Loved it here. Nice building, kids and teachers. They really care about what they do. Best lunches,…read moretoo.

My family and I have had such poor experiences at this school...My partner and I have had comments…read moremade to us that border on homophobic & racist by the school leadership, and our children have been excluded and neglected by teaching staff. We are a strict family and hold our kids to a high behavior standard, but when they get rambunctious in completely trivial ways the teachers and staff react excessively compared to how they handle the kids (who exhibit the exact same rambunctious behavior that manifests itself in the exact same ways) who, apparently, are more in line with their "vision" of how the school should look and the kinds of kids that "should" go there. We have had (mostly) wonderful, very positive experiences at other Minneapolis Schools, with (mostly) excellent academics and teachers...we wanted the montessori experience but this place makes a mockery of it's philosophy.

Armatage is really awesome and they have great teachers and a principle who takes good care of the…read moreschool. It is a great place to learn all subjects due to the Montessori aspect to it. They have great after school programs too, like the annual kids on broadway show where the third through fifth graders perform scenes of various musicals. Another program is the Armatage rope power, which is a program for kids third through fifth grade. Learning jump roping skills to perform them to the school. They have other after school programs that teach you things like ukulele and Spanish. We have thoroughly enjoyed the last 4 years there.

If I didn't (obviously) know better, I might think that Kenwood Elementary was a private school…read more The attention and love that every teacher shows the kids and the amount of involvement of the parents & families is on a scale I have never seen in an urban public school. To be fair, my comparisons are in Philadelphia and NYC but even compared to other public Minneapolis schools, Kenwood is head & shoulders above the rest! I've just returned from their annual back-to-school open house and BBQ. After the summer off, it was like a family reunion. My daughter will be starting 1st Grade and we are just thrilled. While waiting for our ride home, a dad and his son and my daughter and I were playing at the park across the street. The man told me that with the bus rezoning, his old address was no longer in the Kenwood bussing zone. So he checked out Jefferson...and then moved. To a new home, within the Kenwood bussing zone. That's how dedicated you and yours will become to this old-fashioned-in-the-right-ways and cutting-edge-in-others fabulous school. Every year they consistently score above every other school in the city- and they also take their arts education just as seriously as all the book-like studies. I once had a parent of a girl in my kid's kindergarten transfer her child to another school. When I asked why she said she thought it was "too clique-y". I highly and wholeheartedly disagree! Kenwood welcomes everyone, with open arms, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion or socio-economic circumstances. And I may be one of the few, but I do not like school uniforms and thankfully Kenwood does not use them. The one thing that kept me from giving a 5-star review are the school hours. 7:30 a.m. start time is just sooo early.......ugh! I'm editing this review as my kid is now in 5th Grade at Kenwood and I feel it's only fair to follow up in case parents of kids are considering Kenwood as an Elementary choice. Let's just say that the bloom has gone off the rose a bit since my last posting. To be fair, Kenwood and it's staff/educators are bound by the limitations that the Board of Ed put on them so I always try to keep that in mind--and because of that, and that the other complaint is actually more of a parent/neighborhood issue, I kept the stars at 4. I wound up having to hire outside tutors to supplement my daughter's education but because she is dyslexic. If your child isn't learning different, then thank your lucky stars and enjoy their curriculum (that sadly, since my last posting, is no longer geared as much towards art--they've lost their "Arts" status) but still has loads of cool things like an African drumming workshop, Taiko drumming workshop and field trips to cool places like museums and nature conservatories. The 5th Graders go on an overnight trip to Eagle Bluff which my daughter has been excited about since kindergarten. The media center uses iMacs that seem about 3 years old on average. The teachers are, for the most part, friendly and competent but sadly for you dear reader the very best, Mrs. Kohanek, retired the year after my kid had her. I'm sure you'll find your own favorite however. As for any special help your child might need, Ms. Kelly is very nice and has helped my daughter as best as she can but, we just now are only beginning to understand how the dyslexic brain "sees" and what a dyslexic student needs to thrive and, for my kid, and I feel confident in saying, any other kid, it's not Kenwood. But, to be fair, it's not any American public school that I know of. The social side of Kenwood is kind of brutal. Ironically, I mentioned in my first posting about a lady who said Kenwood was "clique-y". I didn't see it with Kindergarten. The kids didn't care who lived where or had what. The parents were all just meeting one another. It was wonderful. But by 1st Grade the lines were drawn. If you live in Kenwood, you are top tier as far as social status goes, and most of those parents are running the volunteer show--PTA., yearbook, Newsletter, helping with school plays, etc. If you're rich but live elsewhere, you're 2nd tier--of course being good looking helps too but not necessary. And the only color that matters at Kenwood is the color green. They are very "liberal". If you live outside Kenwood and aren't flaunting wealth- 2 bad. Those kids are at the bottom. You can try to volunteer, like I did, but I didn't get far. I never got replies to inquiries on times of meetings etc. Whenever I would email an exciting thing that my kid was doing (she acts in a troupe that brings awareness to homelessness) that they might want to mention in the school newsletter, I wouldn't get a reply much less get it run. A confidence boost like that would help my kid a lot. But who knows, maybe you'll get warmer neighborhood parents. I hope so.

Minnehaha Academy is a traditional college preparatory school that offers pre-K to grade 12…read moreeducation. MA has two beautiful campuses on the bluffs of the Mississippi River with spacious grounds, with about 12 acres each. MA, like many east coast prep schools, was founded by Protestants from Europe. Opening in 1913, the school is affiliated with the Covenant Church (a historic branch the Lutheran Church that is now a separate denomination). MA has a strong commitment to faith with weekly chapel services and taking a traditional approach to teaching religion by having specific religious classes and bringing the topic of religion into other classes as well. This is done with other subjects as well, since many of the humanities and sciences overlap--for example you could have a discussion in history class about science or literature; in this way the student is able to understand the whole story from multiple angles and gain a deeper understanding of the world. The schools commitment to academics is extraordinary, boasting one of the best AP programs in the state, and if the class doesn't have an AP test then the school offers alternatives such as the College in the Schools program where students take a class from the University of Minnesota from one of their teachers and earn college credit. The school has also partnered with various scientific institutions to send a project to the International Space Station each year, joining only two other high schools in the nation that have this honor. The language department is also very excellent offering French, Latin, Spanish and Chinese; all of which start out at high school levels (open to middle school students) and go through college levels. The teachers are highly educated and care very deeply about the students and for many, remain mentors throughout their time at the Academy and their future. Most of the teachers hold masters or doctorate degrees in their area of study. The community of students is kind and caring for each other, and many long lasting friendships are formed. The school also has excellent food and offers breakfast and lunch. MA has a head and sous chef who create healthy and delicious meals and snacks for the students. Breakfast generally has cereal, scones, sandwiches, eggs, pancakes, bacon, et cetera. Lunch offers a salad bar, made to order options, homemade soups and various options including fresh carved pork, turkey, pastas and chicken. The chefs are friendly and take student suggestions seriously and work hard to make the best food possible. The school is also very devoted to the arts and has a entire fine arts center that includes a woodshop, dark room, art room, pottery studio, band room, orchestra room, private practice rooms, art gallery, scene shop, costume shop, concert hall/theater. The school features several performance ensembles including a Concert Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Men's Choir, Women's Chorale, Concert Choir and Madrigal singers. Each ensemble has earned top marks at state. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir go on tour, alternating year to year. The tour locations have included: Prague, Slovakia, Salzburg, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Washington D.C., Chicago among other locations. In the year the ensembles are on break from the tour, they put on variety shows: the bands perform the pops concert and the choirs perform a medieval dinner. The school puts on three plays: musical, play and student run show; each has one various state and sometimes national awards. The school also has top notch athletic facilities including separate soccer and football fields, a full size ice arena, two full size gyms, wrestling room and a weight room. MA's athletic teams have won a combined 4 state championships in the past decade alone and provide very supportive C, JV, and Varsity teams. The school also has many organizations and academic teams. The Debate team, which I captained during my time is one of the state's best, being the only school to have a pair of debaters go to the varsity finals back to back (my partner and I), bringing home a state championship and a 2nd place trophy. The school also offers clubs centering around the environment, music, literature, journalism and writing. The school newspaper and yearbook have won various national awards for journalism, photography, layout, overall achievement, etc. MA really helps students achieve and builds a strong foundation for college through curriculum, advanced academics, supportive staff, and graduation requirements that are similar to most colleges. Many of the students attend private 4 year institutions including St. Olaf, Carlton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Boston College, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, Northwestern and more. Minnehaha Academy has nurtured the minds of some of Minnesota's best students. MA goes farther than the other prep schools in Minnesota: it truly is the place where youth meet truth.

From the owner: The original incorporation from 1905 stated: "The purpose of this institution shall be to furnish…read moreyoung men and women with the essential elements of a liberal education, and to foster the development of character under the personal influence of Christian teachers." On Monday, Sept. 15, 1913, Minnehaha Academy welcomed its first class of high school students. Grades 7 and 8 were added in 1972. In 1981, the land for the South Campus was purchased and a chapel was erected. By 1982, the Lower School served students in Grades 1 through 5. Kindergarten was added in 1985 and preschool in 1995. Students graduate from Minnehaha Academy prepared to excel in any number of fields. Some of our alumni include inventors, a Supreme Court Justice, Authors, War Veterans, an Olympian, Musicians, and many others in notable careers.

I love all that Hope Academy stands for and what they are instilling into our children. I have…read morerecently visited the campus twice. 1 to pick up my niece and I was greeted by the front desk woman outside of the office, who located my niece for me. My second visit was for my nieces music program, which was done very nicely.. My niece speaks often and highly about all she learns, her teachers and her environment. If I had children, I would want them enrolled at Hope Academy as well. Ambiance: Located on Chicago Avenue and 25th. There was no lot adjacent to the school, however there is street parking and a ramp directly across the street. Growing up on the South Side, It is located literally next door to one of the most drug saturated parks in South Minneapolis (Franklin & Chicago), but prior to building the school, they started cleaning the park up. The neighborhood has changed some over the years and has become a different environment for children to play, bus and be educated. The school itself has secured doors and only one entrance in and out for visitors.

i went here pre k-8th grade and it was the best experience. all my classmates that went to waldorf…read morewith me are either honor roll or high honor roll students.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin…read more A school and a staff committed to closing the achievement gap for students whom the system would normally toss a side. Lighthouse academy, an open-enrollment, college-preparatory charter school provides students with the assistance, training and resources needed to better prepare themselves for the next phase of their lives. And in the end setting the module for a better public education system for the youth in my opinion. The diversity of not just the students but the staff at this school is phenomenal. With open enrollment, students are given tests in English and Math to pool them with other students at their level of development. Utilizing an extended day of schedule, the staff get to work by understanding each youth's own set of circumstances beyond the classroom and than vigorously setting them on the path to get the best of themselves out of themselves. The next Emily Dickinson of our generation may or may not come from this school, but the commitment for learning shown by the staff and students alike is the "peculiar bent of the genius of each" that Plato once spoke of. This should be celebrated! Volunteers are always needed!