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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Shattuck-St. Mary's
Shattuck-St. Mary's (also known as Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Shattuck, or simply SSM) is a coeducational Episcopal-affiliated boarding school in the city of Faribault in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Established in 1858 as an Episcopal mission school and seminary, within a decade the school grew to include Shattuck Military Academy, St. Mary's Hall for girls and later (in 1901) St. James School for younger boys. In 1974, the three schools dropped all military programs and combined as Shattuck-St. Mary's. It is now known for its Centers of Excellence programs in engineering, bioscience, pre-conservatory music, and vocal performance, as well as hockey, soccer, figure skating, and golf. Approximately 70% of its students are boarders.

SSM opened an expansion school at the Beijing Bayi School in Beijing, China in 2013, but ended the partnership in 2016 over disagreements regarding control and funding. Another campus was planned to open in Suzhou in 2017.

In 2018, SSM opened its first dedicated international campus in Forest City, Johor, Malaysia. In June 2024, the school rebranded as Forest City International School and ended its association with SSM.

National recognition

SSM categorizes education areas in a classification the school calls "Centers of Excellence," comprising bioscience, engineering, figure skating, golf, ice hockey, soccer, pre-conservatory music, and vocal performance.

SSM has won 25 USA Hockey national championships and has been runner-up 10 times among five of its top teams:

  • Boys Prep (U-17/U-18): National champions in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2014. Runners-up in 2004.
  • Girls Prep (U-19): National champions in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Runners-up in 2014 and 2015.
  • Boys U-16: National champions in 2015 and 2016. Runners-up in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2017.
  • Girls U-16: National champions 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
  • Boys U-14: National champions in 2014 and 2016. Runners-up in 2003, 2005, and 2013.

SSM's soccer program has also had success in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy league. In the 2012–13 season, SSM's Boys U17/U18 team placed first in its division, and later became national runners-up, losing to the New York Red Bulls in overtime. In the 2013–14 season, the team placed second in its division.

In 1871 a St. Mary's biology instructor initially discovered a federal- and state-listed endangered species, the dwarf trout lily, on the school's campus.

Academics

The Upper School, which includes students in grades 10–12 as well as postgraduates, is located on the Shattuck campus. Opportunities include commitment to a Center of Excellence, extracurricular sports, the arts, the honors program, college counseling, and senior leadership and service projects. Located within St. Mary's Hall, less than half a mile from the Upper School, the Middle School program provides students from grades 6–9 with an identity distinct from that of the upperclassmen. Middle School curriculum includes solid preparation in the major disciplines for high school and college work. In addition, a number of team-building activities and social events, as well as family style seating for lunch, help foster a strong, supportive community.

Global education

In 2013, SSM embarked on a three-year partnership with Beijing Bayi School which culminated in the creation of a satellite campus known as SSM-Bayi in Beijing, China. The program offered classes preparing students for the Chinese Huikao examinations as well as a traditional American curriculum featuring Advanced Placement courses and preparation for SAT tests. SSM-Bayi students also had the opportunity to attend summer sessions at the main SSM campus in Faribault. The first contract between the two school lasted until 2014.

Blended Learning

In the past several years the school has made a foray into blended learning for grades 11–12, a model of education that allows teachers to combine classroom work with online elements. The extra time not spent in the classroom allows students to pursue independent research projects, product development, and internships.

BioScience

The BioScience Program is an experiential academic program for students who intend to pursue a career in medicine, biomedical engineering, or scientific research. The program's curricula includes studies of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, and also of social and ethical dilemmas in the medical field. In addition, the BioScience Program offers off campus experiences at biomedical companies, research labs, hospitals, and colleges, and each student is involved in ongoing cancer research. The program is housed within Fayfield Hall, which features laboratory classroom space dedicated solely to BioScience education.

Engineering

In the fall of 2014, SSM opened the Engineering Program, which primarily consists of foundational and specialized engineering classes, as well as internships organized by the student and Program Director. The program is housed within Fayfield Hall, which includes access to an engineering lab equipped with a 3-D printer, laser cutter, and a mechanical assembly and testing area, as well as an architectural design studio.

Arts

Every student has the opportunity to explore interests in a wide variety of the arts through introductory courses, and advanced study is available through the Centers of Excellence. Alongside these two programs, arts opportunities include the full scale, triannually performed theater productions, as well as Arch Dance Company, theater groups Players and The Dramatic Association, Elements of Sound vocal ensemble, chamber wind ensembles, and AP art courses.

Pre-Conservatory Music

The Pre-Conservatory Program offers serious and talented musicians ample practice time on campus, weekly lessons with Master Teachers at universities in the Twin Cities, courses in music theory, and numerous performance opportunities as a soloist and ensemble member. The program has been referred to as "Prodigy High" due to its success, and has been compared to music programs at top private arts schools.

Vocal Performance

The Vocal Performance Program consists of classes on campus and training through Minnesota Opera's Project Opera program and the Hennepin Theater Trust's Spotlight Program.

Athletics

On-campus athletic facilities include two and a half indoor ice arenas, an 18-hole golf course, an all-weather running track, grass soccer fields, a domed indoor field house with a full-size turf soccer field, an outdoor turf soccer field, six tennis courts, two gymnasiums, a weight-room facility, and training facilities.

Intramural sports

Along with the Center of Excellence sports, numerous interscholastic sports opportunities are offered in a three-season program and include Basketball, Baseball, Fencing, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Spring League Hockey, Running Club, Tennis, Volleyball, and Ultimate Frisbee. Many Center of Excellence athletes are able to cross-over into these intramural sports for at least one semester a year.

Hockey

The Hockey Center of Excellence comprises four midget teams, two bantam teams, and three girls' teams. All teams play a seven-month schedule, averaging 50–75 games a season, with tournament play throughout the United States and Canada. Since the late 1990s, the program has had a considerable amount of domestic and international success, including a total of 24 USA Hockey National Championships. The school has also gained a reputation as the "Hogwarts of Hockey," and being "to hockey what Harvard is to law." Players go on to compete at the highest levels of collegiate and Junior League Hockey, and in numerous cases, the NHL and the Winter Olympics.

Soccer

Started in 2005, the Soccer Center of Excellence is one of three more recognized soccer residential programs in the country, and the only one to fully combine school and sport. The program has five teams: two girls' and four boys'. More SSM soccer players sign to play for NCAA Division I colleges than any other high school in the country, and the school has produced professional players, such as Teal Bunbury The program is now a competitive member of MLS Next.

Figure skating

Founded in 2006, the Figure Skating Center of Excellence offers the first elite figure skating program integrated with academics in a boarding school environment, and provides a balance between training, competing, and schooling. Skaters compete domestically and internationally, often in national championships in their home countries.

Golf

Founded in 2012, the Golf Center of Excellence allows athletes to compete in American Junior Golf Association and Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) events, and combines an academic setting with an intensive 10 month golf program. During the spring and fall, practice sessions take place at The Legacy Golf Course, and during the winter an indoor facility is used, including a turf room with a putting and chipping green, a video and putting analysis room with JC Video software and TOMI putting system, and locker rooms. Training through the winter combined with travel to tournaments and events in warmer climates provides experience and exposure to young golfers from the Midwest, where such opportunities are limited.

Notable alumni

Amanda Kessel
Jacob Micflikier
Fred Upton
Wendy

Arts and theater

Ice hockey

Military and politics

Other

Other notable associations