Lower School News
Bringing the MPA Mission Statement to Life Through Service Learning
We teach students to think independently, communicate effectively and act with respect and integrity in a diverse community that models intellectual ambition, global responsibility and the joy of learning."
Our Lower School service-learning project brought our Mounds Park Academy mission statement to life. When we learned about an orphanage in Jamaica we realized we could help improve the quality of their living conditions. In our diverse community we started brainstorming how we could make a difference for 35 children and their staff. Students joyfully and independently created things to be sold at our Baa Baa Boutique in December. Students communicated our efforts through art, written expression, dramatic commercials, and verbal presentations. It was an honor to witness their process of exploring all the intellectual opportunities. Students increased their vocabulary, social awareness, and integrated all areas of learning into this one activity. They realized that their hands could reach across an ocean and bring a smile to another human being. I remember Bob Kreischer, the founder of Mounds Park Academy, using the phrase, "'I can do' attitude." Well "I can" and "we did". Both phrases can be used
Our Lower School service-learning project brought our Mounds Park Academy mission statement to life. When we learned about an orphanage in Jamaica we realized we could help improve the quality of their living conditions. In our diverse community we started brainstorming how we could make a difference for 35 children and their staff. Students joyfully and independently created things to be sold at our Baa Baa Boutique in December. Students communicated our efforts through art, written expression, dramatic commercials, and verbal presentations. It was an honor to witness their process of exploring all the intellectual opportunities. Students increased their vocabulary, social awareness, and integrated all areas of learning into this one activity. They realized that their hands could reach across an ocean and bring a smile to another human being. I remember Bob Kreischer, the founder of Mounds Park Academy, using the phrase, "'I can do' attitude." Well "I can" and "we did". Both phrases can be used simultaneously when talking about the MPA community!
Global responsibility reached a new height. We thought it was within our means to purchase a goat and a few chickens for the orphanage. However, our MPA ambitions and generous spirit exceeded our expectations of purchasing chickens and a goat. We did so much more! We purchased chickens, two goats and contributed to the solar water system they desperately needed. We also gave them 200 books, boxes of crayons, drawing paper, craypas, paint sets and brushes. We raised an impressive $1,100.30 through our entrepreneurial activities.
I look forward to representing my school community at the Garland Children Home in Jamaica. The Lower School students were kind enough to decorate t-shirts that I would be wearing during our intense days of repairing, installing, and renovating the orphanage facilities. Hopefully this will help them make another connection with our friends in Jamaica.
I am so grateful for this experience and look forward to sharing it with all of you when I return home. I will give Billy Bob Joe Buddy and Bobetben a kiss when I see them! (These are the goat names that won the lower school raffle contest:)
Sincerely,
Kristine Petersen
Global responsibility reached a new height. We thought it was within our means to purchase a goat and a few chickens for the orphanage. However, our MPA ambitions and generous spirit exceeded our expectations of purchasing chickens and a goat. We did so much more! We purchased chickens, two goats and contributed to the solar water system they desperately needed. We also gave them 200 books, boxes of crayons, drawing paper, craypas, paint sets and brushes. We raised an impressive $1,100.30 through our entrepreneurial activities.I look forward to representing my school community at the Garland Children Home in Jamaica. The Lower School students were kind enough to decorate t-shirts that I would be wearing during our intense days of repairing, installing, and renovating the orphanage facilities. Hopefully this will help them make another connection with our friends in Jamaica.
I am so grateful for this experience and look forward to sharing it with all of you when I return home. I will give Billy Bob Joe Buddy and Bobetben a kiss when I see them! (These are the goat names that won the lower school raffle contest:)
Sincerely,
Kristine Petersen
Kindergarten teacher
MPA's Kindergarten Philosophy
Just like most Independent College Preparatory schools, we print our Mission Statement on nearly all our official documents and communications. You can also find our Mission Statement in multiple places on our website.
What you may not know is that we also have many philosophy statements and papers that guide our work as well. Just this week, I have read both the music education and math education philosophy statements. And last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with our Admissions Director, Renette Stinson, and looking at the MPA Kindergarten Philosophy. It is my pleasure to share that philosophy with you below. I hope that you enjoy the passion and dedication to student learning. If you have any questions or concerns about this philosophy, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Tony Reimers
PreK-8 Director
What you may not know is that we also have many philosophy statements and papers that guide our work as well. Just this week, I have read both the music education and math education philosophy statements. And last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with our Admissions Director, Renette Stinson, and looking at the MPA Kindergarten Philosophy. It is my pleasure to share that philosophy with you below. I hope that you enjoy the passion and dedication to student learning. If you have any questions or concerns about this philosophy, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Tony Reimers
PreK-8 Director
MPA Kindergarten Philosophy
The MPA Kindergarten program is designed for children who are at least 5 years old by September 1 of the academic year. The full day program allows for exposure to a wide spectrum of subjects. Specialists teach specific classes throughout the day including:
• Physical Education
• Spanish or French class
• Music
• Art
• Computer
• Library
Kindergarten at MPA is a program embracing the philosophy of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Children's growth and learning are supported through developmentally appropriate curriculum that is tailored to the specific needs and interests of the students. Our unique teacher-created interdisciplinary curriculum is constructed to be flexible, responsive to the needs of the whole child and designed to support each student as they build upon their foundation of learning. Life skills are developed through the carefully constructed daily routines of the kindergarten classroom. Literacy development permeates every aspect of classroom learning through daily opportunities for shared reading, independent book exploration, writing, interactive read-aloud, developing comprehension, word study, phonics instruction, vocabulary development and a variety of relevant print-rich classroom experiences.
As well as supporting literacy development, the kindergarten curriculum promotes math learning through exploration of patterning, number sense, problem solving and exposure to a variety of math concepts that will be built upon further in each academic year including time, fractions, money and geometry.
Each unit of study is multi-disciplinary and includes learning in the areas of science or social studies as well as literacy and math. Social studies and science topics are explored through themed units and include concepts that are meaningful to kindergarten students such as community, weather, maps and a variety of animal studies.
By the end of the year, Kindergartners will have developed both academically and emotionally as part of a community of learners that possess the confidence, independence and curiosity to be successful in their First Grade year at MPA!
The MPA Kindergarten program is designed for children who are at least 5 years old by September 1 of the academic year. The full day program allows for exposure to a wide spectrum of subjects. Specialists teach specific classes throughout the day including:
• Physical Education
• Spanish or French class
• Music
• Art
• Computer
• Library
Kindergarten at MPA is a program embracing the philosophy of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Children's growth and learning are supported through developmentally appropriate curriculum that is tailored to the specific needs and interests of the students. Our unique teacher-created interdisciplinary curriculum is constructed to be flexible, responsive to the needs of the whole child and designed to support each student as they build upon their foundation of learning. Life skills are developed through the carefully constructed daily routines of the kindergarten classroom. Literacy development permeates every aspect of classroom learning through daily opportunities for shared reading, independent book exploration, writing, interactive read-aloud, developing comprehension, word study, phonics instruction, vocabulary development and a variety of relevant print-rich classroom experiences.
As well as supporting literacy development, the kindergarten curriculum promotes math learning through exploration of patterning, number sense, problem solving and exposure to a variety of math concepts that will be built upon further in each academic year including time, fractions, money and geometry.
Each unit of study is multi-disciplinary and includes learning in the areas of science or social studies as well as literacy and math. Social studies and science topics are explored through themed units and include concepts that are meaningful to kindergarten students such as community, weather, maps and a variety of animal studies.
By the end of the year, Kindergartners will have developed both academically and emotionally as part of a community of learners that possess the confidence, independence and curiosity to be successful in their First Grade year at MPA!
