The Friends School of Minnesota (FSMN) is a Kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 through Eighth Grade

Eighth grade

Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...

 (K-8) independent school

Independent school

An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...

 located in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

. Founded in 1988 by area Quakers and peace activists, the goal of the school is to meet "children’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs in an environment that nurtures their social consciousness." FSMN is fully accredited through the Independent Schools Association of the Central States

Philosophy

Like the many other Quaker schools in the United States, FSMN is "grounded in the practices and values of the Religious Society of Friends

Religious Society of Friends

The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...

" (Quakers). Among these values are "simplicity, equality, non-violence, justice, and silent reflection." . To cultivate these values and to promote and encourage the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical development of the children, the school employs many of the tenets of progressive education--recognizing the need for children to play a part in their own education. This approach also fits with the Quaker belief that each person is granted a measure of "divine light" or wisdom, a center from which we are able to grow into our fullest potential.

Quaker Tradition

In addition to the Quaker underpinning of the school's educational philosophy, FSMN also practices the Quaker method of holding a traditional "unprogrammed" or "silent meeting" for worship once a week. All committee, staff and faculty meetings also start and end with silent contemplation. Decisions are made by consensus "in the manner of Friends"

Consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...

. Additionally, FSMN has developed a conflict resolution program to help children work through their conflicts with each other in a non-violent constructive manner. .

Demographics

As of January 2011, the school has 168 students from around the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Only 10 percent of the children at the school and less than 5 percent of the faculty and staff are Quakers or come from Quaker families. The school bylaws do, however, require that a majority of board members be practicing Quakers. Approximately one third of the students are non-caucasian, many students come from non-traditional families, and over a quarter of the students receive financial aid.