Carondelet Catholic School or Annunciation School? (Minneapolis, Hills: credit, houses, transfer)

[slylives]

Hello,

We are looking at Kindergarten for our daughter, and wondered if anyone has experience of either Carondelet Catholic School in Linden Hills, or Annunciation School at Lyndale/54th? I have been to Open Houses and like them both, but sometimes it is hard to gauge the "feel" of the school from a structured visit. We are planning to have individual tours of each school, but if anyone has any personal intel that they are willing to share I would gladly take it!

I'm particularly keen to hear about the following: admissions and the possibility of not being accepted (waiting lists, etc - we are regular churchgoers but not Catholic, so certainly at Carondelet, and probably at Annunciation, we are the lowest priority for admission); culture (are the schools on the liberal or conservative side of Catholicism); academics (Carondelet has very strong academic record but I know less about Annunciation) and community (both schools are very proud of their close-knit community, which is really appealing to us.)

Carondelet is closer (we live in Kenwood) but I really liked them both. Thanks in advance for any insights you have!

[uptown_urbanist]

I don't have experience with either, but know people at Annunciation. They LOVE it there, and rave about the school community. I don't know where they fall on the theological spectrum, but I saw houses with Annunciation signs and those "another Catholic voting no" signs. Which admittedly perhaps says more about the community than the school itself, but my impression is that it is is either middle of the road or liberal. Definitely not conservative Catholic.

[Glenfield]

I noticed that you mentioned that you are church goers but not Catholic. If you are looking for a private, Christian school in south Minneapolis, please consider Minnehaha Academy. I think it would meet the criteria you cited in terms of a close community and strong academics, and I do not believe there is a waiting list at this time. In terms of liberal or conservative, we have families that happily span all ranges of Christian theology, as well as many families who are not particularly religious but are drawn by the superior academics.

Our family has been at Minnehaha for a number of years now and have been extremely happy with our choice. There are some informational meetings at the end of January, but the school is happy to arrange private tours, as well.

I wish you good fortune in your search.

Private Christian School | Minneapolis | Minnehaha Academy Campus Visit

[jamjen]

I'm sure you've made your decision already but, in case you haven't…

My kids are at Annunce (have been for 8 years now) and we really, really like it. There is a wonderful family feeling to the school. We have friends that transferred from Crond. because there was a lack of future planning, goals and fiscal responsibility. I think that has all changed since the new principal began a few years ago. I think they're doing much better now.

Liberal? Yes. It's So mpls. Annunciation is socially liberal but it's not over the top. We have a very active social justice committee and an exceptionally strong youth group (starting in 7th grade).
Good moral standards, family is first, relationships are strong between parents & teachers. I love that I can call, text, email staff (including admin) at any time.

There are many non-catholics at our school and a few openly gay parents. All are very welcome and not considered lessor by any means.

Good luck whatever your choice is - you can't go wrong.

[Mpls34]

We are a Carondelet family with 2 children at the school, and one now in high school. We've been really impressed with the school and how well are children matured both academically and spiritually. We chose Carondelet from the recommendation of several friends in the community, and now recommend the school to others we know. The school has a great reputation for their academic rigor, involved parent community, and small class sizes. Several of the school families are not Catholic, but have chosen Carondelet for these same attributes. It's an extremely inclusive and welcoming community.
In regards to future planning and sustainability, the school is accredited (which means they've gone through and operate under the direction of a very thorough strategic plan. They are also very fiscally stable with a sizable endowment.
In regards to their admissions policy, I know the school tries to accommodate all families who would like to attend Carondelet, regardless of their parishioner status. We hope you'll check it out!