Students, Staff Hold One ‘Final Roar’ at Golden Valley’s Noble Elementary Before Closure

Since 1955, Noble Elementary has embraced being Golden Valley’s neighborhood school. Students and staff are now preparing for what’s next.

“It’s been a great place to be. Noble has always had a wonderful heart and wonderful environment,” said Noble Elementary Principal Michael Rieckenberg, who has led the school for the past nine years.

Noble Elementary is one of four schools in the Robbinsdale School District that is either closing or being repurposed due to budget cuts and declining enrollment.

Students at Noble will attend either Lakeview or Neill elementary schools next year.

Rieckenberg compares the situation to a “phoenix coming out of the ashes.”

“Great things are going to start to happen. We’re going to have a lot more going on for all of our students, for all of our faculty, our staff. Just making we’re doing what’s best for the kids and that’s what’s going to happen,” said Rieckenberg.

Despite being hopeful for what’s ahead, losing a neighborhood school is difficult for families. 

Parent Lori Akin said she walked to school with her daughter every day.

“There’s no more neighborhood school for us,” said Akin.

Sarah Edman, also a Noble Elementary parent, mentioned how the closure leaves a significant void for families east of Highway 100.

“All the schools are on the other side of [Highway] 100. And we feel completely isolated and excluded from the greater community,” said Edman.

Poster made at Noble Elementary to honor school/photo credit: John Jacobson

‘A Really Special Place’

Hundreds of people, including former students and teachers at Noble Elementary, turned out for the “The Final Roar” on May 28, fitting of the school’s lion mascot, providing families an opportunity to celebrate the school and cherish the fond memories that were built.

“I have so many memories out here, from digging in the snow piles that would be right back there when they plow up all the snow in the winter, to in third grade, playing soccer out there. I loved being the goalie. It was just a ton of fun,” recalled Charles Rinehart, an Armstrong High School student who attended Noble.

“The teachers were really good. We had a lot of good students,” remembered Andrew Morris, another high school student who attended Noble Elementary.

Second-grade teacher Kristyn Lee taught at Noble Elementary for 12 years, her first and only classroom teaching job.

“What is nice about Noble is we’re an intergenerational school where we have families come that have grown up and gone to Noble who are now having their own children and are now at Noble,” said Lee. “We’re a small school, so we have a really strong community where everyone knows each other. We know all the kids’ names, so it’s a really special place.”

Teacher Krystn Lee and a student pose for a photo as both said, “We’ll miss you Noble!”

John Jacobson contributed to this report

Also see: Sonnesyn Elementary Hosts ‘Bittersweet’ Celebration Before School Closes

Golden Valley