Announcements

Activity and Athletic Registration – now Online!

Registration for all extra-curricular activities and athletics is done online. Click here to go to the registration website.

Check out the section below for more information.

Application for Educational Benefits

All families are strongly encouraged to complete the Application for Educational Benefits. Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals are also eligible to receive other benefits, such as uniform vouchers and reduced or waived fees for field trips and school activities.

We strongly encourage families to apply online at https://parnassusprep.nlappscloud.com using the Nutri-Link platform. Nutri-Link is a secure, online service approved by the Minnesota Department of Education that allows you to quickly apply and receive your eligibility information. Any personal information you provide is protected with the most up-to-date encryption technology, keeping your personal information safe.

School Supply Kits

To order, visit www.schooltoolbox.com and search for Parnassus. If you wish to purchase a kit as a donation for a student in need, you can enter “Donation” in the name field at checkout. All kits will be shipped directly to student homes. While the kits offer a convenient and cost-effective option for families, you may of course, still choose to purchase your own school supplies.

Nostos Homecoming Celebration

Save the date.

Extracurricular Activities & Athletics

Extracurricular activities and athletics are an important part of any education environment. At Parnassus, we work to offer a wide variety of options starting in the School of Grammar and going throughout the School of Rhetoric. With options from introductory athletics, to drama productions and basic computer coding courses, to language and mathematics enrichment lessons, we strive to provide options that allow scholars and families to explore multiple areas of interest in a secure and structured environment.

Registration is online! Registration for extracurricular activities has moved entirely online. Unless otherwise noted, all registrations should be completed at https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/parnassus-preparatory-school. Please note this is a new registration site for the 25-26 school year, and all first time users will need to set up an account in our new system. Physicals are only required for MSHSL sports, you can skip the physical section for all other activities.

Note: Directions for registering for vendor-run classes can be found on each individual activity flier.

Activities by School

School of Grammar Activities

Brick Builders (1G-1L) This is a vendor run class. Registration must be completed on the YEL website.
Coding with Scratch (2G-1L) This is a vendor run class. Registration must be completed on the YEL website.
Drama Club (3G-2L)
Fencing (3G-4G)
Grandmasters of Chess (P-1L) This is a vendor run class. Registration must be completed on the YEL website.
Young Rembrandts Drawing (P-1L) This is a vendor run class. Registration must be completed through the Young Rembrandts website.

School of Logic & School of Rhetoric Activities

Bird Watching Club (3L-4R)
Drama Club (3G-2L)
Drama Club (3L-4R)
Economics Club (1R-4R)
Fencing (1L-4R)
MathCounts (2L-4L)
Math League (1R-4R)
Mock Trial (4L-4R)
Model UN (3L-4R)
NHS (2R-4R) Applications due Tuesday, September 23.
National Junior Classical League (2L-4R)
Publishing Club (1R-4R)
Quiz Bowl – School of Logic (2L-4L)
Quiz Bowl – School of Rhetoric (1R-4R)
Running Club – Fall Season (1L-4L)
Running Club – Spring Season (1L-4L)
Science Bowl – School of Logic (2L-4L)
Speech (4L-4R)
Student Council (1L-4L) Applications due Friday, August 29.
Student Senate (1R-4R) Applications due Monday, September 8.
Youth in Government (4L-4R)

Parnassus Athletics

Cross Country (3L-4R) – Fall Season
Boys’ Basketball (3L-4R) – Winter Season
Girls’ Basketball (3L-4R) – Winter Season
Nordic Skiing (3L-4R) – Winter Season
Golf (3L-4R) – Spring Season (Coop w/Maranatha)
Track & Field (3L-4R) – Spring Season

Parnassus Athletics Registration

Parnassus has an athletic co-op with Brooklyn Center High School for the following sports:

Fall – Football, Boys’ & Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis, Girls’ Volleyball
Winter – Dance, Wrestling
Spring – Baseball, Softball, Boys’ Tennis, Boys’ Volleyball

2025 registration for co-op opportunities can be found at:

Jollification

jol·li·fi·ca·tion | \ ˌjä-li-fə-ˈkā-shən – noun festivity; fun; merrymaking

For Parents and Guardians: How to Use

Jollification is designed to provide your child with enriching and educational activities he or she can read, watch, listen to, or interact with when you want to keep them engaged while you need a break! Your child can explore other areas of our Parnassus curriculum while you work, make dinner, or take some time for yourself.

Disclaimer: You know your child. While we can make recommendations, it is up to you to determine if third-party content is a fit for your family.

Core Knowledge Recommended Books

The Core Knowledge Foundation has put together a list of recommended trade books for each school level, based on age-appropriate skills and the content covered at each stage of the Core Knowledge sequence.

Language, Arts, & Culture

Latin

Official NLE Practice App – Online practice for the National Latin Exam.
NJCL Study – Contains resources for the National Latin and Greek exams.

Greek

National Greek Exam – Beginning Attic Greek Quia online practice.
Quizlet – National Greek Exam flashcards.

Classics & Mythology

National Mythology Exam Practice – This Quia quiz helps students practice for the National Mythology Exam. Or, if you prefer, play a Jeopardy-style game or review this Quizlet set.
National Geographic – Zeus the Mighty game– Help Zeus Climb Mount Olympus by scaling obstacles and answering questions about ancient Greece.
National Geographic – Mythical Monsters from Ancient Greece – Learn more about beasts and monsters from Greek mythology.
Ancient Egyptian Mythology – History for Kids and NatGeoKids UK have great resources to learn more about the myths of Ancient Egypt.
Norse Mythology – Visit Mr. Donn’s Vikings: Gods and Myths or Time Nomad’s Norse Mythology page to learn more about Norse mythology and access fun activities and book recommendations.
Southern Connecticut State University Classical Mythology Guide – More suited for older students in the Schools of Logic & Rhetoric, this site has a comprehensive index of mythology resources.

History & Culture

Smithsonian History Explorer – Browse American history artifacts and activities.
National Geographic History Hubs – These collections from NatGeoKids explore different topics in history:
Visit Early American Heritage Sites – History buffs are invited to “visit” Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, which have both expanded their virtual tours and offer online archaeology and scavenger hunt activities for scholars wanting to learn more about early American history.
Smithsonian History Explorer – The Smithsonian Institute’s History Explorer connects students with exhibits and artifacts from the National Museum of American History and invites them to engage with topics from the past and present.
The British Museum – You can browse the collection or take a virtual tour through the British Museum’s remarkable collection, which includes the Rosetta Stone, friezes from the Parthenon, and much more!
Acropolis Museum – The Acropolis Museum in Greece focuses on the archaeological findings from the original dig site at the Acropolis of Athens. Their website hosts Family Trails for self-guided “visits” to the museum’s online collection and interactive activities.

Geography

NatGeoKids Resources:
World Geography Games

Visual Art

#MetKids – The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s whimsical site introduces children to the wide world of art.
Tate Kids – London’s Tate Gallery offers activities and explorations of their collections specifically tailored to younger children.
The Center for Public Art History – smARThistory provides guided learning that instructs familes on how to be critical viewers of works of art.
NatGeoKidsUK – Explore the Lives of Popular Artists – Learn about Pablo Picasso or Leonardo da Vinci
Le Gallerie degli Uffizi – Florence’s Gallerie degli Uffizi’s HyperVisions provides the opportunity to explore their collection, which includes famous works such as Michelangelo’s David, through English-language multimedia.
Musée d’Orsay – Visit Paris’ Musée d’Orsay’s virtual collection, which includes legendary works by impressionist and expressionist painters, including Van Gogh, Manet, Gaugin, and more.
National Gallery of Art – The National Gallery has more than 42,000 works in its collection. You can also explore their app for children, which contains interactive activities inspired by works from the museum, along with the ability to create original art.
Read-Alouds and Stories:

Performing Arts

The Kennedy Center

Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center offers a variety of fine arts resources for students:

Royal Albert Hall

Performers from Royal Albert Hall explain Opera for Kids and Classical Music for Kids on their YouTube channel.

The Metropolitan Opera

New York’s Metropolitan opera has made full-length operas available to PBSLearningMedia.

Ballet

Scholars will enjoy these familiar stories interpreted through music and dance:

Learn more about the world of ballet:

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math

Energy Kids – The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s site for children includes a variety of online activities, puzzles, and games that help you learn about using and saving energy.

Smithsonian Science Education Center – The Smithsonian Science Education center is a fun resource for interactive activities relating to various areas of science, including:

Tami’s Tower: Let’s Think About Engineering (Prima – 2G Engineering Design)
Home on the Range (1G-3G Animal Habitats)
Weather Lab (4G – SOL Meteorology)

NASAatHome – In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 13th mission, NASA has expanded their NASAatHome platform to include a wide range of interactive material related to the mission.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Fun for kids and adults of all ages, the National Museum of Natural History offers a variety of virtual tours.

The American Museum of Natural History – A variety of activities, from virtual tours to fossil digs, is available at the American Museum of Natural History’s website.

The Field Museum – Chicago’s Field Museum’s Mission to the Mesozoic will send you on a quest to find plants and animals across the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods and is just one of the many online activities they offer.

The Franklin Institute – Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute is sharing a variety of videos, interactive online exhibits, and instructions for science demonstrations that can be done at home.

The Exploratorium – The Exploratorium, a science museum and public learning laboratory in San Francisco, has an Explore page where you can play and learn.

Math Fact Practice

Fact Monster – Math fact practice flashcards that are customize-able for your child’s age and math level. Click here to start playing!

Hooda Math – Logic and reasoning, math fact practice and more make up the free educational games at Hooda Math.

Nature and Wildlife

Zoo and Aquarium Livestreams – Numerous zoos and aquaria around the world are hosting daily livestreams where you can watch the animals and learn more about how these institutions care for their special creatures! The San Diego Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Smithsonian National Zoo, and more are all sharing their activities online.

National Park Service – The National Park Service provides online opportunities to “tour” the parks and learn more about their history. You can take a virtual tour of the Grand Canyon, visit Yellowstone National Park, or check out their “Watching Wildlife” webcams.

Pillars of Character & Virtues

Honesty

Read-Alouds and Stories:
The Empty Pot by Demi (Storyline Online)
The Lying King by Alex Beard (Youtube)

For Parents and Guardians:
For Families: Tips for Encouraging Honesty (Harvard GSE Making Caring

Courage

Activities:
For Families: How to Use Role Models to See Things Through (Harvard GSE Making Caring Common Project)

Read-Alouds and Stories:
Brave As Can Be: A Book of Courage (Youtube)
Brave Irene by William Steig (Storyline Online)

Kindness

Train your Brain to Be Kinder (Greater Good Science Center) – This short video helps you practice kind thoughts towards others

Read-Alouds and Stories:
Aesop”s Fables: The Lion and the Mouse (Library of Congress)
Aesop’s Fables: The North Wind and the Sun (Library of Congress)

For Parents and Guardians:
Raising Kind Kids (Greater Good Science Center)

Gratitude

Activities:
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt PDF (Conscious Kids Journal)
For Families: How to Help Kids Develop Gratitude (Harvard GSE Making Caring Common Project)
For Families: How to Help Kids Show Gratitude (Harvard GSE Making Caring Common Project)

Read-Alouds and Stories:
The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude (Youtube)
Thankful: A Poetry Gratitude Book (YouTube)
What Does it Mean to Be Thankful? (YouTube)

For Parents and Guardians:
How to Talk with Kids about Gratitude (Greater Good Science Center)

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Perseverance

Read-Alouds and Stories:
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (Storyline Online)

Good Manners

Good Manners for Kids with Myka Meier – Myka Meier is the founder of Beaumont Etiquette and offers etiquette lessons at the Plaza Hotel. She has YouTube channel for kids called Manners with Myka where children can learn and practice good manners.

George Washington’s Rules of Civility
When he was 14 years old, George Washington wrote out a copy of 110 Rules of Civility in an exercise book. You can explore each rule on the Mount Vernon Website.

The Goops
This classic book from 1900 – part of which is taught in the Parnassus curriculum – teaches us what NOT to do. The Goops have bad manners, so don’t be a Goop! The full illustrated text is available here on Project Gutenberg.

Athletics, Activities & Community Events