Great Oaks Academy

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Great Oaks Academy Great Oaks Academy is a tuition-free, Classical charter school in Farmington and Eagan MN.

Great Oaks Academy is a tuition-free, Classical charter school built on the pillars of Rigor, Literature, Wonder and Virtue. We are deeply committed to building a school with rigorous academics, high expectations and a strong emphasis on developing character while encouraging each student’s natural sense of wonder at the world. We believe that a strong mind is bereft of meaning without a strong heart to guide it and that the rich and challenging world of classical literature is an ideal arena to teach both academics and character. Our school challenges each student with a time-tested and proven, classical curriculum that will exceed expectations found in most contemporary public schools and will reestablish great literature and ancient languages as a foundation for empowering and scaffolding inquiry and acumen of young minds. We believe the Classical Trivium is an ideal roadmap for instruction and will guide students through the Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric stages, taking advantage of the natural tendencies of each stage to engage and challenge each mind.

Yesterday was an incredibly special day. Great Oaks Academy was honored to host a group of representatives from the Fede...
10/16/2026

Yesterday was an incredibly special day. Great Oaks Academy was honored to host a group of representatives from the Federal Department of Education, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon. The visit was part of a fact-finding tour that the Secretary and her team undertook in Minnesota.

Even though we didn't have school in session, over sixty students committed to coming onto campus (on their day off!) to present a series of short educational showcases highlighting our Classical Program and the hard work our teachers and students do every day. Our students represented Great Oaks Academy with distinction and poise, and our teachers superbly prepared students to deliver truly impressive presentations of their classical learning.

There is much more to share and we will be providing more details and even some photographs next week in our Royal's Report and social media.

📜 Classical Quote Tuesday 🪶 Today’s quote is from Christopher Columbus’s notes documenting his encounter with the Taino ...
10/14/2026

📜 Classical Quote Tuesday 🪶

Today’s quote is from Christopher Columbus’s notes documenting his encounter with the Taino people in what he believed at the time was the West Indies. Columbus was a Spanish explorer, map-maker, and pioneer whose voyages and work in geography and mapmaking contributed to significant advancements in global navigation and exploration.

For nearly ninety years, our nation has celebrated Christopher Columbus Day, Italian-American heritage, and the discoveries of the New World on the second Monday of October. Recently this holiday has undergone scrutiny with Columbus himself receiving severe, and often just, criticism.

This post is not about whether anyone should like or dislike Christopher Columbus. It's not an argument for celebrating the national holiday (or an argument against it). Rather, it's a reminder of the importance of being able to talk about important, if controversial and flawed characters from history, with objectivity. It is possible to acknowledge the very real accomplishments of someone like Columbus, while also understanding that he was a man of his times and a deeply flawed human (like we all are). Columbus was not a pure villain, but neither was he an angel. People are more complex than that and history is more complex than that. Our students deserve to have history presented as objectively as possible, and it's much more interesting this way!

This also underscores why at Great Oaks we seek to approach history with humility. While we do examine history and its characters for lessons in virtue and against vice, our primary aim is to seek understanding, with the belief that by studying the humans of the past, we can learn more about what it means to be human today.

⚽️ Soccer at Great Oaks Academy! 🥅 This past week was the final week of High School Girls' Soccer and High School Boys' ...
10/13/2026

⚽️ Soccer at Great Oaks Academy! 🥅

This past week was the final week of High School Girls' Soccer and High School Boys' Soccer. We want to congratulate the more than FIFTY young men and women who participated on both teams, as well as the coaching staff of both programs.

It was an exciting fall for those programs and we are excited for what the future offers for them next fall and further in the future!

The other High School programs will be wrapping up in the next ten days, with the Middle School programs being finished by the beginning of November.

From the Photo: Our Girls’ Middle School Soccer Team after their game with Urban Academy.

Happy Friday!We hope you enjoyed the beautiful day and that your weekend is full of wonder. 🌅 ‼️
10/10/2026

Happy Friday!

We hope you enjoyed the beautiful day and that your weekend is full of wonder. 🌅

‼️

⚡️ Electrifying Experiences at Great Oaks 🔋 The 5th graders from both Farmington and Eagan Campuses were delighted to ex...
10/08/2026

⚡️ Electrifying Experiences at Great Oaks 🔋

The 5th graders from both Farmington and Eagan Campuses were delighted to experiment with circuit building. This Science unit started with vocabulary and notes, then the hands-on fun began!

First, scholars built a plethora of circuits using Snap Circuits. Then, thanks to a generous donor, our scholars built circuits with conductors, insulators, switches, bulbs and speakers. The joy increased when we added extra parts to our series and parallel circuit creations!

💡Thought-Provoking Tuesday: Classical Wisdom in Modern Times 📚 Today’s quote is from a lecture titled "Country Life," by...
10/07/2026

💡Thought-Provoking Tuesday: Classical Wisdom in Modern Times 📚

Today’s quote is from a lecture titled "Country Life," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In it, he explores the power land and nature have over humans; specifically the importance of getting out and walking through nature. Part of this is practical, to know one's land and one's country is a necessary context for understanding oneself.

But he doesn't stop there–he explains how important exposing our body and brain to nature is for the development of our intellect and spirit, drawing from thinkers as far back as Plutarch, Socrates up through the ages to Lord Francis Bacon and William Wordsworth. Emerson calls walking "the best value as gymnastics for the mind." He details how by walking through nature, we deepen not only our knowledge of the land and our powers of observation, but our power of imagination.

As he closes his essay, he explains that, "Nature kills egotism and conceit; deals strictly with us; and gives sanity..." Nature offers us a true vision of our place in this world, a vision that should humble and gratify us upon seeing the grand vastness of our world and the cosmos our little planet careens through. In the end, Emerson concludes that nature itself offers us an education that often puts college programs to shame–as we walk into the world we learn to see ourselves and our surroundings more clearly, if we are humbly our eyes to learn.

This eloquent speech is complex, but contains a simple idea we can start with–how often do we surround ourselves with the noise of our busyness, the noise of amusement, the noise of conflict–noise noise noise. What if the simple act of putting down the phone, taking out the earbud, turning down the music and simply walking out the door was the quickest, and best, way to discover truth, beauty, and goodness?

🚀 Teaching Wonder for Life

📍 Farmington & Eagan, MN
📅 Now Enrolling – Apply today!
🔗 greatoaksacademymn.com​

👑 It was a busy but joyful weekend with the finale to our Homecoming week at the Upper Campus. 🦌 So many families from b...
10/06/2026

👑 It was a busy but joyful weekend with the finale to our Homecoming week at the Upper Campus. 🦌
So many families from both campuses joined us for the Royal Stag 3K and Acorn Family walk. The homecoming game and the dance were excellent successes. We had more students show up for the dance than we've ever had before, with around 300 students joining us!

We also had a huge number of parent volunteers and teachers who devoted their time to help out–THANK YOU to Mr. Carpentier, the Royals Booster Club, our Parents' Association, and everyone who helped make these events possible. Well done! Enjoy the photos below!

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It’s a great night for Royals Soccer! Our middle school boys team demonstrated tremendous fortitude and determination ag...
10/02/2026

It’s a great night for Royals Soccer! Our middle school boys team demonstrated tremendous fortitude and determination against a tough opponent. Way to go, Royals! 👑

🦌 Homecoming isn't quite over: Tomorrow we have our Fun Run and Walk events in the morning, our Homecoming game in the afternoon, and our first ever Homecoming Dance. See the poster for details!

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👸 Homecoming Spirit Wear Day is Tomorrow! 🤴 Tomorrow is our final theme day for our Upper School Homecoming Week. Show y...
10/02/2026

👸 Homecoming Spirit Wear Day is Tomorrow! 🤴

Tomorrow is our final theme day for our Upper School Homecoming Week. Show your Royals Spirit with your favorite spirit wear!

💋 KISS the STAG 🦌 fundraiser UPDATE—Mr. Carpentier and Mr. Soderholm have been in a battle all week for the lead. Today, Mr. Carpentier surged ahead again after Mr. Soderholm led for a day! The contest concludes tomorrow so your donation could make the final difference. All proceeds benefit our students and go towards supporting our Activities Program.

👉 Class Points Update: 9th Grade has taken the lead in the class competition! Students can earn critical points for their team by participating in the final theme days and homecoming activities tomorrow.

🎊 Finally, at our Pep Fest tomorrow, we will highlight the athletes participating in each of our sports, and announce the Kiss the Stag & Class Points winners!

👑 Homecoming Karaoke! 🎤 🎶 Today at lunch, Upper School students serenaded one another with classic Karaoke selections. S...
09/30/2026

👑 Homecoming Karaoke! 🎤 🎶

Today at lunch, Upper School students serenaded one another with classic Karaoke selections. Students from each grade performed songs and earned points for their team.

💋 KISS the STAG 🦌 fundraiser UPDATE—Mr. Carpentier has taken the lead! The contest continues all week—bring your loose change and vote for a teacher!

The Homecoming celebration continues at our Upper Campus tomorrow with Movie/Book Character Day. Remember, costumes must be approved by admin—students have been checking in with Mr. Carpentier all week.

⭐️ And don’t forget participating in the theme days is a great way earn points for your grade.

To join in the fun, see the graphic below.

Address

115 Elm Street
Farmington, MN
55024

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+16516150499

Website

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