December 4, 2025
from Mark Segal, Upper School director
All Upper School students are invited to attend our annual Semiformal Dance on Saturday, December 13, at the historic Union Depot in St. Paul. School social events like this play an important role in fostering connection, joy, and belonging among our community members while offering them a space to build memories beyond the classroom. Bringing together all grade levels in the Upper School strengthens our sense of unity and allows students to celebrate as one community, reinforcing the relationships that make MPA such a vibrant and supportive place to learn and grow.
The Semiformal Dance is scheduled for 8-11 PM. Tickets went on sale this week and will continue to be sold through next week. Both cash and credit cards are accepted for payment. It is wonderful that this event is being held off campus at the Union Depot, and there will be signage directing you to the event space where the dance is being held—the Red Cap Room.
For parking, the Union Depot’s main recommendation is to have parents drop off students rather than park near the depot because of how busy it will be in the building that day. They have a holiday bake sale, two different trains hosting different events, and a European Christmas Market all happening at the same time. Parking will be very, very limited, and traffic will be busy. They encourage parents to both drop off students and to plan for large amounts of traffic. Staff at Union Depot suggest the following drop-off locations:
- Carriageway
- Address: 313 Sibley St, Saint Paul, MN 55101
- Once inside, take elevator 3 (the glass elevator) or elevator 3 up to floor 1, go into and through the head house, and take elevator 4 up to floor 2 to get to the Red Cap Room.
- Lot B Dropoff Zone
- Address: 240 East Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN 55101
- Note: This is the entrance to parking lot B—DO NOT go into lot B and take a ticket—instead, IMMEDIATELY turn right into the drop-off zone/Hertz rental car loop.
- Once inside, take the escalators up to floor 1, then take elevator 6 to floor 2. Alternatively, walk to the other end of the hallway and take elevator 6 up to floor 2.
- Kellogg Cutout
- Address: 240 East Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN 55101
- Note: This is a cutout on the street—directly inside this is the drop-off zone mentioned above.
- Once inside, take the escalators up to floor 1, then take elevator 6 to floor 2. Alternatively, walk to the other end of the hallway and take elevator 6 up to floor 2.
Lastly, if people would like to park, Union Depot has four parking lots that are on a first-come, first-served basis. Lot C does have the ability to reserve a spot ahead of time via Spot Hero. If you don’t know what that is, it allows you to reserve a spot in that parking lot ahead of time. Here’s the link to reserve a spot directly in Union Depot’s lot C, or you could also go on Spot Hero’s website or app to find other places around the Union Depot to reserve a parking spot ahead of time.
I am excited about the Semiformal Dance next Saturday and look forward to seeing you on campus soon.
Important Information
- If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please contact the Upper School assistant, Chanda Williams, at cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org.
- As you know, this evening and tomorrow’s Upper School quarter two conferences are taking place on campus. As a reminder, Upper School students participate in their conferences and are required to attend. Also, even though Upper School classes do not meet tomorrow (Friday), Lower and Middle School classes will be in session.
Mark Your Calendars
- Friday, December 5: No US Classes, Conferences
- Friday, December 5-Friday, December 12: MPA Book Festival, 8 AM-4 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library, Details >
- Friday, December 5: US Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM
- Tuesday, December 9: MPA PA Parent Gift Making Event, 6:30-8:30 PM, Makerspace, RSVP >
- Wednesday, December 10: MPA PA Book Festival Family Event, 3-4 PM, Family Commons and Martin Lenz Harrison Library, RSVP >
- Friday, December 12: Founders’ Day Pancake Breakfast, 7-8 AM, Family Commons
- Friday, December 12: Musical Auditions, 3:30-5 PM, Black Box
- Saturday, December 13: US Semi-Formal, 8-11 PM, Off Campus
- Monday, December 15: Musical Auditions, 3:30-5 PM, Black Box
- Tuesday, December 16: Students & Screens, 1:45-3 PM, Recital Hall, RSVP >
- Tuesday, December 16: Musical Callbacks, 3:30-5 PM, Black Box and Choir Room
- Thursday, December 18: Book Club with the Head of School, 6-7 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library, RSVP >
- Friday, December 19: Caroling with the Madrigal Singers with Faculty, Staff, and Alumni, 7:30-8 AM, Family Commons
- Friday, December 19: Madrigal Singers and Chamber Orchestra Music Tour, 8 AM-3 PM
- Friday, December 19: A Soldier’s Sacrifice – A Special Alumni & Faculty Presentation, 8:15-9 AM, Recital Hall, RSVP >
- Monday, December 22-Friday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break
