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Contents
02 READING & WRITING
30 LOWER SCHOOL
04 MATH
32 MIDDLE SCHOOL
06 SCIENCE
34 UPPER SCHOOL
08 SOCIAL STUDIES
36 BLAKE’S CAMPUSES
10 LANGUAGES
38 AFFORDING BLAKE
12 GLOBAL PROGRAMS
40 NEXT STEPS
14 VISUAL ARTS 16 PERFORMING ARTS 18 DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY 20 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 22 ATHLETICS & FITNESS 24 PLURALISM & IDENTITY 26 TEAMWORK & LEADERSHIP 28 AFTER BLAKE
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Blake is the preeminent independent day school in the Upper Midwest with a national reputation for academics. Its comprehensive, rigorous curriculum prepares students to advance to the most selective colleges and universities. But Blake students aren’t just book-smart. They also strive for excellence in athletics and the arts. They are committed to improving their local and global community. Blake starts with small classes of diverse students united by innate curiosity. We add an excellent faculty who combine subject expertise with attention to each individual. Students encounter thoughtfully prepared curriculum along with abundant opportunities for travel, service, sports and artistic endeavors. They develop the habits of mind that enable them to think critically, solve problems, empathize, create and make our world better.
Reading & Writing
pen a book a book and Seventh graders might participate in you open a window onto literature circles centered on immigrathe world. Blake students tion, where they explore the challenges of immerse themselves in adjusting to a new culture. Ninth graders texts, gaining empathy and perspective read texts ranging from the Sanskrit epic through reading and writing. The program Ramayana to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall introduces students to English, American Apart as they study world literature and and world literature and exposes them to cultures in tandem. After reading American various historical and cultural literature in tenth grade, the vantage points. It also provides majority of juniors go on to take a solid grounding in foundaAdvanced Placement English tional reading skills, critical literature. typical pages per night Blake seniors read for analysis, writing and grammar. Blake teaches a conEnglish classes, four At Blake, language arts study structivist approach to literanights a week prepares students to become ture that helps students find truly global citizens. meaning in any text. Far from being con Students in pre-kindergarten through sumers of words, students create their own grade five work with language in multiple texts – from poetry to analytical essays to contexts, such as reading and writing workreworking of classics like the Odyssey. Blake shops, presentations and theatre. Meanstudents learn core skills: close reading, while, they develop basic skills in phonics writing in multiple genres, citing evidence. and spelling. Soon they discover the joy of More importantly, they learn to impose no reading and writing about the world. boundaries on their thinking.
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Kindergartners learn phonics through a phonics program that integrates awareness of letters and sounds with development of motor skills. A student moves his or her whole body to make a letter, learns to trace the letter, and learns the sounds associated with the letter.
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Sixth grade humanities integrates reading, writing and inquiry as students explore their global community. Using thematic lenses such as human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security, students engage in project-based learning and become responsible global citizens.
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Juniors and seniors choose among a fascinating array of electives. Juniors explore texts centered on broad themes, such as identity, war and conflict. Seniors can explore a genre, such as the literary essay; read Shakespeare’s works or Native American folklore; or write fiction and poetry.
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Reading helps Lower School students build an academic foundation and learn about the world around them.
Middle School students engage with texts in thoughtful, critical class discussions.
Technology and open dialogue help Upper School students make meaningful connections to texts.
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Math
lake students don’t “do” math – they make math. They have the confidence to investigate, form conjectures, make predictions, develop strategies, and analyze and verify what works and why. Mathematics isn’t just formulas and rote procedures. It’s a tool for investigating the world and solving problems by reasoning. Students up through grade eight progress through a program based on the Singapore mathematics problem-solving approach. First graders strengthen their understanding of the relationships between numbers by playing games like “Ten Go Fish,” in which they identify different combinations of cards that add up to ten. In Middle School, laptop simulations and real-life explorations – like the “Marshmallow Minute” in which students analyze the rate of consumption of marshmallows under different conditions
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Students connect numbers and number concepts. By fourth grade, they synthesize concepts of area, estimation, mean, median and mode to complete the Dot Project, determining the total number of dots on all carpeted areas of the school.
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– stimulate adolescent curiosity and enable every student to be both highly challenged and successful. Students in eleventh and twelfth grades create intricate art projects representing concepts like fractals. In each division, mathematics courses emphasize a spirit of inquiry and collaboration, as students learn to solve novel problems while presenting and defending their ideas. Unlike students in traditional math programs who cycle rapidly through many topics in a school year, Blake students take time to study each topic deeply, mastering it before moving on. They may also retest themselves on specific skills, allowing for ongoing improvement. The math faculty includes teachers who are doubly qualified in mathematics and such disciplines as sociology and astrophysics. They are well prepared to impart Blake’s philosophy: anyone can successfully apply mathematics concepts to real-world phenomena.
Fun with numbers need not be confined to the classroom. Clubs in the Middle School include the math team and MATHCOUNTS, both of which stretch students’ mathematical and problem-solving capabilities.
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A majority of students take calculus or explore subjects like statistics before graduating. College-level electives include number theory, graph theory, logic, game theory, discrete systems, advanced geometry, math research, software design and more.
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Middle School students play games to practice and sharpen their math skills.
Lower School students learn through play activities that reinforce mathematics concepts.
Math integrates tradition with technology. Students tackle calculus using interactive technologies.
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Science
hat do you notice? Why does it matter? These questions lie at the heart of Blake science. Younger students explore their world through creative play that integrates scientific thinking. Pre-kindergarteners observe principles of motion by experimenting with marbles and ramps. Older students apply the scientific method explicitly. Again and again, they ask questions, form hypotheses, conduct research and analyze data. Upper School students can challenge themselves with Advanced Placement courses, independent studies and post-AP courses. Blake students know science is intricately connected with ethics, public policy, economics and culture. Fourth graders study how water evaporates inside a plastic bag and connect this knowledge to the effects of global warming on Minnesota lakes. Middle School students
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Children integrate science with other subjects. Using their understanding of light and mirrors, third graders engineer a way to illuminate the interiors of the pyramids. Fourth graders write about the water cycle from the perspective of a water droplet.
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conduct research to explore how well plants survive in salt water – a question with significant environmental ramifications in a region where streets are routinely salted. Science also informs instruction in the arts, with students completing projects such as building functioning marimbas. Upper School students continue foundational work in biology, chemistry and physics, focusing on learning through inquiry. Electives include astronomy, anatomy, physiology, environmental science and forensics. Experimentation is at the heart of Upper School science. In state-of-the-art laboratory classrooms, students learn to design experiments, analyze results, work with others and share results. About half of all Upper School students take more than four years of science courses, with many pursuing AP-level courses, independent research and semester-long projects.
Empathy and ethics inform scientific learning. Seventh-grade students explore the physics behind force and motion on the playground and use their understanding to design all-inclusive playground equipment.
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Students connect science to their everyday life. Physics students use their understanding of electrical circuits and magnetic forces to build devices, while chemistry students manufacture hand lotions to study colloids, suspensions and emulsions.
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Lower Schoolers practice making predictions, experimenting and recording results.
“Clabs” in Blake’s state-ofthe-art science center allow for lecture, demonstration and small group work.
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Social Studies
lake prepares students to and culture and identity – anchor the curbe global citizens through riculum. Project-based learning expands a dynamic social studies students’ perspectives further, as they curriculum. Students learn explore U.S. history and the foundations of to value diverse perspectives and be open democracy. Eighth-graders design and creto new experiences. Social studies also reinate memorials and think critically about the forces the research, critical-thinking and purposes of historical memory. Ninth-gradcommunication skills students need to be ers can take a history course that connects great problem-solvers and creators. them to classrooms throughout the world. With each year at Blake, stuIn grades eleven and twelve, dents build upon their growing students might elect to do understanding of the world. college-level work in AP history courses offered via the Lower School students study or political science, in addition Global Online Academy, a cultural universals such as to delving into courses such as consortium that connects students worldwide family, shelter, transportation, economics, psychology, ethics, culture, fairness and equality. and gender studies. Projects such as an in-depth study of the Intensive writing and research enhance Anishinabe Indians, undertaken in third the core thinking skills used in humanities grade, enrich students’ understanding of the and science: Students read closely, analyze region in which they live. In Middle School, critically and marshal evidence to support students begin their social studies’ experiideas. But Blake students aren’t just acaence with sixth-grade humanities, where demically savvy. They also have empathy, modern global issues – including peace compassion and a deep understanding of and security, human rights, development, how the world works.
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Lower School students learn early on how social studies is connected with their own lives. For example, third graders learn about maps and cartography by mapping a place with personal meaning for them.
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Middle Schoolers engage in challengebased learning around topics of peace and security, contemporary immigration, economics and social responsibility.
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Social and political questions are tied to ethical ones. Moral Issues, an upper-level elective, explores this connection. Students consider modern social controversies in conjunction with classic works of philosophy.
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In Blake’s Global Community course, Upper School students learn to write motions and make speeches as member nations of the United Nations.
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Languages
nyone can learn the basics of a new language. Falling in love with one is something else. Blake provides intensive, individualized language instruction, giving students every opportunity to fall in love with another language. Ideally, it’s the start of a lifelong relationship. Research has demonstrated that students achieve fluency more easily if language instruction begins before age seven. In Blake’s Lower School Spanish program, students in kindergarten through grade five receive 30 minutes of daily instruction, offering enough contact time to develop proficiency by the time they reach Middle School. Students entering the Middle School have a solid foundation in Spanish and the skills to master other languages. They may choose to continue with Spanish or explore French, Latin or Mandarin Chinese.
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Effective instruction draws connections between language study and other subjects. Spanish language instructors work with teachers in other subjects to identify these cross-curricular connections.
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Blake recognizes that students enter school with varying levels of language exposure and that each student learns at his or her own pace. Therefore students in the Middle School and Upper School language programs are placed not by grade but by level of proficiency. Some students arrive already familiar with one or more of the languages Blake offers and are placed in more advanced language classes. Through rigorous study of world languages, Blake students develop communication and critical-thinking skills. They also acquire an essential skill for becoming global citizens. Most students continue with language study into their junior and senior years, even after meeting graduation requirements. They’ve discovered an interest that can last for life.
Middle School language studies are integrated with cultural events. The Culture Club gives students a chance to celebrate international holidays, listen to guests discuss life in other countries and enjoy the cuisine of these cultures, too.
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Students learn about the nuances of translation through Latin texts such as Cicero and Catullus. They learn about the religious and philosophical beliefs of ancient Greeks by delving into the Athenaze book series.
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Blake’s French classes include exploration of Francophone countries from north Africa to Central America. Students receive one-on-one attention.
Middle School students are eager to deepen their understanding of Spanish.
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Global Programs
ill your child become a psychologist co-authoring articles with Chilean colleagues? A journalist covering conflicts in South Sudan? A medical doctor addressing global health concerns? Regardless of the careers they pursue, today’s graduates must possess global competence. Through global programs Blake students develop the ability to think critically and to collaborate effectively. Blake teaches students to communicate across cultural boundaries and to understand multiple perspectives. This focus on global education includes several initiatives: semester and yearlong study-away programs; short-term global immersion experiences; collaborations with local schools and nonprofits that serve diverse communities; partnerships with schools in South Africa and India; and opportunities to host international
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Through partnerships with local schools, Blake enlarges younger students’ world. For example, students in kindergarten and second grade have formed friendships with the predominantly Somali-American students at the Cedar Riverside School.
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students. These initiatives share a goal: to help students broaden their worldview and value our interconnectedness. Global programs complement social studies and languages curriculum and provide opportunities for service. For example, as part of their ongoing relationship with the Light of Hope Children’s Home in Kenya, Lower School students conduct a fundraiser to help local villagers buy cows. Middle School students take part in the World Savvy program, developing plans to address global issues, such as food distribution, sustainability and healthcare access. Upper School students might participate in Model United Nations, take a service trip to Ecuador or study in Switzerland. Those are just a few of the many ways Blake students expand their world and become global citizens.
World Savvy helps students develop – and possibly implement – solutions to global problems. Recently, sixth graders studied healthcare access in Southwest Asia and proposed a school drive for medical supplies. Their plan was selected to receive funding.
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All students should be able to study abroad if they desire. To this end, Blake waives most of the tuition for students who spend a semester or year studying at another school.
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Upper School students on a service trip explore the Atlantic Forest in coastal Brazil.
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Visual Arts
t Blake, arts education isn’t can choose among many avenues for extra. It’s intrinsic to the expression. Lower School students study curriculum. Participation basic concepts such as line, color and unity, in any community of applying these not only in art classes but artists involves observing and analyzing also in academic projects. Opportunities others’ work, honing one’s own skills, to specialize in particular forms and media expressing ideas and proudly revising creincrease as students progress. Middle ations to impact an audience. These skills School students receive broad instruction are fundamentals, not niceties. in drawing, painting, photography and That’s why, from kinderdigital art. Upper School stugarten through grade five, dents take electives as diverse Blake students have regular as 20th century art history, elective courses in classes in visual arts and animation, ceramics and game the visual arts offered music. (Arts exposure through development. All visual arts to students in grades six to twelve daily activities begins in disciplines have dedicated stupre-kindergarten.) Later, sixth dio space. Furthermore, Blake graders take visual arts and wood studio as hires only active working artists for its arts part of their course rotation; many choose faculty, providing an invaluable resource to continue with visual arts throughout for emerging student artists. Middle School. Upper School students Asking questions, collaborating, solvtake at least four semesters of arts classes. ing problems, expressing their view of They may explore multiple disciplines or the world – these habits of mind become concentrate on one. second nature to Blake students. Arts edu Students with a passion for visual arts cation is a vital part of the process.
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Students learn artistic techniques not only from their teachers but from older students as well. For example, a third grade class might visit the Upper School ceramics studio to get hands-on training in pottery from teenage mentors.
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Middle School students create, experiment and explore art across several media, cultures and eras. They also receive broad instruction emphasizing core skills in drawing, painting, carving and 3D constructions.
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Upper School’s Martha Bennett Gallery hosts five to six public shows per year, showcasing student, faculty and community artwork. Students are regularly awarded in prestigious programs such as the Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards.
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Middle School students watch their teacher attentively as they learn the art of printmaking.
Upper School art students work on complex projects and refine their work through group and one-onone critiques. Lower School students are serious about their artistic endeavors and take pride in the act of creating.
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Performing Arts
lake helps students become confident, effective performing artists. All students have general music and theatre classes from kindergarten through fifth grade. They learn to take risks and express themselves, with the goal of connecting with others. Most Middle School students participate in a performance-based class – band, orchestra or choir. Learning the art of performing begins in pre-kindergarten with role-playing. Fourth graders produce short scenes and plays, building to a musical production in fifth grade. Sixth graders take theatre as part of their arts rotation. Seventh and eighth graders may enroll in acting and playwriting electives. Upper School thespians take courses in acting, playwriting, theatre production and musical theatre. General music classes, guided by Orff-Schulwerk and Kodály philosophies, emphasize singing, movement and dance,
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A capstone program is the fifth grade class play. Classes from Blake (Hopkins) and Highcroft (Wayzata) stage productions at the MacMillan Performing Arts Center stage. Each class attends the other’s show and gets to know future classmates.
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percussion instruments and recorder. Composition and improvisation abound. Students may study violin or cello as part of the Lower School strings program. Middle School students can choose among offerings such as chorus, band or strings. Upper School students may continue choral and instrumental studies. Blake offers student-led a cappella groups and a jazz combo. Blake’s speech and debate program hones public-speaking skills through coursework and co-curricular competition. Middle School students may join the debate team. A variety of debate courses exist in Upper School. Most students in these classes participate in regional or national tournaments. Blake students learn to be great communicators. Each eighth grader and graduating senior presents a formal speech at a school assembly – a milestone for which students are extremely well-prepared.
The Middle School choral program has been invited to perform at more than 10 regional, state and national conferences over the past 15 years.
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Blake hosts the annual John Edie Debate Tournament, attended by approximately 900 participants from over 110 schools. Tournaments in multiple branches of debate are held over a three-day period at Blake.
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Blake debate teams compete – and win – at the national tournament circuit in both policy and public forum.
Lower School theatre students learn about several aspects of producing a play, from blocking and script analysis to character development.
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Design & Technology
geodesic dome, this book, a programmable robot – what do these items have in common? Someone designed them. Blake students are builders and designers who will use technology in diverse fields. The information support and learning technologies departments inform academic curriculum and provide students with cutting-edge technological tools to learn and create. Courses in technical subjects, such as digital filmmaking, do not constitute a separate curriculum. Instead, design principles and computer technologies are integrated in every subject area at Blake. At the Lower School, the use of digital technology is planned to support active learning and creativity. Second graders learn simple programming to understand concepts such as the meaning of zero. Fourth graders produce segments for the two Lower School news programs.
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Through Blake’s Tech Tank after-school program, girls learn to find technology-based solutions for everyday challenges. They research, design and implement projects that benefit other communities, taking on leadership, management and creative roles.
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Technology use also reflects Blake’s focus on empathy and community service. Students on the Middle School Robotics team take part in the FIRST LEGO League competition, building and programming robots to solve real-world problems. By the time they reach the Upper School, students use technology for everything from designing videogames to running the sound system at the senior assembly. Meanwhile, teachers in each division work with school media specialists to help students use digital tools to conduct academic research and produce work in various media. Students use laptops to read and listen to texts written in other languages. Upper School students taking chemistry and physics quiz themselves using an online program that asks customized, increasingly challenging questions. Students graduate from Blake skilled in using computers and technology to study, build, design, make and create.
Blake’s Music Lab club provides technological resources students use to learn about music and create their own. Students can use MIDI instruments to compose or use software and computer games to improve musical skills.
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Blake implemented a 1:1 laptop program in 2010. Each Upper School student is issued a school-owned MacBook with software to support the academic curriculum. The program has expanded to include seventh and eighth graders.
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Digital arts students develop their own filmmaking aesthetic through the use of cutting-edge editing tools.
By physically building things, Lower Schoolers engage in 19 hands-on learning that integrates scientific theory and design.
Community Engagement
lake students come to view work together on projects such as Hope themselves as members of Totes. This initiative, undertaken in partmany communities: in the nership with Hope for the City, provides classroom, on campus, in essentials for homeless people in the local their city and region and as global citizens. community. Similar all-school initiatives They find joy in discovering their indiare central to Blake’s annual Legacy Day. vidual potential and using their talents to Each division organizes additional serimprove the world. vice opportunities. Lower School students Blake channels this positive collect money for UNICEF energy through its comprehenduring Halloween trick-orsive service-learning program. treating and learn how the Students serve their commumoney impacts students students received Blake’s Path of Service Award nity – locally and worldwide – around the world. Middle last year. through class projects, co-curSchool students choose a serricular activities and all-school vice theme to study, such as activities. All students participate in service hunger, then work in groups to address annually. Blake’s “preflect, serve, reflect” areas of need. Upper School students model prepares them to engage with the organize and execute their own service community in a mutually respectful way. initiatives, with about two dozen students It emphasizes how service benefits those serving on the Community Service Board. offering and receiving it. Responsibility, compassion and empa Community engagement has many thy are not abstract values at Blake. faces at Blake. Students from all divisions They’re woven into students’ daily lives.
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Children form connections across age barriers. When fifth graders at Blake visit the Friendship Village Senior Care Residence to sing for residents, they often maintain their newfound friendships through letter exchanges.
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Students in the Green Team environmental club studied the amount of food wasted at the Blake campus (Hopkins) and saw an opportunity. Working with food service staff, students planned to have the extra food donated to Peace House, a local charity.
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Upper School students have a serious personal commitment to community service. Many Upper School students have received the Paths of Service Award, which recognizes students who have completed more than 100 hours of community service.
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Blake’s youngest students learn the value of giving to, and engaging with, their community. These students enjoy expressing gratitude to their teachers.
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Physical Education & Athletics
hysical education at Blake has a dual mission: to help each student develop to his or her full potential and to give all students great experiences. Participating in sports is inherently educational. Students learn how to persevere, work on a team, strive for a personal best and lead. Blake fosters these aspects of students’ development through its general physical education program and more than 30 varsity sports. Physical education in pre-kindergarten through grade five includes activities such as swimming, skating, dance, cooperative games and team activities. The skills instilled through these pursuits are reinforced in Middle School physical education classes. Starting in grade seven, students can participate in organized sports. (All are required to play a team sport at least twice during their time at Blake.) On average, 80 percent of Upper
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Although Lower School students are not required to participate in organized sports, many have an interest in athletics that goes beyond their physical education classes. That’s why Blake offers after-school athletics programs.
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School students participate in a sport each season; 40 percent play two sports each school year. Offerings include cross-country running, soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, alpine skiing, basketball, hockey, fencing, nordic skiing, track and field, golf, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball, ultimate frisbee, clay target, synchronized swimming and volleyball. Coaches stay closely involved not only with varsity teams but with athletes at every level. Blake is one of six member schools in the Independent Metro Athletic Conference, which is committed to athletic programs that support academic excellence. Blake’s broad range of athletic programs helps each student develop at his or her individual pace. The school also has a “no-cut” policy. Team placement is commensurate with students’ skill level, but no student is ever denied the opportunity to participate in a sport.
All Middle School students have physical education and recess every day, with organized interscholastic sports starting in seventh grade.
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Blake has won more than 50 state championships in recent years. The school has won the Minnesota State High School League Challenge Cup seven times in the past 12 years.
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A variety of athletic programs at Blake ensures every student finds the right sport.
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Pluralism & Identity
n excellent education is The Blake community is diverse, bringinherently pluralistic. We ing together students from approxidon’t learn by staying in mately 55 neighborhoods. Just over 27 a comfort zone of peers percent of students self-identify with a with similar backgrounds and viewpoints. community of color, and families speak Meaningful interaction with people more than 45 languages at home. Blake’s across differences helps us arrive at new commitment to tuition assistance creates understandings. At Blake, students learn a community that reflects the full range to value what makes them unique – and of socioeconomic diversity in the Twin value the way other perspecCities. Blake students thrive in tives enhance their own. a school community devoted Exposure to a variety of to achieving gender equity perspectives is essential to and respecting GLBTQ (gay, study-away programs offered through which the curriculum. Courselesbian, bisexual, transgender students can explore the work emphasizes empathy, and queer) identified people world beyond Blake self-awareness about identity and their families. and cultures, and respect for differences. Students are also encouraged to seek For example, students in pre-kindergarten out experiences beyond campus boundarpaint the color of their own skin before ies. From tutoring peers in local schools to examining every student’s racial identity visiting villages in Sierra Leone, they have more closely in second grade. In academnumerous opportunities to volunteer, ics, arts and athletics, students continually study and work off-campus. These expework across differences to solve problems. riences help them understand themselves Students also encounter multiple views as interdependent citizens of the Twin and experiences outside of the classroom. Cities, Minnesota, the U.S. and the world.
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Cornerstone, a program beginning in prekindergarten and lasting through grade twelve, supports students and families of color to ensure their full, wholehearted participation in school life.
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Middle Schoolers design and lead service projects that deepen their connection to the community and build empathy, such as an annual haunted house activity to earn funds for a local shelter.
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Upper School students committed to pluralism can participate in the Justice League. This group works to understand the varied experiences of individuals in the community and increase social equity.
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Pluralism is a fundamental value at Blake, both inside and outside of the classroom.
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Teamwork & Leadership
reat leaders are made, not born. What’s more, they can work successfully with others while remaining faithful to personal standards. At Blake, students learn to be effective leaders and team players. Blake offers numerous opportunities for students to be part of a team while also developing leadership qualities: self-discipline, communication and problem-solving skills, empathy and commitment to goals. Collaboration is integral to the academic curriculum, with students working together to solve problems by applying what they have learned in class. Cocurricular clubs and activities, along with athletic programs, also reinforce teamwork and leadership. Students in each division can choose from a great variety of activities. Students in grades one through five might enjoy overnight campouts through the Boys’
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Spending time with peers of different ages helps students learn teamwork and cooperation. The Lower School Buddy program pairs older students with younger students for reading, writing and play throughout the year.
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Education, Activity, Recreation and Service Club (BEARS) or the Girls’ Service and Activity Club (GSAC). As students enter Middle School, options increase to address their diverse interests. Students who want to better their community might join the Service Advisory Board, engaging in activities such as serving food at Crisis Nursery, a Minneapolis shelter for children at risk of abuse or neglect. Options expand still more at the Upper School. Students might practice conflict-resolution in the Model United Nations, build shelters through Habitat for Humanity, or serve as teachers for LearningWorks, a partnership between Blake and Minneapolis Public Schools. Numerous other choices exist within each division for students to pursue their unique interests – athletic, artistic, academic, political, environmental and social – as part of a larger group.
Middle School students have the option of partcipating in various groups, including Allies for Diversity, the Gay Straight Alliance, the Green Team or the Service Advisory Board.
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Students in active leadership positions can gain deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities by participating in leadership retreats, exploring topics such as “Power, Perspective and Privilege.”
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Twin Cities judges and attorneys adjudicate cases in the Constitutional Studies mock trial.
Middle School students report on community news and produce their own broadcast.
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After Blake
lake embodies the motto, “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.” As Upper School students plan for life after Blake, faculty and staff provide many forms of support. Throughout grades nine through twelve, Blake helps students navigate each step of the college search process. Students reflect and ask questions to determine what they truly need from a school. In grades nine and ten, students begin a few preparations for their college search. All students take the PSAT in October of sophomore year as practice for the junior year PSAT and additional College Board exams. However, ninth and tenth graders focus primarily on academics and cocurricular activities. As the search process intensifies for juniors and seniors, Blake provides extensive support: ► fall college fairs for students and their parents, including the Minnesota Independent School Partnership College Fair and the National College Fair sponsored by the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling; ► informational events such as Junior Parent College Night, Senior Parent
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College Night, Prospective Collegiate Student Athlete Night and College Financial Aid Night; ► a college seminar for students in the spring of their sophomore year; ► individual college counseling meetings, beginning in junior year and continuing through senior year; ► test preparation courses to help students prepare for the ACT; and ► presentations, such as Zen Lessons of the College Essay, to prepare parents and guardians for the college application essay process. Students take ownership of the search process through their use of Naviance, a web-based program that helps them track and organize application materials, deadlines, notes and the like. This tool is introduced in the college seminar. Qualified Blake seniors can devise their own personalized, structured program of study through the Senior Program. Seniors’ opportunities are further enhanced by a program that matches them to professionals in the community for internships and shadowing experiences. Students graduate ready to move on to the college where they can best fulfill their potential.
Blake’s dedicated college counseling team helps students focus on the schools that best suit their skills, personality and expectations.
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Lower School
ower School is a young Connections form across grade levels child’s introduction to acathrough programs such as a “buddy sysdemics – reading, writing tem,” pairing each kindergartener with a and math. But education buddy in fifth grade. is more than just instruction in the “three This spirit of community doesn’t end at the R’s.” It’s also a process of socialization in a edge of campus. Lower School students community of peers who become in-class also participate in activities that connect collaborators and lifelong friends. them to regional, national and internaLower School students learn tional groups. Whether they how to construct meaning, are visiting friends at nearby ask good questions in a variCedar Riverside School or ety of contexts, and reflect participating in Family Service minutes LS students daily upon their own learnNight, students learn from spend with specialist teachers each week ing. From pre-kindergarten an early age to value different through grade five, students perspectives and work with learn what it means to be part of a comothers. munity. Starting in pre-kindergarten, they Students develop and learn in an atmolearn how to be good citizens within their sphere of academic rigor. Blake’s combiclassroom. Instruction emphasizes respect nation of small classes, skilled teachers for others, empathy and problem solving. and high expectations ensure that each Students come to see themselves as part student is individually guided toward of a peer learning community, working academic success. Blake helps students together on many classroom projects. become well-rounded individuals who
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LOWER SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: ►
Even the youngest students learn empathy and problem solving. For example, one pre-kindergarten class opened the Pre-K Cafe to raise money for the Light of Hope School in Kenya. Students and faculty organized a pancake breakfast
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for community members and raised over $1,500 in one day. ► LS students who need additional support receive differentiated lessons, small-group instruction through pullout programs or supplemental classroom instruction.
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Arts programs foster children’s innate creativity. All students have regular classes in visual arts, music and theatre from kindergarten through grade five.
excel in many areas. In addition to traditional academic curriculum comprising language arts, math, social studies and science, students develop skills in physical education, Spanish, engineering, computer programming, visual arts, music and theatre. Students are committed to excellence in all they do, whether it’s participating in chess club or archery or in the Lower School strings program. Blake educators recognize that these varied avenues for achievement may pose challenges for some students. Teachers, learning specialists and counselors are committed to providing accommodations and support for all students’ academic and social well-being. Each Lower School grade is staffed with a skilled classroom teacher and a teaching assistant (full-time in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, part-time in grades one through five). This additional staffing helps create an
enriching experience and community where each student is well-known. Lower School students thrive at two Blake campuses. The Highcroft campus in Wayzata is home to about 240 students while some 270 students attend Lower School on the Blake campus in Hopkins. Although the two campuses are about 20 minutes apart, teachers actively work to foster connections between them. Students collaborate between campuses and come together for events such as field trips, Legacy Day and Olympic Day. All Lower School students emerge from grade five with a strong academic foundation, a healthy sense of self and readiness for Middle School.
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Middle School
iddle School is a time ► honesty (academic and personal); of great transition. ► acceptance of others; As students begin to enter ► respect for peers, adults, and the school adolescence, they undergo facilities and environment; major physical, mental and emotional ► responsibility toward self, others, changes. They develop a greater capacity the school and the surrounding for abstract reasoning and think more community; and about their own future. Typically they ► trust within the school community. become more idealistic, Students live up to emotional and concerned these values in the classroom, with social relationships. in clubs and cocurricular They also develop a more activities, on the athletic cocurricular club sophisticated understanding field and in service learning options offered at the Middle School of the world around them projects. Sixth graders gain a and wonder about their place larger perspective and greater in it. Educators at Blake are attuned awareness of their responsibility to these students’ unique needs. The toward local and global communities Middle School’s curriculum, cocurricular through a humanities course that programs and focus on core values help develops reading, writing and criticalstudents continue to flourish. thinking skills as students analyze Fully contained on Blake’s Hopkins global issues. campus and attended by approximately 340 Beginning in seventh grade, students, the Middle School emphasizes students are eligible for competitive five core values: sports, giving them the opportunity to learn about teamwork. Service learning opportunities further enhance students’ sense of empathy and responsibility while developing leadership and problem-solving skills. All students participate in
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donation drives to provide food, clothing and books to others in the community. The Middle School also provides many opportunities for adolescents to explore their academic, artistic and athletic potential. The academic curriculum covers topics ranging from indigenous people to algebra and explicitly emphasizes study, organizational and critical-thinking skills. All seventh and eighth graders are provided a personal laptop for school use. Within the arts, sixth graders complete classes in visual arts, wood studio and theatre. All students take choir, band or orchestra, participating in two to three public performances each year. Seventh and eighth graders choose two additional arts to study each year. All eighth graders give a public speech, and students may also participate in Debate Club. Emerging athletes participate in sports ranging from basketball to swimming to lacrosse. The Middle School is fully committed to providing support services to students who need them. Additionally, students are
matched each year with an advisor (one of the student’s teachers). The advisor serves as the primary point of contact for the student and family. As they move from childhood to young adulthood, Middle School students are eager to forge an identity, bond with peers and begin thinking about their place in the larger community. Blake offers a challenging but nurturing environment for them to do so.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: â–ş
Eighth graders can learn how different branches of the arts connect through an optional, yearlong integrated arts course that combines visual arts, theatre, wood studio and music. Projects include building a
musical instrument and playing music, dance and set design for a scene from Shakespeare. â–ş The Middle School Knowledge Bowl team has won the regional competition five times in six years. This competition
poses challenging questions in mathematics, science, history, geography, literature, grammar and current events.
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Upper School
pper School students on Advanced Placement English literature Blake’s Northrop campus participates in discussion-based seminars – students poised between and works intensively with instructors adolescence and adultto refine his writing. No matter what the hood – have vast opportunities to grow as course, top-notch faculty and facilities individuals. The school’s academic rigor enhance students’ academic experience. ensures that graduates enter college on a Upper School students are wellfooting with the very best students among rounded, with endless opportunities to their peers. But education pursue their passions for the isn’t just academic. Upper arts, sports or other personal School students explore their interests. Musicians, actors potential as scholars, artists, and visual artists have multiple of graduates move on athletes, leaders – and agents creative outlets. Curriculum to a four-year college or university. of change. Graduates leave offerings range from 20th cencommitted not only to their tury art history to musical theown personal development, but also to atre to digital filmmaking. Gifted orators improving the world they live in. can debate domestic and international Academically, the school fosters a spirit political and social issues. Additionally, all of inquiry and problem-solving, along with Blake students are members of an athletic disciplined habits of mind. A sophomore team for at least one season in grades nine taking geometry develops her inductive and ten; options range from soccer to and deductive reasoning skills while learntrack and field to alpine skiing. ing to write formal proofs. A junior taking Blake students view themselves as
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100%
UPPER SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: ►
Blake helps students pursue learning beyond campus boundaries. Approximately 20 international and studyaway programs are offered through the global studies department, providing numerous opportunities for travel.
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► The
student-faculty ratio in the Upper School is 8:1, ensuring that each student receives plenty of individual attention. ► Several Upper School students serve as teachers in LearningWorks, a partnership between Minneapolis Public
Schools (MPS) and Blake. Since 2000, LearningWorks has prepared MPS students to thrive in college and offered real-world teaching experiences to high school and college students.
citizens of the world who have a responsibility to improve it. School life provides many ways for them to lead, contribute and serve. Some are woven into the academic curriculum; others are available as cocurricular pursuits. For instance, the student-led Community Service Board oversees fundraising activities. It also organizes events such as birthday celebrations for clients at Little Brothers/Friends of the Elderly, a regional organization that pairs volunteers with older adults. Meanwhile, the curriculum itself teaches students to become global citizens, particularly through social studies and international studies courses. Opportunities abound for travel and study abroad.
Upper School students inhabit many roles and set the highest goals for themselves. Blake recognizes that balancing these multiple commitments is a challenge. For this reason, students are encouraged to seek out support when they need it, from faculty, counselors and administrative staff. Grade-level deans play a particularly important role in supporting students. Each grade has an assigned dean who serves as students’ primary adult point of contact and stays with that grade through graduation. A ninth grader might approach his dean to talk frankly about the academic challenges that accompany the transition to the Upper School. A senior might ask for advice devising an independent study plan for her senior program. The deans are always eager to help. Thinkers, doers, innovators, creators, leaders – Blake students fulfill all of these roles. The Upper School molds them to become the best individuals they can be. 35
Blake’s Campuses
T
he Blake School comprises three campuses in the Minneapolis
metropolitan area: the Blake campus in Hopkins, the Highcroft campus in Wayzata and the Northrop campus in Minneapolis. Faculty and students work to build distinct communities at each location, while maintaining close connections between all three campuses.
THE BLAKE CAMPUS, HOPKINS
THE HIGHCROFT CAMPUS, WAYZATA
The Blake campus in Hopkins is attended by
Highcroft is nestled in a quiet residential neigh-
half of Blake’s Lower School students and all
borhood in Wayzata, offering students a pristine
of its Middle School students. Approximately
environment for learning. Highcroft is attended
600 students total attend the Hopkins campus.
by half of Blake’s Lower School students – about
Spreading over 55 acres of rolling hills, this
240 total. Its homelike, nurturing environment
campus is also home to Blake’s athletic facilities.
is enhanced by facilities and activities tailored
These include:
to Blake’s younger students.
► the Gordy Aamoth Jr. Stadium, used for
football, soccer and lacrosse; ► the William J. Glen Field for baseball; ► the Blake Ice Arena and Blake Gymnasium; ► the John Hartmann Pool; and ► the soccer fields and track and tennis courts.
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THE NORTHROP CAMPUS, MINNEAPOLIS
BENEFITS OF THREE CAMPUSES
Blake’s Northrop campus is home to the Upper
Each Blake campus provides facilities tailored to
School, and its location and facilities are ideal
the age group it serves. Without the distraction
for young adults’ interests. Its proximity to the
of much older or much younger students near-
cultural and business center of Minneapolis
by, students focus on building meaningful peer
provides students with numerous opportuni-
relationships. They also enjoy a sense of accom-
ties for personal enrichment and growth. The
plishment and variety as they change campuses
Northrop campus is located next to the Walker
throughout their academic careers at Blake.
Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Approximately 525 Upper School students
TRANSPORTATION
attend classes on the Northrop campus.
Blake provides door-to-door, centralized and campus-to-campus busing options. For specific transportation information, please contact us at transportationconf@blakeschool.org or call 952-988-3457.
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Affording Blake
ualified students should have access to the best education available – a Blake education – regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. That’s why Blake is fully committed to assisting families for whom tuition expenses may pose an insurmountable burden. Approximately 19 percent of students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve receive tuition assistance. Q
NEED-BASED ASSISTANCE
other expenses, such as books and transporta-
All financial assistance at Blake is based on
tion, as these expenses arise.
need; Blake does not provide scholarships for academic, athletic or artistic merit. The National Association of Independent Schools’
FUND-A-NEED
School and Student Services division and Blake’s
Financial assistance covers tuition and related expenses, but a Blake education goes far beyond academics. Fund-A-Need helps ensure all students have a comprehensive experience at Blake. This fund covers expenses not addressed by the core financial assistance program, such as Advanced Placement exam fees, prom tickets and after-school activities.
Financial Assistance Committee determine a given family’s demonstrated financial need. Defined simply, “demonstrated need” is the difference between the cost of annual tuition at Blake and the amount of money a family can be expected to contribute.
HOW AND WHEN TO APPLY WHAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COVERS
Families can apply for financial assistance by
Initial financial assistance awards cover tuition
completing financial assistance forms available
expenses, afternoon programs for students in
on the Blake School website (blakeschool.org/
pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and lunch.
admissions).
Students may receive additional funding for
The following forms must be completed and
submitted for review electronically: ► the Blake Financial Assistance Form for the
coming academic year; ► the Parents’ Financial Statement on School
and Student Services by the National Association of Independent Schools; and ► income tax forms for the two years preced-
ing the academic year for which you are requesting tuition assistance.
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Blake’s website provides links and deadlines for electronic submission of these forms. Please note that families must reapply for financial assistance each year. Barring any significant changes in income or family situation, the proportion of assistance granted is likely to remain fairly stable, although tuition and fees are likely to
BLAKE’S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING QUALIFIED STUDENTS
increase somewhat each year.
Blake is committed to providing financial as-
Decisions about financial assistance are
sistance as a means of ensuring that qualified
communicated to families at the same time as
students have access to the uniquely rich educa-
admissions decisions.
tional opportunities available at Blake. Financial assistance grants not only support students’
“We honestly consider this the chance of a lifetime. Thank you for this opportunity for our child and our whole family.” -BLAKE PARENT
academic growth but also facilitate their participation in artistic and athletic endeavors. Blake’s long-term goal is to increase its proportion of students who receive financial assistance. For additional information about financial
ADMISSIONS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
assistance at Blake, please contact the director
Financial assistance applications are reviewed
of financial assistance at 952-988-3424.
by Blake’s Financial Assistance Committee, and all information therein is kept strictly confidential. During the admissions process, the Admissions Committee does not have access to any family’s financial information.
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Next Steps
very student has unique needs. A visit can help you determine whether Blake is the right choice for your child. Prospective students have several opportunities to see Blake in action. E
CAMPUS TOURS
Parents of Blake students conduct tours of the
APPLYING TO BLAKE
school’s three campuses, offering a perfect op-
The Blake School seeks students whose strong
portunity for prospective families to hear from
ability, performance and promise suggest they
current ones. Tours allow families to see Blake
will thrive in the school’s challenging academic
in action during a typical school day.
environment and who will contribute to the life of the school in a variety of areas, including the
ADMISSIONS EVENTS
arts, athletics, leadership and service. Students
In early November and January, Blake hosts
admitted to Blake and their families are expected
“Discover Blake” events on all campuses. These
to embrace the school’s mission statement,
events allow for the opportunity to meet and
statement of core values and commitment to
speak with school administrators, faculty, stu-
pluralism.
dents and parents.
Admissions decisions are based on a combination of factors, which may include a per-
CONTACT US
sonal interview with the student and his or her
Phone: 952-988-3420
parents or guardians, the student’s academic
Email: admissions@blakeschool.org
record, admissions testing, current teacher
Web: www.blakeschool.org/admissions
recommendations, a classroom visit and other
Blake Campus Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 8
110 Blake Road South Hopkins, MN 55343 Highcroft Campus Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 5
301 Peavey Lane Wayzata, MN 55391
appropriate information. Academic readiness or achievement, social and behavioral maturity, motivation and special talents are considered. While our major entry points to Blake are in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade, we welcome applications at all grade levels. DEADLINES
January 31: All admissions and financial
Northrop Campus
assistance application materials due.
Grades 9 – 12
February 28: Supplementary financial assistance
511 Kenwood Parkway
materials due.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Early April: Enrollment decisions mailed.
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Facts
LOCATION & CAMPUSES
► On average, around a quarter of
ATHLETICS
► Three campuses (Blake,
students in the the senior class annually receive National Merit Scholarship recognition. Blake regularly ranks as the school with the highest percentage of National Merit Semifinalists and Commended students in Minnesota. ► Advanced Placement course offerings include English Literature, Studio Art, Latin: Vergil and Caesar, Statistics, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (three courses), European History, Spanish, Chinese and French. ► College counseling helps students choose the options best suited to their needs and potential. One hundred percent of all graduates advance to a four-year college or university. ► Summer at Blake offers yearround academic enrichment, forcredit courses, as well as sports, art, theatre and day camps for students spanning Pre-K through grade 12.
► Blake offers more than 30
Highcroft and Northrop) in the Minneapolis metropolitan area ► Lower School students attend classes on the Blake campus (Hopkins) or Highcroft campus (Wayzata). ► The Blake campus (Hopkins) is home to the Middle School, and the Northrop campus (Minneapolis) is home to the Upper School. STUDENTS & FACULTY ► Approximately 1,375 students,
representing 55 neighborhoods in the Twin Cities area ► 73% of faculty members hold advanced degrees ► Average class size of 15-16 ► Schoolwide student-faculty ratio of 11:1 ► Upper School student-faculty ratio of 8:1 ► 27.5% of students identify as students of color ► Blake provides need-based financial assistance to approximately 21% of its student body.
GLOBAL PROGRAMS ► Opportunities for travel abroad,
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE ► Blake’s comprehensive, rigorous
curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, writing, and problemsolving in English literature and language arts, science, mathematics, social studies and world languages. ► Blake students’ average ACT score is 29.6; the average SAT score is 1328. ► Blake uses the acclaimed Math in Focus curriculum, based on Singapore mathematics, for students in grades one through eight.
range from short trips (two to six weeks) to semester or year long stays. Most travel is undertaken for the purpose of language study or service learning. ► Blake is the only school in Minnesota that is a member of the Global Online Academy, a consortium of schools that connects students and teachers around the globe to study subjects ranging from neuropsychology to comparative politics. ► Blake offers approximately 20 study-away programs.
sports. It’s home to more than 75 athletic teams that compete in the Minnesota State High School League. ► Team sports include crosscountry running, soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, alpine skiing, basketball, hockey, fencing, nordic skiing, track and field, golf, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball, ultimate frisbee, clay target, synchronized swimming and volleyball. ► Around 80 percent of Upper School students participate in team sports. THE ARTS ► Visual arts, music and theatre
classes are part of Blake’s core Lower School curriculum. ► The Lower School strings program allows students to take optional violin or cello lessons. ► All Middle School students take part in performance-based music classes (band, choir or orchestra). ► Students continue with visual arts, music, theatre and/or speech and debate in grades six through twelve.
110 Blake Road South Hopkins, Minnesota 55343 tel 952-988-3420 email admissions@blakeschool.org web blakeschool.org
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