September 25, 2020
On a warm, humid afternoon, ten of our JV runners, including many middle school runners, raced well.
Our boys started things off. Leo, running in his first cross country race, ran well to finish in 3rd place overall. Joey finished with a strong kick to earn 5th place overall, against mostly high school competition! Henry S., wearing his signature baseball cap (now a very sweaty baseball cap), ran very well to improve his personal best by over 30 seconds! Sam, running his first 5000 meter cross country race, was only a few seconds behind Henry S.
Andrew was surprised, and perhaps pleased, that many of his friends dropped by to cheer him on. Very loudly. They even tried to run alongside him, but they couldn’t keep up with him. Zain finished a few seconds behind Andrew, and was probably wondering what all the fuss was about. Noah finished with a good kick. And Eilam ran his second 5000 meter race of the season.
Later, our two Amy’s did the girls race. After tiring out their coach by walking the course with him, they raced 5000 meters. For the younger Amy, this was her first cross country race, after she did her warmup on the swing on the new playground. For the older Amy, this was her second time on this course, and this time she did not take any wrong turns and finished with a good kick.
It was a challenging day to race, and you did well to overcome the conditions!
(Click to see the full size images)
The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun!
The MPA faculty and staff have been working double-time to keep our kids learning, connected, and safe. We want to express our appreciation in a way that honors everyone’s safety and doesn’t burden the folks we are trying to appreciate. 
Invite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member to join us for MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Fall Preview! Held virtually on Sunday, November 8 starting at 2 PM, this event will be a structured program that will allow prospective students and parents to get a sense of what makes MPA an exceptional place to learn and grow.
At this moment in our nation’s history and in the midst of vitriol and violence, I’ve found inspiration in poet Micky ScottBey Jones in her call to create “brave space” where healing can take place in the midst of caring community. At MPA, we seek to build a brave place where students are known and valued and together create a space where we treat each other with kindness and respect. In brave space, students learn to truly value one another and work together to make room for diverse perspectives.
Through our team of medical advisors and the MPA Community Advisory Group, we have detailed and multi-pronged procedures for symptom response, contact tracing, and confirmed cases. These procedures are a cornerstone of the Back To MPA Plan. Our highly-trained contact tracing team will deploy a swift, personal, and private response that is taken through our 49-point COVID-19 response flow chart to effectively manage each step along the way. Our team will also partner and work hand-in-hand with the Minnesota Department of Health and other local officials.
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.
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. 
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.
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.