Mounds Park Academy

Back to Basics: A Health & Safety Pep Talk

November 12, 2020

Just like you, MPA is watching all of the COVID-19 metrics very closely. We continue to be incredibly successful with zero on-campus transmission and effective tracing. Because we are relying on both internal and external metrics to guide our decision making, we do not intend to make any changes to our dial position in the near future.

As cases continue to rise outside of MPA, however, now is a good time to get back to basics and refresh everyone’s memory about three of the most important health and safety layers that we have in place. It is our collective responsibility be safe, be smart, and be kind every single day.

AUX SAFETY APP: This needs to be completed twice per day, every single day. This includes weekends and days your student is not on campus. If the app indicates that you need to stay home, it activates our response protocols internally and you must stay home.
REPORTING: Any symptoms, close contacts, travel, or other vital information must be reported to covid@moundsparkacademy.org. And please follow the recommendations of the contact tracing team diligently. If your child is determined to be a close contact, you will hear from us immediately with information and instructions.
GATHERINGS: We strongly advise against in-person gatherings with extended families or friends. As Governor Walz announced yesterday, this is a primary source of the spread in Minnesota. It can be very challenging to say no to our children, but the more diligent we all are, the more access to campus our students will have.

Parents Connect With Recipe Sharing

November 12, 2020

In the spirit of sharing, the Parents Association is starting a recipe exchange. We’re all cooking a lot more and are sharing some of our favorite recipes to try and enjoy throughout winter! This first week we’re focusing on Diwali. More details will be provided in next week’s Panther Post.

A Recipe for Diwali
This weekend, many of our Indian friends will be celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Celebrations include decorating the house with lights, lighting firecrackers in the evening, exchanging gifts and eating delicious food and desserts. One sweet delicacy that is synonymous with Diwali is Kaju Katli. MPA parent Seema Anwar has graciously provided an old family recipe from her mother-in-law for this delightful dessert.

Kaju Katli

Ingredients: cashews, sugar, water, and butter, ghee, or coconut oil. (Optional: rose water or saffron strands) Read More

Meet Simone LaBonté ’06

November 9, 2020

Simone LaBonté ’06 is in her sixth year as the Director of Person Centered Practices at New Directions Inc. Under her leadership, New Directions Inc. partnered with local organization Woodbury Thrives to construct a community garden at a New Directions Inc. residential home in Woodbury, creating a resource for the home’s residents and the greater community.

Tell us more about your community garden project and your work with New Directions. How did the garden come to be?

I work for New Directions Inc., a small company that helps people with developmental disabilities lead fulfilling lives. People with disabilities are often isolated or segregated from their neighbors. The community garden is one of the ways New Directions is trying to change that and create connections with the local community.

Three of the men that New Directions serves and I partnered with Woodbury Thrives, a community building organization, and applied for a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant through Washington County. They ultimately funded the first year of a community garden project in the pre-Covid era (spring of 2019). The garden was hosted by the three guys–it was built and planted in their yard. We invited neighbors to a community get-together by going door to door to introduce ourselves and our idea. We also hung flyers and handwritten notes on people’s doorknobs. Read More

The Baldwin Family Gives Hope

November 9, 2020

During the Fall Campaign, we are excited to share stories from our community about the impact the school has made on their children and their family. Heidi and Ryan Baldwin, two of our Lower School parents have seen the belonging their girls Audrey and Anna have experienced since joining MPA.

How did your family come to MPA?
We came to MPA because our older daughter Anna was at a different school for her PreK years, and it was not the right fit for us. She was experiencing some bullying and we did not feel supported in the response from the school to keep her safe and protected. At that point, we started the search to look for a new school for our family. When we visited MPA, it felt like home. When we met with teachers, administration, and the staff, we knew it was the right fit for us and that proves to still be correct today. MPA works so well because of its mission, vision, culture and values. These aren’t things we just say, they’re things that everyone at our school stands behind, lives, and breathes. Read More

Important COVID-19 Update

November 5, 2020

Our entire community continues to thrive and work together to safely remain on campus during these challenging times. Thank you for your continued diligence in prioritizing health and safety at MPA during this pandemic.

We are pleased to report that we continue to have zero instances of community spread on campus. As was shared during last month’s Panther Post, we had just four instances of MPA community members contracting the virus due to outside exposure. During the month of October, just two MPA community members contracted the virus, and again, all outside of the school walls. Read More

You Give Joy

November 5, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Life these days seems a little like standing in a dinghy in rough seas, not knowing when the storm will be over. It has been difficult for many of us to get our sea legs, to find our balance. Over the last eight months, I have often felt tossed about in my own little boat, alone and at the mercy of factors outside of my control. The responsibility of reimagining and reopening school safely in the midst of a pandemic at times seemed crushing. Finding balance felt illusive.

And yet each day I spend in the midst of this amazing community is pure joy and offers a renewed sense of purpose. Yesterday was a perfect example. Lower School students gathered virtually for the second time this year to further explore their CHAMP (Character Happens At Mounds Park) character trait for the year, “perseverance”. The theme was brought to life through the delightful new book, “I Promise”, written by LeBron James, and was read to students by the book’s illustrator. The assembly ended with a special chant led by Lower School music teacher Mari Espeland, followed by students making an “I Promise” pledge to persevere through adversity. I was inspired by the students and a specific line from the book, “Get right back up and let my magic shine.” Read More

Middle School Athletics Update

November 5, 2020

Middle School Basketball
The Mounds Park Academy athletic department has made the decision not to play Middle School basketball in the Catholic Athletic Association (CAA) this winter due to health and safety concerns. Our athletic department will provide Middle School Students in Grades 5/6 and 7/8 an opportunity to train and play in co-ed in basketball setting. Scheduled sessions are in line with students who are on campus for the hybrid learning.

These training and playing sessions will be supervised by the coaches of these programs. All of these programs will be held after school from 3:30-4:45 PM. Health screenings will occur prior to participation. Masks must be worn during these training sessions. Please bring a water bottle with your name on it. All student pick-ups should be made from Door #7 of the Lansing Sports Center. Click here to register for these opportunities.

Middle School Swimming
The Mounds Park Academy athletic department has made the difficult decision to suspend club swimming for students in grades K-8 for the 2020-2021 season. Health and safety concerns around COVID-19, lack of available pool time due to density control, and transportation issues have prompted this difficult decision. We look forward to welcoming our young swimming Panthers back to the pool in the 2021-22 school year!

If you have questions, please contact the MPA Athletic Director, Dan Haase via email at dhaase@moundsparkacademy.org.

Celebrating Fine Arts Faculty Accomplishments

November 5, 2020

This week, MPA art teacher Renee Sonka and MPA theater teacher Heather Mastel were both featured and celebrated around the local and arts community for their crafts. We are so grateful to have such creative and passionate teachers in our MPA community!

Ms. Sonka’s sumi-e ink and watercolor artwork is featured in a virtual exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This show contains over 2000 pieces, but only occurs every 10 years. View her work in the online exhibit here. Read More

Classes And Activities Cancelled November 3

November 2, 2020

Due to a water main break, all classes and activities will be cancelled tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3. We apologize for any inconvenience that this creates for your family.

We anticipate that Lower and Middle School will be able to return to their regular schedule on Wednesday, November 4 while Upper School may need to learn virtually through the end of the week due to the location of the water main break. We will update you again tomorrow based on the progress of the repair.

If you have any questions, please contact your division director or email communications@moundsparkacademy.org.

Thank you for your understanding.

TCRC XC Showcase

October 31, 2020

While the MSHSL did not hold a state meet this year due to COVID, some retired cross country coaches organized the TCRC XC Showcase to give the top cross country runners from around the state a chance to compete against each other. Our own Isak was invited to participate, based on his section meet result.

Isak finished 8th in his pod of individual qualifiers not running with their teams, and he finished 18th overall in the merged results. His time of 17:13.8 was his second best time this season, behind only his section finish.

You can see complete merged results for the boys small class at Wayzata Results.