Hopkins Public Schools mascot costume design revealed at Tanglen assembly

Hopkins Public Schools mascot costume design revealed at Tanglen assembly
Hopkins Royals Lion Mascot vision 2031

Students at Tanglen Elementary were shocked and surprised when a new Hopkins Schools mascot costume was unveiled at their assembly on October 2. Students cheered, clapped and eagerly lined up for high fives and hugs from the mascot.

The updated mascot costume design was the product of a Hopkins Education Foundation grant that awarded $10,000 to update the mascot to align with the Hopkins’ Vision 2031 and the Hopkins lion logo.

Tanglen Elementary principal Jim Hebeisen and Hopkins Transition Plus graduate Mia Carter worked closely to design the costume which will be available to any school in Hopkins for events and assemblies if they would like to use it.

Hebeisen said a lot of thought and intentionality went into the design process behind the new costume. He worked closely with Carter to incorporate the key character strengths and traits of a Hopkins graduate.

“We really wanted to tie the look of the mascot to Vision 2031, so we went through the traits word by word as Mia was designing,” he said. “Our hope is that when the public sees the mascot, they also see the character traits of a Hopkins grad reflected in the design.”

Some of those traits of a Hopkins graduate include confidence, critical thinking, having a voice, being global and well-traveled, holistic, and empathetic.

One notable detail in the design is the lion’s left ear, which has a cutout on purpose. Hebeisen said it has become one of his favorite details. Carter explained her reasoning behind the symbolism of the imperfect detail.

“I’m hoping to inspire people who have been through some hard things that they can get back up and try again,” she said.

A second costume will be revealed in the coming weeks representing more inclusivity. The second costume will be a female-presenting design. Stay tuned for the next big reveal!

Royals Mascot Reveal at Tanglen