Upper School News
Beyond the Classroom
This month, Assistant Upper School Director Randy Comfort shares his thoughts about how the Sophomore Deep Portage trip and the Senior service project connect to this year's ecommunication theme of experiential learning. MPA students do connect what they learn in the classroom to the world beyond it.
Scott Peeler
Upper School Director
One of many things that make MPA special is the constant striving to make experience a basis for learning. This is more than simply being able to answer the age old student question, "when am I going to need to know this?" While not every lesson taught can be readily integrated or immediately applied to the life of every student, there is little debate about whether experiential learning is valuable or that educators try to make learning meaningful. John Dewey was quoted as saying that "The belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative." Doing something does not simply mean that learning is inevitable. However, at MPA, we have two events in the spring that are integrated into the high school that represent the truest form of experiential learning: the grade 10 Deep Portage trip in February and the senior Service Fair in June. These are just two of the opportunities that our students have to make their world richer and more connected whether it is in nature or through helping those that need their help.
This year marked the 23rd year the tenth graders at MPA have gone to the Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack, MN. Biology teacher Seth Lindenfelser, math teacher Michele Maturen, world language teacher Ginna Schultz and Assistant Upper School Director Randy Comfort served as the four adult chaperones for the students on the trip this year. Although the groups stayed in the main lodge, they spent most of their 2 days outside enjoying the northern Minnesota winter wonderland. The students were divided into four groups and took turns doing the following: cross country skiing, snow shoeing, orienteering, winter survival skills, the Bass Pond study of water bacteria, indoor rock climbing wall, night hikes, a class sharing and campfire circle and the Pioneer Olympics. Highlights of the trip were plentiful as the class had a chance to bond together, learn about an area of their home state, and have some fun. (For more information on the Deep Portage Conservation Reserve, visit their website: http://www.deep-portage.org/).
On June 4, the senior class will put their service projects on display for the 5th annual Service Fair. The Fair runs from 1 to 4pm and all members of the MPA community are invited to come celebrate the work of our seniors. Stop by and ask questions of our students and let them describe their service experience for you or take one of their handouts to read about what they learned in their process. This is the culminating event for seniors that allows them a chance to highlight their effort, but can also serve to inspire younger students to think of service as a way of being. The achievement of their service work is not measured in college acceptances or GPA, but rather in how they made a positive difference for any community they are a part of.
It is a strong belief of the upper school faculty that communicating effectively is a hallmark demonstration of learning. Not coincidentally, this value is articulated as part of the MPA mission statement. Ask our students about their experiences in order to find out what they have learned.
Randy Comfort
Assistant Upper School Director
Scott Peeler
Upper School Director
One of many things that make MPA special is the constant striving to make experience a basis for learning. This is more than simply being able to answer the age old student question, "when am I going to need to know this?" While not every lesson taught can be readily integrated or immediately applied to the life of every student, there is little debate about whether experiential learning is valuable or that educators try to make learning meaningful. John Dewey was quoted as saying that "The belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative." Doing something does not simply mean that learning is inevitable. However, at MPA, we have two events in the spring that are integrated into the high school that represent the truest form of experiential learning: the grade 10 Deep Portage trip in February and the senior Service Fair in June. These are just two of the opportunities that our students have to make their world richer and more connected whether it is in nature or through helping those that need their help.
This year marked the 23rd year the tenth graders at MPA have gone to the Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack, MN. Biology teacher Seth Lindenfelser, math teacher Michele Maturen, world language teacher Ginna Schultz and Assistant Upper School Director Randy Comfort served as the four adult chaperones for the students on the trip this year. Although the groups stayed in the main lodge, they spent most of their 2 days outside enjoying the northern Minnesota winter wonderland. The students were divided into four groups and took turns doing the following: cross country skiing, snow shoeing, orienteering, winter survival skills, the Bass Pond study of water bacteria, indoor rock climbing wall, night hikes, a class sharing and campfire circle and the Pioneer Olympics. Highlights of the trip were plentiful as the class had a chance to bond together, learn about an area of their home state, and have some fun. (For more information on the Deep Portage Conservation Reserve, visit their website: http://www.deep-portage.org/).
On June 4, the senior class will put their service projects on display for the 5th annual Service Fair. The Fair runs from 1 to 4pm and all members of the MPA community are invited to come celebrate the work of our seniors. Stop by and ask questions of our students and let them describe their service experience for you or take one of their handouts to read about what they learned in their process. This is the culminating event for seniors that allows them a chance to highlight their effort, but can also serve to inspire younger students to think of service as a way of being. The achievement of their service work is not measured in college acceptances or GPA, but rather in how they made a positive difference for any community they are a part of.
It is a strong belief of the upper school faculty that communicating effectively is a hallmark demonstration of learning. Not coincidentally, this value is articulated as part of the MPA mission statement. Ask our students about their experiences in order to find out what they have learned.
Randy Comfort
Assistant Upper School Director
