Save The Date For Book Festival!

students looking at books in the librarySave the date to join us for the annual treasured Virtual Book Festival!

Mark your calendar for Monday, April 19 through Saturday, May 1 to encourage the love of reading and to support local bookstores, MPA teachers, classrooms, and the library. Books will be available for purchase from two local booksellers, Usborne Books and Valley Bookseller. Our theme this year is Earth Day, which occurs during Book Festival on April 22. There will also be opportunities to participate in book and Earth-related fun activities, including story times and prize giveaways!

If you have any questions about this year’s Virtual Book Festival, please contact Michelle Mick at michelle_wessely@yahoo.com.


Join Us For Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night

lower school student building with engineering toolsAre you ready for some science fun? Join us for our awesome MPA Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night with The Works Museum! Best of all, our flexible projects will be done with a variety of materials you easily find at home!

Join us Thursday, April 8 from 6-8 PM!

  • 6-7 PM Build a two to three-step Rube Goldberg Contraption/Marble Run
  • 7-8 PM Create Working Paper Machines

Materials suggestions and items to gather:

  • Rube Goldberg/Marble Run: small ball (marble, superball, ping pong ball), cardboard tubes, tape, markers, boxes, paper, small toys, imagination.
  • Paper Machines: scissors, cardboard boxes (shipping, cereal, facial), household paper (printer, construction, grocery bag), tape, glue, hole punch or pencil, imagination.

Join via Zoom >

To request a materials bag, call (651) 748-5571 by April 6 and it will be sent home with your student. Contact Russ Purdy at (651) 748-5571 or rpurdy@moundsparkacademy.org with any questions.


Register For Virtual Upper School Grandparents & Special Friends Day!

grandparents day logo of two hands and a heartUpper School Grandparents and Special Friends is Wednesday, April 28! Although campus is still closed to outside visitors, that won’t stop us from connecting with the people we hold near and dear to us! We have some fun things in store leading up to the “event”. Just one example, a card writing activity wherein your student will write to their grandparent or special friend to share their reasons why this person is so special to them. The cards will then be mailed upon completion!

To register, please provide the name(s) of the grandparent or special friend along with their address, email, and an uploaded photo of your student with the person(s) you register! The uploaded photo(s) can be emailed to agerstner@moundsparkacademy.org. Registration ends Friday, April 23! Click here to register.

Thank you for participating in this year’s Virtual Grandparents and Special Friends Day!


Registration For Spring Auction Bidding Is Open!

Registration for bidding is now open for the MPA Virtual Spring Auction: The Best is Yet to Come! Bidding opens on April 14. The Spring Auction is an annual, fun-filled opportunity for the community to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together this year, and all of the continued joy just around the corner. Register today!

Don’t miss your chance to purchase a Golden Ticket! Back by popular demand, we are thrilled to offer our Golden Ticket raffle again this year! Ticket holders purchase a 1 in 100 opportunity to win the Live Auction item of their choice. The drawing will be held during our live MPA Virtual Spring Auction: The Best is Yet to Come on Friday, April 16 at 6:30 PM. Purchase and win a dream package for just $150 per ticket. Thank you for your support!


Finding Solace In A Challenging Week

a tree blooming on campusby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I’m particularly thankful to have our students back on campus this week. The positive energy radiating from their return has uplifted our entire community and helped us find joy in an otherwise tragic week of national headlines. From Atlanta, to Philadelphia, to Boulder, gun violence and hate have dominated the news and taken the lives of far too many, while altering the lives of countless more.

Though much is still being uncovered about each of these devastating events, I’d like to share my thoughts on the broader narrative that has emerged from the March 16 Atlanta area spa shootings. At the time of this writing, these shootings have not officially been designated a hate crime, but the fact that six of the eight victims were Asian Americans brings up an important point that all of us must reckon with: egged on by the dangerous, false ideals of white supremacy, anti-Asian hate is far more prevalent than many have previously acknowledged.

I’d like to pause here and affirm that MPA firmly stands with our Asian, Asian American, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander students, parents, alumni, and community members. We wholeheartedly condemn anti-Asian racism, hate, and violence in all forms. To our international students from China and South Korea, we value the experiences and perspectives that you bring to our community and we recognize the particular challenges you have faced throughout the pandemic. Read More


MPA Transportation Options in 2021-2022

middle school students getting on the busMPA is excited to announce additions to the 2021-22 transportation options! Ridership pending, families from five Twin Cities communities will be able to take advantage of this safe and reliable way for students to get to and from school. MPA provides extra care, especially for younger students, to ensure that every student boards the correct bus safely. MPA plans to offer bus transportation with group stops to St. Paul (Highland Park/Mac-Groveland neighborhoods), North Oaks/Roseville (with a possible bus stop in the North Oaks neighborhood of Rapp Farms), Woodbury, Stillwater/Lakeland and Southwest Minneapolis. In addition, families living within the bounds of North St. Paul, Oakdale, Maplewood can sign up with District 622 to arrange transportation.


MPA Nordic Ski State Meet Results

Margo Competes at the MSHSL State MeetCongratulations to MPA’s four Nordic Ski state qualifiers on their fantastic performances earlier this month at the MSHSL Nordic Ski Championships at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik!

On the girls’ side, sophomore Margo Nightingale exceeded even her wildest expectations, finishing as the state runner up in 24:18.7, just 25.3 seconds behind the winner, and earning all-state honors. This was Margo’s fourth trip to state in four years and her highest finish ever. “My race went really well,” says Margo. “I was very happy with how I skied. My favorite part about competing for MPA is that everyone around me is extremely supportive.” Read More


Don’t Miss Your Chance To Win!

This year’s MPA Spring Auction: The Best is Yet to Come has gone virtual! There are multiple ways to get involved and join in the excitement. It could be your chance to win a live auction item by purchasing a Golden Ticket. There are only 100 that will be sold so be sure to get yours today. Enjoy a meal at home and fun swag with your family the night of the event prepared by our very own, Chef Doug with one of our many sponsorship opportunities.

We are still accepting items for our silent auction. The silent auction offers a wide range of exciting experiences and items, be sure to check out the wish list for ways you could contribute.

The Spring Auction is a highlight event every year for the community and we know this year will not disappoint. Join us on April 16 via Zoom to see student performances, a special message from Dr. Hudson, and so much more!

Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org with questions or your donation information.


MPA Alumni Award: Nominations Due April 1

Heather Otto '97, 2020 alumni award winnerThe Alumni Association is looking for nominees for the MPA Alumni Association Award. Do you know an alum who is dreaming big and doing right? We want to hear about them. The MPA Alumni Association Award is intended to honor alumni of outstanding talent pursuing their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations, while embracing the spirit of MPA’s commitment to community and social outreach. They should be real-world examples for both current students and alumni to dream big and do right. Nominations are due April 1, 2021.

Please include the nominee’s name, email, and a brief explanation of why you believe they should receive the MPA Alumni Association Award (250 words or less). Send all nominations to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org.


MPA Math League Ties For Second At State

Math League team Zoom tournamentCongratulations to the MPA Math League Team! MPA finished in a tie for second in the state with Mahtomedi in Class AA at the Math League State Tournament.

MPA’s top individual scorer was senior Sean Park, who earned a perfect score of 14. Junior Amy Xiang earned 12 points in her events, including a perfect score in the geometry event. Junior Leo Yu earned eight points, senior Amit Manicka earned six points, senior Lareina Gu and freshman Ella Li both earned four points. Sophomore Anthony Troullier earned three points. Senior Steve Min earned one point. Steve also contributed a couple of answers (worth eight points) in the team round. The team earned 16 points in the team round total.

Congratulations to the team, which adapted so well to doing Math League online, and performed so consistently all season!