What are your recommendations for great private/magnet/charter schools in the Twin Cities? I have a daughter that will be entering kindergarten in 2 years and am starting to look at all my options. Where do you send your kids and why do you like it?
Our daughter attends Battle Creek Environmental Magnet School in St.Paul. We love it and can't wait for our youngest to start there in a year. Our daughter could attend Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School but we chose to stay with Battle Creek.
If money is not an issue, Convent of the Visitation School is considered the cream of the crop for Catholic Schools. It has co-ed elementary and grades 9-12 is an all girls college prep program...the boys go across campus to St. Thomas Academy boys military school.
For more info go to http://visitation.net/
Definitely check out Mounds Park Academy. The teachers are fantastic and the school has a great academic program but feels very close and friendly. My son is attending summer programs there and it is his first time being away all day. He has adjusted instantly and I credit the wonderful teachers and very friendly, kind kids.
I have heard good things about Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul. It is a charter school.
My daughter goes to Valley Crossing Community School in Woodbury. Although it is located in Woodbury, it is run by district 916 and services 3 sending districts (833,834 and 622 or South Washington, Stillwater, and Maplewood, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, North St. Paul. One of the reasons that we looked at this school was it offers the ability to do year round school calendar to one of the 3 sections of elementary. I am a WAHM, so I know that it is more difficult to find child care during the summer, when most places fill up. Plus this way we are able to take a vacation during either November or March, when most people don't. The other main reason that we looked at this school was the fact that they transition the kindergartners to a full day program by the end of the year. So all kindergartners start at half day and through the course of the year, get moved to full day (at no cost to the parents). I couldn't see my daughter doing all day every day kindergarten as a very young 5 year old. Once we got to Valley Crossing, I also found that my daughter could attend their kinderplus (afternoon) program 1-5 days per week and we only paid for the days that she attended. We declared Tues-Thurs she would attend K+, so she went all day 3 days per week and had Monday to ease into the school week again and Friday if we were going out of town, we could leave at noon to do so. They have multi-age learning as well which means that K-1 is in the same classroom (similarly 2-3, and 4-5-6 are also in same classrooms). I have watched my daughter be stretched learning wise as a kindergartner and then as a first grader have her leadership skills expanded.
There are many other reasons why I LOVE Valley Crossing as well, and if you want to email me off loop, feel free and I will share those with you as well. The school does accept open enrollment options as well if you don't live in one of the sending districts.
Hope this helps! There are so many options out there, it is difficult!
