Eagle Pride could be seen far and wide at the 100 Years of Inspiring Each Citywide Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 28! The historic occasion gave attendees and participants the once-in-a-century opportunity to celebrate 100 years of Eden Prairie Schools and look toward the district’s bright future together.
“I am so excited to celebrate our 100 years of inspiring each student every day as a school district,” said Superintendent Dr. Josh Swanson as the festivities began. “It's so fun to see our community coming together – our students, staff and community partners – to celebrate all the great work that has happened and will happen on behalf of each of our students.”
The celebration kicked off with a parade on the Aerie Stadium track at Eden Prairie High School. The many spectators in the stands were treated to a program that spanned the district’s rich history. After a stirring national anthem sung by the Eden Prairie Community Choir and Central Middle School choir students, our legendary Eagle Band did what they do best: pump up the crowd! Leading the parade were grand marshals Dr. Swanson and Dr. Ron Case, mayor of Eden Prairie.
“100 years is always a special milestone,” Mayor Case said. “For the people of Eden Prairie, this is a really wonderful way for us to celebrate who we are, what we've been, where we've been, but also where we're going.”
Also walking with Dr. Swanson and Mayor Case were a group of local elected officials that included Eden Prairie School Board members Aaron Casper, Abby Libsack and Dennis Stubbs, City Council members PG Narayanan and Lisa Toomey, and Minnesota House Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, who represents a large constituency of Eden Prairie residents.
The Eden Prairie Historical Society, led by President Kathie Case, honored the four original one-room schoolhouses in Eden Prairie: the Anderson, Gould, Jarrett and Wolf schools. Case, wearing her Citywide Prom Queen sash and tiara, rode in style in a golf cart alongside Citywide Prom King Curt Connaughty, a beloved community member who was a teacher and assistant principal in Eden Prairie Schools from 1955 to 1986.
“We started out in the 1800s with four one-room school houses, and in 1924 we joined together as the Consolidated School, exactly 100 years ago,” noted Case, underscoring the significance of the milestone. “It will be exciting to see what the next 100 years bring!”
Representing the Consolidated School in the parade were staff from the district’s Administrative Services Center (ASC) and Community Education department, who work in the building that was once the state-of-the-art school in 1924. Some of the district’s youngest learners use the school’s Historic Gym for Early Childhood programming.
Next up in the parade were students, families and staff representing each of the district’s schools, including our six elementary schools: Cedar Ridge, Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, Eden Lake, Forest Hills, Oak Point, and Prairie View; Central Middle School; Eden Prairie High School; the TASSEL Transition Program, which serves students ages 18 to 22 who need additional support after graduation; and EP Online, our statewide online school.
“Walking with some of my other classmates in the parade was fun,” said Central Middle School student Santiago of his favorite part of the event. His dad, Humberto, who chaperoned Santiago’s younger brother representing Cedar Ridge, echoed his son’s enthusiasm. “I think it was very cool, being able to represent the schools that we love so much.”
The parade also featured student walkers from the high school’s Drama Club and TALON Robotics, as well as performances by the high school Performance team.
After the parade concluded with an eye toward Year 101, attendees had the chance to check out the GIVE Gathering, an annual resource fair where they could learn about volunteer opportunities and resources – including nonprofits, social service agencies, and civic organizations serving Eden Prairie. Hosted in partnership with the City of Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie Community Foundation, and EP Community Education, the Gathering featured more than 25 local nonprofit organizations, highlighting their missions and volunteer opportunities. A booth for the district’s Sharing Inspiration volunteer program also gave attendees the opportunity to volunteer directly with Eden Prairie Schools.
Not to mention, food trucks from Taco Way, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pizza Karma, Smokin’ Hottdish, Northern Lights Confections and Wild Harvest Lemonade provided a smorgasbord of local cuisine for attendees to keep up their Eagle Pride energy throughout the event!
The Citywide Celebration might have celebrated 100 years of history, but everyone left with a collective sense of hope and inspiration for the future of Eden Prairie Schools. Thank you, Eagle Nation, for your continued support for 100 years to come!
