Minnehaha Academy

Last updated
Minnehaha Academy
Minnehaha Logo.png
Address
Minnehaha Academy
Upper School
3100 West River Parkway
Middle and Lower School
4200 West River Parkway

,
55406

United States
Coordinates 44°56′45″N93°12′20″W / 44.94583°N 93.20556°W / 44.94583; -93.20556
Information
Type Private, day
Motto"Where Youth Meets Truth"
Religious affiliation(s) Evangelical Covenant Church
Established1913
PresidentDonna M. Harris
PrincipalKaren Balmer (Lower School), Jason Wenschlag (Middle School), and Mike DiNardo (Upper School)
Faculty88
Enrollment832
Student to teacher ratio12
CampusesUrban
Color(s)Red, White, and Black
   
Athletics conference Independent Metro Athletic Conference
MascotRedhawks
Website www.minnehahaacademy.net
North Campus Minnehaha Academy Upper School.jpg
North Campus
South Campus Minnehaha Academy Middle and Lower School.jpg
South Campus
The North Campus before it was destroyed by a 2017 gas explosion Minnehaha Academy.jpg
The North Campus before it was destroyed by a 2017 gas explosion

Minnehaha Academy (often abbreviated MA) is a Christian private school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, for students in preschool through 12th grade, and established in 1913. There are two campuses, the South Campus for preschool through 8th graders, and the North Campus, for 9th through 12th graders. It is a ministry of the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, and is located in the Cooper and Hiawatha neighborhoods on West River Parkway. The student body is drawn from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and throughout the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, as well as several international students.

Contents

History

In 1884, Rev. Erik August Skogsbergh had a vision for education that inspired Minnehaha Academy. He believed in the importance of quality education with Christian faith as its center. The original incorporation from 1905 stated: “The purpose of this institution shall be to furnish young men and women with the essential elements of a liberal education, and to foster the development of character under the personal influence of Christian teachers.” In 1911, Rev. Skogsbergh and Andrew L. Skoog gathered a group of 11, called the Core of Collectors, who were to raise $100 each toward a new building on the campus. The goal was $25,000, and they exceeded that figure and broke ground on June 30, 1912. On Monday, Sept. 15, 1913, Minnehaha Academy welcomed its first class of high school students.

Since 1913, Minnehaha has been located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Minnehaha was a high school serving grades 9–12 until 1972, when grades 7 and 8 were added. In 1981, the South Campus was purchased from Breck School and a chapel was added.

The Middle School was established with the addition of grade 6. The Lower School, grades 1–5, started in 1982. Kindergarten was added in 1985, and then preschool in 1995. The following year, Minnehaha expanded to another campus in Bloomington for preschool through grade 5. The new Athletic Center at North Campus was dedicated in 2002, and the new Chapel and Fine Arts Center in 2003. Renovation of the South Campus (lower and middle school) was completed in 2008. In the Spring of 2011, Minnehaha Academy consolidated its Bloomington Lower School Campus with its Lower School in Minneapolis.

In February, 2017, the north campus of the Upper School had to close for three days as a result of a Norovirus outbreak. [1]

On Wednesday, August 2, 2017, at around 10:23 AM, [2] the west-central portion of the Upper School exploded from a natural gas leak while construction crews were working to move a gas meter. Two staff members died, and nine people were injured, one critically. [3] The high school opened in temporary quarters in Mendota Heights for the 2017–18 and 2018-19 school years. Demolition began in December 2017, [4] and reconstruction of the new structure on that same site was completed in time for the 2019-20 school year. [5]

Athletics

Minnehaha Academy is a member of the Independent Metro Athletic Conference. [6] The school colors are red and white. Since 1990 the teams have been called the Redhawks, with the only exceptions being for some of the co-op teams. [7] The following MSHSL sanctioned sports are offered: [8]

Notable alumni

Publications

MA's yearbook is named "The Antler," with its middle school counterpart the "Minneantler." MA's school newspaper is "The Talon," referring to the foot of the fictional Redhawk mascot. It is a member of the High School National Ad Network. MA's quarterly news publication for parents and alumni is called "The Arrow."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State High School League</span> High school activities governing organization

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools. Membership includes nearly 500 schools, including special schools, home schools, and 435 high schools. The State High School League is an affiliate of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High school boys ice hockey in Minnesota</span>

Minnesota boys high school ice hockey is made up of multiple leagues and programs representing different associations. The two organizations associated with high school are the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey. The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, nonprofit association of public and private schools with a history of service to Minnesota's high school youth since 1916. Minnesota Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota. Minnesota Hockey is governed by a board of directors and consists of approximately 140 community based associations who are formed into 12 districts.

Academy of Holy Angels (AHA) is a private, Catholic, coeducational high school in Richfield, Minnesota. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the nationally recognized college-preparatory school educates more than 600 students each year, with students in grades nine through twelve coming from across the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis)</span> Private, coeducational school in Minneapolis, , Minnesota

DeLaSalle High School is a Catholic, college preparatory high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is located on Nicollet Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mounds Park Academy</span> Independent, college preparatory, day school in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States

Mounds Park Academy (MPA), founded in 1982, is an independent, PreK-12, co-educational, college preparatory day school in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States, serving students from throughout the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The school is accredited by and is a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. It is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and The College Board. The school is a 246,000-square-foot (22,900 m2) facility, on a campus of more than 32 acres (130,000 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centennial High School (Minnesota)</span> Public high school in Circle Pines, Minnesota, United States

Centennial High School is a public high school located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States. The mailing address uses the Circle Pines, Minnesota Post office. The school services students in the 9th through 12th grade in the cities of Lexington, Blaine, Centerville, Lino Lakes and Circle Pines, as part of the Centennial School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilmour Academy</span> School in Gates Mills, Ohio, United States

Gilmour Academy is an independent, Catholic, coeducational, college-preparatory day and boarding school in the Cleveland suburb of Gates Mills, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1946 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, Gilmour Academy has three divisions, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. In the Lower School, Gilmour offers a Montessori preschool program for 18 months - PreK. The Lower School also houses the children in kindergarten through Grade 6. Gilmour's Middle School holds 7th and 8th grades, and, as of the 2021-2022 school year, has 65 students. At nearly 500 students, Gilmour's Upper School has grades 9-12. A boarding program is available to students in grades 9–12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyola Catholic School</span> Private coeducational school in Mankato, Minnesota, United States

Loyola Catholic School is located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester and serves students in PreK-Grade 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cretin-Derham Hall High School</span> Private co-ed catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Cretin-Derham Hall High School (CDH) is a private, co-educational Catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota operated by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It is co-sponsored by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

St. Croix Lutheran Academy formerly known as St. Croix Lutheran High School, is a private Lutheran middle school and high school in West St. Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The school has a student body population of about 500 in sixth through twelfth grade. Most of SCLA's students live in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area and travel to and from school each day. Approximately 150 of the students are boarding school students from elsewhere in America or from other countries, who live in an on-campus residence.

The Tri-Metro Conference is a MSHSL-sanctioned athletic conference composed of schools found in the Twin Cities metro area. The conference competes in the majority of sports offered in the MSHSL. Most teams in the Tri-Metro compete in basketball and football tournaments at the AA or AAA level. While for the past twenty years a majority of schools in the conference had been private, the conference make up has changed in the past decade, with Brooklyn Center and St. Anthony, Columbia Heights and Fridley being public schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington Christian Academy (Kentucky)</span> Private school in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States

Lexington Christian Academy is a private, non-denominational Christian school in Lexington, Kentucky, accredited by the AdvancED. The school serves preschool through 12th grade. Total enrollment is around 1,500, with about 200 junior high school, and 460 high school students. As a requirement for teaching at LCA, all teachers must profess Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy</span> Private school in Melbourne, Brevard, Florida, United States

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida, is an Episcopal coeducational college-preparatory school for grades preschool – 12th. It was founded in 1957. The school operates under the guidance of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida and the National Association of Independent Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caledonia High School</span> School in Caledonia, Minnesota, United States

Caledonia High School (CHS) is a public high school located in Caledonia, Minnesota, United States, that serves Caledonia as well as the surrounding communities of Brownsville, Eitzen, Freeburg, and Reno. Caledonia High School's mascot is the "Warrior" and the school colors are black and vegas gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi 8 Conference</span> High school athletic conference in Minnesota

The Mississippi 8 Conference (M8) is a high school athletic and activities conference in the Twin Cities area in Central Minnesota with 8 member high schools. The conference derives its name from 6 of the original 8 member schools being located within 10 miles from the Mississippi River.

Prairie Seeds Academy is a charter school located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, United States, a northwest suburb of Minneapolis. PSA is an IB World School, and is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS). PSA offers a rigorous educational program focusing on core content areas and standards mandated by the state of Minnesota in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, heritage (native) language and culture, multicultural arts, crafts, and music, and a responsive classroom/social curriculum, as well its renowned Soccer and Basketball athletic program. PSA is home to more than 800+ students. PSA students and Alumni are referred to as Lycans, after the school's mascot.

Marshall Senior High School is a public high school located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States. The school educates students in grades 9 to 12. This high school received a GreatSchools rating of 7 out of 10 based on the students' test scores. In 2011, the 10th grade reading scores and the 11th grade science scores were both above the state average. However, the 11th grade math scores were 3% below the Minnesota state average.

New Life Academy of Woodbury is a private Christian school located in Woodbury, Minnesota, United States. The school is available for preschool through 12th grade and there are about 750 students. New Life Academy of Woodbury, along with New Life Church of Woodbury, was founded in 1977 by Pastor Dick and Patti Wiens. New Life Academy is still closely tied to New Life Church. It is the largest Christian school in the eastern Twin Cities metro area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Classical Academy</span>

Nova Classical Academy is a K–12 charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, that follows the classical model for education. Its executive director is Dr. Brett Wedlund, and it has a student enrollment of 990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Suggs</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Jalen Rashon Suggs is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was selected by the Magic with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

References

  1. Smith, Mary Lynn (8 February 2017). "Widespread illness closes part of Minnehaha Academy". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  2. "Gas explosion rocks Minnehaha Academy; two dead, nine injured" . Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  3. NTSB: Workers were moving gas meter before Minnehaha Academy blast, MPR News, August 3, 2017.
  4. "Demolition of blast-damaged Minnehaha Academy building begins". Twin Cities. 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  5. Raghavendran, Beena (15 December 2017). "Staff takes a last look at old Minnehaha". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  6. "Prep Blog: 6 Metro Schools Form New Conference". 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  7. Nordstrom, Gerald (2001). Where Youth Meets Truth: A History of Minnehaha Academy. pp. 176–177.
  8. "Activity Page". www.mshsl.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-25.
  9. "Class 2A state baseball: Minnehaha Academy wins second straight title". Twin Cities. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  10. Press, Sam Gordon | Special to the Pioneer (2017-03-18). "Boys basketball: Minnehaha Academy rolls to section title". Twin Cities. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  11. "Minnehaha Academy wins state basketball championship after explosion". KARE. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  12. "Fourth trip to state". Redhawks online. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  13. "No more worries about football numbers for three-school co-op". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  14. "Minnehaha Academy Athletics-Track and Field".
  15. Biographical Memoirs V.83 ( 2003 ) / Homer Dupre Hagstrum. 2003. doi:10.17226/10830. ISBN   978-0-309-08699-8 . Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  16. admin. "First Avenue strikes a chord locally". Redhawks online. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  17. "Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court". Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2014.