Eden Prairie Schools outlines service efforts after moment of silence decision

After Eden Prairie Schools chose not to observe a statewide moment of silence Jan. 9 in response to the fatal Jan. 7 shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, the district has instead opted to participate in several schoolwide community service efforts.

In response to Good’s killing, Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed Jan. 9 a “Day of Unity” and asked businesses, schools and state offices to observe a moment of silence at 10 a.m., according to the proclamation.

“While we cannot bring back Renee Nicole Good, we can honor her life by standing together for decency, democracy, compassion and our shared values,” Walz said in a statement. “I invite all Minnesotans and Americans to join me in a day of unity and honoring her with a moment of silence and participating in acts of service.”

Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Willie Jett also said in a Jan. 8 email to school districts across the state that while the moment of silence was not required, it was encouraged.

EP Schools Superintendent Josh Swanson sent an email to teachers and staff Jan. 9 saying the district would not be observing the moment of silence and wanted to keep classrooms “centered on learning.” However, in lieu of participating in the moment of silence, Swanson said the district would coordinate another activity.

“Please know we have already been working on plans aligned to the Wellbeing focus of our Strategic Plan to strengthen and honor our collective community and identity as Eagles in an educational and meaningful way so what we do is productive and not disruptive,” Swanson said in the Jan. 9 email.

Grace Becker, director of marketing and communications for EP Schools, said in a Feb. 18 email that students and staff have participated in activities that “contribute to our community, foster a sense of inclusion and belonging at school and support students and families affected by recent events” since Swanson’s initial message.

Becker later clarified in an email Saturday that some of the projects were done earlier this school year and some are being planned for later this spring.

Expanded availability of Eagle Nation Stations

One effort Becker highlighted was the expansion of the “Eagle Nation Station,” a donation-based free store that stocks food, clothing, toiletries, school supplies and other household items for students and families in need. The store operates on a “no questions asked” policy, and no referrals are necessary for students to pick up items they might need.

The first Eagle Nation Station opened at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) a few years ago, according to the Star Tribune, but has now expanded to all EP Schools buildings.

Becker said the stations will need the following items in the future:

Personal care (full-size only): shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, and hair care supplies.School supplies: backpacks, calculators, folders, notebooks, pens/pencils, and tape.Household goods: laundry soap, cleaning supplies, shelf-stable snacks, dry foods, and tissues.Gift cards ($15-$25 amounts): Target, Walmart, Amazon, or gas cards.

Donations are not needed yet at the new Eagle Nation Stations, but schools will communicate when needs arise, according to Becker. Future donations can be dropped off at any school building during school hours.

*Multicultural celebrations *

Many district schools also host cultural events every year; the most recent was EPHS’ annual Unity Week and Culture Day celebration from Feb. 9 to 12.

“This student-run event, plus Unity Week leading up to it, is intended to bring students together, celebrate diversity and create a culture of belonging at EPHS,” Becker said in her Feb. 18 email.

The week’s festivities were organized by Dare 2 Be Real, an EPHS student group, and featured a “Rep Your Flag” day, a scavenger hunt, cultural booths complete with food and activities, and ended with Culture Day, which included various performances, according to the group’s Instagram account.

Oak Point Elementary School also hosted a Multicultural Night last November to celebrate student heritage, with more than 20 countries and 30 cultures represented, according to the EP Schools website.

Schoolwide service projects

Each of the elementary schools has also participated in, or will participate in, service projects focused on the local Eden Prairie community, Becker said in her Feb. 18 email.

The service projects include:

• Cedar Ridge Elementary School writing thank-you cards to veterans.
• Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion writing thank-you cards to hospitals and senior centers.
• Eden Lake Elementary School creating blankets for Children’s Hospital, writing thank-you cards to veterans and picking up garbage in the community.
• Forest Hills Elementary School creating friendship bags for Children’s Hospital.
• Oak Point writing thank-you cards and hosting a “day of kindness.”
• Prairie View Elementary School collecting food for People Reaching Out to People (PROP) and writing thank-you cards to veterans.

“These efforts are in addition to the ongoing work of our teachers, social workers, school leaders, cultural liaisons and other staff to provide individual support to families in need,” Becker said in her Feb. 18 email.

In addition, the district’s superintendent team asked all principals to choose another schoolwide activity for students to participate in to “demonstrate care, unity and service to others” in response “to recent events in the community” during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, per Becker’s email Saturday.

The activities included:

• Cedar Ridge creating crafts that focused on kindness and celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Eagle Heights, Eden Lake, Prairie View and Oak Point conducted three-day kindness challenges, during which students were asked to perform random acts of kindness.
• Forest Hills created a “Unity Chain,” where students and staff wrote “commitments to kindness, inclusion or respect” on strips of paper and linked them together to form a large chain around the school.
• Central Middle School participated in a “Secret Kindness Mission” where they were given various different kindness missions, like “compliment someone,” “sit with someone new before class” and “invite someone into a conversation or activity.”
• EPHS asked students to reflect on the following questions:
• Why does King’s legacy and vision continue to matter in our lives today?
• How might King’s commitment to service, empathy, and humanity show up in the way you lead and interact with others?
• Where do we, as an EPHS community, have opportunities to continue the work King began?

“Students then identified one way they could better uphold the values of kindness, understanding, and service and committed to one concrete action they could take by the end of the month,” Becker said in her Saturday email. “EPHS also asked students to commit to speaking up when they heard or saw words or actions that undermined belonging, humanity, or peace, and to commit to learning from history so they could create a better future for each.”

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