Benilde-St. Margaret's School

Benilde-St. Margaret's School is the premier Catholic, college-preparatory school in the Twin Cities. Located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, we educate students in grades 7 - 12. BSM offers a challenging curriculum and a uniquely caring experience that includes faith formation, academic rigor, social responsibility and extensive extracurricular activities. Students have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for a successful future. BSM thrives in the traditions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Christian Brothers and the Benedictines who have all shared in our history and developed our institutional character.

Benilde-St. Margaret's is a dynamic Catholic learning community that partners with parents/guardians to develop the student's highest potential in body, spirit and mind. We offer a challenging college preparatory curriculum and a uniquely caring experience that includes faith formation, academic rigor, social responsibility, and extensive extracurricular activities. We educate servant leaders for a global society. Our Value Statements:

• We believe that all students are capable of learning and of great achievements given opportunities through quality instruction. Priority is given to valuing each student as a child of God and ensuring all students achieve their potential.
• We believe that the whole person is integral to learning. We attend to the intellectual, physical, emotional, interpersonal, and spiritual well-being of each student.
• We believe that students learn best by actively participating in meaningful, challenging activities in a safe environment that is conducive to success and fosters creativity.
• We believe that the world is the classroom. Technology is a tool which expands horizons and empowers students in their learning
• We believe that spirituality permeates life and gives meaning to learning. Learning and faith formation are life-long processes in which all people need to take responsibility for their own growth in order to build the kingdom of God on earth.
• We believe that teachers, staff, coaches, and parents share in the responsibility to provide quality instruction, model conscientious behavior, and assist students in learning to make good decisions based on Christian values.
• We believe that diversity and multicultural education are essential components of our students' lives as we prepare them to live and work an ever-evolving, complex society.

Our mission absolutely matters! We are a school committed to the development of the whole student through rigorous and innovative academics, active faith development, an incredible breadth of high quality extracurricular opportunities, and a commitment to serve. These pillars of our students’ education strike a beautiful balance that fosters meaningful, lasting growth of each individual. Furthermore, becoming a Red Knight means that each student will be known, nurtured, and challenged.

Every day our faculty and staff live our school’s mission in a very real manner “to develop the student’s highest potential in body, spirit, and mind.” They deeply believe in the importance of a BSM education, to the individual and society, and are committed to guiding our students. To these ends, our talented faculty and staff guide Red Knights through authentic learning on a daily basis. Building relationships and creating learning experiences that resonate and matter drives our faculty and staff.

Along with the learning experiences, the sense of community at Benilde-St. Margaret’s is compelling and endures as time passes. Our students and families are bound by their experiences whether they are grounded in Catholic faith, engaging courses, state championships, or meaningful service to others. Generations of students have walked the halls and many of our alumni and families have remained connected to the school over time. Throughout life, Red Knights can be found everywhere using their gifts to shape the world.

Students are exposed to a solid core curriculum, and can choose from a variety of elective courses in a broad range of subjects. Our faculty provides the very best learning environment and instruction for our students to ensure their success.

The curriculum includes numerous honors courses and 15 Advanced Placement courses (listed at right). Our students consistently score well above average on the ACT and SAT tests, and we consistently applaud National Merit finalists, semifinalists and commended scholars. Our graduates go on to some of the very best colleges and universities in the country.

Recognizing that challenge is unique to each student, we offer academic support to help meet a variety of learning style needs. Learning also extends beyond our campus, with student growth being cultivated through experiences involving service work and cultural trips.

Our 1:1 laptop program reflects our commitment to providing students and teachers with access to information, interactive learning opportunities and specific online resources that enhance teaching and learning. We prepare students for the dynamic and ever-changing world in which they'll study, live and work.