thanks to the direct experience they get. Led by talented teachers, they aren’t just learning by doing — they’re knowing by doing.
Shi got a taste of this as early as his first day in the Design and Build class with Larry Robjent. “No NCS class works like your standard, textbook classes,” he says. “Larry laid out our year-long project of deconstructing an on-campus bridge and plans to build a new one. A year-long project, where we actually got to work outside, with our hands, and build something practical. No chance you’d find that anywhere else.”
Shi described everything about that class as “special”. He got to be creative. Most importantly, he studied physics and engineering in practical ways. “At the end I got to stand alongside my classmates and admire the product of our efforts, something that would remain a piece of NCS for many years to come,” he shares.
Such breakthroughs happen daily at NCS. “The journey of discovering how to trust my abilities is a life lesson that has remained with me and likely always will,” says Shi. “The teachers always encouraged me to try new things and to trust myself.”
With such courses, it is no wonder NCS students gain confidence, creativity and knowledge. As Shi says, “I had no idea how cool this place would be, and certainly didn’t expect my study there to impact my life as obviously as it did and continues to do.”
1. What are courses like at North Country School according to the passage?| A．They only focus on experiential learning. |
| B．They can help inspire students’ personal growth. |
| C．They are mainly for gifted students. |
| D．They attract many talented teachers. |
| A．Repairing. | B．Creating. | C．Taking apart. | D．Blowing up. |
| A．A passion for biology. |
| B．A knowledge of building a bridge. |
| C．A curiosity about new things. |
| D．A sense of self-confidence. |
| A．He feels gratitude to his school. |
| B．He wouldn’t have become what he is now without being educated at NCS. |
| C．What he has learned at NCS will affect him all through his life. |
| D．The time he spent at NCS is worth remembering. |
