April 30, 2026
from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school
At Mounds Park Academy, our mission calls us to, “… 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 deep belief in our mission provides us with the momentum and desire to develop meaningful ways to live our mission to its fullest.
Over the next two weeks, we are honored to welcome a small group of students and administrators from our partner school, Vanke Meisha Academy (VMA) in Shenzhen, China, into our community. Their presence in our classrooms, hallways, and homes enriches the daily experience of learning, not only for them, but for all of us. These moments remind us that education extends far beyond textbooks; it is found in shared conversations, new perspectives, and the courage to connect across cultures. During their time here, the VMA students and administrators will also spend time visiting notable sites in the Twin Cities, as well as visiting college campuses. We hope to send interested MPA students to visit VMA in the spring of 2027.
This exchange is also part of a broader commitment to global partnership. We are excited to continue this journey next year with an exchange program with La Escuela Italiana in Mendoza, Argentina. Students from La Escuela Italiana will visit MPA in the fall, with an opportunity for students in our Spanish program to travel to Mendoza for two weeks over spring break. These opportunities reflect our belief that global responsibility is not an abstract idea. We practice this through relationship building, creating shared experiences, and further stretching our understanding of cultures different than our own.
Opportunities like these bring to life our vision for future-ready learners. As we continue to engage in exchanges with other schools, we see our students naturally build skills from MPA’s nine competencies that define our portrait of a graduate, including:
- Communicating ideas across languages, cultures, and experiences as students think specifically about their audience, and learn to effectively refine and develop the purpose of their message to others.
- Reading the world with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to engage perspectives different than their own.
- Learning in community by recognizing that we grow stronger together through giving and receiving feedback with others, including through various languages.
- Leading our learning with a willingness to step into new experiences with confidence and care that allows our students to foster and develop their own learning environment.
I reflect on these moments and the privilege we have at MPA of learning with and from one another. In doing so, we strengthen not only our understanding of the world but also our sense of who we are within it. Throughout the year, it has been a joy to see both students and adults actively bring cultures from their own homes into school, whether that has been through classroom visits, sharing of religious holidays, or participating in larger events such as our most recent Cultural Celebration Day. As always, I am so grateful to be a member of a community that seeks to be part of a world that extends far beyond MPA’s beautiful campus.
