Organic Roots Summer 2022

SUMMER 2022

A Publication of North Country School and Camp Treetops

Editorial Director Emilie Allen Editor Laura Alys Ward Layout & Design Kelly Hofschneider Illustrators Gavi Mallory Nip Rogers

BOARD LEADERSHIP

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Barkley Stuart, Chair CTT 69–72, parent 03–07, NCS parent 09–11

Joan Davidson CTT 38, staff 46, parent 62–72, grandparent 98–04, NCS staff 51–52

Pamela Rosenthal, Vice-Chair NCS parent 07–09

Colin Tait CTT staff 54, 57, 67–82, parent 67–78

Matthew Tuck, Treasurer NCS 75–78

Richard Wilde CTT staff 60–82

Mara Frankel Wallace, Secretary CTT 77–80, parent 14–15

TRUSTEES EMERITI J. Matthew Davidson CTT 62–67, parent 96–06

LEADING THOUGHTS

FEATURES

David Kenney CTT parent 81–97, NCS parent 83–84

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From Todd Ormiston Executive Director

18 A Journey of Discovery

Rose Kean Lansbury CTT parent 73–78, grandparent 99–01, 05–07, 10–18, NCS parent 73–82

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From Karen Culpepper Camp Treetops Director

24 Modern English

TRUSTEES Contributors Emilie Allen Christie Borden Karen Culpepper Elizabeth Davis Emily Eisman Meredith Hanson Liz Lastowski Becca Miller Todd Ormiston Matthew Smith Alexis Stephenson Mara Frankel Wallace Photographers Nancie Battaglia Garth Cilley John Eldridge Sierra Grennan Meredith Hanson Becca Miller Barbara Morgan Larry Robjent Alexis Stephenson Masthead Gail Brill Designs Printing Print Management Pittsburgh, PA

Lisa Beck CTT 70–73, parent 03–16, staff 08–present Ed Biddle CTT parent 01–08, 10–12 Ami Brabson NCS parent 16–18 Barry Breeman NCS parent 07–10, CTT parent 10–13 Peter Brest CTT 56–62, parent 93–06 Nick Hewitt CTT 64, NCS 65–70 Carla von Trapp Hunter NCS 95-96 Greg Marchildon CTT 74–79, parent 08–12, 14–15, staff 83–86, 10–13, NCS 75-80, parent 12–13, staff 12–13

Sandra Gray Nowicki NCS 52–57, staff 67–12, parent 83–84, CTT parent 79–93, staff 96–14 Sumner Parker CTT 37–40, parent 73–79, grandparent 92–04, 10–12, 15–16, 18–19, 21–present, NCS 40–41, parent 77–82 We remember and honor Roger Loud (CTT 42–48, parent 71–95, staff 54–63, 70–80, NCS parent 70–96, faculty 70–92), who was in his 28th year of service on the Board of Trustees when he passed on April 29, 2022.

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#ThisWeekAtNCS

10 Graduation 2022 “Be a Student Every Day” Dr. Pamela B. Rosenthal

Alexis Stephenson

Meredith Hanson

CAMPUS INITIATIVES 4

Setting Our Compass, Charting Our Course

28 From Insight to Action Matthew P. Smith

14 Celebrating WallyPAC

OUR FRIENDS & FAMILY

42 Recipe from the

30 Alta Friends’ Weekend

Children’s Garden

32 Remembering Betty Eldridge

Davlyn Grant Mosley CTT 86–89, staff 04

THROUGH THE YEARS

34 Remembering Roger Loud

Stefan Nowicki CTT 87–91, 93, staff 97–03, 06, 11

16 Balanced Rocks Circle

36 In Memoriam/News & Notes

Robert Parker CTT parent 92–04

44 From the Archives

Skye Raiser NCS parent 20–present Matt Salinger NCS 72–74, CTT parent 04–08 David Stewart NCS 94, CTT 95–96

contact: communications@ncstreetops.org www.northcountryschool.org www.camptreetops.org www.rock-e.org

LEARN, GROW, AND PLAY. SUMMER 2022

Emanuel Weintraub CTT 73–81, staff 85–87, parent 11–present

Leading Thoughts

A rainbow rises over campus. Photo taken by Todd Ormiston on his morning bike ride to Camp and School.

Todd Ormiston Executive Director Every morning, I ride my bike from Hansen House to my office. During the warmer half of the year, it’s a relatively easy ride from across Route 73—I need only avoid the occasional pothole or meandering barn cat.

When colder air descends and winter covers our Adirondack home in its first dusting of white, I swap out my regular tires for studded snow tires. Though more challenging, these chilly excursions are always worth the effort, because during each ride, in any season, there exists that moment— quietly powerful and unwaveringly breathtaking—when I reach the meadow fenceline and the view of our campus comes into focus.

As the sun rises overhead, I see rolling pastures where our horses graze serenely. Lush gardens where our students and campers learn to grow delicious fruits and vegetables. Above, Balanced Rocks offers a sentinel, comforting presence. Higher still, Cascade Mountain’s craggy edges pierce the brightening sky.

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On this pastoral land set against these magnificent mountains, you can gaze across time, one hundred years into the past, at the same landscape that inspired the creation of Camp and School: the canvas upon which our founders' dreams were realized.

I think to myself, in the stillness of morning, how fortunate we are, not only to behold this unchanged wonder of nature, but also to work and play in it.

As the day progresses, children will fill this space; in summer, they’ll jump into the sparkling waters of our lake, and in winter, they’ll don ice skates and cross-country skis. The quiet calm of morning will give way to laughter, lessons, and song.

While each season brings a different perspective, these are the sights and sounds—indeed, the embodiment of the mission and values — of North Country School and Camp Treetops.

Every few years, we take a step back to consider and reaffirm what this mission and these values truly are, as part of a strategic planning process that will guide us into our next chapter.

My favorite aspect of our mission statement calls upon campers and students to lead satisfying and productive lives while contributing to their world. How do we help them accomplish this?

What can we model here, what lessons can we teach that will become a part of them, ready to be shared with the world beyond?

In considering our values, which should be held up above the rest? The celebration of childhood, allowing children to be children; cultivating a diverse and welcoming community; creation of lessons that teach by doing; emphasis of the importance of environmental sustainability: these are the first things that come to mind for me.

In clarifying and focusing the needs of Camp and School, we not only ask these questions of ourselves and study the literature of best practices, we also look to you, our valued community.

Many of you took time to answer a strategic plan survey emailed in March. This survey, part of the Scan phase of the process, invited examination of our methods and asked whether you believe we’re doing what we say we do. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and also constructive. You’re the ones who know us best: our past campers and students, faculty, counselors, and parents.

I hope you’ll take the time to respond to another survey, due to arrive in late summer, in which you can further help guide our trajectory by sharing what is most important to you. (The full timeline of our initiative is outlined on page 4.)

Past strategic plans have challenged us to pay attention to immediate needs, while also planning for the future. They’ve resulted in the addition of tangible assets–Rock-E House & Basecamp, the WallyPAC, the Teaching and Learning Kitchen–and also intangible ones, such as our enhancements to experiential education and fortification of programs that encourage character growth.

When I return the studded snow tires to my bicycle later this year, we’ll be in the final stages of crafting our new strategic plan. On that crisp morning, when I reach the fenceline and fix my gaze upon a sight that never fails to astound, we will be better informed. Together as a community, we’ll have examined and aligned our vision. I look forward to this day, one in which I will take a deep breath of fresh mountain air and pedal steadfastly toward the future of North Country School and Camp Treetops.

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Setting Our Compass, Charting Our Course Looking ahead to the next chapter of Camp and School WHY DO IT? A good strategic plan helps us take our vision from dream to reality.

The plan provides clarity around what we do—and what we don’t do. It guides us in setting priorities and allocating resources effectively. It ensures that we are all on the same page and heading in the same direction. Ultimately, a good strategic plan ensures that we are able to keep providing transformative educational experiences for as many young people as possible for the next 100 years.

Our last strategic plan, launched in 2017, is complete.

Over the past five years, we have established Rock-E House as an asset to Camp and School programs, partnerships, and alumni relationships. We have strengthened our arts offerings with WallyPAC, a state-of-the-art performing arts building, as well as our Farm-to-Fork

and Edible Schoolyard program with the Teaching and Learning Kitchen. Executive Director Todd Ormiston has been at the helm for two years, and we are (cautiously) emerging from Covid-19. Now is an ideal time to develop our next strategic plan and create a bold vision for the next century of School and Camp.

WHO IS DOING THE PLANNING? We all are! No strategic planning effort can be successful without including the perspectives of all stakeholders.

The members of the Steering Committee are listed opposite, but think of them as the worker bees— collecting and analyzing ideas and information, synthesizing the learnings into a plan, and developing the road map.

The plan will be the result of input from people throughout the community. If you missed the first survey,

keep your eye out for the next one. And if you have ideas to share, or questions about the process, send us an email at stratplan@ncstreetops.org or visit the strategic plan pages on our websites: northcountryschool.org/ about-us/strategic-plan or camptreetops.org/about-us/ strategic-plan WHAT WILL THIS PLAN LOOK LIKE? It will look like a clear, well-defined road map to the future—with mile markers, signs at the trailheads, topographic information, and a comprehensive pack list for the journey. Reaching the summit will be well worth the journey.

The priorities of the Strategic Plan, aimed at serving children in the “in-between years,” will be based on what we learn about the environment, trends in education, our

own internal assessments, and the vision, mission, and values of the organization. Priorities will be supported by goals and the actions required to meet them. It’s too soon to say what the specifics will be, but the plan will undoubtedly have ambitious goals, bold ideas, and creative ways to achieve our mission.

As Yogi Berra famously said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up someplace else.”

We know where we’re going—a place of intentional educational experiences for as many young people as possible, via signature programs that leverage our expertise in the in-between years, preparing students to live purposeful lives, to be kind, and to contribute to the world around them.

HOW WILL WE GET THERE? WHAT’S THE PLAN?

CREATE August–October 2022

SHARE THE PLAN AND PUT IT INTO ACTION!

WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHAT DOES THE ENVIRONMENT LOOK LIKE?

COMMUNICATE November 2022–ongoing

SCAN Feb–April 2022

WHERE ARE WE HEADED? HOW DO WE IMPACT THE WORLD? ENVISION May–July 2022

SET UP FOR SUCCESS PLAN Jan–Feb 2022

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STRATEGIC PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE Mara Frankel Wallace Committee Chair, Trustee 17–present, CTT 77–80, parent 14-15, Barkley Stuart Board Chair, Trustee 08–present, CTT 69–72, parent 03-07, NCS parent 09–11. Todd Ormiston Executive Director. Ed Biddle Trustee 20–present, CTT parent 01–08, 10– 12. Christie Borden Director of Advancement, NCS 92, parent 17–19, CTT parent 19–present. Ami Brabson Trustee 21–present, NCS parent 16–18.Matt Davidson Trustee Emeriti, CTT 62–67, parent 96–06.

Sarah Davidson CTT 96–99. Emily Eisman Associate Director of Advancement. Molly Malmfelt-Frank CTT 90–93, staff 13–14, 21–present. Stefan Nowicki Trustee 18–present, CTT 87–91, 93, staff 97–03, 06, 11. Caroline Hlavacek Perry NCS faculty 15–present. Skye Raiser Trustee 20–present NCS parent 20–present. Larry Robjent NCS Faculty 00–present, CTT parent 16–17, 19, NCS parent 18–21. Pamela Rosenthal Trustee 11–present, NCS Parent 07–09. Erv Shames Trustee 95–04, CTT parent 82–85, grandparent 13–21. Matthew Preston Smith Director of North Country School. Dave Steckler NCS faculty 08–present. David Stewart Trustee 20–present, NCS 94, CTT 95–96.

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REFLECTIONS ON A FINAL TREETOPS SUMMER

The Warp The Weft

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IN THE DINING ROOM JUST BEFORE A MEAL Campers chat noisily as they spill into the dining room, hungry and full of life. As they get to their tables they stand, holding hands with their tablemates as the rest of the community trickles in. Before we sit, there is a moment of stillness. This moment offers a chance to come into our bodies, to land intentionally at the table, to say a silent thank you to those who harvested the carrots on the table, to the cooks who baked the bread. If nothing else, this is time, fleeting as it is, to just be. The lead table sits, breaking the silence and the room erupts into the comforting and lively sounds of a whole community settling into a meal together, but the moment of stillness at the start sets the tone for the meal.

BY KAREN CULPEPPER CAMP DIRECTOR

Amid the sights and sounds of children being children, each day at Camp is filled to the brim with activity, as well as the building and nurturing of relationships that our community depends on. All of it calls for full-bodied presence. With the bustle of a summer in full swing, it is with so much joy that I observe the big moments that embody the spirit of Treetops—finishing a canoe paddle in the wood shop, summiting a mountain, singing at council, passing the clothesliners test. These are moments that stand out. They show a community coming together, create time for childhood and space to build confidence, nurture creativity and invite whimsy. There are plenty of those moments, of course. But, over the years, I have found that the moments that gently, but wholeheartedly, whisper the language and the feeling of Treetops are the experiences that pull you in and ground you.

They provide the quiet time and subtle space to connect with each other and to this place, and create the foundation for all the rest. As I welcome my final Treetops summer, I find myself craving opportunities for reflection. It is these quieter, more subtle moments that I am drawn to. They are not the bold and colorful wool strands that make up the weft on

announced. As fog rises from the lake and campers trudge, sleepy and barefoot, down the hill, there is a hushed atmosphere. Campers take time to feel the cool, wet dock beneath their feet and to observe the loons floating on the water, as they build up the courage to jump. As they take the plunge, any efforts to stay quiet, so as to let the older campers keep sleeping, are forgotten. Shrieks and squeals of delight inevitably punctuate the dawn. Campers will be back here at the lake throughout the day for swim class, maybe to play on paddle boards or to snorkel around during general swim. I love the sight and the cacophonous sounds of the lake full of all of these activities, but it’s the early morning dips that I will especially miss.

the weaver’s loom; instead, they are the warp. These strings create the foundation of every tapestry, which through the skillful work of a seasoned weaver, are almost completely hidden. Beneath the showy, vibrant pattern, these strings stand—reliable and essential to the tapestry’s design. Without the warp there would be no weaving. And without these quiet moments, Treetops wouldn’t be the same.

AT THE LAKE BEFORE BREAKFAST After many summers of being the camp director, I remember a counselor asking a junior camper if they knew what my job was at camp. The camper was confident in his response, nodding and looking up at me.

“She is the Polar Bear swim counselor.” And indeed I have been (among some other responsibilities) for many years. Polar Bear swims, chilly dips in the lake before breakfast, are only offered a handful of times each summer. Even after all of these years, it’s always a little shocking to see the number of hands that go up when, the night before, the early morning swim is

BY THE RICKEY CIRCLE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON Most afternoons, if you sit close to the Rickey Circle, surrounded by the orange and yellows of the nasturtiums, you could watch as van after van rolls in and groups of campers tumble out after a trip in the Adirondacks. Each group carries with it a sense of camaraderie, a bond that only comes when you’ve spent time relying on each other in the mountains or on the lakes, and an almost visible connection to the wilderness they left behind. Many groups create trip reports where the highlights of the adventure are performed through skit or song. This is the boisterous summation of their time away, but it is the moment when the campers step out of the van that, if you’re paying attention, you feel the profound power of their time out in the wild and the deep comfort that comes from returning back to familiar ground again. I have been the adventurer returning home and I know this feeling well—of being balanced, for just a moment, right between out in the wild and back home again.

THE WALK TO THE BARN After a day of activity, there is a change of pace when the work job bell rings. Campers change into appropriate clothes and then head off in the direction of their responsibility. Often you can observe campers walking, arm and arm, falling naturally into step with each other. They may stop quickly to pull a carrot from the garden, or to pull seed pods from the sweet cicely bush to share on the walk. Campers may walk alone, relishing in the chance to get lost in their own thoughts for a few minutes, the journey familiar enough to daydream. They walk, knowing that they are responsible for collecting eggs to bring back to the kitchen, or for caring for one of the horses. The walk is a transition from play and craft to work and responsibility—establishing even in the youngest campers a sense of their role in the community and giving them a place. Of course, the work itself is the main event and barn chores, garden harvest, and all of the work jobs are a vital part of what makes Treetops, but the walk is an understated part of that, where campers bond with each other and their landscape and make the shift into a working member of the community.

ON THE TENTLINE AT BEDTIME As evening activities end, campers filter back to the tentline still buzzing from the activities of the day.

They swap stories with their tent mates while they brush their teeth before gathering together, usually on the front steps of their tent to settle. This time feels like a collective deep breath at the end of the day.

This is a time where activity slows and energy settles.

Campers lean against each other in their pajamas, maybe holding a stuffed animal, as counselors read aloud. As a mother, this time has always resonated deeply with me. To know my own children were being read to every night gave me great comfort. And as a tent counselor myself in the ‘90s, I loved choosing books—ones that were favorites in my own home—to read to my campers. This bedtime routine grounds us here, solidifying a sense of home away from home.

These moments—soft, quiet, and gentle—ground us in a summer full of the exuberant energy of childhood. They are powerful reminders to create space for both. Such experiences slow us down, guiding us to move with intention and connecting us in relationship to each other and to this place. As I finish this summer and move on to my next adventure, I will take these quiet moments with me—my own warp on which to weave.

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#ThisWeekAtNCS (EXCERPTS FROM OUR WEEKLY BLOG)

BY BECCA MILLER

St. Regis Canoe Trip AT NCS, OUR RESIDENTIAL HOUSES are our homes, each hosting up to a dozen students and three to four houseparents. To promote bonding amongst housemates, each house has the opportunity to go on special overnight excursions throughout the year. In September, the residents of Woods House took a two-day camping trip to the Saint Regis Canoe Area, the largest wilderness canoe area in the Northeastern United States. The group set up camp at a wooded waterfront site before cooking dinner and sharing stories beside the campfire. The weekend was spent swimming along secluded beaches and paddling the interconnected lakes and rivers of this lesser-known Adirondack gem.

Garlic Planting IN OCTOBER, OUR 7TH-GRADE EDIBLE Schoolyard students helped our farmers plant the upcoming year’s garlic crop. After breaking up heads of garlic, students buried the cloves into soil before covering the beds in insulating straw. Garlic, one of the only crops we plant in the fall, survives underground throughout the cold winter. In summer, the fully-developed heads of garlic will be harvested by our campers, allowing both School and Camp the opportunity to lend a hand in bringing this important crop to our dining rooms.

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helped our students gain an appreciation of the hard work that went into building these important community structures.

Impact Show

Longhouse Lesson AS PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM about the Haudenosaunee—the Indigenous people of the Adirondack region—our 4th-grade social studies class worked together with our Design and Build program to build a model longhouse. After collecting local flora and reclaimed materials, students used alder branches and fresh-cut grass to create the structure’s walls, siding, and roof before lashing the frame together with barn twine. The many days it took the class to complete their construction, which at just over six feet in length was one twentieth of the size of an actual longhouse,

AT THE END OF EACH FALL TERM, the Impact theater class performs an original play focusing on themes of equity, inclusion, and justice. This year’s show centered around a group of young people rebuilding their community after a war. After their town is destroyed, each member of the group has to redefine what it means to belong, and learn how to support one another through an experience that upends their lives. The powerful production featured original musical numbers written and performed by members of the cast, along with creative set pieces built using reclaimed materials.

Skimeister DURING OUR ANNUAL SKIMEISTER event in February, the school community gathered at nearby Mount Pisgah Recreation Center for a full day of skiing and

snowboarding. Organized by the 9th-grade students in Outdoor Leadership class, Skimeister was a funfilled day of silly costumes, Nordic and alpine ski races, snowboarding competitions, and the traditional NCS 3-ski, during which three students raced around a Nordic ski course together using one pair of specially-made skis. It was the perfect way to celebrate the snow season in our mountain home.

History and Swing TIME TO CUT A RUG! As part of their unit on the 1920s and 30s, our 8th-grade U.S. history students studied an integral part of the era’s cultural revolution: music and dancing. The origins and influence of jazz and swing, which developed in Black communities during the Harlem Renaissance, were discussed, as well as swing dancing’s impact on progressing women’s liberation by challenging rigid standards of dress and expression.

During a final lesson that was truly the bee’s knees, Farm Intern Melody—a swing enthusiast—brought history to life by leading the class through different types of swing dancing.

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Selected excerpts from Dr. Pamela B. Rosenthal’s graduation speech

acknowledged for its own merits and not rushed over or relegated to the afterthought of being merely in the “middle.” Here the so-called middle years are understood and allowed to be the growth years they are.

NORTH COUNTRY SCHOOL is in the majestic Adiron-

North Country School is a school that values scho-

dacks (and) the North Country School experience is

lastic achievement and rigor, but likewise values each

inextricably connected to this place. It is the stage for

of you. It is a school that practices the importance of

our exploration and creativity. Most of us come here

community while guiding you along your individual

from somewhere else, but choose to stay, or return

path. North Country School is a school where CARE

and stay connected because of what it offers–an

is the four-letter word that is lived by. Despite its less

incomparable playground for adventure, for contem-

traditional look, North Country School does not ask

plation, and for growth.

less of its students. Instead, North Country School is

So as your world opens ahead of you and you step forward to larger schools and new places, no doubt you will be asked many times, where did you come from?

How each of you answers the “what is North

a school that sets the learning bar high and asks more of its students.

Each of us in this community–families, faculty, administrators, kitchen staff, plant professionals, farmers

Country School” question will vary. An answer might

and gardeners, alumni, alumni families and, most

be that NCS is a school guarded by Balanced Rocks,

of all, students–found our way to this moment for a

on the shore of a round lake where curiosity and

myriad of reasons via a tangle of paths. Day students,

creativity are cultivated and joy is embraced, where

international students, U.S. students–each of your

the journey between elementary and high school is

families made the bold and often hard choice to send

Dr. Pamela Rosenthal (Trustee 11–present, NCS parent 07–09) became an advocate of the North Country School and Camp Treetops community after her son, Noah, thrived here as a student. This appreciation soon extended to a Board position. Pamela adeptly led our previous strategic plan, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. As a doctor who teaches at New York University Grossman School of Medicine in the field of rheumatology, Pamela is well-versed in the concept of place-based education. We were honored to welcome her to our graduation stage to share with us her unique insight and knowledge.

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you here, to this rare place. Why any of us are here is sometimes hard to explain. The collective stories of each of us emboldens and energizes the creativity everywhere on this campus. You are in command of your own narrative, your own path, your own way forward, your own steps. You have the intellect, the skills, the imagination, the compassion to live joyfully and with purpose.

Alongside math, science, and literature, you have learned independence and interdependence. You have learned the skills to find balance in the moment, and in your lives, and learned how to build community as you go forward. You have learned how to work and how to play. Live your passion. Be a student every day. Find your map, set your compass. North Country School is now and forever one of the many resources in your life. You will always be a part of this place and this place a part of you. Congratulations, graduates. You are rugged, resourceful, and resilient. You are ready for your next steps. Take good care.

Congratulations NCS Graduates 2022!

Colton Cushman Alejandro Gonzalez Eastman Heqing Huang Zhiwen (Alice) Huang Tyler Joseph Zachary Klein Camila Mejia Josie Portal Jorge Schoch Koga Takizawa Abigail Van Dorn Gengshuo (Eric) Wang Juefei (Jeff) Wang Leqi (Gemma) Wang Olivia Weiler Hongyi (Fred) Wu Amon Yamamoto

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Ziyuan (Lily) Yu Sean Zahler

Solebury School St. Marks School The Community for Learning

This year’s graduates will continue on to the following secondary schools: Bard Academy at Simon’s Rock Cambridge School of Weston Dublin School Fountain Valley School Lake Forest Academy Mercersburg Academy Northwood School Pomfret Academy Proctor Academy Sandy Spring Friends School Saranac Lake High School

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Jamieson-Roseliep Work Award Joseph Hardman Novak NCS 23 Tyler Joseph NCS 22 Laurie Pannell NCS 25 2022 Title Trekkers Erica Burns NCS Staff Colton Cushman NCS 22 Wyatt Jeffery NCS 27 Langlang Ye NCS 23

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CLASSES & ACTIVITIES Directing Dance Costume Design Improv Design and Build Theater Tech Treetops staff training Senior Camp play Camper music practice

Celebrating WallyPAC “Having a dedicated space like the Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center has opened up so many opportunities for these children to bloom and take ownership of what they’re creating,” said NCS theater teacher Courtney Allen.

The “WallyPAC'' integrates many disciplines where students can discover their own individual passions.

Within this beautiful space, children build sculptures, analyze scripts, design costumes, choreograph dance moves, engage in private and group music lessons, and cultivate their creativity through exploration and practice. Best of all, activities here are uniquely 14 ORGANIC ROOTS

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collaborative: dancers move alongside actors as our musicians perform, all in front of sets designed and built by the student tech crew.

“With so many activities offered in WallyPAC, any student can discover something they love,” said Larry Robjent, theater tech and design and build teacher. “The biggest challenge, which is kind of an ideal challenge for any educator, is being able to divide the space equally when there are so many children who want to be in the building! It really makes you realize just how truly incredible this space is and what it does for everyone.”

SPECIAL EVENTS Camp Director Karen Culpepper agrees. "WallyPAC is a truly unique space for the performing arts where children can express themselves and experiment with their creativity in a stunning natural setting,” she said.

“Whether exploring music and drama activities or singing at council on a rainy day, we look forward to sharing WallyPAC with our campers this summer!"

Please consider a gift to support the WallyPAC and the arts program at NCS and Treetops. Naming opportunities within the building are still available. Please contact Christie Borden, Director of Advancement, at cborden@ncstreetops.org or 518-837-5402

Visiting Author Joseph Bruchac Guest speaker Chef Nephi Craig’s “Introduction to Indigenous Foodways” African drum lessons with Dian Bah Impact show Sketch comedy show All-Campus Town Meetings 6th grade presentations of Greek choruses and commedia dell'Arte scenes Film screenings for Backcountry Ski Season kickoff night (in partnership with The Mountaineer outdoor store)

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Leave Your Legacy Balanced Rocks Circle

Brian Orter, left, with his husband, Michael DiMartino.

BRIAN ORTER CTT 81–86, CTT STAFF 89–91, BALANCED ROCKS CIRCLE MEMBER 2014

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As a young camper at Camp Treetops in the early 1980s, Brian Orter found himself lost in the woods.

Along with a few other children, Brian had fallen behind a group of hikers being led by counselor Trevor Trait. With his peers scared and uncertain, Brian mustered up courage and picked a path to follow. But it wasn’t success that made the day’s decision so memorable. “It was wrong,” he said. “I chose the path that led away from the group.”

Thankfully, the campers had actually been safe the whole time—unbeknownst to them, Trevor had climbed a tree to observe how the young people would behave on the trail in a real-life scenario of being lost. When Trevor appeared, he explained to the relieved campers the purpose of trail markers and the importance of observing their environment in order to find their bearings.

“The best way to connect is to disconnect.

Without places like Treetops, we would be hopeless.”

“Trevor’s lesson has informed every decision I’ve made ever since,” Brian said. “Look at your surroundings, take a moment, and think about the situation.”

Brian adored his time at CTT. Upon his arrival to campus in 1981 at 8 years old, he recalls being amazed by the sight of the bridge to the ramp lockers.

He immediately spotted the climbing trees, which he then climbed every chance he got. Brian lived in Woods House, but the outdoors called to him, and he longed to sleep in a tent and try out all of the outdoor activities Camp had to offer.

Counselors and staff were happy to oblige. Trevor (CTT 73–78, staff 85–92) and the Tait family introduced Brian to kayaking. Dudley Cunningham (CTT 63–66, Staff 73–81, 89–95, Balanced Rocks Circle Member) taught him how to sail. Dudley was strict but loving, and encouraged campers to always be kind to one another. Bob Bliss (CTT 33–91, NCS 40–43), an avid reader with a bed made of books, inspired Brian’s newfound love of literature and frequent visits to the Camp library.

These relationships had a lasting impact. “The Treetops community is an additional parent, and I felt safe and at home,” he said. In fact, during his first summer, Brian vividly remembers a moment at meal time that changed his life experience for the better.

At home, he’d been struggling with the proper way to hold a knife and fork. To Brian’s surprise, his table head made it all click for him. “It was such a small moment that it’s likely completely forgotten by everyone else. The table head simply got up, crouched behind

me, took my hands, switched the knife to my right, and helped me grip the utensils,” Brian said. “That was it—I was able to cut my own food, switch the knife back and forth, and didn’t feel like a klutz after that.”

Brian enjoyed his time at Treetops so much that he decided to become a counselor, which further cultivated his self-esteem and leadership skills. “I remember, at around 16-years-old, I took some friends camping—no adults. My friends relied on me, and I relied on my education from my years at Camp.”

This education also came in handy in the classroom. About a year after Trevor Tait’s lesson on the importance of observation, Brian’s skills were put to the test. “My teacher in school gave us a pop quiz.

Upon turning it in, he said, ‘if you didn’t get 100% right, you failed.’” There was a new addition on the classroom wall that day—a large poster that read, Answers to today’s pop quiz. Naturally, Brian aced the test. “I was the only one to notice it,” he said.

Today, Brian splits his time between Cape Cod and California with his husband, Michael DiMartino, and two Brussels Griffons named Bodhi and Doozer. He’s a private IFR rated pilot, an Airport Commissioner in Provincetown, MA, and president of Pilots to the Rescue, a non-profit dog rescue organization. In 2008, he launched BOLD, LLC (Brian Orter Lighting Design) in both New York and Los Angeles. He’s also a textile designer, and enjoys art and psychology.

Brian has been a consistent leadership donor to the Annual Fund. “The best way to connect is to disconnect. Without places like Treetops, we would be hopeless,” he said. “Since my husband and I don’t have children, it was a simple decision. If we want good people in the world, then we need more children to experience Camp Treetops.”

In 2014, Brian became a member of the Balanced Rocks Circle, the legacy society for Camp Treetops and North Country School, because he believes it’s imperative to provide for current and future campers so Treetops exists forever. “Any success I have is a direct result of Treetops,” he said.

Brian and Michael also support The Trevor Project, Camp Lightbulb, and other New York and Los Angeles based LGBTQ+ organizations.

Please consider a bequest or planned gift to benefit NCS and Camp Treetops and leave your legacy for the next generation of children. For more information on the Balanced Rocks Circle, please contact Christie Borden, Director of Advancement, at cborden@ncstreetops.org or 518-523-9329 ext. 5446

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Each year, dozens of new students arrive on our bucolic campus not quite knowing what to expect. Will I like my teachers? Will I make friends? Will I be successful here?

Some travel a few hours to join our community, while others come from around the world. Some begin as Treetops campers; others are visiting the Adirondacks for the very first time. What’s universal is the discovery that our hands-on, place-based education model isn’t just a philosophy: it’s a way of life. While our students’ interests are varied—ranging from planting strawberries to launching bottle rockets to playing guitar—all are nurtured by thoughtful teaching methods and a supportive community of peers and staff.

Here, we’ve asked one student from each grade to reflect on some of their favorite lessons and experiences.

KOGA (GRADE 9)

A Journey of

Discovery

At North Country School, students find a safe haven where they are encouraged to create, explore, and develop newfound passions

INTERVIEWS BY ALEXIS STEPHENSON

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I really looked forward to getting out in nature when I came to NCS and CTT; there aren’t many outdoorsy places I could explore back in Japan. Even though we’re kind of in the middle of nowhere, it’s refreshing out here. With Outdoor Leadership, I’ve gotten to snowboard, ski, swim, hike, and just enjoy being outside. Camp Treetops is like that, too, even more than during school. You learn things from and about your environment while you’re out in it.

I’ve also had so much fun in the woodshop–I was able to build a clock and it’s cool being able to hold something you worked hard on. I can pick it up and look at it, and it just reminds me of a good time.

I have two favorite subjects, but my number one is Earth science with Larry. He’s excited about what he does and jokes with us a lot, but is still really good at helping us learn. One of our projects was to visit a stream at the yurt to draw what we saw. We talked about what a stream is, why they exist, the different types, and about all of the things that could live in it. Drawing it was nice, too, because it helped us remember what Larry was saying. Larry called the project “Stream of Consciousness.”

LAUREN (GRADE 8) Learning to play guitar at NCS has been really impactful, in a lot of ways, and is definitely something I’ve developed a passion for. For one, it’s awesome being able to share what I’ve learned with my friends and family, like, “hey, look what I can do!” That’s beyond satisfying. But it’s also so much more than that. Tons of people play guitar, I know, but it never stops being a thrill when I realize that I also now have that skill. It was always an interest, but it’s been nurtured here and I’m super grateful for that opportunity.

Not surprisingly, my favorite subject is independent music class. Gwen, my teacher and advisor, is such a great person and educator because she teaches me more than just the subject. She has taught me how to utilize music as a creative outlet for when I’m stressed or struggling. As a person, Gwen is a

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friend and a wonderful support system. And as an educator, there is no one more devoted to what they teach. The life lessons Gwen offers, as well as her instrumental instruction, are things that will stay with me forever. Not only is this my favorite class, but my favorite overall experience. And I don’t just mean my NCS experience, I mean throughout my life. I’ve grown as a learner and as an individual. Actually, what’s really unique about this place is these skills are things people usually learn in high school or college. But, being a middle-schooler, experiencing a place like this will prepare me for what life has in store way earlier than for anyone who doesn’t go here. You get exposure to so much more than just academics, and that’s a really beautiful thing.

MATÍAS (GRADE 7) I came to NCS from Mexico City during Covid-19. I had been doing school online and my parents wanted a safe environment where I could be around other people and kids. There are so many things I’ve realized I like doing since arriving. I love going on hikes, even the longer ones. It seems like all of the kids like the hikes, even though some of them can be pretty challenging! Our hikes are a good time to talk with friends, too.

Math and science are totally my favorites. I can’t choose between the two of them, but in science we practice math as well, just naturally. One of the best things we’ve done in Patrick’s math and science class is build hydrogen bottle rockets! We built a machine that generates electricity by connecting an old hoverboard motor to a bicycle. Then we take that electricity and pass it through a sodium hydroxide solution, which splits water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas.

After we have that solution, we fill up our soda bottles and launch them! We built the launch pad and detonator, too. When it works, we set up goals like accuracy, distance, and things like that.

That’s why I said it’s a mix of science and math, because we have to measure and calculate a lot of different things.

The best part about this project, and all of my classes in general, is that we learn by doing more than just taking notes or finishing a test. Everything we do, as much as we possibly can, is so hands-on. Sure, we get told how things work, but then we actually get to see how they work in action and are a part of it. Like with the rockets, we designed every part of that project ourselves. I think learning by doing is the best way to actually get us hyped for our subjects.

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LAURIE (GRADE 6) I’m very interested in theater. When we put on our production of “The Mystery of Shady Acres,” I got to play the role of assistant detective Emma Reid. Learning about the characters and how to become them was something I hadn’t ever thought would be exciting for me, but our theater teacher Courtney showed us just how cool it can be. When we had Intersession [a special week of academic programming], I got to help with costume design and it was neat to see all of the pieces that go into making a play possible, and how it’s more than just kids learning how to act; we have a part in creating the whole thing from start to finish, even the technical stuff.

My favorite subject would have to be math, which is funny because math has always been kind of challenging for me. It’s still hard, but our math and science teacher Max makes it fun with all of his puns and jokes. It’s easy to get stressed over not knowing how to do our word problems, or if we’re working on a really hard unit that day, but when Max gets a little silly, it makes all of the students happier. I think that

other subjects have more ways a teacher can make them interesting, but math is a hard one to do that with. It’s all numbers and fractions and stuff … like, why would any kid want to do that? When we see Max having a good time in class, it’s pretty impossible not to have a good time, too.

LUCY (GRADE 5) I race with NYSEF [the New York Ski Educational Foundation], so I love the outdoors, but never really got to experience it in ways other than skiing. At North Country School, we go hiking, work in the gardens, collect sap for sugaring—all of these things that I wouldn’t get to do if I wasn’t here. During Intersession, we learned how to set up a tent, which was something I’d never done before. In our Edible Schoolyard class, we transplanted strawberry plants so they would grow better. We had to cover them in plastic to protect them from parasites and damage from the weather.

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PLACE-BASED EDUCATION IN AN EXTRAORDINARY PLACE

WYATT (GRADE 4) My favorite memory is the potato harvest, where we dig for potatoes with different grades. I loved working with the older kids because they are so helpful and supportive. It’s a good way for the younger grades to bond with and learn from them.

Photography is my absolute favorite, though. We built a camera obscura with Sierra and learned how cameras were made and used before the days of more advanced technology. Right now we’re learning how to make a pinhole camera! Learning the ways people lived and built stuff with the tools they had is so interesting. That’s why I love social studies, too, which is my other favorite class. Not only do we learn about how different life was throughout history, but also about how different cultures began and interacted with other parts of the world.

In class now, we’re learning about the Inuit people in the Tundra. It’s important to learn about people and the world because it makes you appreciate what we have, but also respect the work the people before us put in to make all of what we have possible.

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One of my favorite subjects is science. Right now we’re learning about plants and what nutrients they need by actually growing them together. If you look on the windowsill in our classroom, you’ll see our bean and tomato plants. Soon they’ll be bigger and we’ll get to plant them outside in the gardens or in the greenhouse.

My second favorite subject is social studies. The most exciting moment I had in that class was taking a virtual tour inside a museum of ancient Mesopotamian artifacts, where we learned about statues, carvings, pottery, ivory, and gold. Did you know that most ancient statues are missing body parts like their arms, legs, and noses? That’s because, over time, the parts that stick out from the torso are the most fragile and break off first.

Other than school subjects, I discovered that I really love Capture the Flag–I’m an expert at it!

tr y n ou ren C rth hild , and o y N e ,c At o o l r e a t u n i t h Sc re, c omm em e h plo n a c res t rpos x e i pi f pu ing n r s a n le at i s o ang e th d liv -ch ea ever rld. l to an wo in

Help spread the word about North Country School.

Visit NCSADK.org or contact the NCS Admissions Office at 518-523-9329.

MODERN ENGLISH

In fair Lake Placid, where we lay our scene, Meredith Hanson’s 9th grade English class features interactive experiences that maximize engagement and minimize toil and trouble

BY MEREDITH HANSON

As a 9th grade student in Michigan, I despised English class. I loved to read, but found that waiting for my classmates to hesitantly share a thought about our latest dull-as-dust novel, only to be corrected by our teacher’s own ideas, was an exercise in misery.

Despite this discouraging start, my love of language remained steadfast. In college, I majored in linguistics, studying French, Spanish, and Japanese, eventually earning my Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Languages and Linguistics at Earlham College and my Master’s degree in Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. After six years as an English as a Second Language teacher at North Country School, I found myself presented with the opportunity to teach English language arts to the entire 9th grade. Immediately, I started to wonder: what would make this 9th

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grade English class the one I wish I could have taken when I was 14?

About a third of NCS students are international, so I immediately determined that the course would need to be equally welcoming to them via choice of texts, authors, and the cultural settings of the works themselves. I added more book choices by Black, Asian, Latino, and Native American authors, numerous books written by women, and more stories featuring LGBTQ+ protagonists. In addition to older classics such as Jane Eyre (like our students, she goes to boarding school!) and Fahrenheit 451 (about a screen-addicted world eerily relevant today), I introduced more science fiction novels and even a few well-respected graphic novels.

In graduate school, I had studied the importance of “language socialization”—learning language by

Book selections from the “Authors & Justice” English class unit.

observing and participating in communities that speak that language, and prioritizing this participation over grammar or vocabulary study. Consequently, my course would involve lots of time for students to talk to each other in student-centered small groups, without a teacher constantly hovering and injecting their own ideas.

Finally, I asked myself, what should 9th graders be able to do with English to make sense of the texts, and the world, all around them? In my view, they need to understand how an author’s perspective shapes what they write; to identify and articulate any gaps in a writer’s logic; to understand how a work builds on other story-telling traditions; to form a sense of why and how a story manages to captivate us; and to consider what larger truths it could be telling. Further, students should consider texts as works of art and

critique them on their artistic merits, just as they do in NCS’s art classes. Ultimately, they need to demonstrate all these skills orally, as well as in writing, and be able to communicate effectively both with their peers and with a broader audience. It’s a tall order, but these are crucial skills.

Two of my favorite units of the course showcase many of these ideas: “Authors & Justice” and “Macbeth.”

THEORY INTO PRACTICE: “AUTHORS & JUSTICE” “Authors & Justice” came from two observations.

Firstly, that 9th graders love to talk about justice and injustice, a concept central to so many of the dystopian novels beloved by this age group; and, secondly, that students need to practice presenting and developing

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Clockwise from above: Amon as Ray Bradbury at the “Authors & Justice” conference. Alex holds a prop dagger as he performs a scene from Macbeth. Arden and Steven read together from Macbeth.

their ideas orally, not only in writing.

In a Chicano literature course I took in college, the class was given an assignment to answer questions in character as the authors we’d read. Reflecting on this exercise, I was inspired to create an annual “Authors’ Conference.” During each conference, I make name tags for each student with the name of the author they are representing and ask them to speak from that person’s perspective. They must explain, how does the concept of justice figure into your work? How do your characters respond to injustice?

Since the time of your book, have things gotten better or worse? What message in your work do you think people need to hear the most today?

The scene, with invited guests including parents/ guardians and other NCS teachers and students, resembles a press conference or a panel discussion.

I often wonder if having students represent their authors’ views rather than their own helps them speak with more confidence and authority, as their own positions might not be certain yet, or they might

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be less ready to share their own perspectives. In the end, everyone has something to say, even in response to the impromptu questions I save for the conference itself, such as, “What real-life actions would you hope your readers will take after reading your book?” It’s always moving to hear students trying out how they, too, can stand up for justice in their world.

“MACBETH”: MAKING SHAKESPEARE FUN January and February in our classroom might be “the winter of our discontent” (to riff on the opening of Richard III)—the time of year we spend reading, watching, analyzing, and performing Shakespeare’s Macbeth. To the usual question, “do we have to read Shakespeare?” my answer is, “yes, because it’s going to be fun!”

How do I make it fun? Well, I try many things, beginning with geeking out about Shakespeare myself every day in class. (How many of us became interested in something just because our teacher was so passionate about it?) More concretely, we read the play during class instead of as homework. Reading the play together is absolutely crucial, because if 9th-graders anywhere are assigned Shakespeare to read on their own, most either 1) struggle, 2) give up, or 3) find a “modern English translation” online and read that instead.

The tasks I assign as homework connect Shakespeare to students’ own interests and backgrounds.

They range from watching the rapper Akala’s TEDx talk “Hip-Hop & Shakespeare?” and investigating clips from MIT’s “Global Shakespeares” online collection, to comparing the staging of Act 2’s “dagger scene” in various filmed versions of the play.

In class, we watch scenes from a wide variety of Macbeth adaptations; the 2021 film starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand is a new favorite, along with the 2010 film starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood, but even the minimalist 1979 production starring Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench has its fans. We also explore what English may have sounded like in Shakespeare’s own time and how it differs from the accent many British actors perform in today.

While doing this, we have the chance to talk about sociolinguistics, language-based discrimination, and how all our accents and language varieties are beautiful, correct, and valuable parts of our own identities and heritage.

Words like “black” and “white,” as well as many others, had different meanings in Shakespeare’s time, and can cause confusion at best and pain at worst when said on stage to an audience today. Informed by materials developed by Lavina Jadhwani, a South Asian theater artist and educator at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, students work in groups and later on their own to interpret how these words are used in Macbeth and how the lines in question might be performed differently, cut, or rewritten to clarify their meaning. In another exercise, students rewrite por-

tions of a scene in contemporary English, using their own words, then discuss the differences between the two versions.

The unit culminates in a video-recorded project where all students choose a portion of a scene to either act out or direct. Some look for the smallest possible part, while others relish giving the huge speeches. The actors mark up the script of their chosen scene with notes about the meanings of the lines and how they want to move as they deliver their dialogue; the directors do this as well, for each actor in the scene. The directors also create either a set design or costume designs. A dagger borrowed from the theater department is always a favorite prop.

While the actors don’t need to memorize the text, they must perform it expressively. Theater is popular at NCS, and this assignment has led to some students being “discovered” as actors; one was even cast in the spring play on the strength of this performance. Another who directed in class later directed an NCS play after graduating.

Finally, both actors and directors write short papers about what happens in the scene, with a brief analysis of something that strikes them.

These topics have ranged from the unhealthy dynamics of the Macbeths’ marriage, to how the doctor should have treated Lady Macbeth’s breakdown, to how toxic masculinity ultimately brings Macbeth himself to ruin. A final paragraph in their papers reflects upon their own performance as an actor or director.

“Authors and Justice” and “Macbeth” continue to teach important lessons each year. In fact, a surprising number of students name Macbeth when I ask about their favorite texts from the year, with some admitting they were surprised they liked it! In these units and throughout the course, students are encouraged to think on their own and to speak their own words, never simply retelling the book’s own story. I’m proud to say, with the support of my thoughtful and energetic students, I’ve built the class my 9th-grade self truly wanted and needed, and teaching it continues to be a joy.

The tasks I assign as homework, which connect Shakespeare to students’ own interests and backgrounds, include watching the rapper Akala’s TEDx talk, “Hip-Hop & Shakespeare?”

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From

Insight to Action

BY MATTHEW P. SMITH DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL

“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.”

So wrote John Dewey, a philosopher from the turn of the twentieth century, whose views on progressive education closely align with ours here at North County School.

Like Dewey, we believe that authentic learning is hands-on, that active participation always surpasses passive learning, and that lessons should highlight relevancy to a child’s life.

In the last issue of Organic Roots, I introduced the Curriculum Project, a multi-phase strategic review of North Country School’s curriculum for grades 4 through 9. By undergoing this process, we ensure NCS is fully living up to our mission of place-based, child-centered learning.

Last summer, a volunteer faculty committee collected and analyzed data, including published materials about curriculum, curriculum maps generated by our teachers, and historical institutional documents about NCS.

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In the first phases of analysis, we were pleased to find strong multidimensional alignment in what we teach. That is, our content was appropriate and consistent both across (grade-to-grade) and among (subject-to-subject) grade levels. We identified more variation in how we teach and mapped out a plan to move towards more student-centered and placebased methods, in keeping with our stated goals.

With these aims in mind, during the 2021-2022 school year, we focused on drafting, discussing, and refining our core values. In a series of faculty workshops, we identified the underlying philosophical and conceptual values that animate our community and curriculum. It won’t surprise you that we landed on values that honor resilience, responsibility, and connection.

By studying our curriculum, identifying opportunities to improve, and articulating our core values, we’ve moved from insight to action.

For example, the process encouraged us to restructure our science curriculum. We’ve shifted our Earth science curriculum from Grade 8 into our lower school. We wanted to create more sustained opportunities for students to understand the foundational concepts of Earth science so that they could take a more precise environmental science course in Grade 8. As a result, we hired an environmental science teacher, who can also lead as our campus Sustainability Coordinator.

The Curriculum Project process also helped us identify two teacher leaders who will take on more senior roles in school life. Starting in 2022, Caroline Hlavacek Perry and Issac Vesery will serve as Director of Teaching and Learning for the lower school and upper school, respectively. Caroline has been at North

Country School for seven years and has a Master’s in Teaching focused on Middle Level Education. Isaac has been at North Country School for three years and has a background in independent and experiential education. I’m excited to work with Caroline and Issac to develop our internal capacity and flatten the leadership curve at NCS. The Curriculum Project has presented strategic opportunities to fulfill our promise of a purposeful school community that combines socialization, meaningful learning, and authentic work.

It is imperative that we as educators continue to ask questions and explore how to better serve our students. After all, as Dewey said, “The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning.”

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ALTA FRIENDS’ WEEKEND

After a two-year hiatus, NCS and CTT alumni, families, and friends gathered at Alta Lodge in Utah for our annual Alta Friends’ Weekend. Mimi Murray-Levitt (CTT 51–52, NCS 51–57, parent 66-70, Balanced Rocks Circle) was once again our host. Executive Director Todd Ormiston was joined by Larry Robjent, NCS science teacher, houseparent, theater tech teacher, and avid skier. Friends and families spent five days enjoying the Alta sunshine and snow as they reconnected with fellow alumni. Please save the date for Alta Friends’ Weekend 2023 on April 12–16.

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Elizabeth “Betty” Clark Eldridge

Several generations of the Clark-Eldridge family.

NCS 53, parent 70– 82, staff 70–80, grandparent 99-09 CTT 49– 50, staff 97–99, 12–15, grandparent 03–08 Elizabeth “Betty” Clark Eldridge, former co-head of North Country School, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2021 in the company of family. Born on Jan. 13, 1940, Betty was the daughter of Leo and Walter Clark, founders of NCS. She grew up on the school grounds with her older sister, Kaye, and her younger brother, Alan.

After attending NCS, Betty studied at The Putney School, Pembroke College, and Marlboro College.

She worked with children for most of her life as a counselor at Camp Treetops, a teacher at North Country School, and as the School’s co-head alongside her husband, Harry K. Eldridge. Betty married Harry on June 18, 1959. They raised their children— Anne, twins Katie and Noni, and Alan—in their house across Cascade Road while they worked as teachers at North Country School. From 1964 to 1969, Betty and Harry ran Camp Gawee, a summer mountaineering camp.

In 1970, following the retirement of Walter and Leo, Harry and Betty assumed the leadership of North

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Country School and eventually the directorship of School and Camp. As an educator and administrator, Betty was known for her steadfast support of students and faculty. Her legacy at Camp and School is rooted in her deep commitment to community service and sustainable organic farming, which were inspired by her upbringing. Many former campers and students would recall Betty’s enduring love of horses and their ability to teach children confidence. Always a forward-thinker, Betty was an early advocate of farm-tofork education, which remains vital to the Camp and School experience to this day.

After retiring from NCS in 1979, Betty and Harry opened South Meadow Farm Lodge, a bed and

breakfast adjacent to the Mount Van Hoevenberg cross-country ski trails. Following Harry’s death, Betty sold the lodge and decided to build her dream house, tapping local talent and recruiting her brother, Alan Clark, as architect and designer.

In 1993, construction was completed on a timber-frame home that represented her passion for an environmentally-sensitive lifestyle. With a sod roof, wood and stone gathered from her own land, a passive solar design, and rooftop solar panels, it was recognized as the site of the region’s first Solar Net Meter. To say she was ahead of her time would be an understatement.

Earlier in her life, Betty also became known for her global work with Greenpeace, which included voyages on the Rainbow Warrior, a ship supporting campaigns against whaling, seal hunting, nuclear testing, and nuclear waste dumping in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She served as a board member of The Adirondack Council and volunteered for the Red Cross, where she loved her “Book Club Babes.” Betty was always ready to lend a helping hand.

A lifelong organic farmer, bird feeder, hiker, biker, skier, skater, cello player, singer, horseback rider, quilter, baker, and loyal friend, there wasn’t much she

Betty Clark Eldridge and former Head of Kitchen Paulette Peduzzi at Friends’ Weekend 2016.

didn’t enthusiastically embrace. Betty had boundless energy, a wonderful sense of humor, and a passion for life. She was a brave, fun, and loving woman whose door was always open. She welcomed all with her broad smile, famously strong hugs, and selfless generosity.

Betty was devoted to her family. She leaves behind her four children, brother Alan Clark, and six grandchildren: Sarah and Justin Perry, Erin and Amy Weaver, and Alex and Ian Eldridge.

A memorial service at North Country School and Camp Treetops was held on Saturday, June 4, 2022.

Donations in Betty’s memory may be made to North Country School and Camp Treetops. If you choose to direct your gift to a specific area, please consider supporting the horse program, which was particularly close to Betty’s heart.

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Roger on his 80th birthday with his kids (left to right) Brigit, Patrick, Jennifer, and David. Right: Upon Roger’s retirement in 1992, the entire NCS community climbed to the summit of Cascade Mountain to celebrate his last day as Head of School.

The inimitable Roger Loud was a mountain of a man and he will be deeply missed by so many in our community. We are enormously grateful for the time we had with him and the impact he had on Camp and School over our 80-year relationship.

Roger came to Treetops as a camper in 1942. He went on to work at Camp for many years and each of his four children attended both North Country School and Camp Treetops. Additionally, he was the founder of the Treetops West program in 1974. Roger joined the NCS faculty in 1970 as a math teacher. He became Head of North Country School in 1982 and served in that role until 1992. Roger joined the Board of Trustees of NCS and Treetops in 1994 and was an active participant until his death.

Roger was known for his humor and dry wit, his love for hiking in the Adirondack mountains (he was a 46er twelve times over), his square dance calling, poker playing, and his commitment to teaching children and connecting them to the wilderness. He was a devoted husband and father and relished the role of grandfather.

Roger was quoted in an Adirondack Daily Enterprise article in 2008, saying, “I have one firm belief in how I like to live. I take my job very seriously and never take myself seriously.” We couldn’t agree more. What follows is our dear friend’s obituary, written, fittingly, by Roger himself.

—Todd Ormiston, Executive Director

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Roger Sherman Loud CTT 42–48, staff 54–63, parent 71–95, 70–80 NCS parent 70–96, faculty 70–92 Roger Sherman Loud, 86, died April 29, 2022, at home in Lake Placid, NY. He was born June 14, 1935, in New York City to Ruth Putnam McAneny Loud and Sherman Loud.

Roger received his formal education from The Dalton School in New York City, Fountain Valley School in Colorado, and Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, from which he graduated in 1952. Roger then earned an A. B. in 1956 from Amherst College and an M.ED. from the University of Cincinnati.

Fond farewells to Roger

He began his long career in teaching at the Hillsdale School in Cincinnati in 1958, teaching history and math, and was Headmaster during the 1969-70 academic year. He moved to Lake Placid in 1970, joining the faculty of North Country School and Camp Treetops, later becoming Director from 1982–92. Roger then began a lengthy stint teaching math at Lake Placid’s Northwood School, finally retiring in 2021 at the age of 86.

He served on the Board of Trustees at Gould Academy in Maine for six years in the 1980s and on the Board at NCS/CTT from 1994 to 2022.

Roger’s greatest passion outside of family and teaching lay in the mountains, especially the Adirondacks. He was an Adirondack 46er (#125 on the list), completing not one but twelve rounds of climbing the High Peaks, and co-led summer hiking/climbing expeditions to Wyoming, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alberta in the 1970s. He strongly believed in connecting children to the beauty and challenges of the wilderness. He co-founded Camp Gawee in 1964 and began the Treetops West program in 1974, both of which were designed to immerse teenagers in intense mountaineering experiences.

Roger is survived by his wife, Patricia; his four children: David Roger Loud of New York City (Pedro Porro); Jennifer Vann of Longmont, Colorado; Patrick George Loud of Virginia Beach; and Brigit Loud of Colchester, Vermont; and his beloved grandson, Bodie.

He was predeceased by his sister, Margaret Faron.

“Roger was such a warm, kind, and encouraging man. One of the best teachers I ever had (even if I’ve long since forgotten the Quadratic Equation).”

“A man of incredible character, fortitude, intellect, and a host of other attributes.”

“Farewell, Roger. Thank you for sharing the value of perseverance and good humor. Many students, of which I am one, are stronger and happier because of your fine example.

Godspeed you to your next peak!”

“Roger was like a second father to me while I was at NCS and he inspired me in ways that remain with me to this day.”

“It is with great sadness to hear of Roger’s passing. To watch him interact with his students was priceless. His humor, his steady presence, and his passion for teaching both inspired and motivated his ‘kids.’”

“What a great man, and what a wonderful life he lived. I never knew anyone else who could do a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in 15 minutes, show such unlimited patience climbing mountains with children, or somehow keep a level head no matter what happened. A wise and wonderful human being who will be sorely missed.”

“In my teens, Roger led me up many mountains in the Adirondacks and out West, and inspired me to become a 46er.”

“He was a full-flavored character whose confidence was infectious. I’ll never forget his New Balance sneakers and John Wayne gait.”

“So very blessed to have known him! He touched many hearts as well as mine!”

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IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM / NEWS & NOTES

Ellen Mitchell (center), Mitch Craib, Alice Craib Blosser (pictured in 1971).

IN MEMORIAM Ellen (Craib) Mitchell 1937–2022 Ellen Mitchell (NCS parent 70–78, NCS staff 70–75) passed away peacefully among family and friends in Longmont, CO at age 85 with heart failure on March 2, 2022. She came to work as an art teacher and house parent at North Country School in 1970 and stayed for five years. At the time, the school had a limited budget and vision for art. This changed when Ellen arrived, and she was helped in that change by other art-oriented staff like Dana Loud, Sue and Peter Hansen, Joanie Barbier, and Betty Eldridge.

As always, wherever she went, Ellen brought with her a bursting desire to teach and do fine artwork of every kind. Under her direction, the NCS art room expanded from paper, pencils, scissors, and glue to include batik, ceramics, weaving, and much more. It quickly became clear that, with the right guidance and expectations, children could do

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gallery-quality work. Parents were thrilled with the results. Consequently, the school’s support for its art program expanded and we are all aware that it remains a vital component of the learning program offered by the school.

Ellen was grateful to the day she died for the foundational role NCS played in her life and in those of her children, Mitchell Craib (NCS 70–75, CTT staff 15–16) and Alice Craib Blosser (NCS 71–78). She often told her children how much she loved and appreciated her former students and colleagues and the school.

James M. Kramon 1944–2022 James Marshall “Jim” Kramon (CTT 63–66), the co-founder of a Baltimore law firm recalled for his ethical standards, died Feb. 25 in Quiogue on Long Island at age 78.

Born in Manhattan, he was the son of Jack Kramon, a founder of the MAJER slacks garment-making firm who emigrated from Russia as a child, and his wife, Hortense

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James Kramon.

Sarot, a teacher from Maplewood, NJ. After his father died, he became a family leader at age 12.

“As a kid, Jim was mischievous, no doubt about it,” his sister Patricia Pincus (CTT 58–62, CTT parent 90–98, Trustee 99–12, 18–21) said. “He loved to show us how, just as the laundry on the line of the building next to us was drying, a water balloon could soak it all over again.”

He earned a law degree at the George Washington University School of Law and a master’s degree in law at Harvard University.

He was a law clerk to U.S. Judge Thomas E. Fairchild in Chicago.

Friends said he had a precise, tenacious legal mind and was known for his ethical commitments.

Paul Bartlett 1934–2021 Paul H. Bartlett (NCS 47–48) died at age 87 of natural causes on December 21, 2021. He was born in New York on July 20, 1934, the son of attorney Walter Scott Bartlett and artist Mary Holland.

He graduated from St. Paul’s School, Yale, and Yale School of Architecture. Later he earned an MBA from UC Berkeley. He practiced architecture and management consulting for 15 years in San Francisco at firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. He, his wife, and his son moved to Fairfield, CT in 1977 and lived there for the next 40 years. He was an avid sailor, skier, and tennis player. He was also a voracious reader, known for his intelligence and wit, and a relentless striving for goodness. He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Barbara Welles Bartlett, his daughter from a previous marriage, Paulette Bartlett Robinson (Phil), his son, John Welles Bartlett (Abby), and grandson McKee Welles Bartlett.

Timothy Roger Whitcomb 1967–2021 Timothy Roger Whitcomb (CTT 79–80, NCS 80–81) passed away in Sri Lanka in 2021.

Claire O’Connor 1939–2022 Claire M. O’Connor (NCS staff 88–89), 83, of Lake Placid, passed away peacefully on Feb. 24, 2022, surrounded by her family. Claire leaves behind her daughter, Ingrid Van Slyke, son-inlaw Paul Van Slyke, and grandchildren Maris and Andrew Van Slyke, all of Lake Placid; daughter Helen Hagerty, son-in-law Harry Hagerty Jr., and grandchildren Terence, Mattie Moye, Hannah, Harry III, Murphy, and Rory Hagerty, as well as great-grand-

NCS Director of Admission Bill Newman met with alumni and current families in Guatemala City in February. Back row left to right: Melida Aguilar Santos, Nina Sawaya Aguilar, Melida Aguilar de Sawaya, Andreas Haidacher, Margarita Delgado de Haidacher, Daniel Cottone, Bill Newman, Cecilia Godoy (mother of Katina, Paula, and Mariana Delgado), Steffen Cottone, Luis Aguilar, Bernhard Haidacher, Manuel Ayau (grandfather of Ariana Ayau), Maria de Aguilar, and Alex Delgado.

Front row, left to right: Paula Delgado, Natalia Delgado, Lotty de Bruderer (mother of Martin and Emma), Mariana Delgado, and Alina Haidacher Delgado.

daughter Selkie Kitchen, all of Washington, D.C.; stepdaughter Susan Pratt, of Petersburg; nieces Dawn and Diane McNamara; and nephew Dan McNamara.

ing care of the animals, riding, drill team, skiing, bobsledding, the sugar house and making maple syrup, and iceboating on Round Lake are just a few of my memories.

After North Country, I spent

News & Notes NCS ALUMNI/AE 1957 Martha Mabee NCS 55–57, NCS parent 84–86 “I moved this summer, which was not too far, but am enjoying watching my grandchildren grow up and go off to college and school at Stratton Mountain School!”

1967 Michael A. Nelson NCS 64–67 “I have nothing but wonderful memories of my years at NCS. Building hay forts in the barn, tak-

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Current NCS student Abigail VanDorn (NCS 16–present) and former students Steven Halasz (NCS 84–89) and Lucy Hochschartner (CTT 06–08, NCS 07-13, 11–12, staff 15-17) competed at the Biathlon Nationals in March in Lake Placid. They all did well in their age groups. Lucy placed 4th and 5th in the open division, and her team finished 1st in the relay.

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NEWS & NOTES

NEWS & NOTES

one year at Stowe Prep, two years in Boise, ID, one year in Lugano, Switzerland, and three years in Paris and Bordeaux, France. Returning to the US, I was in Woodstock, VT for a year before settling in California.

My wife, Betsy, and I settled in Belmont in 1983, having lived and raised two wonderful daughters in the same house.

It has been a long time, but I think back to those days often.”

1972 Susan Mahaffy NCS 70–72 “Now that I’m retired after 37 years of teaching, mostly kindergarten, I’m hoping to get back for Friends’ Weekend. We are the proud grandparents of a 2-year-old girl and newborn twin boys!”

1979 Bill Waddington (NCS 77–79, CTT 80, CTT parent 09–12, NCS parent 10–13)

Nick Waddington (CTT 09–12, NCS 10–13, CTT staff, 18–19) Executive Director Todd Ormiston caught up with Bill and Nick Waddington in Stateline, Nevada.

1981 James E. Berrier NCS 79–81 “Surviving the pandemic with my wife and 12-year-old son in Portland, OR.” Aimee G. Reveno NCS 80–81 “Thanks to the pandemic, I have tapped into my inner NCS’er, learning to sew and fix things around my home. Remote life has been comfortable and safe, but unsatisfying. I look forward to new in-person adventures.”

1989 Bridget A. Brown NCS 85–89 “Enjoying living on our farm in Northern Utah. Our children (10

Nick Waddington, Todd Ormiston, and Bill Waddington in Stateline, NV Diego Davila

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Newborn Sophie in 2022.

2020 Julia Turner NCS 19–20 Julia’s artwork was included in the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) 2022 Legislative Exhibit Virtual Edition, which showcases student art from across the state.

and 6) help raise the animals: sheep, goats, ducks, turkeys, and horses.”

1996 Carla von Trapp Hunter NCS 95–96, Trustee 16–present Carla von Trapp Hunter and David Rothenbucher welcomed Sophie on March 11, 2022 in Burlington, VT. 2012 Louise de Mattos NCS 09–12 “I am currently working for the global firm Capgemini Engineering as a software engineer and community representative. We rotate projects every six months and some of the projects include working with offices in Germany and Romania to unite the European Rail System, working on Rolls Royce airplane engine safety, working with Atkins on Nuclear Safety systems, improving landing systems for rescue helicopters to

Louise de Mattos.

CTT FRIENDS Robert A. Heays CTT 31–38, Balanced Rocks Circle “I will never forget my eight wonderful summers at Treetops. I am 101-years-old and legally blind for five years. With the help of two part-time aides, I have lived alone in my condo home since 2018.”

Liza Ketchum CTT 58–60, Staff 65–67, Parent 85–87, Balanced Rocks Circle Liza has published two books focused on the natural world: Begin with a Bee (U of Minnesota Press) is a picture book about the rusty-patched bumblebee (co-authored with Jackie Briggs Martin

Yan Song, mother of current student Gerby Guo, and Executive Director Todd Ormiston visited Tao in New York City in April.

land in rough seas, and working with the British and Australian Ministries of Defence.

My team specializes in software that cannot be allowed to fail. I began the apprenticeship course there in September last year after completing a software developer bootcamp following an International Relations Degree at Buckingham University, before which I attended Salamanca University in Spain for a Spanish History and Culture course in Spanish. Prior to that, I spent some months teach-

ing English to Buddhist monks in Laos and working with elephants on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. I also completed my radio operator’s license for boating in the UK and am now working toward my private pilot’s license. I am still in touch with several friends from NCS and think of the school often and with great fondness. I hope that you are all doing very well and look forward to seeing you over the summer.”

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NEWS & NOTES shorter and easier tracks at the beginning and end, the longer ones in the middle—and to recall the energy a climber has at the start, middle, and finish of a hike.

He dedicated A Letter from TreeTops to his father and the “mystical mountains of the mind, in which we all reside.”

If you’d like to hear the spirit of camp on vinyl LP, CD, or digital download, go to: https://ghostbox. greedbag.com/buy/a-letter-fromtreetops-0/

Stefan Nowicki (CTT 87–91, 93, CTT staff 97–03, 06, 11, Trustee 18–present) his wife, Courtney, and daughter Isla welcomed Nola to the family in April.

and Phyllis Root; illustrated with scratchboard drawings by Claudia McGehee). The Last Garden: A Memoir focuses on the gardeners who influenced and shaped her gardening life. The book, which includes a profile of Helen Haskell and the garden philosophy she nurtured at Camp, is illustrated with beautiful line drawings by the botanical artist Bobbi Angell. (Available from NorthshirePress.com) The Chandlers Gael (CTT 61–64), Dave (CTT 63–66), Julia Anne (Julie) (CTT 66–69), Jayne (CTT 71–73) “Once we graduate as Super Seniors, we don’t have to write those letters home every Sunday, and Camp Treetops morphs into our memories, family lore, and continuing community support as witnessed

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here in Organic Roots. For us Chandlers—Gael, Dave, Julie, and Jayne—the mountains were an integral part of the experience; the three oldest became ‘46’ers,’ climbing with Camp and with our father (and 20 peaks with our mother).

Dave was struck and killed by an SUV in 2018. Last year, his oldest son, Jesse, gathered our memories along with his own of growing up in Woodstock, NY. Jesse created A Letter from TreeTops, an album of woodwind and analogue synths under his band name, Pneumatic Tubes, which debuted this February. Song titles include “Summer’s Children,” “Joyous Lake,” “Mumbly-Peg,” “Witch Water,” and “Summer’s End.” Jesse arranged the songs to reflect a mountain climb—the

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Stuart Topper CTT Staff 72–95, CTT parent 87–89 “Toppers are moving! Sue and Stu are moving a bit south to Lawrence Township, NJ. Matthew has moved way south … from Rhode Island to Louisiana, where he continues his work in disaster response and relief.”

Steven Lehman CTT 89–92 Steve is a professor on the music faculty at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Children Malach, 9, and Sunny, 6, attend Lycee International de Los Angeles (LILA). His wife, Olivia Newman, is directing ”Where the Crawdads Sing” for Sony Pictures.

Marilyn J. Taylor CTT parent 90–95 “Our children are now 42 (Brainerd, CTT 90–93) and 39 (Alexis, 91–95), and we still tell Treetops stories as if the time when they were there was a much shorter time ago. How wonderful the spirit lives on!”

Camp Treetops is proud to announce our beautiful new website.

Designed to celebrate The spirit and simplicity of childhood The values and traditions The people and the place The gift of a Treetops summer.

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2. Place the cut tomatoes in a large pot with all other

RECIPE FROM THE

CHILDREN’S GARDEN

filling ingredients and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the tomatoes soften.

To assemble: 1. Place half of your cooked tomato mixture in the bottom of your pie pan on top of your pie crust.

2. Sprinkle 1/3 of your crumble topping over the tomato

Green Tomato Pie Recipe by Becca Miller

mixture.

Crust ingredients:

3. Add the rest of the tomato mixture, and top with

1 ¼ cup white flour

remaining crumble topping. Sprinkle a bit more cinnamon

8 tbsp very cold butter

on top.

At North Country School and Camp Treetops, our

Pinch of salt

Instructions

farm and gardens provide access to fresh, delicious

½ cup ice water (will likely not need this much)

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit and,

ingredients throughout the year. In these lush growing spaces, children are excited to give new foods a try, often pausing for a snack as they harvest the bounty of the season. This past year, rows and rows of beautiful Solanum lycopersicum plants grew in abundance in our greenhouses, allowing us to introduce to our campers and students an often overlooked delight: the green tomato.

Green tomatoes—the unripened fruit of the tomato plant—are one of the earliest fruits or vegetables ready for harvest on our campus, and one of the last that remain after the fall frost. While this versatile crop is commonly associated with savory recipes, it can also be used to create sweet, unexpected treats.

Because recipes so often taste better when we grow and harvest the ingredients ourselves, students in our Edible Schoolyard class were excited to explore this potential by baking the crisp, naturally tart fruit into a green tomato pie. With a flavor and texture remarkably similar to apple pie, the uncommon confection was a big surprise—and a huge hit!

Try this recipe yourself in the warm months

Crumble topping ingredients: 1 ½ cup white flour

To bake:

while the oven is still cold, place a large aluminum baking sheet with raised edges on a middle rack.

1. Place the assembled pie directly on the hot baking sheet in your oven. (This will help crisp up the bottom of your pie.)

¾ cup white sugar

To make the crust:

¼ cup maple syrup

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.

10 tbsp very cold butter

2. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

mixture. Using the tips of your fingers, quickly work

Pinch of salt Optional: ¼ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground allspice

the butter into the flour. You want to incorporate the

Filling ingredients:

dough is ready when it is shaggy, but not too wet or

3 lbs green tomatoes (about 6

sticky. You will likely not need to use all of all the water.

Serve as you would an apple pie: on its own, with

4. Dust your work surface with flour, then roll the dough

whipped cream, or with vanilla ice cream.

medium-sized tomatoes)

2. Bake for 25 minutes at 400º Fahrenheit.

butter without melting it, leaving some very small bits of butter intact.

additional 35–50 minutes, checking the pie every five minutes after 35 minutes have passed.

4. The pie is done when the mixture bubbling out begins to set as a gel. To test, place some of the bubbling

3. Slowly add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time,

mixture on the back of a spoon. If it’s still runny, continue

mixing the dough with a fork as it comes together. The

to bake.

¼ cup maple syrup

into a large round disk and place it in a 9-inch pie pan

2 tbsp lemon juice

with extra dough hanging over the edges.

1 tsp ground cinnamon

5. Chill the crust in the refrigerator until you’re ready to

Pinch of salt

assemble the pie.

Optional: ¼ tsp ground cardamom

3. Lower the heat to 350º Fahrenheit and bake for an

To make the topping: 1. Place the white sugar and maple syrup in a large bowl, mixing thoroughly.

before apple season arrives, or in late fall when

2. Add all other ingredients except the butter to the

cold temperatures leave only unripened

bowl, using a fork to combine.

green fruit on your frost-damaged tomato

3. Cut the cold butter into very small pieces, and add it

plants. If you don’t grow your own tomatoes,

to your mixture. Using the tips of your fingers, work the

simply call your local farmer to ask if some

butter into the flour mixture until you have a sandy base

of these under-appreciated gems are available

with pea-sized crumbs.

to be baked into what just might become your new

4. Chill the topping until you are ready to assemble

favorite dessert.

your pie.

To make the filling: 1. Cut the green tomatoes into ½-inch half-moon pieces, removing the tough cores.

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From the Archives

For generations, Camp Treetops and North Country School have given children space to

LEARN, GROW, AND PLAY.

Anyone look familiar?

We’d love to hear from you.

Email communications@ncstreetops.org

The Annual Fund provides a foundation that strengthens all that is vital to the camper and student experience.

Your support is a testament to the life-changing moments of Camp and School.

Please consider generously supporting Camp and School.

Make a gift online at www.camptreetops.org/giving or www.northcountryschool.org/giving or contact

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SUMMER 2022

Emily Eisman at eeisman@ncstreetops.org or 518-523-9329 x 5450.

Camp Treetops North Country School 4382 Cascade Road Lake Placid, NY 12946