Mounds Park Academy

September 18, 2020

Photos from our first two picture days are now available for for viewing and ordering! An email will also be sent to all parents with a link to the JostensPIX website. Retake day photos will be available after they take place.

Click here to get started >

If your photos are not appearing in your gallery, find your student using the event code FE72620. Photos are shipped directly to your home and high resolution digital downloads are available. You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and text, too! If you have more than one child, you are able to order together and pay both at once.

Online Spirit Store Flash Sale

September 17, 2020

Stock up on your favorite MPA gear and spirit wear this fall! Everything is customizable, from fall favorites like hoodies and hats to classic tees and pullovers. The MPA online Spirit Store is having a 20% off everything flash sale for 48 hours. The sale ends September 18. Use the promo code SEPTFLASH at checkout. Head to the online spirit store and start shopping!

Parents Connect Wednesday Mornings

September 17, 2020

The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off! We’ll plan something for every Wednesday as long as weather allows and there is interest.

September 23: Let’s meet at the Farmer’s Market at Aldrich Arena at 8:15 AM. Feel free to send your favorite Farmer’s Market recipes to Kim Jakway beforehand. She’ll bring copies for everyone. The market is mostly cash, although some stalls take credit cards.

September 30: This Wednesday will be a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick after drop off. We’ll meet in the Lower School Parking lot and head out, rain or shine. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us

Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

Antiracism Action Group Established At MPA

September 17, 2020

On the morning of Saturday, May 30, I awoke very early, with only a few hours of sleep and with great sadness. The explosion of anger and frustration manifesting in peaceful protests juxtaposed with the violence and destruction across Minneapolis and the nation the night before was hard for me to fathom. In the months since then, the murder of George Floyd and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have prompted both dangerous civil unrest and peaceful protest and brought to the forefront systemic racism embedded in our society.

In my Panther Post message the following Thursday titled “Turn To The Voices Of Our Students,” I wrote about the inspiration I found in our students, particularly then-junior Salmah Elmasry. Elmasry issued a call for action, “We are in a particular position that requires us to be active and not to be reluctant. To advocate against these issues publicly. If we display any reluctance, we will only continue with the status quo and allow all of these issues to perpetuate.” I spent much of the summer struggling with my personal role in fighting for racial justice and, as leader of an institution, what MPA must do to dismantle systemic racism in our school and in our society. Read More

New Update For The AUXS Safety App

September 17, 2020

Please be sure that your AUXS Safety App is up to date! In this new update, your green daily screening pass will display within the app in addition to being sent via email.

You will see a new “pass” icon in the upper right on home screen within the app, and after completing the screening form, you will also receive an alert with link to “View Safety Pass.” Passes will only display for the current date, and the pass screen will be blank if no form was completed for the day. All email and text messages already set up will continue to be sent to you as usual.

This latest version (version 1.4) is now available on the App Store and Google Play. If your phone already has updates turned on, the update will occur automatically. Thank you!

IMAC Middle School Virtual Meet

September 15, 2020

It was not an ideal day to race cross country. But you ran very well!

Eddie started fast and kept going fast, maintaining a steady 6:20-ish pace for the entire race. Joey also ran a strong steady pace, averaging 7:00 pace. Josh was never far behind Joey and also ran a steady pace. This was his first cross country race. Sam, in his first cross country race, did very well.

Ryan held off the hard charging Carter and Connor. All three ran very competitively. This was the first cross country race for all three of them. Boyd finished things for our middle school boys. He started very fast and held on pretty well.

Teagan was our top girl, our 5th overall finisher. She averaged 7:20 pace the entire way, keeping a fairly even pace after a quick first loop. Megan was not far behind, in her first cross country race. Julia ran a steady pace the entire way. She’s only been on the team about a week, and this was only the second time she’s been with the team!

You can see the times for our runners here and overall results for all participating teams here.

Meet Alex Appleton ’23

September 15, 2020

How many years have you been a student at MPA?
I came to MPA in the fall of 2019 as a ninth grader.

What do you love about MPA?
I love the diversity and the classes. The teachers are so kind and supportive and truly want you to grow toward your goals and will help guide you there. I love the community and that as a tenth grader, I have the chance to be with Lower School kids or work with Middle Schoolers as they make their way toward the Upper School.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
My math teachers encouraged me to pursue my goal of jumping ahead into accelerated math. And this past summer, I finally achieved that. What started as a big dream developed into a possible goal that is now a reality. This would not have been possible if it weren’t for the support of the teachers at MPA who encouraged me to reach this goal. Not only do I now feel more confident to reach my own goals, but I am encouraged to do right by helping others reach their goals as well. Read More

News From The Parents Of Alumni

September 15, 2020

Amanda Campbell is joining the Alumni Association this year as the Parents Of Alumni Liaison. Amanda served on the MPA Parents Association from 2010–2018 when her daughter Quinn [first child of an alum (Ryan Campbell ’90) to attend MPA and 13 Year Club member] graduated. Since 2018, she has been an active member of the POA. It has been a great organization to maintain the connections and friendships made over the course of 13 years as a parent at MPA. Amanda has been the POA Executive Board Secretary and will serve as the Alumni Board POA Liaison for the 2020-2021 school year. She feels fortunate to remain tethered to MPA and its faculty and staff through the POA.

The MPA POA Executive Board consists of Mary Jo Thrane, Amanda Campbell, Jeanne Danaher, Linda Goodno, Carey Ide, Chris Levesque, and Karla Myers. Each are members of the POA with alumni from the graduating classes 2009–2020.

The POA looks forward to hearing from you & catching up at one of our virtual social activities throughout the coming year. For more information, please reach out to the POA directly via email at POA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Four MPA Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

September 14, 2020

Congratulations to this group of MPA seniors! Isak Dai, Ryan Ghose, Dhruv Muppidi, and Sungjoon “Sean” Park have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists. They qualified based on their performance on the PSAT they took as juniors.

More than 1.6 million high school students from about 22,000 schools nationwide take the PSAT in October of their junior year. Those with the highest PSAT Selection Index scores are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their exceptional performance. These four students were honored this fall by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, based on their scores on last fall’s PSAT.

Semifinalists proceed in the scholarship competition by submitting their academic records throughout high school, endorsements and recommendations by a high school official, written essays, and SAT® scores that confirm their prior performance on the qualifier test. If they are named Finalists, they will be eligible for National Merit Scholarship opportunities. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and nearly half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. Read More

A Message From Alumni Board Member Amanda Magistad ’12

September 14, 2020

What advice do you wish you had been told your senior year of high school? I can think of a few things I wish I had known. Like not to rush through the year, to enjoy your last summer in Minnesota and don’t overload yourself on difficult courses your first semester of college. While life has moved very quickly and senior year seems like a lifetime ago, I’ll never forget the people who gave me valuable advice and helped me pave the path to where I am today.

Now, I have the opportunity to share advice with an MPA senior through the 2020-2021 mentorship program. This will be my first year joining the mentorship program and I am looking forward to offering my perspective on senior year, preparing for college and more. The program requires a small-time commitment, that results in a positive impact on an MPA senior. Behind every successful person is a mentor who took the time to listen, offer advice, and most of all who cared. I encourage you to be that person. Make an impact and join this year’s mentorship program to help a senior navigate their final year of high school and prepare for their next adventure. To learn more about the mentorship program, please email Ashley Goetzke, Assistant Director of Development at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.