Trinity School at River Ridge

Trinity School at River Ridge is an ecumenical Christian school located in Eagan, Minnesota. It provides an education rooted in Christian Humanism and Critical Realism^[1] to students in grades 6-12. The curriculum emphasizes wonder and inquiry through the use of original texts, hands-on activites, participation in arts studio, choir, and drama, as well as in mathematics and language, including Latin. Located at 601 River Ridge Parkway, Suite 200, in Eagan, Minnesota 55121, this 1996 and 2008 Blue Ribbon school is accredited by North Central Association and Independent School Association of the Central States (NCA/ISACS).

The River Ridge campus was founded in 1987 by the People of Praise, an ecumenical Christian community. Owned and operated by Trinity Schools, Inc, based in South Bend, IN. The River Ridge campus has two sister schools, Greenlawn, in South Bend, IN, and Meadow View, in Falls Church, VA.

Philosophy of Education

The two principles on which education is based in Trinity Schools are the role of the student as the primary agent of learning, and the community of learners in which the faculty lives on a daily basis. The primary agent in education is the human person, and the primary goal of an educational institution is human awakening^[2]. The human person must be awakened to a purpose.

The faculty is a community of learners, in which the faculty are foremost learners, and secondarily, teachers. For example, there is one faculty room in which all teachers have desks, and no homerooms. The faculty meet for seminars four times a year; two per semester. The purpose is to read original works, such as The Secret Histories by Donna Tartt, Four Colors Suffice by Robin Wilson^[3], or watch movies such as Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. The faculty also participate in faculty colloquia, which focus on presentations by faculty on their interests, or movies of interest. Upon their graduation, the seniors ar welcomed into the community of learners.

Trinity Schools are faculty lead. The Head of School, Deans of Boys and Girls, and Academic Dean, are all members of the faculty. Although the business, admission, and development staff are distinct from the faculty, they are an integral part of the schools, and their work is overseen by the Head of School.

History

River Ridge, the second campus of Trinity Schools, Inc., opened in the Twin Cities in 1987 with 6 teachers and 31 students, using rented facilities at Gethsemane Episcopal Church, in downtown Minneapolis, MN. Dan Ferris served as head of school. In 1991 the school moved from its downtown Minneapolis site to Bloomington, Minnesota, after purchasing a building (itself a former school) from Control Data Corporation^[4]. In 1991, when William Wacker became headmaster, the school had grown to 112 students and 18 teachers. The school expanded to two sections of boys and two of girls in 1995, starting with grade 7. In December, 2007, the River Ridge campus relocated to a new, custom-built campus in Eagan, Minnesota^[5]. Jon Balsbaugh became head of school in Fall, 2009. In Fall, 2016, the school added a 6th grade^[6]. Beth Schmitz, a long-serving member of the faculty, will take on the position of head of school in Fall, 2017^[7]. Jon Balsbaugh will succeed Dr Kerry Koller as President of Trinity Schools, Inc^[8][9].

The 2007 Move

In 2005, runway expansion at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport resulted in noise levels greater than 65 decibels on the River Ridge campus in Bloomington. The Metropolitan Airports Commission offered a grant to Trinity School of approximately $7M either to install soundproofing or to help in a move to a new location. Trinity School accepted the grant and selected a new site in Eagan, a nearby suburb, near the intersection of Argenta Trail and Interstate 494. The board of governors of the People of Praise authorized a fund-raising campaign and approved a construction plan for the new campus, which included offices, classrooms, science labs, a commons area, a two-station gym and soccer field. Groundbreaking at the new site occurred at ceremonies on October 19, 2006. The move from the Bloomington campus to the Eagan campus took place in December, 2007, after construction was completed on schedule.

Administration

Mr. Jon Balsbaugh is the headmaster of the school. Mr. Pat Murphy is the academic dean. Mr. Jeffrey Showalter is the dean of boys and Ms. Penelope Arndt the dean of girls.

Extracurricular activities

References

External links

• Trinity Schools web site
• People of Praise web site