Benilde-St. Margaret's School
Encyclopedia
Benilde-St. Margaret's School, named after Saint Bénilde Romançon
and Saint Margaret of Scotland
, is a Catholic
, co-educational private school for grades 7–12 located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
, that draws its over one thousand students from throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
.
, and Benilde High School, a Catholic secondary school for boys in St. Louis Park
. Its present building was originally that of Benilde High School.
in downtown Minneapolis and included two mansions and a carriage house that had been built in the 1880s. By 1959 the old school had become inadequate in size – for every 100 girls accepted, about 200 were turned away. The Sisters of St. Joseph, who had anticipated such a problem, had purchased twenty-eight acres, and by 1960 a new school was built on Upton Avenue, near the Eloise Butler Wildflower Gardens and Wirth Park.
of St. Louis Park
in 1956 because De La Salle (the first all-boys Catholic high school in the west metro) was full.
The school has undergone two major additions since the merger; a new gym in 1986, along with a new chapel, theatre, arts center, and classroom wing in 2001.
. The school's TV broadcast is Knightline News and newspaper is the Knight Errant. The Knight Errant has won several awards and the website, bsmknighterrant.org http://www.bsmknighterrant.org, in 2009 received one of seven National Pace Maker Awards for progressive journalism. Speech is also quite popular, with 100 students participating in the season of 2009-2010.
Bénilde Romançon
Saint ' Bénilde Romançon, FSC was a Christian Brother who was born as Pierre Romançon on June 13, 1805, in the town of Thuret, Puy-de-Dôme in France to a farming family. In 1818, Pierre, aged 13, first saw the Christian Brothers in a market at Clermont-Ferrand. He instantly felt a strong desire to...
and Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
, is a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, co-educational private school for grades 7–12 located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, that draws its over one thousand students from throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
.
History
Benilde-St. Margaret's was originally a secondary school formed by a merger in 1974 between St. Margaret's Academy, a Catholic secondary school for girls in MinneapolisMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, and Benilde High School, a Catholic secondary school for boys in St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,126 people, 20,782 households, and 10,557 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,122.5 persons per square mile . There were 21,140 housing units at an average density of 1,975.0 per square mile...
. Its present building was originally that of Benilde High School.
St. Margaret's Academy
St. Margaret's was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1907 as St. Margaret’s Academy. The campus for this all-girls school was located near the Basilica of St. MaryBasilica of St. Mary
Basilica of St. Mary may refer to:In Italy:*Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi*Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi, Bologna*Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Florence*Santa Maria di Collemaggio, L'Aquila...
in downtown Minneapolis and included two mansions and a carriage house that had been built in the 1880s. By 1959 the old school had become inadequate in size – for every 100 girls accepted, about 200 were turned away. The Sisters of St. Joseph, who had anticipated such a problem, had purchased twenty-eight acres, and by 1960 a new school was built on Upton Avenue, near the Eloise Butler Wildflower Gardens and Wirth Park.
Benilde High School
Christian Brothers and Sisters, under the direction of Brother Mark Sullivan, built a boys' school in the Minneapolis suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,126 people, 20,782 households, and 10,557 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,122.5 persons per square mile . There were 21,140 housing units at an average density of 1,975.0 per square mile...
in 1956 because De La Salle (the first all-boys Catholic high school in the west metro) was full.
Merger
Both schools operated independently until the 1970s, at which time enrollment began to decline and costs began to escalate. In 1974, the St. Margaret’s facility was sold to the Minneapolis school system, and the merged Benilde-St. Margaret's School opened its door at the former Benilde High School site. One hundred ninety students graduated in its first class.The school has undergone two major additions since the merger; a new gym in 1986, along with a new chapel, theatre, arts center, and classroom wing in 2001.
Academics
| BSM Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| BSM Average | MN Average | National Average | |
| ACT | 25.2 | 19.2 | 20.1 |
| ACT Writing Test | 6.0 | 4.7 | N/A |
| ACT English/Writing | 20.4 | 19.3 | N/A |
| SAT Critical Reading | 602 | 398 | 501 |
| SAT Math | 602 | 476 | 515 |
| SAT Writing | 604 | 373 | 493 |
Junior High School
In 1989, a junior high was added, and one hundred seventh- and eighth-graders were enrolled in the first year. Students receive laptops in order to do their work over the school year here. The principal of the Junior High is Dr. Carol McNamara. The Dean of the Junior High is Dave Platt.The Community of Benilde-St. Margaret's
Benilde-St. Margaret's Community VideoActivities
The school competes in the North Suburban Conference, in the Minnesota State High School LeagueMinnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League 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...
. The school's TV broadcast is Knightline News and newspaper is the Knight Errant. The Knight Errant has won several awards and the website, bsmknighterrant.org http://www.bsmknighterrant.org, in 2009 received one of seven National Pace Maker Awards for progressive journalism. Speech is also quite popular, with 100 students participating in the season of 2009-2010.
| Team State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Soccer, Boys | 5 | 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2011 |
| Cross Country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... , Boys |
4 | 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 (Catholic State HS Champs) | |
| Winter | Alpine Skiing Alpine skiing Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four... , Boys |
1 | 2004 |
| Alpine Skiing Alpine skiing Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four... , Girls |
1 | 2000 | |
| Hockey Hockey Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:... , Girls |
2 | 2002, 2004 | |
| Dance Team Dance Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.... , Girls |
6 | 1985, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 | |
| Hockey, Boys Minnesota high school boys hockey The Minnesota High School Boys Hockey program is a high school ice hockey program in the State of Minnesota. Based on tournament attendance, ice hockey is the most popular high school sport in the state... |
2 | 1999, 2001 | |
| Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... , Girls |
2 | 2006, 2010 | |
| Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... , Boys |
3 | 1963 & 1964 (Catholic State HS Champs), 2008 | |
| Spring | Golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... , Boys |
2 | 1963 (Catholic State HS Champs), 2003 |
| Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... , Boys |
3 | 2007, 2010, 2011, For All Eternity! | |
| Total | 31 | ||
| Individual State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Swimming & Diving, Girls | 10 | 1978, 1978, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2003, 2004, 2004 |
| Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... , Girls |
1 | 2005 | |
| Cross Country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... , Boys |
2 | 1999, 2000 | |
| Winter | Wrestling Wrestling Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position... |
6 | 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1967, 2010 |
| Spring | Golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... , Boys |
1 | 2003 |
| Track & Field, Boys | 7 | 2000, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2011 | |
| Total | 27 | ||
Notable alumni
- Andrew AlbertsAndrew AlbertsAndrew James Alberts is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He has additionally played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes...
, NHL Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... - Ian AndersonIan M. Anderson (musician)Ian Anderson is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, author, journalist, producer, publicist and music promoter. He started his own recording label, Afternoon Records, after graduating high school that has evolved into The Afternoon Company, which is composed of Afternoon Records, Afternoon...
, musician. - Devean GeorgeDevean GeorgeDevean Jamar George is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He typically plays small forward but because of his athleticism and defensive activity, can defend many shooting guards as well.He attended high school at...
, NBA Los Angeles Lakers. - Sean LumpkinSean LumpkinSean Franklin Lumpkin was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints who drafted him out of the University of Minnesota...
, NFL New Orleans Saints. - Larry MikanLarry MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan III is an American former professional basketball player.The son of Hall of Famer George Mikan and nephew of Ed Mikan, Larry Mikan prepped at Benilde High School where he played center. In college he competed for the University of Minnesota in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, NCAA Minnesota Golden Gophers, NBA Cleveland CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... - Father H. Timothy ("Tim") VakocTim VakocHenry Timothy "Tim" Vakoc was a Roman Catholic priest and a United States Army chaplain during the Iraq War, attaining the rank of major. Vakoc was the first U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War...
– the first U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War. - Ian WexlerIan WexlerIan Wexler is an Irish-American soccer player. He played for Longford Town F.C. in Ireland.In 2002, Wexler graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret's School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. He was an 2000 and 2001 All-State soccer player at Benilde-St. Margaret, scoring 23 goals and adding 22 assists...
, soccer player - He played professional soccer with Longford Town F.C. in the League of Ireland where he played the 2007 and 2008 seasons. - Jordan TaylorJordan TaylorJordan Taylor was a 3 time 2nd Team All-American right-handed pitcher for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 2008-2011 and is currently on the U.S. Women's Futures national softball team.-Valencia:...
, NCAA University of Wisconsin-Madison 2008 Mr. Basketball award winner. Lead the Badgers to the Sweet 16 in 2011 March Madness. - Bailey Dodds, NCAA University of DenverUniversity of DenverThe University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
(transfer from Sacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
) Winner of the 2010 Mr. Lacrosse Award. Lead the Red Knights to the 2010 MSHSL State Championship. Holds the state record for most points in one season.