TOWER — Tower-Soudan Elementary students celebrated the Winter Olympics on Friday with a full day of both indoor and outdoor activities. The day started with an all-school assembly for the lighting of the Olympic torch. Students have been studying the Winter Olympics, and the main school corridor was lined with posters students had created, illustrating Olympic events and traditions. Flags from around the world hung overhead.
Students passed two flashlights, retrofitted to look like small flaming torches, from student to student, and once the small torches made their way around, the large torch magically was lit up to signify the start of the day, with cheers coming from the students.
Students talked about the lessons to be learned from the Olympics: trying your best, trying new things, working together, helping each other, showing respect, and taking care of one’s body and mind.
“Remember,” the students were told, “the Olympics are not about being the best, they are about being your best together.”
This special event was made possible by a $5,000 grant the school received form the Minnesota Department of Education’s Youth Voices program. Tower-Soudan fifth and sixth graders were part of the grant writing process, helping Kim Jordan, director of the Indigenous Education programs for the district, who submitted the grant.
School staff Sarah Hansen, who is the outdoor educator, and Keiza Besemann, who teaches Ojibwe and culture, met with fifth and sixth graders weekly to plan the event starting in December.
“The students had to come up with a goal for what they wanted to do,” said Hansen. “They came up with the idea of hosting school winter Olympics.”
Other goals of the grant were to learn about teamwork, culture, and well-being, Hansen said.
Students rotated through different stations during the day-long event. Indoors hosted curling in the main corridor (using beanbags), sock speed skating events in the gym, and beading, story time, and snacks. Outdoors had students on the football field doing bobsledding (sledding to see who could go the farthest), snowshoe relay races, and a cross-country ski biathlon with students skiing a groomed loop on the football field and then “shooting” a lacrosse ball into a net.
Indoors the action was loud. As students raced and slid around cones on the slippery gym floor, the cheering from student spectators was nonstop, and high fives at the finish line greeting all the finishers. Outdoors, snowshoers had to contend with the eight-plus inches of new snow this week. But dressed for the weather, students kicked up clouds of the light, fluffy snow as they raced up and back on the course. Wagoner Ski Club volunteers brought over their groomer to set tracks for the cross-country skiers, and skiers made loop after loop around the tracks, and once done, got a chance for a snack, plus time to try out a kicksled, pushing a classmate across the snowy field.
The grant funding was used to purchase Ojibwe lacrosse equipment for the school, along with beading supplies. But the funding was also used for some everyday items, thanks to suggestions from the young organizers, who wanted to purchase snowpants and gloves to keep at school to make sure there were always extras for students who forgot to bring winter clothing for recess.
Students met with the Timberjay during lunch a few days after the event, and they only had positive things to say.
“We had everyone helping,” said Millie, who added that teachers Sarah and Keiza helped guide them with the planning and deciding where student volunteers would spend their time.
Ayva said she wished students had more time at some of the stations, especially for the beading project. Draya read a Native American story to the younger elementary students, which was very popular, her classmates said.
Some of the jobs students did were harder. Cecilia said and her partner struggled helping the younger students in and out of their snowshoes and skis. “Our fingers got cold,” she said, noting they had to take off their gloves to get things fastened. Some students stayed at the same station all day, but others rotated around with a specific class. Each grade, it seemed, had a different favorite activity. The fifth and sixth graders also got a chance to try out all the events. The young organizers were especially happy with the schoolwide opening and closing ceremonies.
“Many kids said this was better than doing math,” said Keiza with a smile. She said the success of the day could also be attributed to the small school atmosphere. “The kids are all very tight,” she said.
Principal Crystal Poppler said the school hasn’t spent the entire grant, and they plan to host one more event this year. Students said they are hoping to do another outdoor winter event. The PTO donated the snacks for the day. The school was able to purchase cross-country skis and poles for the students this fall, which have already gotten a lot of use in addition to Olympic day, thanks to a grant from the Gundersen Trust, and last year, the school purchased snowshoes.
The day took a lot of extra helpers, including volunteer students and staff from Vermilion Country School, ViNE tutors, Friends of the Boundary Waters staff from Ely, Wagoner Trail Club members, and more. The day was also a chance to introduce Ojibwe names for animals found in our winter wood, with each station named after wildlife, including otter/Nigig, turtle/Mik, wolf/Ma’Ingaan, beaver/Amik, snowshoe hare/Waabooz, and moose/Mooz.