Each spring, Friends School of Minnesota’s middle school science teacher Steve Moe gets up at the crack of dawn to take middle schoolers on a series of optional birdwatching outings before school. Early risers this Monday were rewarded with a glorious morning in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge at Old Cedar Avenue Bridge. They saw more than just birds! “We saw orioles, coots, an eagle, red-winged blackbirds, and ducks and geese. And.. Read More
Story Workshop in Kindergarten
One of the great things about working in a progressive education school like Friends School of Minnesota, is that learning and teaching remain fresh, vibrant, and full. Our school supports teachers and learners to take risks and expand their creative vision, and knowledge base. In this spirit of trying out new and exciting ideas, I introduced kindergarten students to a new structure for learning called Story Workshop. FSMN K-4 teachers have been.. Read More
7/8 Drama Club: The Secret Case of Sherlock Holmes
The 7/8 Drama Club performed their play, “The Secret Case of Sherlock Holmes” by Craig Sodaro. This large cast of seventeen students had been rehearsing twice a week after school since the end of February. It was wonderful to see their hard work and talent come together in a day performance for the whole school and an evening performance for the community on Friday, April 26, 2013. The play was.. Read More
7th and 8th Grade Spoken Word Unit
For the past two months, Friends School of Minnesota 7th and 8th graders have been studying the art of Spoken Word Poetry in their Humanities classes. The unit evolved into a journey for our students that challenged them to express their own truth through poetry meant to be performed. The unit helped students achieve both writing and public speaking benchmarks.
Winter Poems by the Jungle Class
by Brenna Winkelman In a recent poetry unit, 1st and 2nd grade Jungle class student’s discovered how to see the world through poet’s eyes. Students accomplished this in their poem about an object by turning their factual observations into original, fresh, new, and unique ways. Within these poems students realized how their own personal views of an object engage their peers, because they had never seen the object in the.. Read More
Within a Gem: The 3rd and 4th Grade Play
Last month, Friends School of Minnesota 3rd and 4th graders performed their original play Within A Gem, a musical mystery which takes place at Plumnut Academy for super heroes. The kids did a wonderful job throughout this whole process. Yes, we put on a play. But students also learned a great deal about working together and depending upon one another. They learned about timing and comedy and memorization. They learned how to.. Read More
Our Trip to the Minnesota State Capitol
Friends School of Minnesota seventh grader Reese blogs about their humanities class field trip to the Minnesota State Capitol.
Drama Residency with Annie Enneking
Annie Enneking spent a week at Friends School of Minnesota as our artist in residence November 26-3o, 2012. Teachers collaborated with Annie to plan drama activities that tied into the school year’s curriculum and themes. Annie also led theater activities that spark children’s imagination, inspiring creativity and artistry.