Seventeen 7th and 8th graders joined the Friends School of Minnesota Engineering Club. Advisor Steve Moe (middle school science teacher) worked with students to build a solar boat to race in the Minnesota Solar Regatta in May. The Minnesota Solar Regatta is an annual event sponsored by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society. Teams participating in the Solar Regatta build or modify a working boat (large enough to carry one student pilot) to compete in.. Read More
State History Day Results
Great results this Saturday at State History Day. We had 12 of our 7/8th graders compete at the state level. Ten went on to the second round of judging. Eight received Honorable Mentions in their categories. Noah and Flann placed for Nationals! We couldn’t be prouder of how hard each student worked! Documentary: Noah Solomon – First Place, Junior Individual Documentary, National qualifier Emilia Topp-Johnson – Honorable Mention John Gisselquist –.. Read More
Emi’s Science Fair Project Wins!
Friends School of Minnesota 8th grader Emi Topp-Johnson’s project on corn fungus qualified for the State Science Fair, which took place over spring break. Emi’s display won a Bronze Star from the Minnesota Academy of Science (the organization that runs the state science fair), for being in the top 20% of all middle school projects. Emi’s paper also won two awards: The Graduate Women in Science Award for Best 8th.. Read More
History Day Regionals – A Grand Success!
Our 7th and 8th graders did an amazing job at the History Day Regionals event. Of the sixteen projects at Regionals, ten will be going on to State and four got honorable mentions. Our school actually swept the documentary category with all four of our documentary projects going on to State.
History Day 2014
Every two years, the 7th and 8th grade humanities classes participate in National History Day, a program that over half a million middle and high school students take part in each year. Students choose a topic to research and connect their topic to an annual theme. The 2014 theme is Rights and Responsibilities in History. Friends School of Minnesota students chose a variety of topics to research, from the Salem witch trials to the.. Read More
Birds of a Feather
The first weeks of a new school year brim with possibility, creativity, and a search for connection. Place and time are critical factors in anchoring these notions. For Friend School of Minnesota’s Jungle classroom of 1st and 2nd graders, the place was the sidewalk outside the art room. The time was right after a boisterous morning break outside. It was there that a tiny bird presented itself on the third.. Read More
Improving the Social Climate of Middle School: 8th Grade Capstone Project 2012-13
At Friends School of Minnesota, we are committed to providing a holistic education, nurturing the physical, intellectual, spiritual, and social development of children. We do this in countless ways every day and through our curriculum. Here are two examples of how our students and staff worked this year to improve the social climate of middle school. Kindness Retreat with Youth Frontiers Every other year, Friends School of Minnesota 5th & 6th.. 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. FSM K-4 teachers have been.. Read More