First of all this is in Apple Valley MN not St Paul. My child has been going here for 6 years. Very…read moregood teachers. My child was a child to howl about in January also. The class sized are high however, 32 in his class. Field trips are good. My child has felt safe and not bullied. There is some diversity but not a lot. School has early start at 830 am and done by 240 pm. This appeals to working parents as most elementary schools begin at 920. This school also has some open enrolled students. There are a lot of PTO fundraisers but no pressure If you dont participate. If you live too close you have to pay for bussing. This school was built in 1970's and has a boiler heat system and my child wears t shirts in winter as a result. They are very aware of peanut and nut allergies here also.

The Minneapolis Community Ed. program is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) program in the…read morecountry. They've had 40 years to work the kinks out, and it shows. The huge catalog has brief descriptions of the classes and you can find out about the teachers online. Like Jillian C. says, they have everything: sushi rolling demonstrations, ashtanga yoga, money-management, kids programs, watercolor painting and Facebook lessons (Dad would benefit). Years of school have conditioned me into thinking that September is the start of the year, even now, quite a few years after graduation. Point is, I make my "resolutions" in September. Last year I resolved to learn to play the guitar and speak French. I did both for less than $100 with Community Ed.! [cue infomercial] I highly recommend Beginning Guitar with Chris. For less than $40, I had ten practically one-one-one lessons with a great teacher. He even gave us an extra week! When the class was over, I was able to keep practicing using his packet and handouts fairly easily. I wouldn't say my French 1 class was as impressive because the teacher didn't get too creative. I didn't get a lot out of doing flashcards over and over and over again.

My love affair with Community Ed in the fine city of Minneapolis has only just begun. They offer…read moreeverything imaginable including art classes, fitness classes, how to make homemade soap, cooking, vegan cooking, how to manage your finances, how to operate a computer, foreign languages, writing, how to grow an herb garden in your kitchen...and so forth. Some classes are 8 weeks long, some are three hours in one evening. Take your pick! There truly is something for everyone. I've taken beginner Pilates and French 1 and can only say that I have been very, very pleasantly surprised. 8 weeks of French for less than $70 - &)#%!?!? (Oh, and 8 weeks of Pilates for $35, in case you were curious). I was worried that I would be getting what I paid for but was sorely mistaken. If you can deal with taking notes and not having a text book (who cracks them anyway?) the quality of the class so much more than makes up for the lack of supplies and materials. The instructors are fantastic and the class sizes small. To think I considered spending $400 on a French class somewhere else... Pilates is fantastic as well, and I've only heard good things about other yoga or dance classes. The spring catalogue is online now!

Fantastic local business! My kids have been going to Learning Designs for Spanish tutoring, and…read morethey are learning so much in just one hour a week. They are motivated and eager to attend their session each week. Excellent option if you need experienced tutoring without having to empty your wallet at one of the national chain testing centers.

My daughter is in community college and has learning disabilities. Faced with a semester with four…read morepapers I knew we were going to need some help. A business person in the Linden Hills area suggested we check with Learning Designs as he knew Karen and thought she might be able to help us. I was actually doubtful since so many tutor businesses cater only to ACT and not helping students after high school. I contacted Karen as well as two other tutors and decided to go with Learning Designs. Karen put us in touch with the perfect person to work with my daughter and the result was four papers each with a grade of A. Karen matched my daughter to the perfect tutor. It saved the semester. Karen is responsive to each student's needs and the building in Linden Hills provides a very nice environment for the sessions. I highly recommend Learning Designs.

Minnehaha Academy is a traditional college preparatory school that offers pre-K to grade 12…read moreeducation. MA has two beautiful campuses on the bluffs of the Mississippi River with spacious grounds, with about 12 acres each. MA, like many east coast prep schools, was founded by Protestants from Europe. Opening in 1913, the school is affiliated with the Covenant Church (a historic branch the Lutheran Church that is now a separate denomination). MA has a strong commitment to faith with weekly chapel services and taking a traditional approach to teaching religion by having specific religious classes and bringing the topic of religion into other classes as well. This is done with other subjects as well, since many of the humanities and sciences overlap--for example you could have a discussion in history class about science or literature; in this way the student is able to understand the whole story from multiple angles and gain a deeper understanding of the world. The schools commitment to academics is extraordinary, boasting one of the best AP programs in the state, and if the class doesn't have an AP test then the school offers alternatives such as the College in the Schools program where students take a class from the University of Minnesota from one of their teachers and earn college credit. The school has also partnered with various scientific institutions to send a project to the International Space Station each year, joining only two other high schools in the nation that have this honor. The language department is also very excellent offering French, Latin, Spanish and Chinese; all of which start out at high school levels (open to middle school students) and go through college levels. The teachers are highly educated and care very deeply about the students and for many, remain mentors throughout their time at the Academy and their future. Most of the teachers hold masters or doctorate degrees in their area of study. The community of students is kind and caring for each other, and many long lasting friendships are formed. The school also has excellent food and offers breakfast and lunch. MA has a head and sous chef who create healthy and delicious meals and snacks for the students. Breakfast generally has cereal, scones, sandwiches, eggs, pancakes, bacon, et cetera. Lunch offers a salad bar, made to order options, homemade soups and various options including fresh carved pork, turkey, pastas and chicken. The chefs are friendly and take student suggestions seriously and work hard to make the best food possible. The school is also very devoted to the arts and has a entire fine arts center that includes a woodshop, dark room, art room, pottery studio, band room, orchestra room, private practice rooms, art gallery, scene shop, costume shop, concert hall/theater. The school features several performance ensembles including a Concert Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Men's Choir, Women's Chorale, Concert Choir and Madrigal singers. Each ensemble has earned top marks at state. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir go on tour, alternating year to year. The tour locations have included: Prague, Slovakia, Salzburg, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Washington D.C., Chicago among other locations. In the year the ensembles are on break from the tour, they put on variety shows: the bands perform the pops concert and the choirs perform a medieval dinner. The school puts on three plays: musical, play and student run show; each has one various state and sometimes national awards. The school also has top notch athletic facilities including separate soccer and football fields, a full size ice arena, two full size gyms, wrestling room and a weight room. MA's athletic teams have won a combined 4 state championships in the past decade alone and provide very supportive C, JV, and Varsity teams. The school also has many organizations and academic teams. The Debate team, which I captained during my time is one of the state's best, being the only school to have a pair of debaters go to the varsity finals back to back (my partner and I), bringing home a state championship and a 2nd place trophy. The school also offers clubs centering around the environment, music, literature, journalism and writing. The school newspaper and yearbook have won various national awards for journalism, photography, layout, overall achievement, etc. MA really helps students achieve and builds a strong foundation for college through curriculum, advanced academics, supportive staff, and graduation requirements that are similar to most colleges. Many of the students attend private 4 year institutions including St. Olaf, Carlton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Boston College, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, Northwestern and more. Minnehaha Academy has nurtured the minds of some of Minnesota's best students. MA goes farther than the other prep schools in Minnesota: it truly is the place where youth meet truth.

I was here for the first time recently to see an art exhibit. Four artists were sharing their work…read moredocumenting their travels through France through sketching. The event was held upstairs in a room with amazing views of the Minneapolis skyline. What a fun place! It was full of so much energy on a Sat morning. People were enjoying pastries and coffees from the on-site cafe. I walked through the library and gift shop. I'm so glad I was able to visit and learn about this place. What a fun place to go to practice your French. Adieu!

Beautiful Surroundings, The best I Have Seen And Enjoyed In A Very Long Time…read more Wishful Thinking, If I Could Visit Daily! Thoughts Of Paradise... Donald Johnson

Our daughter attended this school for four years, and our experience has been nothing short of…read moreamazing. The teachers are incredibly kind and caring, and they consistently instill great values in the children. We truly appreciate the Montessori approach, which beautifully supported our daughter's individual learning and growth. We highly recommend this wonderful school to any family!

The director was nice but disorganized. Our child was in the toddler and preschool rooms. The…read moreteacher that our child had taught curriculum (e.g., subtraction and addition tables) that was too advanced for that age. They should have been focusing more on social and emotional development. The teacher also seemed harsh. We would not recommend.

The Best school ever I went to the school a couple years ago and all of the teachers are nice and…read moreall of the students are nice especially the science teacher EDDIE F

Used to be a great school. Always near the top in test scores, great teachers, wonderful community…read moreinvolvement. But this year a new sheriff rode into town. She's a first time principal and seems to feel a need to make her mark on a school that was superb before she arrived. First thing she did was to ban the annual dance because student's feelings might get hurt. We've been having the dance for years and I seriously doubt that anyone's feeling have gotten hurt. That's more a junior high and high school thing. Next she banned high fives and handshaking, again because people might get hurt. When I was in school we had classes in etiquette that included shaking hands, but I guess she feels she knows what's best for our children. Lately, she has removed the door between a busy hallway and the girls bathroom because of an act of vandalism. Apparently she feels that exposing a couple of hundred girls to the eyes of any passerby when they're in the bathroom is an appropriate punishment for an act of vandalism by one student. Group punishment rarely works - can only work if the group knows who the offender is - and should never be used to shame and embarrass children about using the bathroom. When asked about her decision she replied that she wasn't punishing anyone, she just removed the door. Looking for a great school? You're a few years too late for this one.

When I told a staff there someone draw something in a appropriate they said "We will take care of…read moreit". After a couple of days I still saw that inappropriate drawing. Definitely don't recommend going to that school. And also the staff there treated me like shit. And I have special needs. And I joined the flag football as a manger. And they restricted me from going to all game instead I was able to go to two games. Then when I showed to a none home game. One of the coaches said "What are you doing here. You aren't supposed to be here". At the point I wanted to say something really mean. But I remain calm and cool. And after that situation happened. Then my case manger came to the game. After that she was all in my business asking me about my father. And I was about to call my dad to handle her. But I remained calm and cool because I have the decency and maturity to forgive. And also I'm a Christian person who forgive people. Excuse my language. And I also went to two of my best friends high volleyball games. I wasn't able to go. They stopped me at the entrance. I am in my senior year right now. All this happened before the class of 2026 graduation ended. And thank the lord that none of friends would witness them treating special needs student like this. Although they have good academic success and sports. They don't have the right attitude to treat people with special needs or none special needs with kindness, compassion, respect, safe, loving, caring, respectful, and have the great attitude towards people with none special needs and or special needs. I will not be sending my siblings to this school to be treated the same as they treated me. My siblings have special needs. Everyone in my family not my parents have special needs and will not be sending my siblings there instead I will be sending them to White Bear Lake Area High School.

I would give Mounds View High School about 4 stars overall. The academic side is solid -- there are…read moredecent classes, a wide range of electives, and many teachers genuinely care and put effort into helping students succeed. You can tell that a lot of staff members are there because they want to make a difference. However, my senior year was overshadowed by a serious incident involving a staff member, which was shocking and difficult for the student body to process. Experiencing that situation firsthand made the school feel less stable and less safe than it should have, and it changed the way many of us viewed the administration and the environment. So while Mounds View has strong academics and great teachers in many areas, that experience really complicated my overall impression of the school.