Mounds Park Academy

Community Education: A Check In On Suicide Awareness And Prevention

January 28, 2021

Save the date for Thursday, February 11 at 7 PM, for a Community Education Event: A Check In On Suicide Awareness And Prevention. Families and students in grades 7-12 are invited to virtually attend a mental health education event facilitated by MPA staff and leading school psychology professionals. The conversation will be hosted by Upper School Director of Guidance, Randy Comfort, and Middle and Upper School Counselor, Ashley Cooper, along with a team of school psychologists from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Important topics of mental health will be addressed by MPA parent and professor, Dr. Todd Savage, along with professors Dr. Scott Woitaszewski, and Dr. Anne Zaslofsky. With COVID-19, school stress, and other life challenges, it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between what is normal and something more serious. During this session, attendees will receive up-to-date information about depression and suicide, discuss how to support someone who may be struggling with their mental health, explore supports available at MPA, and engage in a Q&A session.

Join Via Zoom >
Meeting ID: 986 1824 2972
Password: 218800

“Some Good News” Returns February 5

January 28, 2021

If you loved the first episode of the series “Some Good News,” created by the cast and crew of this year’s Middle School play, stay tuned for episode two on February 5!

Inspired by John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” series, the Middle School students (with Upper School students mentoring) were responsible for pitching ideas, collaborating, and writing stories, interviews, jokes, and sketches to produce four webisodes in the series. This approach allows the cast to go beyond acting, but to be involved in writing, filming, and directing.

The Middle School Theatre Department is proud to offer students and community members meaningful theater experiences year after year. Given the unique challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Middle School production is fully virtual so all community members far and wide can experience the joy of the students involved in this special project. Read More

Math League Finishes With 75 Total Points

January 26, 2021

MPA’s Math League team had their fourth meet this week, finishing with a team total of 75 points.

The top scorers were senior Sean Park and sophomore Qiya Zhang, each earning 10 points out of a possible 14 points, both in the difficult C and D events. Juniors Leo Yu earned nine points and Amy Xiang earned eight points, and senior Lareina Gu earned 8 points as well. Freshman Ella Li earned six points and sophomore Anthony Troullier earned 4 points. Senior Josiah Grabanski, filling in for Amit Manicka (who had a college class at about the same time), earned a solid four points in events C and D.

The team earned 16 points out of a possible 24 points in the team round.

Cretin-Derham Hall, which was leading our section and the state in AA (four points head of MPA and three points ahead of Highland Park), earned 67 points. MPA will be ahead in the State standings after this past meet and might move into the top spot! Congratulations and good luck, Panthers!

Congratulations Ms. Pederson!

January 25, 2021

Lisa Pederson, MPA’s Director of College Counseling, has been named one of the twelve recipients from across the country of the 2021 Counselors That Change Lives Award! This honor is given by Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL), a non-profit organization dedicated to the ideal of a student-centered college search.

Ms. Pederson was nominated by Jill Sauber, Associate Dean of Admissions at St. Olaf
College. “Lisa does not hesitate to recommend colleges based on the best fit for her students rather than those that are based on ranking. I have witnessed the research she does for her students, the insightful questions she asks when on counselor tours, the subtle pushing she does to college reps to get honest answers and a true understanding of the institution,” says Sauber.

Ms. Pederson shined in this spring’s challenging circumstances. Sauber recalls, “When high schools pivoted to distance learning last spring, I heard from numerous families at Mounds Park Academy that Lisa made their seniors feel recognized, appreciated and celebrated from afar. They praised her for the ability to handle the changes positively and thoughtfully.” Read More

The Strength Of MPA Is In Our People

January 21, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“Welcome back to campus!” I said this morning as I greeted a Middle School student on their way into school. “What are you more excited about, being back together with your friends or seeing your teachers in person?” I asked. He paused for quite a while, pondering the rather unfair choice I was asking him to make. However, his response was emphatic, “Both!” Asking such a question of a Middle School student can be rather risky, but I wasn’t surprised with his response. The strong, personal relationships students have with their teachers is a hallmark of MPA.

MPA is incredibly fortunate to have an exceptional faculty who are genuinely dedicated to their students and truly committed to the school. Most teachers remain at MPA for their entire career and we all benefit from their experience and wisdom. At the same time, we’ve had teachers who experienced life transitions that took them in different directions, whether a move to a new city or sometimes experiencing a change in career. Enrollment, program changes, and external factors may also impact our faculty workforce. For instance, our COVID-19 health and safety plan led us to hire several additional teachers and teaching assistants to reduce classroom density. Read More

MPA Speech Hosts “Figure It Out Bout”

January 21, 2021

MPA Speech had a fantastic tournament, called the “Figure It Out Bout,” that was designed to be an educational experience for competing in a virtual world! Teams from all over the state, from Austin to Dassel-Cokato, to our neighbor Stillwater, competed.

As customary, MPA was exempt from placing as a team since we hosted. Technically, MPA placed third, with half the entry of Stillwater and Shakopee, who were first and second respectively. Senior Ryan Ghose won two categories, Humorous and Prose, and was the Tournament Individual Sweepstakes champion–an award that signifies an extraordinary individual effort determined by who earned the most points on the day. Ryan swept both categories on 1’s, meaning he never lost a round. Junior Charlotte Bergh was also a tournament champion in Ex Reading. Seniors Sana Punjani, Salmah Elmasry, Anna Gaudio, and Emma Cohen also placed top three. Sophomore Cynthia Ghannoum, seniors Isak Dai and Livia Wooldridge, and the duo of seventh graders Evie B. and Teagan O. all made the final round as well.

This was the first tournament in which the MPA Middle School Speech Team competed, and we’re so excited to say all seventh and eighth graders who competed either placed or were in a tiebreaker to get into a final round. Congratulations to Teagan and Evie, Annika B., and Yusuf A.!

Save The Date For Virtual Maker Fest

January 21, 2021

Save the date for MPA’s Virtual Maker Fest! On Saturday, February 20 from 11 AM-1 PM, MPA will host a variety of community makers to showcase their projects, passions, and hands on how-to demonstrations through Zoom. Participants will be able to the presentations by visiting different breakout rooms. More event details for Virtual Maker Fest 2021 will be coming soon! Please click here to sign up as a presenter!

If you have any questions, please email Nicole Koen at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

“Some Good News” Premieres Tomorrow, January 22!

January 21, 2021

The upcoming webisode series “Some Good News,” created by the cast and crew of this year’s Middle School play, premieres tomorrow, January 22 at 7 PM on YouTube! Inspired by John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” series, the Middle School students (with Upper School students mentoring) were responsible for pitching ideas, collaborating, and writing stories, interviews, jokes, and sketches to produce four webisodes in the series. This approach allows the cast to go beyond acting, but to be involved in writing, filming, and directing.

If you love and support the Middle School Theatre offerings every year, please consider making a gift that is right for you to help offset lost revenue from ticket and concessions proceeds this year. Every dollar you give will directly support the students and staff making these experiences a reality. Click here to make your gift and help us reach our goal in support of the Middle School Theatre Department. Simply add Middle School Play in your gift designation on the easy giving form. If you have questions or want to learn more about giving opportunities at MPA, please contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt director of development and community engagement at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org.

Invite A Friend To Preview

January 20, 2021

At Mounds Park Academy, we seek free-thinkers, free-spirits, risk-takers, right-makers, dreamers, and doers. There’s likely someone within your community who was made for Mounds Park Academy, someone whose mind calls for our type of education. Please consider inviting them to discover something remarkable at MPA’s final virtual admission preview of the school year on Sunday, January 31 at 2PM. Register here.

The most important way that new families come to our school is you, and reaching out to deliver a gentle nudge is the most effective way to recommend MPA. Sharing your love of MPA with those people is, by nature, a generous act of kindness—you are helping the prospective family find a wonderful school community and a second home. We hope that you’ll email an invitation to a colleague, nudge your neighbor, or share information with a family and friends. Click here to read about how the Rengstorf Family shard MPA with their friends!

Breakout Sessions at Preview

Bringing Amelia Earhart to the Makerspace
with Scott Wilson fourth grade teacher and Nicole Koen, Makerspace Coordinator
Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Koen will lead a short lesson on the story of Amelia Earhart and then use the principles of design thinking to create a flying machine that accomplishes challenge tasks like landing on a target, flying through a target, and maintaining flight for three seconds. Families are encouraged to watch the activity and learn about the overall process from the lesson, and then build their flying machine at a later time.

Keep It Up!
with Mr. Tim Sheehan, Lower School physical education teacher
Improve your volleying and striking skills during the Keep It Up session. You will learn how to properly toss, catch, volley and work through several challenges that are safe to do at home. You only need a balloon, or two socks rolled up in a ball to participate!

Break A Leg: Middle School Theater in Action
with Heather Mastel, Lower and Middle School drama teacher
At the foundation of theatre are three “actor tools” – your body, face, and voice! Join us for a low-risk intro to middle school theatre, as we put these tools to work. After a quick stretch, we will create frozen statues/tableaus and super-short scenes!

Is Math Made Up?
with Chris Peterson, Middle School Math Faculty
Middle School mathematics students often wonder how the math in their homework ever came about and why it is the way it is. In this session, learn how math is all around us as Mr. Peterson answers the important question, “Who made up math, anyways?” Discover how key concepts in Middle School math were first shared with the world and the history and genius behind them.

An Interdisciplinary Approach To American Studies
with Ms. Katie Murr and Ms. Sara Mohn, Upper School history and English teachers
Ms. Murr and Ms. Mohn will take students through a poem and images to explore the different identities of our nation. The poem and images will open up discussion for how our nation has defined itself across the years.

The Newtonian Physics of Rotor Design
with Marc Shapiro and Hannah Sullivan, Upper School science faculty members
Mr. Shapiro and Ms. Sullivan will lead participants through a lab activity demonstrating the active approach to Upper School science at MPA. Together, we will explore the properties of rotors, improve rotors design, and explore the scientific process. This activity is taken from the 9th grade physics curriculum and is part of our study of motion, falling objects, and Newton’s Laws. Participants will need paper, scissors, and either paperclips, a stapler, or Scotch tape.

Virtual Preview Breakout Sessions Unveiled!

January 19, 2021

MPA’s Winter 2021 Virtual Admission Preview is almost upon us, and today, we are unveiling the six fantastic sample classes that prospective families will experience as part of this event! From adventure in the Makerspace to frozen tableaus to Newtonian Physics, discover what’s remarkable about an MPA education.

In addition, meet the MPA community during a panel with Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School, Alex Appleton, Grade 10, Yamini Kimmerle, Lower School Faculty and Current Parent, and Jenny Portis, Class of 2016.