I attended the 2015 NAIS People of Color Conference in Tampa, Florida from December 2nd – 5th. I returned rejuvenated, honored, empowered, and inspired. It was great to be surrounded by the over 4300 faculty, administrators, and students of color from independent schools across the country. It was like one big family reunion with people giving hugs upon meeting you for the first time. Most of the sessions focused on addressing.. Read More
Feeling Inspired: Reflections From the Progressive Education Network’s National Conference
Middle school humanities teacher, Melissa Andersen, reflects: One of the things I greatly appreciate about teaching at Friends School of Minnesota is the amount of freedom and encouragement I am given to continue my growth professionally and personally. This last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Progressive Education Network’s (PEN) national conference, Access, Equity, and Activism: Teaching the Possible, with fellow FSM teachers, Laura Pereira (art), Andrew Rutledge.. Read More
Korean Student Teachers at Friends School of Minnesota
This last month, Friends School of Minnesota once again welcomed Korean student teachers from the Global Teacher Education Program (GTEP). What a great educational and cultural exchange for everyone! The Global Teacher Education Program (GTEP) is a short-term professional development and study abroad program sponsored through the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development. GTEP is a partnership program with Seoul National University of Education (SNUE) in South Korea… Read More
“Exploring Together” Quaker Workshop
Friends School of Minnesota was selected as one of two sites in the country to pilot a program of the Friends General Conference and the Friends Council on Education. The program is called “Exploring Together” and has three goals: For Quaker meetings to strengthen ways of welcoming and bringing newcomers into the life of the meeting For Friends schools to give parents, faculty, and staff a chance to explore Quaker.. Read More
Curriculum Improvement at Friends School of Minnesota: Geography
Friends School of Minnesota is a very active professional community, with high expectations. This school year, we selected two areas for comprehensive review: geography and technology education. The geography review is complete and should help us to improve both our educational program and understanding of what geography encompasses.
Laura Pereira Awarded Minnesota State Arts Board Grant
Friends School of Minnesota art teacher Laura Pereira is a 2013 Minnesota State Arts Board grantee. This grant will allow Laura to spend her summer doing entomological research and encaustic painting. An exhibition of the work will follow, most likely sometime in November. “Project grants for artists at all stages of their careers, to support artistic development, nurture artistic creativity, and recognize the contributions individual artists make to the creative environment.. Read More
Managing Behavior at Friends School of Minnesota
Recently, I had a conversation with a few parents who asked me about FSM’s expectations for student behavior. I think it might be helpful to share what we work toward as a school, regarding behavior.
Environmental Education at Friends School of Minnesota: Fall 2012 Summary
Environmental Education Coordinator Kris Bennett summarizes what Friends School of Minnesota has been up to this fall in environmental education. This school year, Kris is collaborating with teachers school-wide to further develop and integrate environmental education into our curriculum. Here’s a summary of what we’ve been up to.