Private K-12 Schools (St. Paul, Plymouth, Minnetonka: catholic schools, live in, rich)

[fknonl1ne]

Do your kids go to a Christian K-12 schools close to Minnetonka? Please share your thoughts and recommendations.

We are looking for one.

TIA!

[Huckleberry3911948]

dont know the area but public school system is a tremendous argument for converting to catholicism.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

dont know the area but public school system is a tremendous argument for converting to catholicism.

Might be true somewhere, but in Minnetonka, not so much.

[MNNative]

Since no one else is biting...

You'll see time and time again on this site that if it's for education, the twin cities area public schools are just as good (if not better) than the area private schools. I think in other threads the following districts were recommended: Hopkins, Minnetonka, Wayzata

If however, you'd prefer private schools because of religion or whatnot, then here are some popular private schools in the area:

Pre-K - 12
Breck School (Golden Valley) - http://www.breckschool.org/
The Blake School (Hopkins) - The Blake School
Minnetonka Christian Academy (Minnetonka) - Minnetonka Christian Academy*Minnetonka*MN : Home
Providence Academy (Plymouth) - Providence Academy - Welcome

[3three3]

I went to private school up until my last 2 years of high school. Most of those years were wonderful, though - I would highly deter anyone from going to the private high school I spent my first 2 years at. But, since it's no where near Minnetonka...I won't slander it on here.

Knowing many who enjoyed their education at other local private schools, I can wholeheartedly encourage you to look into the Breck School. It's SUCH a good school. Some have an image of it as a snooty and snobby school, in fact, I had that image until I became friends with a couple of wonderful folks who went there. I was surprised to find out that it has great financial aid, a socially progressive stance, and works tremendously hard to support the learning of each and every student (private tutoring when needed, etc). It is a school that has not lost sight on the value of arts and music, or a well-rounded education. Great, great school.

International School of MN might be closer to you...perhaps. I have a very close friend who went there K-12. While she compliments the educational standards of the school, she has clearly expressed that she would have much rather gone to Breck because of the fullness of the environment/community at Breck.

There is an excellent Jewish school in Hopkins, nearby. Check with the JCC. I nannied for a family years, and years ago with kids who went there and I was incredibly impressed with the education they received.

Personally, I'm more familiar with the local Catholic school system. There aren't any schools near you that I'd rave about. The Catholic schools that I think are really good would be a bit of a distance for you. If that's a system you'd prefer, here's a list: Catholic Schools Minnesota

The best, and closest, K-12 private school for you would probably be Breck. You can't go wrong there. The K-12 school with a reputation for the highest level of education is SPA (St. Paul Academy) and would be a hike of a drive for you, but it sure puts out some smarty pants kids.

Best of luck in your search!

***Edit: I just reread the original post and see that you are looking specifically for "Christian" schools. I'm going to leave my post as-is, in case the information is handy for anyone else. But, I'd check with the overseeing agencies for your particular faith for a list of schools in the Twin Cities. Though, for Christian approaches, you'll mostly find Catholic and Lutheran schools in MN.

[fknonl1ne]

thanks a lot!!! I? would look into Blake. I know it is none religious but sounds like it is worth checking out!

[cupcakesprinkles]

I, too, highly recommend looking at Breck. We were fortunate to be deciding between both Breck and Blake, but are going with Breck. Our son (going into 6th grade) loved everything about Breck and was so thrilled when he got accepted there. His father and I, were equally excited that his first choice was the same as ours. What a wonderful school, all-around. See my thread about Breck or Blake.

[DaPerpKazoo]

I'm currently a junior at Benilde-St. Margret's in St. Louis Park, which borders Minnetonka. This is my 5th year there.

I'd say that my experience there has been relatively positive, though not as good as I would have hoped. While the school does provide a very high quality education, the student body tends to lack diversity in just about any way you could imagine and is in my opinion the definition of the "fake " spoiled rich suburban kid stereotype. I get a lot of crap for being from the city- kids who aren't allowed to drive to my house, kids whose parents are afraid themselves to drive them to my house. The ignorance they have about how anyone outside of Edina, Minnetonka, and Plymouth live is absolutely startling. I wouldn't say there's much snootyness, just a whole lot of ignorant and sheltered kids.

Religiously, the school is affiliated with the Catholic Church, though the administration is considered to be very liberal for a Catholic institution. Only about 40% of the student body comes from Catholic families, though the great majority do come from christian families.

In retrospect, I would probably not have chosen to come to BSM, though I certainly wouldn't say I've been dissatisfied. Again, the education is great, but the student body's attitudes, values, and ignorance are certainly hard to deal with at times.

[MnMomma]

St. Peter's Lutheran School in Edina serves kids through 8th grade. The school is just south of 50th & France in Edina--so the convenience depends on where you live in Minnetonka. St. Peter's is a great, tiny school. The kids get a solid, individualized education--it's also a bit of a "bubble" in that the kids are all nice to each other (no cliques, teasing, need for the latest "it" thing). The students come from a wide variety of households and areas. It's certainly not a big-name school but it has been a perfect fit our kids.

[iameexc]

Originally Posted by cupcakesprinkles

I, too, highly recommend looking at Breck. We were fortunate to be deciding between both Breck and Blake, but are going with Breck. Our son (going into 6th grade) loved everything about Breck and was so thrilled when he got accepted there. His father and I, were equally excited that his first choice was the same as ours. What a wonderful school, all-around. See my thread about Breck or Blake.

Breck is going downhill academically recently. We had some really bad experiences.