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Frequently Asked Questions

For questions about financial aid, see the Tuition Aid page.

About the School

  • Do you have a preschool program?

    We do not offer preschool. Part of FSM’s diversity comes from the wide variety of preschools that feed into FSM each year. Our students have come from over 50 wonderful preschool programs in neighborhoods all over the Twin Cities and beyond.

  • Is your kindergarten full day or half day?

    We offer full day kindergarten only.

  • Do kindergartners need to be five years old?

    All children must be five by September 1st to attend kindergarten at FSM.

  • What are the school day hours?

    Our school day follows Saint Paul Public Schools schedule of 9:15-a.m.-3:45 p.m.

  • What is a Friends school?

    The Religious Society of Friends members are commonly known as Friends or Quakers. As one of over 80 Quaker schools in the United States, Friends School of Minnesota is committed to the values of peace simplicity, integrity, community and equality. Learn more about Quaker education at FSM.   To learn more about Quaker education in general, visit the
    Friends Council on Education.

  • What is progressive education?

    Friends School of Minnesota’s goal of academic excellence is guided by the principles of progressive education. We believe that children learn best as active participants, collaborators, and problem-solvers within a community. Rich projects enable children to acquire the skills and conceptual understandings that lie at the heart of the formal disciplines. Learn more about progressive education at FSM.

  • What grades do you have at Friends School?

    We are a kindergartent through grade 8 school of approximately 162 students.

    Our lower school is K-4 and our middle school is 5-8.

  • What are the class sizes at FSM?

    Lower School classes are 16-18 students. Middle School classes range from 15-21.

    By committing to small class sizes, we know our students very well and can give them the individual attention they need to reach their fullest potential.

  • How many classrooms of each grade do you have at FSM?

    There is one class per grade at FSM with 16-21 students in each grade.

    As we have mixed-grade classrooms, there are two first-second grade classrooms and two third-fourth grade classrooms (our kindergarten is the only lower school classroom that is not mixed age).

    Middle school also mixes grades in various classes (humanities, specialists, electives).

    Math is taught school-wide by single grade.

  • Why do you have mixed-grade classrooms?

    Friends School provides mixed-age classrooms following kindergarten. Mixed-age classes provide students broader social and academic opportunities. Lower school children stay with a teacher for two years allowing teachers to deeply understand each student’s strengths and challenges. In middle school, students have their core subject teachers for up to four years.

    We strive to maintain a diversity of students in every classroom and classes are balanced by gender, personality, interests, academic level and learning style. Cooperative, community learning flourishes in mixed-age classroom environments.

  • Does FSM offer a foreign language?

    All FSM students K-8 take Spanish three times a week. Learn more about Spanish at FSM.

  • How does FSM teach the arts?

    FSM believes in the importance of all of the arts and we continually explore creative ways to make the arts vibrant and meaningful to students, and to expose them to as wide a range of arts experiences as possible within a school of our size.  At FSM, the arts are integrated into many curriculum areas. We also teach the arts as discreet disciplines.

    In 2009-10, all FSM students will have weekly classes with visual arts and music specialists. In addition, students study visual arts and drama with their classroom/core teachers.  Students may also choose to participate in our after school music program or drama clubs.

    Learn more about FSM’s Art and Music instruction.

  • What specialists do students see?

    In 2009-10, all students, K-8 will have classes with specialists for physical education, music, art and Spanish. These classes meet two or three times a week for 30-45 minutes.

  • Do you have learning or behavior specialists on staff?

    No, we do not have a learning specialist or a behavior specialist on staff. Some students who qualify for services through the public schools receive these services at St. Paul’s Galtier Elementary which is a few blocks away. Other families choose private support services. We will work to facilitate a plan that best serves a child’s learning needs.

  • Does FSM have a sports program?

    FSM offers middle school sports program with 5/6 and 7/8 grade teams in soccer, basketball and volleyball.

    We are a part of a Twin Cities sports league of other private and public schools committed to positive, fun sports experiences which includes mixed-gender teams, equal playing time and good sportsmanship.

    We also have an informal Running Club in the spring.

    Learn more about FSM sports.

  • Do you have recess?

    Yes, students have recess every day. The lower school has one hour for lunch and recess and middle school has forty minutes for lunch and recess.

    Being active and getting outside (every day unless the windchill is below zero) is very important for students physically, socially and academically. Even indoor recess gives students a much-needed break and unstructured time to play and interact with their classmates.

    We have a playground and also use the spacious city park just south of the school for recess and other outdoor activities.

  • What about busing and carpools?

    Saint Paul residents qualify for public school bussing to and from school and ride the busses also servicing Galtier Elementary.

    Many families also choose to carpool. Our families come from all over the Twin Cities (about 35% Minneapolis/65% St. Paul) so families are creative about transportation.

  • Are children given time to be active at Friends School during the school day?

    We believe that children need to have opportunities to be physically active throughout the day. In addition to daily recess and physical education classes three times a week, classroom teachers often provide students with extra opportunities to be active whether through extra recess time, a lesson that invites movement or by just allowing them move around in the classroom as they work.

    Look around the classrooms and you may also see large balls or one legged stools to sit on, blocks to build with, or manipulatives to teach a math concept… FSM’s progressive education provides a rich environment for active learners.

  • Is it hard to be the new student? Doesn't everyone already know each other?

    FSM kids love new students! Your child will be welcomed warmly on their applicant visit day and will probably talk about how nice everyone was to them.

    We work hard to help new students transition. We match new families with current ambassador families and invite new families to summer welcome events. The first six weeks of every school year focuses on community building in the classroom. Remember, with mixed-age classrooms, half of the class is brand new to the classroom too. Most new students will feel at home within a few weeks.

  • Where do Friends School graduates attend school?

    FSM graduates attend high schools all over the Twin Cities and beyond. We are also collecting information about the colleges and graduate schools they go on to attend.

    Friends School of Minnesota alumni attend many different high schools, including:

    Agricultural & Food Sciences Academy
    Apple Valley High School
    Arlington High School
    Avalon High School
    The Blake School
    Central Senior High School
    Como Park Senior High School
    Creative Arts High School- ALC
    Cretin-Derham Hall
    DeLaSalle High School
    Eastview High School, Apple Valley
    Edina Senior High School
    Great River School
    Groves Academy
    Henry Sibley Senior High School
    Highland Park Senior High School
    Hopkins Senior High School
    Minnehaha Academy
    Mounds Park Academy
    Mounds View Senior High School
    North High School
    Perpich Center for Arts Education
    St. Anthony Village Senior High School
    St. Bernards High School
    St. Louis Park Senior High School
    St. Paul Academy & Summit School
    St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists
    St. Thomas Academy
    Simley Senior High School, Inver Grove Heights
    Scattergood Friends School
    South Senior High School
    Southwest Senior High School
    Stillwater High School
    Tartan Senior High School
    Twin Cities Academy
    Washburn Senior High School
    Watershed High School

    Friends School of Minnesota alumni continue on to colleges and universities including:

    Augsburg College, MN
    Bard College, NY
    Brown University, RI
    Carleton College, MN
    Chicago College of Performing Arts, IL
    Colgate University, NY
    Columbia College, IL
    Columbia University, NY
    College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, MN
    Colorado School of Mines, CO
    Connecticut College, CT
    Cornish College of the Arts, WA
    Drake University, IA
    Earlham College, IN
    Evergreen State College, WA
    Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, CA
    George Washington University, DC
    Granville Business College, Vancouver, Canada
    Gustavus Adolphus College, MN
    Hamline University, MN
    Hennepin Technical College, MN
    Illinois Institute of Technology, IL
    Illinois Wesleyan University, IL
    Iowa State University, IA
    Ithaca College, NY
    Lafayette College, PA
    Lawrence University, WI
    Luther College, IA
    Macalester College, MN
    Minneapolis Community and Technical College, MN
    McGill University, Quebec, Canada
    New York University, NY
    Reed College, OR
    Smith College, MA
    St. Catherine University, MN
    Tufts University, MA
    Union College, New York
    University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
    University of British Columbia, Canada
    University of Chicago, IL
    University of Iowa, IA
    University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN
    University of Minnesota, Morris, MN
    University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN
    University of Minnesota Institute of Technology, MN
    University of Southern California, CA
    University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
    University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
    Washington University in St. Louis, MO
    Winona State University, MN
    Yale University, CT

  • Do you have plans for a Friends School of Minnesota high school?

    We have no plans to add a high school at this time. Each year, our graduates choose high schools all over Minneapolis and St. Paul. The wide variety of high school programs that they attend speaks to FSM graduates’ individuality and their knowledge of themselves as learners when they leave Friends School.

About Admissions

  • How do I apply?

    Contact our Admissions Director Susan Nagel by calling 651-621-8937 or by email. We welcome the chance to chat by phone or email about your child and what you are looking for in a school.

    You will want to schedule a visit to tour the school.

    You can apply online, download the school application 

    If you think that FSM would be a good fit for your child, complete our application form and return it with the $60 application fee (payment can also be made online for online applications).

    Applications received by February 15, 2011 will be given preference for the 2010-11 school year.

  • Is FSM still accepting 2010-11 applications?

    Our kindergarten application deadline was February 16.  All applicants visited in small groups in February.  We have enrolled our 2010-11 class.  Contact Susan if you would like to be contacted if we re-open our 2010-11 kindergarten admissions. 

    Please inquire about remaining fall openings. We are also accepting applications to our wait pools. We will only schedule applicant visits over the summer if an opening occurs.

  • Do you accept students for all grades?

    Yes. In addition to kindergarten, there are often openings in other grades as well. When classes are full, we recommend applying to the wait pool. New students enter at all grades and feel at home very quickly.

  • How can I visit the school?

    Open Houses: Come to an evening Admissions Open House at Friends School:

  • Thursday, November 11, 2010; 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, February 8, 2011; 6:30-8:30 p.m.

    • Open houses include a school tour by current students or parents, a presentation about FSM’s curriculum and programs and a chance to visit classrooms and visit with teachers and staff. Children’s activities are available so you can bring the whole family. Get on our admissions mailing list to receive information about these events by contacting Susan at 651-621-8937 or by email.

    School Day Tours: School day visits include a tour, classroom observations and a chance to meet school staff. These tours are 9:30-11:30 on many Monday and Thursday mornings October through April (adults only). Please contact us for an appointment at 651-621-8937 or email. Summer tours may be arranged for families applying to fall openings or for prospective families visiting from out of town.

    Applicant Visits: If you apply and a mutual good fit seems likely, your child will come for an applicant visit. During the visit, prospective students get to see what FSM is like and interact with staff and peers. We administer academic assessments and get to know them.

  • When are admissions decisions reached?

    Applications received by February 15, 2011 will be given priority. Applicants meeting the deadlines should receive notification of our admissions decisions by early April. After February 15th, we continue to accept applications on a rolling basis until all openings are filled and for our wait pools.

  • How do you use admissions wait pools?

    In order to ensure small class sizes, we use wait pools. Even if there are no current openings, we encourage families to go through the application process to enter the wait pool so that they are ready when openings occur.

    We call it a wait pool rather than a wait list because we don’t rank the applicants in the wait pool. If we offer a child a place in the wait pool, we believe that he or she will thrive at FSM and hope there is an opening soon.

    When a space becomes available, we look to the wait pool for the best fit for the current classroom community, striving for balance and diversity of many variables including gender, personality, interests, academic level, learning style, and socio-economic background.

  • Are some applicants given preference in admissions?

    We give admissions preference to Quakers, siblings and staff children.

  • Do you have sibling preference?

    Yes, we give sibling preference once one child is enrolled. When you apply for a sibling and FSM is a good mutual fit, he/she is given preference when an opening occurs.

  • If my child is accepted, how do I guarantee his/her entrance to Friends School?

    After receiving notification of acceptance, you have two weeks to make a non-refundable deposit of one tenth of the following year’s tuition. This deposit guarantees your child’s entrance to Friends School.

  • Does applying for tuition aid affect the admissions process?

    The two processes are separate. All applications for tuition aid must be accompanied by an application for admission. For more information about our tuition aid process, see the Tuition Aid page, or feel free to contact Susan at admissions@fsmn.org or call 651-621-8937.