MPA PA Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week

September 26, 2019

Ms. P teaching kindergartenJoin us in thanking the MPA Faculty and Staff during All School Conferences! Conferences take place during week starting September 30, coinciding with the MPA Parents Association Staff and Faculty Appreciation Week.

Please consider participating in the long-standing MPA tradition of parents and families showing gratitude toward our wonderful staff and faculty by donating beverages, snacks or volunteer time, including during the evening meals provided by Sage and Chef Doug on October 3 and October 10. Please sign up to volunteer here!

 

Help Make Dreams Come True By October 1

September 26, 2019

upper school track runnersIf you haven’t already, now is the time to support Together, We Dream: The Campaign For MPA. Help us reach the $5 million goal by October 1 so we can fully fund each priority and finish the campaign strong. Thank you!

“The endowment is important for future students to have the opportunity to access a welcoming environment of learning regardless of socioeconomic class. This is vital for all in the community.” – Nancy and Dominick Driano, current parents

“The outdoor track will show MPA’s dedication to sports as well as academics. Our alumni daughter participated in track and our alumni son participated in soccer. The fields and track are in desperate need of renovation.” – Dan and Elizabeth Esch, current parents Read More

A Piece Of History Visits Middle School

September 26, 2019

Carlos Espinosa speaking to the middle school studentsSeventh and eighth grade students read “Refugee” by Alan Gratz this summer. The book follows the journeys of three different children, fleeing their home countries in order to save their lives. But one character in particular, Isabel, is a Cuban refugee in the 1980s, who told a captivating story that would follow the students from their summer reading and into Ms. Atchison’s classroom this year.

To enhance their class-wide discussion of “Refugee,” Ms. Atchison invited a special visitor to speak to students. Her next door neighbor, Carlos Espinosa, came to MPA to tell his story to them. Though he fled Cuba nearly 20 years earlier than Isabel in the 1960s, they were both escaping Castro’s rule. He arrived in the United States when he was just 13 years old–relevantly, the same age most of the students listening are now–as one of the children in Operation Pedro Pan. The students researched Operation Pedro Pan, learning all about the program Carlos grew up in after escaping Cuba’s communist government that limited the rights and freedoms of the Cuban people. Called “a leap of faith for the sake of freedom,” Operation Pedro Pan was reportedly the largest recorded exodus of unaccompanied minors in the Western Hemisphere. Read More

Come Home To MPA

September 26, 2019

upper school students cheering during homecoming week spirit daysby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I am a sap when it comes to commercials around the holidays. I may be showing my age but some of you probably remember the Folgers Coffee commercial when the son surprises his mother by coming home from college unexpectedly, making a fresh pot of Folgers that awakens his mother. Tears, every time. There is something about coming home—feelings of love, safety, and acceptance—that stirs our emotions.

Our identities emerge in the midst of community, molded and shaped by our experiences. Our family, religious beliefs, neighborhoods, and schools are all important in introducing and reinforcing a shared set of values that nurture our identities. Schools in particular have a lasting impact not only on our academic development, but our social and emotional development in our most formative years. Read More

Invite A friend To Experience The Joy

September 25, 2019

middle school boys participating in class discussionInvite a friend to join us and experience the joy at MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Preview! Community member referrals are the most important way that new families learn about MPA and we greatly appreciate you sharing your love of our school with you family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Held on Sunday, November 3 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. They will rotate among several lessons, taught by expert faculty. These will be hands-on, experiential lessons that are abbreviated versions of the original, modified to be appropriate for all ages. Between lessons, they will be guided by student and parent ambassadors so that you have an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art facilities.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!

Accessing MPA’s Online Directory In Schoology

September 25, 2019

lower schoolers dancing in theatreDid you know you can access the MPA Community Directory in Schoology? The most current information will always be found online.

On Desktop

  1. Visit https://app.schoology.com/login.
  2. Login to Schoology using your parent login.
  3. In the upper right-hand corner, using the drop down button, navigate to your parent profile. You are now viewing Schoology as yourself, not as your child.
  4. Along the top navigation bar, click on Resources > Apps.
  5. Click Approve then refresh the page. This is only needed the first time you open MPA Resources.
  6. The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

Read More

Happy Homecoming, Panthers!

September 25, 2019

fans line up for high fives at homecomingHomecoming 2019 is here! Did you see the Homecoming chalk art at the north and south entrances on Monday? Thank you to the Upper School Student Council for kicking off the week of festivities!

We have been dreaming, playing, and sharing all week. We hope you can come celebrate with us at the All-School Pep Rally on Friday at 2:20 PM in the Lansing Center.

Please also join us for a day of fun on Saturday! It will be a perfect fall day for catching up with friends, watching a game or match, grabbing a bite to eat, and warming your hands by the fire. Read More

Milaca Megameet

September 21, 2019

It was an electrifying Milaca Megameet, with thunderstorms delaying the start by over an hour. Once races resumed, you overcame treacherous conditions to complete your races, earning two individual trophies and two ribbons.

With the middle school races cancelled, our middle school boys joined the 9th grade boys and ran the 5000 meter distance, most of them for the first time! That race included over 900 boys! Ben led our large contingent, running only a few seconds from his personal best. He must have been wearing swim fins! Liam running his first 5000 meter race, was only a couple minutes behind Ben. Eddie splashed in just a few seconds later. Henry G. was just a couple minutes behind Eddie. He was our only 9th grader in the 9th grade boys race. Joey not only ran his first 5000 meter cross country race, he was one of just a few 6th graders taking on 900 older boys! But he finished strongly to run a good first time! Henry Schw. was not far behind Joey. Zain, running his first 5000 meter time, finished well. And Eilam, running his first 5000 meter race, wrapped things up for our boys.

Our 9th grade girls contingent was just our two middle school girl runners, Teagan and Abigail. Like Joey, Teagan was one of just a few 6th graders running against about 600 older girls. She ran very well, finishing just a few seconds ahead of Abigail, also running her first 5000 meter cross country race.

Noah and Salma were our only 10th graders racing. Salma was expecting a teammate to join her, but that teammate overslept and missed all the excitement! Both Noah and Salma ran well in the muddy conditions. Hoah took a fall, but still got the job done.

Our varsity boys faced a lot of adversity in their race. Not only was the course getting muddier and muddier, but every one of them slipped or fell during the race. Henry led our boys in 6th place, finishing on a tightening hamstring thanks to slipping on a downhill part of the course. He did earn a trophy for his painful efforts. Isak ran his best time on this course (!?) and earned a ribbon for his muddy journey. Cullen was next, and not that far off his course best, despite a sprained ankle acquired during his race. Peter was only seconds behind Cullen. Evan wrapped things up for us, running well despite still feeling the effects of the virus that’s been making the rounds.

Our varsity girls, well decorated with water proof glitter and painted arms and faces, ran with a lot of determination. They were committed to not falling. And despite slipping and sliding a lot, they all managed to stay on their feet for the entire race. We will count that as a big win!

This was a challenging day. You handled the thuderstorm delay well, getting to our bus to stay safe. And you adapted to the new schedule well. Special kudos to our middle school runners, who were willing to run a longer race against older competition. We had a few injuries, which should be healing soon, fortunately.

And, as challenging as this was, it could have been worse. Shortly after we left, there was a tornado warning just north of Milaca. I don’t know about you, but waiting out a tornado warning on a school bus is not something I would look forward to.

Next up will be the Osseo Invite. This will be our last race before we begin our championship races, IMAC and Section and State!

Results are available at Gopher State Events.

 

RSVP To Experience The Joy

September 20, 2019

Two students working togetherYou and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, November 3 at 2 PM.

New this year, this event will allow families to truly experience the joy of learning that our students do each day.

You will rotate among several lessons, taught by expert faculty. These will be hands-on, experiential lessons that are abbreviated versions of the original, modified to be appropriate for all ages.

Between lessons, you will be guided by student and parent ambassadors so that you have an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art facilities.

As you consider MPA and your options, please make plans to attend this event. It will be our only weekend, PreK-12 offering this year and it is one not to miss!

RSVP Today
How We Learn
The Admission Process

Let’s Be Friends

September 20, 2019

middle school students socializing outside Gaining the Skills to Build Healthy Relationships
One of our most basic human needs is forming community by making friends. We’re social creatures, drawn to seek connections throughout our lives. While rewarding and fulfilling, building healthy friendships takes practice. It’s an important life skill for children to learn early—increasing their capacity to create friendships, be a good friend, and progressively cultivate and sustain strong relationships at all ages.

Open Discussions on Friendship
“The foundation of friendship is open communication, both in terms of among friends and about friendship itself,” explains Tara Keegan, Mounds Park Academy Lower School counselor. A licensed professional clinical counselor and parent, Keegan recommends beginning conversations about friends starting in PreK. “Ask your child who they sat with at lunch, who they played with at recess, what the group did that day,” she says. “Talk about the feelings around those interactions, and share how important it is to listen and learn within a friendship. That’s the beginning of empathy, being able to understand where another person is coming from, and is so important in building connections and friendships.” Read More