Trinity School at River Ridge

601 River Ridge Parkway

Eagan, MN 55121

14 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on February 18, 2024

As a Trinity alum, I am very grateful for the preparation I received for living an integrated life. Trinity’s culture truly allowed for an environment of learning and taught me to open myself to the beauty of learning.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2024

All five of our children have attended Trinity, and our youngest is currently an 8th-grader. We love Trinity for so many reasons, among them:*The curriculum fosters well-roundness, so Trinity grads are knowledgeable in many subjects. This enhances & broadens their world view, gives deeper appreciation even of subjects that aren’t their specialty, & equips them to converse in many subjects, which in turn leads to a better ability to connect with & appreciate all kinds of people.*Trinity fosters a sense of wonder, deep inquiry, & being lifelong learners, helping students on the path to becoming who God meant them to be.*Thanks to Trinity, our children are smarter than we are & able to converse more intelligently on more subjects. We, however, have the benefit of broader, deeper conversations with our kids than what is likely considered normal.*Trinity doesn't follow the typical conveyor-belt approach to education: “Do well in high school to get into a good college to get a good job…” Its focus is on love of learning, yet Trinity grads are better prepared for college & beyond in academics, level of maturity, & wholeness.
Submitted by other on February 10, 2024

Teachers are awesome and really care about your learning. The focus on learning and not just getting good grades. This is essential to becoming a life long learner and Trinity serious helps students along their way.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2022

We have now been with the Trinity community for the past 3 years and can safely say it is the "best" school for our children. The school has built a culture of "love of learning" and our children are really thriving! We would highly recommend this school to those that are serious about raising the their children to be able to be critical thinkers and defend the truth.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2022

This was our daughter's first year at Trinity, and she entered as a ninth grader. We homeschooled through middle school and our home curriculum tracked nicely with the latin/math/literature foundation that Trinity students receive as middle schoolers. Our daughter LOVED her freshman Trinity experience. The teachers are interested and engaged in student life and in their classroom material. Through class participation and discussion format, the students learn how to treat their peers in genuine intellectual inquiry and disagreement. There is a strong culture of community supported by the parents, families, staff and students at the school, and volunteerism in school activities by parents and students is required. Sports are encouraged, regardless of previous experience, and our daughter was able to join the JV basketball team as a freshman without any previous basketball team experience, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I am also grateful that the homework seems very purposeful, encourages critical thinking and thoughtfulness, and has a limit to allow for other commitments and explorations after school. Personal cell phones are not allowed during the school day, and tech use is limited to purposeful tool use only. This is refreshing. The coursework, community, teachers, student engagement, outside-of-class activities, arts experience, and student evaluations have all surpassed our expectations throughout the year. I highly recommend Trinity to interested families.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2022

My wife and I have two sons at Trinity School at River Ridge (they just completed their 7th and 10th-grade years) and we couldn't be more pleased. Like many good college-prep schools, Trinity has a rigorous curriculum and is academically challenging. What sets Trinity apart is that the faculty deemphasizes grades and focuses, instead, on instilling a sense of wonder and love for learning. Trinity's faculty, staff, and students see themselves as a community of learners and encourage each other to think critically and explore the world around them. My wife and I are grateful that Trinity is a solid Christian school and that every aspect of learning is approached through the Christian worldview. We find this helps our kids understand the world around them and challenges them to do their part to love their neighbor and bring hope to others. Finally, we appreciate that Trinity educates the whole person--besides the solid academic curriculum, EVERY student participates in art, music, and drama. Similarly, there are several opportunities for students to participate in sports, clubs and other extracurricular opportunities. There are several good schools in the Minnesota Twin Cities... and we think Trinity is the best.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2022

Our daughters joined Trinity last fall (2021) in 7th and 9th grades after homeschooling for 4 years. We are overwhelmingly delighted and thankful to have made this school choice. As we sat for end-of-year evaluations, a special meeting among parents and all of their teachers, we were amazed by how well they know our girls. Through soccer, basketball, and track seasons, we regularly noticed teachers attending events to support the students. The curriculum and academic excellence at Trinity speak for themselves, but the community is something more. Admirable teachers who are as inspired by the “sense of wonder” as their students, honest commitment to Christian values, support in times of struggle, structured parent/family involvement with plenty of meaningful social gatherings… Come see a performance, and art show, a science class, or a humane letters discussion class. This school is cultivating growth in truth, beauty, and goodness.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2018

Words cannot express my gratitude for the education my children receive. Having two Trinity graduates, two children who now attend Trinity and another who will join them next year, I am ever grateful for the caring faculty who surround their students with good and beautiful things. The delight and pleasure my high schooler takes is unmistakeable; I can see it on his face. Because of Trinity School, my children have the gift of doing this all day, every day.
Submitted by other on January 20, 2017

I graduated in 2010 and I benefit from my education there on a daily basis. My love for learning continues to grow and I have Trinity and the community of teachers there to thank.
Submitted by other on June 12, 2015

Our second daughter just graduated from Trinity this year (2015). After being involved with the school for the past 8 years, I can honestly say there is nothing we regret in our choice to invest in the classical education "in the Christian tradition". The school is co-ed, but we really appreciate that boys and girls are educated separately. This allows all to fully explore and experience literature, math and science without concern for how they are perceived by the opposite gender, while at the same time allowing opportunities for the students learn to interact with each other in a respectful, appropriate manner. The small class size enables teachers to really get to know what makes a student "tick". Our daughters graduated high school having learned the art of critical thinking, the ability to discuss ideas, and to synthesize differing ideas to develop their own world view. The teachers have challenged our girls to excellence academically and personally, resulting in their acceptance into highly selective colleges with merit scholarships offered. Because Trinity still considers the arts an integral part of education, we watched our girls flourish in vocal and instrumental music, drama and art. Having highly qualified educators teaching students how to make music, act and create art allowed our children to excel in areas they never would have tried in a large public school, thus allowing them to receive a well-rounded education that will serve them well throughout their lives. Trinity School at River Ridge is truly a community of learners, supported by a community of families committed to providing not only a quality education, but also developing a quality of character in each student to prepare them for service to the world.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2015

We chose this school because our student was advanced academically & this school seemed to have the academic rigor we were seeking. We were thrilled art & music were required, emphasizing a well-rounded education.As the first year went on, we were dismayed that students were freely & frequently given detentions for very minor infractions (forgetting a book/pencil, having to use the bathroom&late to class).One former student later told us she was frequently reprimanded for blowing her nose/sneezing when she had severe allergies.Art wasn't the creative experience we envisioned, but emphasized perfection over learning--erasing& repeating over&over until the instructor was satisfied.Similarly with music, the instructor would become angry if mistakes were made, leading to students having anxiety about making more mistakes.At the "recital", she even stopped students performing to berate them in front of the packed audience&made them restart (happened with several groups/individuals).I was shocked& asked a friend whose children have been in band at another classical school if she had encountered such things, & she said "NEVER" & she was shocked by what I had told her.This school does have single-gender classrooms, which we thought would be beneficial & we agreed that students shouldn't have displays of affection in the common coed areas, but we were very surprised to find out that even taking with girls/laughing with girls at lunch was met with detention.This was extremely disappointing because both my spouse& myself had each experienced wonderful, totally platonic opposite gender friendships in school.We found communication with the teachers to be very frustrating.Either they didn't return calls/emails or if they did, they were vague about addressing our concerns or were downright rude/condescending. Only 2 of my student's 6 teachers would I classify as being excellent.Also of note,many of the teachers do not have a degree in teaching or for some,even in the subject that they are teaching.We liked that the school was non-denominational, but we really didn't realize that it is affiliated with People of Praise group, in which most students & even instructors are members. So this school might be what some parents&students are looking for, but if your student is a creative,sensitive individual who is prone to perfectionism, you might want to take another look.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2012

We have 2 kids at Trinity, a boy and a girl. Our son has been there since eigth grade and he is currently a Senior. Our daughter is going into 8th grade. Where to start? We LOVE it here. First of all, our only two concerns in coming in were a) People of Praise and b) small size. After 5 yrs here I can state unequivically that the folks who are members of the POP are some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet (I am divorced and we go to an Episcopal church) and have never, ever tried to convert us, lecture us or involve us beyond a general invite to attend their summer camp (which we declined.) The small size has not been an issue, rather it has been a blessing. Our son has been able to be a jock (3 varsity sports), a brain (blew away his PSAT, SAT and ACT) and was in theater and choir. At Trinity, your kid doesn't get typecast, they get to do it all. Our daughter was the only one of her grade school "group" who had a positive Jr High experience. While other mothers were calling me with horror stories of mean girls, anorexia, make-up and fights in their daughters 7th grade, my daughter was LOVING her school experience. And their art departmet is AMAZING.
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2012

We currently have one child at Trinity School with several more on the way and can attest that this is an amazing education. The school has a clear philosophy, clear goals, and a clear mission that they accomplish to a very high degree. Our son, for instance, showed little or no interest in art and music before attending Trinity. Among other things, he now plays recorder, listens to classical music, and uses his colored pencils in his free time! His teachers in every subject area have done an excellent job challenging and engaging him as a unique learner. He looks forward to school. He enjoys his classmates. And he has come alive intellectually in this environment. In addition to the education itself, we have especially appreciated the wholesome environment, the communication from teachers about what our son is learning, and the de-emphasis on grades and numbers. Students do receive grades at the end of the term, but the emphasis in evalation is upon a two page written assessment of the student for every class and a conversation between the parents and the student's teachers. Trinity School is everything that genuine education ought to be and a hidden gem in the Twin Cities.
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2012

We homeschooled our four children through sixth grade and then sought out alternatives to best prepare them for college and beyond. We were impressed by the poise, confidence, and articulation of Trinity students and the graduates we met. They engaged adults in thoughtful conversation well beyond their years. We wanted that educational experience for our children and we were willing to drive 21 miles each direction for the opportunity. Trinity School at River Ridge has exceeded our expectations.