Be Breck by Breck School

BE

TOGETHER

CONNECTED

CREATIVE

INSPIRED

ASSURED CHALLENGED INQUISITIVE

It’s our invitation. Our anthem. A call to join a thriving community of thinkers and innovators, leaders and servants. Here is where we cheer, challenge, dare, and discover. Here is where we are driven with relentless passion for inquiry, academic excellence, and intellectual growth. Here is where we teach and celebrate the whole child. And embrace a steadfast commitment to serve the greater good.

We know that raising the whole child takes love and grit, trust and risk, faith and investment. And so Be Breck rises to every challenge with a shared vision that unites our students and teachers, spirit and place.

About Breck

We believe that with the unwavering pursuit of knowledge comes the development of character, values, imagination, and the joy of living a purposeful life—intellectually, socially, and spiritually.

Our Story

Breck is a preschool through 12th grade college preparatory, Episcopal day school with over 1,100 students. Located on a beautiful 52-acre campus in Golden Valley, Minnesota, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis, we are a uniquely united community—a place that fuels achievement, independence, and social responsibility among all of our students.

Our Philosophy

• We are a community of high-achieving, motivated students and teachers focused on intellectual inquiry, engagement, and bridging educational research with classroom practice.

• We create a vibrant community that nurtures and inspires a lifetime love of learning and a commitment to the greater good.

• We live our Episcopal roots through a commitment to peace and justice, inquiry and reason, and service to the common good.

• We emphasize personalizing each student’s experience in the pursuit of excellence.

At Breck, we create an ideal learning environment for our students by carefully crafting just the right combination of trusting relationships and intellectual challenge.

NATALIA R. HERNÁNDEZ, ED.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL

Principles

BE CHALLENGED.

From preschooler to senior, we actively cultivate the growth of the whole child.

Intellectually and emotionally. Physically and spiritually. Through trusted relationships with teachers and friends, mentors and staff, students come to understand the extraordinary dimensions of their voices and depth of their passions. They discover paths they didn’t know possible. And go forward in brave new directions.

Academic Press

Students’ intellectual curiosity thrives in cultures of high academic expectation. Breck is where students learn to love learning. Academic Press challenges and pushes each student to engage fully in learning that is interesting, demanding, and rewarding. At each developmental stage, they are surrounded with opportunities to enhance intellectual growth. In a caring environment, Academic Press encourages students to challenge themselves, and to thrive on the challenge.

Personalization

Rigorous academic programs in a caring environment unlock potential. Personalization refers to our commitment to know each unique individual’s interests and motivations, fears and doubts. Through personalization we build the trust it takes to push students to the next level in every space at Breck—classroom, athletic field, or stage.

Inclusivity

We believe the value of one should be valued by all. Through participation in a mosaic community where our differences are respected and celebrated, students develop self-confidence and a greater understanding of the world around them. We believe that a healthy academic environment is one that is versatile, embracing the richness of varying perspectives. It is through diversity work that our students develop self-confidence, a sense of social responsibility rooted in empathy, and the power of their own voice.

Spirituality

All faiths and cultures are welcome at Breck. Our Episcopal heritage is a legacy of inclusion. Our curriculum includes major world religions, and we believe that through knowledge and experience we deepen our own spirituality. We hold an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and welcome all individuals to our community, whatever form their spirituality takes.

Social Responsibility

Investment in our community is central to being a student at Breck. Community partnerships are a life-changing part of the Breck experience. From preschool through graduation, students have the opportunity to serve one another, their school, and the broader community, understanding how their actions can impact the greater good. Students build lifelong skills of compassion, problem-solving, and leadership, while making the world a better place.

BE TOGETHER. Culture

1,140

ZIP CODES

are represented in the Breck student population.

Setting foot on campus, you feel a sense of belonging, of homecoming. This is a place where people stand shoulder to shoulder, and where individual stories merge to become part of the whole.

One Campus

Fourteen grades. One campus. Our school is where preschoolers and seniors become role models for one another. Where a Middle School student can walk down the hall to take an upper-level math course.

This is a place where caring befriends camaraderie and where lifelong friends and mentors are found. Our culture comes from our community. It’s our tradition. And part of what makes Breck truly exceptional.

Lasting Relationships

We believe students gain confidence, build character, and learn to cooperate through connections across multiple age groups.

BUDDIES

Every 1st grader has a senior buddy. A friend, a mentor, a guide. For lunch. At Homecoming. In Chapel, and even at Baccalaureate, buddies build a bond that lasts long after graduation.

BIDDIES

From the Old English term meaning “serving, eating with and post-meal cleanup,” biddies are 3rd and 4th graders who take turns biddying for preschool/ kindergarten students at lunch. It’s respect and responsibility built into a great tradition. And it ensures all Lower School students know one another, helping create friendship and trust.

FACULTY

Our teachers are the heart of Breck. They inspire and challenge intellectual and emotional growth. They create safe places to question and imagine, to struggle, and to persevere. They are patient guides and brilliant educators with an incredible commitment to bringing out the best in all students in their unique educational journeys.

Common Good

We believe that strong leaders serve the common good. In every experience, from the classroom to theater, athletics to advanced research, Breck students engage in age-appropriate forms of community outreach and advocacy that help communities thrive.

Security

Breck is a physically and emotionally safe place for students, faculty, and staff. With all grades located on one campus, teachers and students know, trust, and look out for one another. We use the latest technologies, training, and systems to ensure campus-wide peace of mind.

We have been blessed to have found such an amazing school and community to help us educate and raise three strong, independent, and confident girls. Every day, they are surrounded by people who genuinely care about them and who are personally invested in their academic and personal growth. We couldn’t be stronger advocates for Breck.

Distinctive Divisions BE CONNECTED.

Lower School PRESCHOOL - 4TH

Incredibly joyful and critically influential, a child’s early years are key to developing creativity, intellect, and character. Academically, we focus on literacy, mathematics, social studies, and science. More broadly our learning environment grows an innovative spirit through exposure to world language, music, visual arts, religion, physical education, mindfulness, engineering, and technology. Character and service education teach empathy and respect. We ensure our students are skillful collaborators, problem-solvers, independent thinkers, and confident leaders—now and in the future. These foundational years are critical in developing the whole child, and we’re honored to partner with families to grow happy, curious, and thriving children.

Middle School 5TH - 8TH

Now is the time and place to help students navigate their individual journeys toward a more defined sense of self, as academics, artists, athletes, and members of a larger community. An accomplished, experienced faculty guides and engages students in appropriately challenging yet supportive programs. Breck’s signature MindWorks program is an example—it teaches students how brains work and bolsters learning with strategies that build on existing strengths.

Through intentional community partnership time and experiential learning opportunities, Middle Schoolers learn to understand their place in the world and their role in supporting the common good. Upon completion, students are poised, confident, and ready for what awaits in the Upper School.

Upper School 9TH - 12TH

Central to our mission is developing each student’s unique talents and potential to excel. Through innovative curriculum, rigorous academics, vibrant arts and athletic programs, state-of-the-art learning spaces, and talented faculty who know each student, we teach to individual passions and motivations that drive deep, authentic learning.

Independent research opportunities, interdisciplinary classes, and post-AP course offerings challenge our students to explore new ideas and emerging fields of study. Combined with our community partnership program, research-informed teaching, and inclusive community, the Upper School experience prepares students for a life of learning long after Breck.

BE INQUISITIVE.

Average ACT Score: 30 compared to national average of 21

Structured play. Chinese for preschoolers. The

program

in Minnesota. Advanced

first

Project Adventure

science research and exceptional arts programs. At every grade and stage of learning, Breck academics challenge and inspire our students to think big, ask more, and pursue passions.

Advanced Research Programs

Advanced research programs allow students to pursue their chosen discipline through a professional research experience. All programs require a commitment well beyond the AP-level and include intensive summer research. The ensuing academic-year seminar culminates in a publication-quality research paper and formal seminar presentation. Admission to these programs is selective.

Our curated programs allow students to dive deep into fields of study they are passionate about and to learn more about a given topic. History research works on a year-long theme specific to our region. Advanced Science Research allows students to select a topic based on their interests and to partner with a professional research mentor for intensive immersion in the field. In CommunityBased Research in Mathematics, students use the lens of math to explore and analyze meaningful issues. Through all of these programs, students partner with non-profit and governmental organizations, they then apply qualitative and quantitative research to perform studies, audits, or other analyses for the organizations.

Community Partnership Program

We believe community partnerships develop responsibility, compassion, and leadership. We’ve integrated community engagement into our curriculum to provide age-appropriate interactions with organizations throughout the Twin Cities. When students reach the Upper School, they make weekly off-site visits to these non-profits, creating deep and meaningful relationships that often extend well beyond their Breck experience.

Peter Clark Center

Breck is home to one of only two centers in the nation focused on Mind, Brain, and Education science. MBE is interdisciplinary research that connects neuroscience, psychology, and education, which helps faculty and students know the how and the why of learning. This understanding allows us to personalize the educational experience and press for continued growth and development. We constantly train our faculty in the latest MBE research, so they can help each student understand learning processes and know themselves as a learner.

World Languages

A critical skill in a globalized world, learning a new language deepens understanding for other cultures and traditions and enhances analytic and problem-solving skills.

Beginning in preschool, our students discover new aspects of the world through language acquisition, vocabulary development, and cultural exploration. In their time at Breck, students have the opportunity to study Spanish, Chinese, or French.

Unique to Breck is our Chinese program. Designated as a Confucius Classroom, which is a national network of exemplary Chinese language programs. We have offered a distinguished Chinese language education for nearly 40 years.

Student Experience BE CREATIVE.

Focused faculty attention. Innovative learning spaces. And nationally recognized arts and athletic programs. This is an environment where “I dare” delivers exponential rewards. Students work side by side with professional artists, caring faculty, and inspiring coaches to find joy in self-discovery and fulfillment in shared goals.

Learning Spaces

While community is the bedrock of life at Breck, we also value the importance of age-appropriate spaces for our students. Space where they can relax and chat. Play or daydream. In Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, students have their own dining room, library, and common spaces where they can study or just unwind.

Arts

From still life to center stage, our Arts programs encourage individual discovery, self-reflection, risk-taking, and how to give and receive constructive feedback. We know that every student can be an artist—our halls are lined with student art and we host rotating exhibits in our gallery to empower our students to create, collaborate, and celebrate the beauty of self-expression.

Breck Arts faculty are professional working artists and gifted teachers in theater, music, dance, painting, sculpture, photography, and so much more. They provide a supportive environment where everyone feels safe to explore, practice, and perform. Their goal is to spark a lifelong commitment to the arts and open imaginations to new ways of creating.

Student-Teacher Ratio

Our student-teacher ratio is 7:1 in Middle and Lower Schools, and 8:1 in Upper School. The average class size is 16. Teachers know more than names—they know how individual students learn best, what they’re passionate about, and who they want to become. Community-focused and emotionally engaged student-teacher relationships are what helps both your children and our faculty thrive.

Athletics

Breck Athletics builds character, perseverance, and confidence. With 27 co-curricular programs, our athletic program is essentially a continuation of the classroom. We see coaches as teachers who help students work as a team, demonstrate leadership, learn time management skills, and strive to be mature adults and productive members of society.

Breck is part of the Independent Metro Athletic Conference (IMAC) and typically competes in the Class A division.

“When I came to Breck, I decided to join the girl’s tennis team. I had never held a tennis racket before, much less played. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t experience much conventional success. But over the course of six seasons, I met some of my best friends, learned new skills, and made amazing memories that I will carry with me forever. In a narrow sense, I had failed; but in a much more important sense, I had succeeded wildly.”

BRECK

SENIOR

BE INSPIRED. Faculty

76%

OF TEACHERS HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES

We believe students learn best from teachers who practice what they teach. Teachers who are role models. Who are passionate intellectuals eager to inspire passionate intellectuals-in-the-making.

Commitment

Our teachers are lifelong learners. They inspire students because they are inspired, not only by the subjects they teach but by the relationships they form. As mentors and scholars. As instigators of inquiry. As change-makers and guides.

Character

Our teachers arrive at Breck as highly educated professionals who care deeply about each child’s education. We give them the professional development tools they need to keep learning, evolving, refining, and adapting to the educational landscape.

Professional Development

Our faculty participate in professional development aligned to their interests, passions, and the needs of the school through summer grants, endowed chairs, local and national workshops, and opportunities through the Peter Clark Center. Their presentations, articles, and research are regularly seen in national workshops and publications.

They visit exceptional peer schools to exchange ideas and host renowned experts who bring depth and breadth to all aspects of teaching.

Each year, we offer sabbaticals to teachers who seek inspiration and career development through travel and study beyond campus. They return to campus renewed and reinvigorated, ready to share fresh perspective with our community.

I love having P-12 on one campus. I work with the youngest of our students, and I get to truly watch them grow up. There is something magical about bearing witness to this growth. For teachers, the multi-age campus is a wonderful resource for collaboration.

BRECK TEACHER

BE ASSURED. Financial Investment

Character, curiosity, and confidence don’t begin in college. They begin here.

When you choose Breck for your children, you do more than simply give them a great education. You invest in their journey from childhood to adulthood. In unexpected opportunity and incredible possibility. In who they are, and who they will become.

Each year, Breck distributes more than $6 million in financial aid. Visit our website at breckschool.org to learn more.

OVER A QUARTER of the student population receives financial aid 26%

Stop by, we’d love to meet you. We know how challenging it is to find the right school, a superlative education, and a great community for your child. We’re here to personally guide you and your family on that journey, and to show you the best that Breck has to offer.

TOURS

Experience Breck firsthand, along with a current Breck parent. This tour will cover your child’s intended division(s), as well as Breck’s music, art, language, physical education, and religion departments.

OPEN HOUSES

These twice-a-year events are the perfect opportunity for parents to tour the school as well as talk to teachers, students, and their parents about all aspects of life at Breck.

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

EVENING

Take a deeper dive into the curriculum and what it means to Be Breck. This once-a-year special evening starts off with a talk from Head of School Dr. Natalia R. Hernández, followed by informational sessions led by the three Division Directors.

Please sign up online for these events at breckschool.org