Elementary School (K-Grade 5)
Known, Loved, & Learning
Where Academic Excellence & Faith Take Root
In elementary school, your child will discover the joy of learning through engaging, academically-rich experiences guided by expert teachers who develop the whole child—head, heart, and hands.
Rooted in Christ, our caring community fosters a welcoming and safe environment that inspires each child to grow their natural curiosity, creativity, and desire to learn. Students grow in knowledge, deepen their faith, and develop confidence to lead.
With small class sizes, unique hands-on learning opportunities, and specialist classes in innovation lab, art, music, phy ed, and Core, our students build a strong foundation for success in Middle School and beyond.
Our balanced approach—combining exceptional academics, innovative programs, and meaningful experiences—fosters students who love school, feel known, and thrive.
Academic Highlights
From STEM challenges to writing celebrations, elementary school students at Minnehaha Academy engage in rich, meaningful learning across every grade.
As they grow, they build on skills that they gained in previous years. Scroll through this gallery to see samples of the exceptional work done by Minnehaha students. Discover what they learn and why it matters.
Animal Research Writing
Kindergarten students become researchers and writers as they write nonfiction books about animals of their choice. A community celebration of learning gives them the opportunity to share their newfound expertise with others and practice public speaking.
What Students Learn: Students learn to gather and evaluate information, make thoughtful choices about what to share, and create detailed scientific illustrations. Along the way, they grow in time management, focus, and craftsmanship.
Why It Matters: By following their curiosity and interests, students build foundational academic skills in a meaningful context. This project nurtures confidence, ownership of learning, and a love for discovering more about God’s creation.
Phonics
Using an explicit, systematic phonics program, students build the foundational skills needed for confident reading and accurate spelling. Through whole group instruction, multi-sensory activities, and connected texts, early readers engage in joyful, meaningful learning.
What Students Learn: Students learn to segment and blend sounds, connect sounds to letters, decode words, analyze word parts, and write with increasing fluency. Reading connected texts reinforces accuracy, comprehension, and confidence.
Why It Matters: Decades of research confirm that strong phonics instruction is essential to literacy development. By mastering these foundational skills early, students gain the tools they need to become proficient, lifelong readers—equipped to access knowledge and engage deeply with God’s world.
Number Bonds
Using number bonds, students explore addition and subtraction through hands-on, visual strategies that build deep mathematical understanding. They manipulate blocks or counters to see how numbers break apart and come back together.
What Students Learn: Students internalize the relationship between parts and wholes, laying the groundwork for mental math, fact fluency, and flexible problem solving. This visual and tactile approach helps abstract concepts click.
Why It Matters: Number bonds are a cornerstone of Singapore Math, a globally respected program for developing math mastery. This strong foundation sets the stage for confident, capable mathematicians who think critically and solve problems with ease.
Monarch Butterfly Unit
In the fall, first graders raise monarch butterflies in the classroom, observe their transformation, and release them to begin their migration to Mexico. They also plant milkweed seeds to help build a monarch habitat.
What Students Learn: Through hands-on experience, visiting scientists, and guided research, students explore the insect life cycle, monarch migration, and the environmental needs of this remarkable species.
Why It Matters: This unit nurtures scientific curiosity and care for creation, helping students understand their responsibility as stewards of God’s world. It lays a foundation for faith-infused learning and environmental awareness.
Gibbs Farm Field Trip
First graders travel to Gibbs Farm for an immersive experience of pioneer and Dakota life in 1800s Minnesota. Through hands-on activities and historical reenactments, they step into the daily life of children from long ago.
What Students Learn: Students are invited to compare and contrast how people lived differently than how they live today. They explore the challenges and creativity involved in early American life.
Why It Matters: This experience helps students appreciate the role of innovation and problem solving throughout history. It encourages curiosity, gratitude, and a deeper understanding of how the world and people continue to grow and change.
Fiction & Nonfiction Book Writing
First graders become authors of both fiction and nonfiction books, learning to identify and apply the unique elements of each genre through their own writing.
What Students Learn: Actively working as writers creating fiction and non-fiction works helps students deeply understand the characteristics and differences between the two types of writing. They explore creativity and clarity while practicing organization, detail, and idea development.
Why It Matters: Creating and sharing their own books builds confidence and pride in young learners. As students discover their voice across genres, they grow as communicators and creators—ready to share their ideas with the world.
Researching & Writing Nonfiction Books
Second grade students employ their nonfiction skills training to research and write a book on a topic of their choosing. They read portions of their bound, hardcover work from the chapel stage for an audience of peers and parents.
What Students Learn: Students build research and writing skills by taking notes in their own words, organizing their ideas into clear subtopics, and crafting strong paragraphs with structure and flow. They incorporate nonfiction elements like a table of contents, labeled illustrations, and maps, and conclude their book by reflecting on how their topic helps make God’s world a better place.
In their Own Words: "I learned that researching is harder than you think. You can't just borrow mom's phone and look on Safari. You have to work through it step by step. I researched slowly and took my time. When I finished my book I felt both excited and happy." -Eliana, Grade 2
Branches of Government
Second grade students learn what it means to be a good citizen who makes God's world a better place.
What Students Learn: After identifying examples of good citizenship in multiple domains like at home, at school, and in their communities, students create a poster showing the three branches of government in which they explain how each branch of the government functions.
Why It Matters: Students learn that they have a responsibility to honor God by making their communities better places, that authority comes from God, and the importance of checks and balances.
Material Magic: It's Science!
Second grade students explore the properties of materials by testing which materials are best for certain uses.
What Students Learn: They melt candy to experiment with melting point, build hats to learn about durability and softness, and build models of different soils to determine structural stability.
Why It Matters: Students are introduced to scientific concepts in an age-appropriate way, setting the stage for further scientific exploration in later grades.
Biography Research & Writing
Third graders explore the genre of biography by researching and writing about a historical figure who made a meaningful impact. They learn to identify key life events, write with purpose, and share stories that inspire others.
What Students Learn:
Students develop critical academic skills: finding and evaluating credible sources, taking effective notes, organizing information, and writing a complete biography with an introduction, body, and conclusion. They also practice presenting their work and reflecting on the impact of the individual they studied.
Why It Matters:
Through this project, students learn that stories can shape hearts and minds. As they honor influential figures from history, they begin to see how one life—marked by courage, conviction, or compassion—can make a difference in the world. It's a powerful reminder that their own words and actions matter too.
Classroom Economics
Third graders earn and manage classroom “money” through rotating jobs like line leader, iPad charger, and homework checker. They use their earnings to make purchases at a quarterly class store, experiencing firsthand how an economy works.
What Students Learn: Students learn to balance a ledger, budget their income, and make thoughtful financial choices. They explore real-world economic principles like scarcity, opportunity cost, and personal responsibility.
Why It Matters: This immersive, year-long experience builds foundational financial literacy and decision-making skills. It also fosters a sense of accountability and teamwork as students see how their contributions impact the classroom community.
Zoo STEM Design Challenge
Third grade teams create a prototype of an enrichment activity for gibbons at the Minnesota Zoo. These highly intelligent apes needs enrichment activities that encourage them to use their brains and coordination in ways similar to their wild counterparts.
What Students Learn: Through research, design, testing, and expert feedback, students apply STEM principles while building collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Why It Matters: By solving real-world problems, these students are learning that their innovations and ideas can make a difference! The specific design- and engineering-thinking skills they practice will serve them whether they are coding software or prompting AI for design projects in the future.
State Project
The fourth grade State Project is a capstone experience that allows students to independently research and creatively present a U.S. state of their choice. Students dive into the history, geography, climate, landmarks, and culture of their state, culminating in a visually engaging and informative display shared in the front hall of the school for classmates, teachers, and families to enjoy.
What Students Learn: Students develop research and writing skills while practicing time management, organization, and planning—a valuable step toward academic independence. They create maps, graphs, and 3D models, and present their findings orally, combining visual, verbal, and written communication in one comprehensive project. Along the way, they cultivate an appreciation for the diversity across our nation and the unique stories of each state.
Why It Matters: This project builds essential skills that prepare students for more complex research work in later grades. Just as importantly, it instills a sense of pride and accomplishment as students see their hard work on display. It’s a joyful milestone that teaches responsibility, creativity, and the value of sharing knowledge with others.
JA BizTown: Real-World Learning in Action
Through JA BizTown, students engage in a dynamic unit on business, economics, and free enterprise that culminates in a full-day immersive simulation. Acting as CEOs, CFOs, scientists, DJs, and even mayors, students run a miniature city and experience the workings of a real-world economy.
What Students Learn: Students build financial literacy and economic understanding while exploring STEM careers through hands-on tasks like water quality testing, energy research, budgeting, and data analysis. Along the way, they apply critical thinking, teamwork, and the scientific process in meaningful, practical ways.
Why It Matters: JA BizTown equips students with essential life skills—economic reasoning, collaboration, leadership, and innovation. It gives them a vision for their future, showing how academic knowledge connects with real-world purpose and possibility.
Bdote Bike History Ride
Fourth graders cap their year of Minnesota history with a day-long bike tour through the Minnehaha neighborhood, Bdote, and Fort Snelling State Park. Guided by teachers and parents, students visit key historical landmarks tied to the region’s past.
What Students Learn: Students explore local history through the lens of literature, geography, and Indigenous culture. They make meaningful connections at Minnehaha Falls, Coldwater Spring, and the sacred site of Bdote, where the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers meet.
Why It Matters: By biking through the very places they’ve studied, students engage deeply with the land, stories, and people who shaped it. The experience builds historical understanding, cultural empathy, and a personal connection to Minnesota’s heritage.
Family Heritage Project
As they prepare to transition to Middle School, fifth graders embark on a meaningful interdisciplinary project that explores their own family heritage through the lens of American history. Each student researches a significant historical event and its connection to their family’s story. Along the way, they conduct interviews, collect memoirs through letter writing, and design 3D models representing key elements like family homes, landmarks, or regional flora and fauna. The unit culminates in a celebratory heritage fair, where students present their projects to families and the broader community.
What Students Learn: Through this project, students build essential academic and life skills: research, expository writing, graphic and visual design, interviewing techniques, public speaking, and project management. Just as important, they develop a deeper understanding of how personal stories are shaped by historical events.
Why It Matters: The Family Heritage Project strengthens students’ sense of identity and belonging by connecting them to their own history and culture. It cultivates empathy, curiosity, and pride, while reinforcing foundational academic skills. For many students, it becomes a cherished milestone—one that honors where they’ve come from as they look ahead to who they’re becoming.
What Makes Elementary School at Minnehaha Transformative?
Character & Leadership
Leadership skill building and character development curriculum
Service Learning
Hands-on, student-led service learning with a real-world impact
"Minnehaha Academy provides a warm and nurturing community, emphasizing academic challenge, leadership, service, and a strong Christian faith. They prepare students to be passionate and confident young adults." Parents of Lower, Middle and Upper School children
Achieving Through Challenge
At Minnehaha, students grow through challenge—guided by expert teachers who see their potential. From spelling bees to STEM competitions, our young scholars develop confidence, character, and a love of learning.
Lego League - Grades 5-8
Build. Research. Innovate.
Students design and program LEGO robots, research real-world problems with experts, and present innovative solutions—all while mastering teamwork, engineering, and ethical competition.
Minnehaha students frequently distinguish themselves at the section and regional levels, earning recognition for both innovation and teamwork.
Noetic Math Competition - Grades 2-4
Confident Mathletes.
Minnehaha mathletes rise to the occasion in this rigorous national competition designed to promote problem-solving and critical thinking among elementary students.
With hundreds of thousands of participants across the country, earning recognition is no small feat—students prepare by practicing complex reasoning and developing a deep understanding of mathematical concepts beyond grade-level expectations.
In our most recent competition 7 students earned National Honor Roll (top 10%) and 42 earned Honorable Mention (top 50%)
Scripps National Spelling Bee - Grades 3-5
Brains. Bravery. Bee.
Minnehaha students sharpen their spelling, grow vocabulary, and build confidence as they compete in the nation’s most prestigious spelling competition.
Third graders gain valuable experience in a friendly, low-stakes first round, while our fourth and fifth grade champions advance to the semifinal—and potentially, the Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee.
Million Word Readers - Grades K-5
Growing Champion Readers.
Minnehaha students who read one million words or more are celebrated each month during our Lower School Redhawk Rallies—recognizing their commitment, curiosity, and love of reading.
Specialist Programs: Integrated Learning Beyond the Core Subjects
Music
Vocal and instrumental education, performance opportunities, and musical literacy
I-Lab
STEM activities, robotics, coding, real-world engineering challenges, and tech skills
"From our first visit, our son felt at home. His future classmates warmly welcomed him and made him feel like he belonged. He found his crew among a group of student-artist-athletes. It's been so great seeing him grow in a challenging yet supportive environment."
Current Parent
Exceptional Academics: A Journey Through Elementary School
How We Celebrate
At Minnehaha, learning is joyful—and we love to celebrate it.
Here’s a glimpse at the moments that make our school year so memorable, build community, and develop a love of school.
Singing the National Anthem
Each spring, our elementary students have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a Minnesota Twins Game! After their performance, they watch the game with friends and family.
Book Parade
A beloved highlight of our annual Book Week, the Book Parade invites students to dress as a favorite literary character and proudly share their creations with family, friends, and our neighbors at Becketwood Senior Center.
Heritage Celebrations
Throughout the year we explore the art, music, clothing, food, and history of cultures around the world—fostering care for people in our community and around the world.
Tomten & Elf Day
Tomten (grades 3-5) and Elf Day (kinder-grade 2) are fun traditions where students create handmade crafts to surprise their families at Christmas.
Homecoming Pep Fest
During Homecoming, our Upper School Homecoming Court leads our Lower School students in exciting and silly games while celebrating our Redhawk school spirit!
100 Days of School
Younger learners celebrate what they have learned and accomplished after 100 days of school with various fun (and sometimes silly) activities.
Read-a-Thons
Read-a-thons are highly anticipated by Minnehaha students. They can bring their favorite stuffy, cozy up, and dive into a big stack of books for special uninterrupted reading time.
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An education that shapes the hands, heads, and hearts of the next generation starts here. Discover how a your child will thrive in our caring community that is rooted in faith.