Mounds Park Academy

November 8, 2019

Meet 2019-20 Alumni Association Board member Lindsey Metcalf Kenyon ’08!

Lindsey is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. Once she found out that she could possibly go somewhere or discover something that no one else has before, she was set on being a geologist and scientist. She followed her “nerdy-ness” and love of the outdoors to Michigan Technological University. There, she was a part of cutting-edge funded undergraduate research projects and later went to the University of Alabama for her Masters, where she engaged in field work in Antarctica, going to those places she had previously dreamed of where no one had been before. While there, she kept in touch with Ms. Reardon-Offerman, who was her math teacher at MPA.

“She really made me realize how proud I should be of what I have already accomplished. Even now her encouragement makes me want to go farther and accomplish more as a woman in STEM,” Lindsey said. Read More

Thank You To The Entire Panther Community!

November 7, 2019

Thank you for your incredible support of the MPA Girls Varsity Volleyball Team as they advanced to the State Tournament for the first time in school history! We are so proud of our athletes, our fans, and our entire Panther community. It was a day to remember as five buses full of students departed campus for the Xcel Energy Center and other students gathered in the Family Commons to watch the livestream. The Panther Pride across all grades was palpable and truly represented how our community comes together to support one another. It was a great day to be a Panther! See photos of the electric energy from today here!

The New Library Is Opening Soon: Help Us Move!

November 7, 2019

In order to efficiently pack and move nearly 30,000 titles from their current space into their new home, many volunteers are needed! Please click here to sign up for a shift or two. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

To make space for this moving process, the library will be closed from 3 PM on Friday, November 22 through winter break. We know that MPA families regularly check out books and welcome that. Before the library closes, please see Ms. Lage or Ms. Petrich to check out any titles you may need during the closure. Students will continue to read, research, and connect with books with via their classrooms.

More information will be forthcoming about the grand opening of our new library!

Small Classes Make A Big Difference

November 7, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I meet throughout the fall in small groups with seniors to check in with them about how their year is going, what plans they have for next year, and solicit their feedback on our school and how I might be a better leader. Their stories fill me with great pride and joy, and sometimes bring a tear to my eye. This past Monday was no exception. Each student—some of whom have been here for many years and some of whom are newer—spoke of the school as family, of the remarkable sense of community that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive of all.

Small class size is indeed a significant factor that contributes to the close-knit community we enjoy. However, we are committed to small classes for another very important reason: they result in academic success and higher levels of achievement. Our teachers know this from their experience, but there is also an immense amount of research that confirms it. Read More

Give To The Max Day Is One Week Away!

November 7, 2019

Give to the Max Day is the one day when our community rallies together to reach a big milestone for our “Make a Joyful Gift, Create a Better Future” campaign. Learn more about the Fall Campaign and why this time of year matters to every student, teacher, and community member at MPA.

Join us on Thursday, November 14 for a Give to the Max Day Community Coffee at 8 AM in the Family Commons, and at the end of the school day for our Give to the Max Day assembly and Lip Sync Contest in the Lansing Sports Center at 2:30 PM.

Make a gift today to increase your grade’s giving and to earn fun class prizes if they reach the goal of 70% participation! If a grade reaches 70% participation by November 15, Lower School students will win a party with Mr. Sheehan, Middle School students will win a Friday Night Party, and Upper School students will have a Coffee and Hot Chocolate Bar.

Join Us For The Second Screening Of “Angst”

November 7, 2019

Mounds Park Academy invites you to the second showing this week of the documentary “Angst” with open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.

Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com Read More

Meet The Alvarenga Family!

November 6, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
There is so much to love about MPA. We love that the faculty at MPA find joy in their work and in their relationships with each other and with their students. MPA is truly an inclusive and welcoming community for all of its students, families and faculty! We love that our children are not only pushed academically but they are also pushed to explore and develop their musical, artistic, athletic, creative and social skills. The varied and fun course offerings allow the school to be constantly educating the children all the while allowing the children to have fun and be expressive. We love that MPA goes out of its way time and time again to communicate with us what is happening in our children’s days and weeks.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
The course offerings at MPA give our kids the opportunity to not only dream big but to do big things. Art, music, foreign language, and the Makerspace are offered to even the youngest students and give the kids the tools and experience they need to really dream big! The emphasis on communication at MPA enables conflicts to be handled the right way. Clear communication is time consuming and can be uncomfortable for children but the resulting conflict resolution reinforces the power of communication to achieve the right outcome. Read More

State Championship

November 2, 2019

On a cold, blustery day, you all ran outstanding performances at the always challenging state championship.

Margo and Katie were first up. The plan was to run a patient first mile and try to pass a lot of runners during the second and third miles. Margo ran a little quicker during the first mile than she had intended, but she held her place during the second mile. She picked it up a little during her third mile, passing 23 runners. She finished in 39th place in 19:55, her best performance at the state meet in her three appearances.

Katie hit her goal time for the mile split almost exactly, doing 6:19. She slowed during her second mile, but did hold onto her position. She picked it up a little bit during the third mile and passed a couple of runners. She finished in 21:01 in 114th place, improving on her time and place from last year.

Henry was next up. It wasn’t any warmer, but the starting pace was hot! The leader went through his first mile in 4:41! Henry kept his cool and hit his first mile in 4:59, almost exactly as planned. He passed 11 runners during his second mile, moving up to 10th place. He maintained his pace and held onto his position during his third mile to finish in 10th place, earning a medal and all state honors.

This was a nice finish to the season for all of you. But for Henry and Katie, to run well in a season where they faced a great deal of adversity and dealt with serious injuries is really a credit to their persistence.

With this race, we bid farewell to seniors Henry and our manager Grace. Thanks to both of you for all your contributions to our team over the years!

Results for the girls and boys are available at Wayzata Results.

Make A Joyful Gift, Create A Better Future

October 31, 2019

This year’s Fall Campaign is well underway! At MPA, we believe that participation matters. Every gift of every size is valued and makes an impact. If a grade reaches 70% giving participation during the Fall Campaign, then the class wins a fun activity for students! Here are the prizes for each division:

Lower School: A recess party with Mr. Sheehan
Middle School: Kids-only Friday Night Party in the Family Commons
Upper School: Coffee and Hot Chocolate Bar before and after school

Make A Gift

Physics 9 Sets Up Problem-Solving For Life

October 31, 2019

Physics 9 represents a change to the science curriculum starting in the 2019-2020 school year at MPA. For the first time, ninth graders are taking physics, and this adjustment to the science sequence at MPA allows for a variety of electives in the twelfth-grade year.

“By moving physics to the ninth grade, we are creating a foundational science course for all ninth graders that will introduce them to both the essential principles of physics and the core skills need for success in Upper School science courses,” says Hannah Sullivan, Upper School science teacher. “We’ve moved many of the core skills formally developed in the ninth grade science and engineering course to this new ninth grade course, while at the same time covering the topics typically covered in a high school physics course with a conceptual approach geared to the ninth graders.”

Physics 9 is experimentally based and introduces students to the principles of physics that make up our everyday experiences. Students discover some of the ways the physical world operates, as well as investigate motion, forces, energy, waves, optics, and electricity. Engineering and problem-solving principles are incorporated through several project-based design challenges. The egg drop project is one of the challenges that students undertake as part of the course. Students design a device under specified weight and volume that would protect an egg in fall from 11 meters. This was related to their unit studying Falling Objects, Newton’s Laws, Force, Impulse, and Momentum. Read More