Author: Juliana Allen

Starting this fall, Eden Prairie Schools students will be offered free breakfast and lunch thanks to a new law passed by the state Legislature on May 17, 2023. Starting July 1, the Minnesota Free School Meals Program (MN-FSM) will permanently provide state reimbursement to schools that participate in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). Students can have one reimbursable breakfast and one reimbursable lunch per day at no cost to them or the school district. All Minnesota school districts, charter schools, and non-public schools approved for the NSLP and…

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Four boys from Eden Prairie-based club swim team Aquajets broke the 15-18 boys National Age Group (NAG) 4×100 medley relay record at the 2023 Summer Junior National Championships, held July 31 to Aug. 4 in Irvine, California. The 4×100 medley was the last event of the five-day meet, marking a thrilling finish for the team which had placed second in the event the previous year. The four relay members were: The boys swam the event in just 3:42.14, also breaking the Summer Juniors meet record and their own Minnesota state record. At the meet, they also broke three other state…

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Eden Prairie Schools is offering free school supplies to families experiencing financial hardship who may need extra support. The Back to School Supplies Program exists to make sure each student has the supplies they need to be successful in the upcoming school year. Supplies are available for any Eden Prairie Schools student whose family is experiencing financial stress. No questions or names are asked, no registration is needed, and no income verification is needed. Supplies, including backpacks, will be available during Back-to-School Open House Nights at the end of August. No advance registration is needed. Families or students can ask for the School Supplies Program or…

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Ella Schumacher, a rising sophomore at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), will perform this weekend in the musical comedy “Head Over Heels” at Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis. Featuring catchy songs by 80s hitmakers The Go-Go’s and based on Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia, “Head Over Heels” is adapted for high school-aged performers from the Broadway musical of the same name. Tickets are available here and cost $25 for general admission. Advised ages are 12 and up due to some mature themes. “It’s a story about growth, love, hate, and finding yourself,” Schumacher said, who will be singing, dancing, and…

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Eden Prairie Schools will hit the century mark during the upcoming 2023-24 school year. To celebrate this landmark, the district will host a series of community activities and events with the City of Eden Prairie and the Eden Prairie Historical Society. “This is really a celebration of community,” said Josh Swanson, EP Schools’ superintendent. “I’ve been a part of this district since 2012, and to see the continuous partnership between our schools and our community over those 11 years has been beyond inspiring. “For our 100th anniversary, we want to recognize and honor the legacy of our growth, achievement, and…

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Most people have seen the northern lights in movies — gloriously vibrant hues of purple, red, and green, undulating gently like magical, breezy curtains across the sky. However, fewer people — including many longtime Eden Prairie residents — have actually seen them in real life. The northern lights — a natural phenomenon also known as the aurora borealis — are polar auroras caused when solar flares release clouds of gas that then collide with Earth’s magnetic pole. There are also southern lights in the southern hemisphere, known as aurora australis. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these…

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From now until the end of July, Eden Prairie Schools (EP Schools) is seeking community input about how artificial intelligence (AI) should be incorporated into student learning. Earlier this month, Robb Virgin, EP Schools’ executive director of personalized learning, emailed families, staff, and students in grades 6-12 to let them know that the district is working on plans to address AI in the upcoming school year. “You have likely seen advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing AI over the past few months,” he wrote. “Because these tools were built to be interactive and generative…

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