November 13, 2025
from James Ewer, Lower School director
As we move deeper into the school year, I find myself feeling especially grateful for this community and for the trust you place in us every day. Your children walk through our doors with big ideas, big feelings, and a desire to be seen.
Our commitment is simple and steady. We build our decisions around their experience. How do they feel in the classroom? How are they challenged in their thinking? How are they known, affirmed, and held accountable with care?
Thank you for partnering with us, asking thoughtful questions, and standing with us as we work to make school a place where your children feel both a deep sense of belonging and a push to grow.
Peace and love,
Mr. James
Small Nook. Big Reading Wins.
Making reading fun at home is important. A great way to start this is by creating a special reading nook that your child can help design! When children have ownership over their space, they feel more excited and invested in using it. Let them choose cozy items to be in the reading space. Items like a cozy blanket, stuffed animals, special lights, bean bags, and of course, a basket of their favorite books within reach. By giving your child a say in how their reading area looks and feels, you’re encouraging a positive connection to reading and helping build a lifelong love of books!
Understanding and Supporting Sensory Needs
As children navigate their daily environments, they process information through multiple sensory channels, including tactile, auditory, visual, and proprioceptive inputs. Even among neurotypically developing students, individual differences in sensory processing can significantly influence attention, engagement, and participation in both academic and social activities. Research indicates that variations in sensory processing patterns are associated with measurable differences in the breadth, intensity, and independence of children’s daily activities (Sleeman & Brown, 2021).
At MPA, we employ evidence-informed strategies within the classroom, such as movement breaks, flexible seating, and tactile supports, to facilitate self-regulation and sustained engagement. Families may observe corresponding behaviors at home, including a preference for quiet or low-stimulation environments, frequent movement, or tactile exploration. Attentive observation and responsive adjustments across home and school contexts can enhance children’s self-regulation, confidence, and capacity for learning and participation.
For those interested in exploring this topic further, the full study “An exploratory study of the relationship between typically-developing school-age children’s sensory processing and their activity participation” (Sleeman & Brown, 2021) offers detailed insights into the functional implications of sensory patterns across daily contexts.
Welcome To The Lost & (Hopefully) Found
Our lost and found is starting to look more like a small boutique, and we would love your help clearing it out. Big shout-out to Erika Beernink for setting up our tables right in front of the CHAMP assembly board with all our kiddos’ lost and found items. We have everything from jackets and sweatshirts to water bottles and lunchboxes waiting to go home. Come check it out when you are on campus! A quick check now can save you a chilly recess or a missing favorite hoodie later. Plus, most of them won’t fit me, so it’s better to get them back to who they belong to. 😊
Thank you for helping your little one keep track of their things and for partnering with us to keep our spaces tidy and calm.
Fall Campaign: MPA, Where Every Gift Shapes Tomorrow
We are thrilled to be celebrating our Fall Campaign: MPA, Where Every Gift Shapes Tomorrow, next week with Give to the Max Day, Thursday, November 20. Every gift made during the Fall Campaign week directly supports our students and teachers, helping make possible the MPA experience we all cherish.
Across all three divisions, Give to the Max Day will be a spirit day where all students are encouraged to wear their MPA gear and show their Panther Pride.
Give to the Max Day will also include some fun incentives for all to participate in:
- The grade with the highest participation percentage will earn one student the chance to pie their division director in the face!
- Each division is also working toward a special incentive when they hit 60% participation.
- Lower School: Uniform Free Next Week
- Middle School: Popcorn And Lemonade During Advisory
- Upper School: Hot Chocolate Bar
- Other challenges include big unlocks at key milestones, including $10,000 at 400 donors, $20,000 at $200,000 raised, and $35,000 at $350,000.
We are so grateful for the MPA community’s incredible generosity. The impact of giving is seen every single day, in our classrooms, in our students’ growth, and in the joy that radiates throughout our hallways.
Let’s keep the momentum going and show what’s possible when our community comes together.
Mark Your Calendars
- Friday, November 14: LS Family Forum, 8-9:45 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
- Sunday, November 16-Saturday, November 22: Fall Campaign, Learn More >
- Monday, November 17: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM, Recital Hall
- Tuesday, November 18: Coffee & Connections with Head of School, 8-9 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
- Thursday, November 20: Give to the Max Day
- Thursday, November 20: PreK-G12 Give to the Max Day Lip Sync Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center (all are welcome!)
- Friday, November 21: G2-9 Bring a Friend to MPA Day
- Tuesday, November 25: MPA Alumni Breakfast Bites, 8-8:30 AM, Family Commons
- Tuesday, November 25: A Soldier’s Sacrifice—A special Alumni & Faculty Presentation, 8:30-9:30 AM, Recital Hall
- Wednesday, November 26-Friday, November 28: Campus Closed, Thanksgiving Break
- Monday, December 1: Returning Family Indexed Tuition Re-Application Deadline
- Monday, December 1: Community-Wide PA Meeting, 8-9 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
- Tuesday, December 2: Fireside Chat with the Head of School, 6:30-7:30 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
- Wednesday, December 3: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM, Recital Hall
