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

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

We better see you tonight at 7:00 p.m. for the opening performance of "Wild West Macbeth"! Can't make it tonight? Join us tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. or Pack the Theater for Gryphon Senior Night tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. All Gryphon activities and athletics seniors will be recognized following the 7:00 p.m. performance. The final performance will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets will cost $10 at the door, cash or check only. Yee-haw! 🐎 #GoGryphons

Join ERA Theater for a rootin-tootin good time at "Wild West Macbeth" this weekend! A wild west take on a Shakespearean classic; this play will not fail to make you laugh, cry, and yee-haw. 🤠 Performances will take place in the ERA Auditorium on Friday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 27, at 2:00 p.m. Pack the theater during the 7:00 p.m. Saturday performance for Gryphon Senior Night! All Gryphon activities and athletics seniors will be recognized following the performance. Tickets will cost $10 at the door, cash or check only. #GoGryphons

Have you volunteered at the Academy in any capacity this past year? Then you are invited to Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Night in the ERA Forum next Tuesday, April 29, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Don't wait! TODAY is the LAST DAY to RSVP for the event: https://eagleridgeacademy.wufoo.com/forms/keu2ijt0gkhlca/. This will be an evening to honor the meaningful work volunteers do for our community. The guests of honor are invited to stay after the program for a reception of snacks, desserts, and refreshments, as well as performances from the Magic of Suzanne! 💐🍰🎩#GoGryphons #Give5 #VolunteerERA

Happy Earth Day, Gryphons! 🌎 We're grateful to Ms. Tillotson and her Books & Beyond Club members for cleaning the ERA grounds earlier this month and to Nurse Ulbrich and her Schools of Logic & Rhetoric volunteers for cleaning the ERA ground during study hall today. Thank you for helping keep our small piece of earth healthy and safe for our animal friends. If you are able to, get outside today and appreciate our beautiful planet! #GoGryphons

Last week, fifth graders took a field trip to Base Camp in Fort Snelling. While there, students participated in team building activities, rock climbing, and archery. The purpose of the field trip was for students to work together and create a positive fifth grade community (and have fun doing it!). #GoGryphons

ACTIVITIES UPDATE: No practice or games OUTDOORS after school today, April 17, due to potential storms. Track, Baseball and Ultimate Frisbee are cancelled. Badminton is still scheduled to play at Minnetonka. #GoGryphons

ERA Robotics is competing at the Robotics World Championships right now! Tune in here to watch: www.twitch.tv/firstinspires_johnson #GoGryphons

Mr. Clapero and Ms. Madigan led a group of eight 8th grade students on a special field trip to Washington, D.C. last week! While in DC, the group toured the National Holocaust Museum and several other notable monuments and sites including the Lincoln, World War II, and Korean War Memorials - all in one day! Thank you to the Jewish Community Relations Committee for sponsoring this whirlwind of a day trip. #GoGryphons

Friday, April 11, is a $5 Free Dress Day! Four times each year, students have the option to pay $5 to their classroom or first-hour teacher to wear what they choose (within ERA guidelines on appropriate attire) on $5 Free Dress Days. The funds collected on $5 Free Dress Days are designated for specific teacher projects. April 11's funds are designated for the One School, One Book Reading Program, the first grade MN Zoo field trip, third grade interactive Norse mythology storytelling, the fifth grade, School of Logic Gryphon Gold prizes, the eighth grade National Holocaust Museum field trip, portable volleyball standards for PE. and the Volunteer Appreciation Event. #GoGryphons

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to help send the tERAbytes to the 2025 FIRST® Robotics World Championship in Houston next week! The dedicated students and coaches of the ERA Robotics team must raise $25,000 in the next week to fully fund essential travel and competition expenses. We have officially reached 15% of our goal! Can you help us get to 30% by the end of the day? Your donation today will provide these talented students with the opportunity to complete on the global stage. Join our community in supporting these incredibly hardworking students by donating here: https://erabooster.membershiptoolkit.com/robotics-houston-2025. Every gift counts and is tax-deductible. Thank you for your generosity and GO GRYPHONS!