Author: Juliana Allen

A targeted group of Eden Prairie Schools students is taking part in fun, free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities on non-school days, thanks to a new partnership between EP Schools Community Education and the City of Eden Prairie. The first event in this program was held on Nov. 23 at Eden Lake Elementary with a day of art projects and physical fitness before Thanksgiving break. During the second event, on Jan. 16 at Cedar Ridge Elementary, invited students engaged in creative STEM activities, physical fitness and games, social time, and lunch while schools were closed for Martin Luther King…

Over 150 high school students, teachers, and mentors from the Minnesota theater arts community gathered at PiM Arts High School (PiM Arts) in Eden Prairie on Jan. 14 for the Minnesota Thespians (MN Thespians) Annual Conference. The theme this year was “Together Again”— an appropriate choice since it was the first time in two years the student-led group met in person, after a pandemic-induced hiatus. The 156 student attendees came from all over the state and included 18 of PiM Arts’ theater and musical theater students. Throughout the day, students participated in workshops, viewed performances, and networked with other students,…

Students from the International School of Minnesota (ISM) worked hard to make the holidays a little bit brighter for six Twin Cities families through their annual holiday season “Adopt a Family” service project. ISM partnered with Minneapolis-based service organization Good in the Hood for this initiative, which involved fulfilling wish lists of needs and wants for local families in need. “The goal of this program is to support local families from the Twin Cities who are in extreme need, especially this time of the year,” Sarah Bianucci, ISM’s student life coordinator. “Good in the Hood is an organization that provides daily…

Seven members of Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) debate team qualified at section tournaments and are heading to the state tournament, to be held this weekend at the University of Minnesota. State qualifiers are Lalitha Gunturi and Siona Kaura, a Public Forum team, Tavishi Chakraborty and Frantz, a Public Forum team, Srijani Datta, Lincoln-Douglas, Harshan Chandrasekar, Congressional Debate, and Nikhil Kori, Congressional Debate. Gunturi, Kaura, Chakraborty, Frantz, and Datta qualified after strong debate performances at Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) 6AA Section Debate Tournament at Eagan High School on Jan. 6-7, where Sophia Lin also represented Eden Prairie in…

Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) dance team (EPDT) hosted several other schools at a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 5. EPDT’s B squad, junior varsity (JV), and varsity jazz teams each placed third in their category. “We had great performances from all three teams (B squad, JV and varsity) at our home conference meet,” said Caitlin O’Leary, EPDT’s co-head coach. “We [are] in a very competitive conference that continues to challenge and push us to be the best athletes and team we can be.” Meet results for B squad were: Edina High School first, Wayzata High School second, and EPDT…

Eden Prairie High’s (EPHS) boys swim and dive won their meet against Wayzata 95-86 on Jan. 6 at Eden Prairie’s Aquatic Center. Kelly Boston, the team’s head coach, said it was an “outstanding team effort” as EP faced a tough challenger. Wayzata and Minnetonka had tied Minnetonka in December—“the two teams leading the charge for the Lake Conference title,” she said. “Our top end is a little stronger than the other teams in the Lake,” she added. “We knew it was going to take our 2-3 athletes getting better for us to compete for the Lake title. The boys have…

Pet goats and a dairy princess are among the visitors that members can meet at a new Agriculture Exploration (AgEx) club at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS). The club was founded at the start of this school year by EPHS junior Nora Takes. “My goal for this club was to help this giant suburban high school with a bunch of kids who were raised in the cities to have a bigger connection to farming and where their food comes from,” she said. “I want to help them understand how agriculture really affects their everyday lives.” The club’s kickoff event in…

Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) boys swim and dive team delivered a commanding win over Buffalo-Maple Lake on Friday night in a thrilling first dual meet of the season. The Eagles broke an astonishing seven out of the pool’s 12 existing event records during the event held on Dec. 16 at Buffalo Community Middle School. The varsity boys won their meet 102-78, and the junior varsity (JV) won 100-53. Kelly Boston, EP’s longtime head swim and dive coach, said she was pleased with how the team performed, as well as with the enthusiasm and support the swimmers showed each other.…

Craig Lee Hollenbeck, a former Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) teacher, pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to a charge of gross misdemeanor endangerment of a child, which experts in the field refer to as child grooming. The charge stems from an inappropriate relationship Hollenbeck had with an EPHS student between Feb. 1 and June 1, 2021. Eden Prairie Police received a report in September 2021 from a mandatory reporter about the inappropriate relationship. Hollenbeck, 51, is charged with violating Minnesota statute 609.3781(b)(1), which states, “A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who endangers the child’s person or health by intentionally or recklessly…

The Eden Prairie School Board approved the administration’s proposal at its Dec. 12 meeting to reinstate a popular academic graduation honor that had been removed this summer. Board members voted 7-0 to approve the Superintendent Consent Agenda, which included a proposed student handbook change reinstating the availability of red academic recognition cords for the graduating class of 2023. There was no discussion. In the past, graduating students who had a 3.5-grade point average (GPA) and above and had earned at least six credits in certain designated advanced courses by the end of the third quarter of senior year were awarded…