Information from Principal Yusuf Abdullah
Patrick Henry High School has partnered with the Loppet Foundation to offer outdoor winter activities to the students of the community. The Loppet Foundation creates opportunities for year-round outdoor adventures in the Minneapolis area. It is headquartered at Theodore Wirth Park.
Our intentions for the partnership of Henry High and Loppet are to create engagement opportunities for our staff and students to break the monotony of everyday restrictions, build relationships while learning, and have fun. We are offering skiing, tubing, snowshoeing and snowboarding at Theodore Park. There will be two 1.5 hour sessions available on Wednesdays from noon-1:30 p.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. Each session can have a maximum of 75 students split between the four different activities offered. We have also added certain credit recovery opportunities for activity participation. No transportation is provided by the district, but the city bus (#7) makes a stop at the Loppet building at 1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway. All students will have to sign a waiver form and follow COVID-19 protocols such as wearing a facemask and staying 6 ft. apart at all times to ensure a safe and secure experience.
Additional comments from Shawn Shipman, Safety Support Specialist of Minneapolis Public Schools are: “The information I have is that the students will not have to pay a fee. They will be allowed to use the equipment on site as well as bring their own equipment.”
At the time of press, all additional details are in the process of being determined and volunteer staff are being recruited. Hopefully, the kickoff of activities will be on Wednesday, January 27. This is a plan for the Northside community, including staff and students of North Community High School.
For more info or to sign up, call Shawn Shipman at 612-986-8655.