Our program fosters a deep and strong sense of self.
We encourage and challenge students to find and use their voices. At our school, a student’s questions and interests, as well as their needs, are essential elements of curriculum.

We see learning as life itself; not preparation for life.
So much of our students’ lives are spent at school and a FSMN education takes that into account. They are learning about themselves at the same time they are learning reading, writing, math, and spelling. FSMN educates the whole child.

We are committed to teaching peace in an active way, every day.
Staff and students practice nonviolent conflict resolution. We study nonviolent movements for change, and we expect students to solve problems respectfully. Developing the capacity to thoughtfully reflect on our own and others’ thoughts and experiences is core to education at FSMN.

We value deep thinking and higher order thinking skills.
At FSMN education is not a race through content but rather an active, hands-on experience that engages a wide variety of learners in experimenting, deliberating, creating, and constructing knowledge. Rich projects, integrated thematic units, and projects that begin with inquiry help students develop critical thinking skills.

Friends School [of Minnesota] gave me a pleasant environment to make friends, experiment, and learn about the world in a fun way. I didn’t really know it at the time, but I was learning how to learn. I will always remember two things about the activities we did. There was always something to do and ALWAYS something to think about.

Ray, ’17