Eagle Ridge Academy - A Classical Education Preparing Students for TOMORROW’S Opportunities.

Last week, families were invited to a ceremony celebrating our School of Logic eighth graders moving up to the School of Rhetoric. During the ceremony, Principal Mr. Pelofske and English Teacher Mr. Sopkowiak gave excellent speeches. After school, students were invited to stay, socialize, play games, and celebrate. Thank you to the team of parents that planned this special event to mark the achievement of our School Logic students! "High school is just as transformative as middle school, however, I have never taught a class of eighth graders more ready and capable than you. Every single one of you will succeed and rise up, because I've seen it. We have seen it," shared Mr. Sopkowiak. One more day until you're officially School of Rhetoric students, eighth graders! The last day of school for grades 5-12 is Friday, May 30. Tomorrow is a half day with an 11:00 a.m. dismissal. Free dress is allowed for all students. #GoGryphons

Our School of Grammar scholars finished their 2024-25 school year today! Thank you to Principal Mellgren, Assistant Principal Clinger, our incredible teachers and staff members, and our students and families for another great year. Thank you as well to the Eagle Ridge Academy PTO and our wonderful parent volunteers for organizing today's celebrations! Enjoy your summer, grades K-4 Gryphons. ☀️ As a reminder, the last day of school for grades 5-12 is Friday, May 30. #GoGryphons

As a reminder, there is no school and the office will be closed Monday, May 26, due to Memorial Day. School will resume on Tuesday, May 27. Eagle drawings by Ms. Kurlander's first grade class. #GoGryphons

Eagle Ridge Academy and the International School of Minnesota hosted the annual Gryphon Husky Invitational for middle school Track & Field on May 17. More than 200 athletes participated in this year's meet. Thank you to the coaches and parent volunteers that made this event happen and congratulations on another great season, Gryphons! View invitational results here: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/595929/results. Watch a video montage of the invitational here: https://youtu.be/NezoGEvm7Yw?si=X0vcFv4uH7RMW_Zt. Looking for a way to celebrate ERA activities or to get more involved? Join the ERA Booster Club at their Social Hour + Meeting with elections at Tuttle's Eat, Bowl, Play TODAY beginning at 4:00 p.m. The whole community is invited! #GoGryphons

The American Computer Science League (ACSL) runs computer science programming contests for students around the world. Thousands of students from over 20 countries take part each year, and top students are invited to the Finals. ERA Computer Programming Club students participated and completed four contests in the lead up to Finals this year. Congratulations to eighth grader Sai P. (pictured back middle with ERA jacket) and eleventh grader Laki P. (pictured front middle), who have been selected to compete in the ACSL Invitational Finals this Saturday, May 24! Great job this season, Computer Programming Club students, and good luck to Sai and Laki this weekend! #GoGryphons

During assemblies last week, the Schools of Logic & Rhetoric celebrated the recipients of this year’s Activities Awards. Awardees were chosen by their coaches and advisors and accepted their award from Activities Director Kris Babler in front of their school. Special shout out to this year’s all-around award winners Victoria W. (Challenger Award), Hanad M. (Foundational Award), Theo H. (Dynamo Award), and Oliver K. (Senior Student Athlete Award). Congratulations, Gryphons! #GoGryphons

Eagle Ridge Academy celebrated the Class of 2025 at the annual Senior Breakfast and Awards Ceremony on May 14. After presenting Pins of Perseverance to the 28 students who have completed the Schools of Logic and Rhetoric (Grades 6-12) at Eagle Ridge Academy, School of Rhetoric Principal Mrs. Johnson presented Stoles of Strength and Truth to the seven students who have attended Eagle Ridge Academy for 13 years, from kindergarten through graduation. The following scholarships, awards, and honors were also presented to the Class of 2025: Valedictorians: Sophia B. and Theodore H. Salutatorian: Sierra F. Legacy Scholarship (Representing the Pillar of Excellence - Funded by ERA Board of Directors and FERA Board of Directors and awarded for leaving a "legacy" at Eagle Ridge Academy. This student will have excelled in academics, service, leadership, character, and presence within the school. The "legacy" student is one whose presence is missed long after they leave Eagle Ridge Academy due to the contributions they made while they were here.): Sophia B. Marilyn R. Strand Scholarship (Representing the Pillar of Respect - Funded by ERA employees and awarded to the student who embodies the values and spirit of Marilyn R. Strand. Marilyn was an employee of Eagle Ridge Academy who was known for her love for others and genuine joy she possessed. She led with a servant’s heart both in the Eagle Ridge Academy and outside community. Intuitive to other’s feeling and needs, she made everyone she met feel valued and loved in her presence.): Sahra M. Fine Arts Scholarship (Representing the Pillar of Perseverance - Funded by the ERA community and corporate friends and awarded to a student pursuing post-secondary studies in the fine arts [visual arts or performing arts.]): Susanna G. Gus the Gryphon Community Service Scholarship (Representing the Pillar of Citizenship - Funded by ERA PTO and awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to serving Eagle Ridge Academy and will continue to use their skills and passion to drive social change, making a lasting difference in the communities they serve.): Sophia B. Director's Award (Awarded for personifying, typifying, symbolizing, and representing one or all of the ERA pillars.): Kiefer L. Athens Award (Awarded for academic excellence and commitment to the pursuit of knowledge.): Sophia B. American Spirit Award (Awarded to the student who embodies the principles of our country’s founding fathers and excels academically.): Oliver K. Student Athlete Award: (Awarded to a student that exhibits excellence in the classroom and the arena.): Oliver K. Eagle Award (Awarded to the student who consistently demonstrates the Academy’s core values of citizenship, integrity, perseverance, honor, excellence, and respect.): Helen B. Congratulations, seniors -- we are so proud of you!

This year's Junior and Senior Prom, "The Masquerade Ball", was held at the Chaska Event Center on May 10. Seniors Oliver K. (right) and Victoria W. (second from right) were crowned Prom King and Queen, and juniors Chris A. (left) and Olivia K. (second from left) were crowned Prom Prince and Princess. 👑 Thank you to the Prom Planning Committee and our staff and parent volunteers for organizing this celebration for our students! #GoGryphons

Good luck to ERA Robotics team #6749 the tERAbytes as they compete in the State Tournament at Concordia University in St. Paul TODAY! Parking and admission to the tournament is free, and the community is invited to go cheer on the team throughout the day. Watching competitions and touring the “pits” (team workshop areas) is fun for all ages! Please note that this is NOT a quiet engineering contest – beyond watching robots compete, there is music, mascots, video boards, themed costumes, and more. You must have closed-toe shoes to tour the pits. Can't make it to St. Paul today? Stream the tournament via NSPN.TV: https://nspn.tv/MSHSL/GameStream/27317. After opening ceremonies at 8:15 a.m., every team will compete regularly between 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., the four top ranked teams pick their partners for the championships. After that point, more than half of the teams will be done competing. You got this, tERAbytes! #GoGryphons

Enjoy this sneak peek at the art that will be on view at the 17th Annual Art Xpo TONIGHT! 🖼️ Our annual juried art exhibition for students in grades 5-12 will be held at Eagle Ridge Academy beginning at 6:30 p.m. Art will be displayed outside the gymnasium and available for purchase with cash or check. Prizes will be presented for various works selected by the judges during the 7:00 p.m. awards ceremony in the Auditorium. Please enter through the Activities Entrance. #GoGryphons

Thank you, Eagle Ridge Academy teachers, for supporting our students daily and ensuring that they achieve their highest academic potential. While the PTO showered teachers and staff with appreciation at the end of February (when the weather was a lot bleaker!), students were encouraged to give thanks to their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, sharing the impact their teachers have made on them throughout their educational journey. We hope all Gryphons reached out to a teacher this week who has made a difference in their lives. We are constantly inspired by the spectacular teachers at the Academy and know that they aren't just teaching academic lessons, they are teaching life lessons. If you haven't already, it is never too late to #ThankATeacher! #GoGryphons

The School of Logic started the "Million Words Challenge" for 5th-8th grade students at the beginning of this school year. During the challenge, students kept track of the books they read during the year, with the goal to reach at least one million words read! 📚 Students who achieved this goal were invited to a celebration in the school library today with ice creams, games, and fun. Extraordinary job, readers! We hope you'll keep adding to your word count over the summer. #GoGryphons

Eagle Ridge Academy uniform vendor Land's End is running a summer send-off sale through May 16! Use code SUMMERENDS (pin #1234) for $100 off orders of $250 or more / free shipping on orders of $99 or more. Lands’ End Lower School – Preferred School Number: 900137977 – https://bit.ly/3mpQOV6 Lands’ End Middle School – Preferred School Number: 900096934 – https://bit.ly/32vhlZ7 Lands’ End High School – Preferred School Number: 900137985 – https://bit.ly/3kjteHz More information on Uniforms & Spirit Wear: https://www.eagleridgeacademy.org/page/uniforms.

Don't miss out - online registration for the 11th Annual Donut Dash 5K and Mini-Donut 1/2 Mile for Kids on Saturday, May 10, CLOSES TODAY, May 7, at 9:00 p.m. Register today to avoid the same-day registration line and price: https://runsignup.com/Race/MN/Minnetonka/EagleRidgeDonutDash. Race packets can be picked up from the Academy this Friday, May 9, 3:30-6:30 p.m. or before the race on Saturday, May 10, starting at 7:15 a.m. The Mini-Donut Dash will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the Donut Dash will begin at 8:45 a.m. See you there! 🍩 #GoGryphons

On April 30, a select crew of School of Logic teachers and administrators were hosted by Huntington Bank and Friends of Education for a workshop on Igniting the Classroom featuring internationally recognized teacher and leader Ron Clark. Teachers who attended have been influential leaders in creating a loving, dynamic learning environment that fosters excellence and leadership for students and teachers. Energy was high as the team engaged in this exciting opportunity for middle school teams to experience engaging teaching methods. Not only did they enjoy an inspiring presentation, but the whole team was also honored with a scholarship to visit the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta over the summer to see firsthand the transformative practices that engage students and yield superior academic results! We are elated for this opportunity and eager to see what we can bring back to the students at Eagle Ridge Academy. #GoGryphons #ClassicalEducation

Next week is National Teacher Appreciation Week! An easy way that students to share a little extra thanks to their teachers is by filling out a Thank You sheet for any teacher or staff member who has made an impact on their lives: https://www.eagleridgeacademy.org/documents/giving/parent-teacher-organization-(pto)/teacher-thank-you-sheets/796881. Print them at home or grab copies off the wall inside the Main Entrance. Thank you to the ERA PTO for organizing Teacher Appreciation Week, and for sponsoring ERA's Annual Staff Party! This year's party was held last month at Fat Pants Brewing in Eden Prairie. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of our PTO, staff were able to gather outside of school in a casual atmosphere of camaraderie, food, drinks, and fun. We are grateful to the PTO and our teachers for all they do! We hope you'll help us celebrate next week. #GoGryphons

TONIGHT is the Grades 1 & 3 Fine Arts Festival, with the Grade 1 Informance at 5:30 p.m. and the Grade 3 Informance at 6:30 p.m. Here's a sneak peek of the art you will see at the event! The Fine Arts Festival is a combined event featuring the work of School of Grammar students in art and music. Presented over the course of two evenings, audience members will have the opportunity to hear songs prepared in music class, view art works created in art class and hear poetry prepared in their Classical Enrichment course (K-3). After their performance, families will enjoy the art gallery in the forum and Story Walk in the Solarium and/or out on the patio. The grades K, 2, & 4 Fine Arts Festival originally scheduled for Monday, April 28, has been moved to next Monday, May 5. The Kindergarten Informance will begin at 5:30 p.m., the Grade 2 Informance will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the Grade 4 Informance will begin at 3:30 p.m. on May 5. #GoGryphons

All who have volunteered at Eagle Ridge Academy this year were invited to attend yesterday's Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Night that honored the meaningful work done for our community in 2025-26. The program featured speeches by Academic Director Susan Bloomgren, School of Logic Assistant Principal Missy Madigan, Director of Development Kelly Schiffman, and Executive Assistant Jen Johnson, and was followed by a reception with food and performances by The Magic of Suzanne! Eagle Ridge Academy believes that it is important to take the time to honor those who do so much behind the scenes at the Academy. Thank you, volunteers! #GoGryphons #Give5 #VolunteerERA

We are excited to launch One School, One Book (OSOB) again this summer for K-5 students and incoming kindergarteners! Registration is only open until all books have been claimed so make sure to register today here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecGvK3H09MXFJ3n3u--G2O4B9dJebbMuqsCi0KJdZOaYU3mw/viewform. What is One School, One Book? It is a shared reading experience that families enjoy from the comfort of their own homes across the school community! One copy of the book "The Wild Robot" will be provided to each household that registers (or families may choose to purchase their own copy). Parents/caregivers will read it aloud to their children this summer. Families may also choose to listen to a chapter read by a guest reader via YouTube. Resource packets will be included which will consist of an outline of the program, tips for reading aloud, suggested activities, reading schedules, discussion questions, and vocabulary support. There will be an opportunity to sign up for a community book discussion gathering during the summer, and to culminate the experience, we are exploring the possibility of watching The Wild Robot film as a community. Participants will be contacted once materials have arrived and are available at Eagle Ridge Academy in mid-May. OSOB builds a community of readers and a sense of belonging within our school. When an entire school reads together, it generates excitement about reading. #GoGryphons

Round 2 of Battle of the Books took place at school yesterday. The battle was extremely close, with the final two teams went through SIX tie-breaking questions. The winning team, Team K, will move on and represent Eagle Ridge Academy at the 7th Annual Friends of Education (FoE) Battle of the Books Championship at Cologne Academy on Monday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m. Congratulations to Team K members Devna, Anirudh, Sriansh, Arna, Hasyasri, and Tanvi! Before the battle, students had a chance to share what they enjoyed about Battle of the Books. Several said they were grateful to have a chance to read so many different new books and they discovered new favorites. Others mentioned enjoying getting to work as a team and meeting new people. "I’m so proud of [all the students that competed in Round 2] for their spirit of friendly competition and love of reading," shared Mrs. Tillotson. "They were committed to absorbing as much as they could from each story and being a good teammate. There were lots of smiles!" #GoGryphons