Mounds Park Academy

April 22, 2025

This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the April 22 issue of Inside MPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

A few weeks ago, we shared the first video in our Head Of School Conversation series featuring both Dr. Bill Hudson and Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon. They continue to work together closely as the head of school transition approaches in July, and we’re thrilled to share the second video in the series where they candidly talk about their work together.

Watch “A Head Of School Conversation: Teaching And Learning” here >

Set in the Makerspace, they cover the importance of curiosity, rigor with purpose, independent thinking, innovation, learning by doing, supportive teachers, and dreaming big.

“I think about soft skills that are now the necessary skills, and we talk a lot about challenge, and being able to fail, and being able to get picked back up again by those who are around you or even yourself,” says Dr. Brogdon. “We’re not willing to explore things that might seem scary or challenging if we don’t know somebody’s going to be around or that we have the stamina within us that someone has helped us to develop to move forward.” Read More

MPA Students Selected For Youth Art Month Student Exhibit

April 17, 2025

The MPA Art Department is very excited to share that several students were selected to participate in the 2025 MN Youth Art Month Student Exhibition! MPA is well represented in the exhibition by these Lower, Middle, and Upper School artists:

Andrew ’35
Maya ’33
Luke ’33
Evie P. ’31
Devin W. ’31
Ella B. ’31
Jenny Liao ’28
Grace Nelson ’26

With special congratulations going to our award winners:

First Place Elementary Flag Design: Ashlyn ’33
Second Place Elementary Division: Tillie ’34
Best in Show: Earl Martin ’25

The exhibit is presented by Art Educators of Minnesota and is sponsored by Blick Art Materials. We are so proud of the MPA representatives! Click here to see all the artwork of our participants.

Parents Association News And Events April 17, 2025

April 17, 2025

Thank you to the parent organizers, volunteers, and participants who made our annual Cultural Celebration Day a success! Check out pictures of our community sharing and celebrating the diversity of cultures represented at MPA.

Your insight and feedback is invaluable! Help us reimagine the MPA Parents Association to better meet the needs of our parent community. Please fill out the MPA Parents Association survey.

Upcoming Opportunities To Join In

Division Quarterly Coffees

Join your division director and fellow parents for the final coffees of the 2024-2025 school year!

Tuesday, April 22: Middle School Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
Tuesday, April 29: Lower School Quarterly Coffee, 8:15-9:30 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library

Take A Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road

April 17, 2025

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

There’s a special kind of magic that fills our school in the weeks leading up to the spring musical. Laughter rings through the Nicholson Center, lines are rehearsed in quiet corners, musicians fine-tune their performance, and sets begin to take shape. That energy is alive and well this year as we prepare for our reimagined production of “The Wizard of Oz“—a performance that reflects not just creativity, but the heart of an MPA education.

This year, 56 students from grades seven through 12 are involved in the production as cast members, crew, and orchestra musicians. And it’s not just our seasoned theatre students who are participating. Among them are athletes, musicians, first-time performers, and students who joined simply because a friend encouraged them or because they were curious. They come from different friend groups, different grades, and different backgrounds, but theatre brings them together in a way that is powerful and transformative.

As director James Lekatz shared, “The most powerful gift theater gives is the incredible strength to create community. These students aren’t in the same friend groups, but they are coming together for this production. The audience is made up of friends, family, and strangers, coming together for one night to support students doing incredible things. Theater brings people together to experience a brief moment together.” Read More

A Celebration Of Our Community’s Cultures

April 15, 2025

This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the April 16 issue of Inside MPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

Last week, our community celebrated Cultural Celebration Day with a school-wide festival of cross-divisional activities, art, music, traditions, cuisine, and more.

The Family Commons was transformed not only into an exhibition of our community’s many cultures and heritages but also into a space for West African drum lessons, Myanmar’s New Year Festival dance, handmaking Chinese paper lanterns and Tibetan prayer flags, designing Henna body art, and learning the steps to Bhangra, an Indian folk dance. Passports in hand, visitors browsed station upon station, meeting a different person sharing their culture at each one. From Egypt to Italy and Thailand to France, we listened, we learned, and we became closer to one another through this special type of sharing that we value so deeply at MPA.

The strong sense of belonging at MPA fosters not only a welcoming and inclusive space for students and their families, but also encourages lifelong learning rooted in joy and curiosity. Cultural Celebration Day is just one example of our school being filled with the sound of laughter, music, and wonder. Read More

Why I Coach At MPA

April 14, 2025

from Takele Thompson-Nelson ’18

One reason I decided to return to MPA as a coach was that I was asked by fellow teammates who were also leaders and captains, Brendan Connolly ’17 and Cooper Olson ’16. I was eager to join the team, knowing that I would have those two by my side. I returned in hopes of passing on the knowledge and values that were given to me through my time at MPA. I also love basketball!

It means a lot to be able to mentor the next generation. However, those feelings are also partnered with fear. To have people, especially kids, relying on you is a powerful thing. But I know I wouldn’t be put in this position if I wasn’t ready. When coaching, I want to make sure that I’m not just hitting the Xs and Os because life is more complicated than that. In my time here at MPA, my coach is someone I could look up to and who helped guide me through other aspects of life beyond sports. I believe that it is my responsibility to also take that role for my athletes if needed.

My past experience as an MPA athlete has filled me with immense pride for everything related to being a Panther. Every win, loss, or game has an emotional connection for me because that was something I used to be a part of. I believe that being an alum and now a coach has created a strong bond between my passion for the team and the school. I am not just a coach but a previous athlete. This connection has given me my “why,” which is the fuel that has guided me to come to MPA every day with the same passion and love I had when I was a student here.

A Message From Alumni Board Member Isabel (McKeown) O’Branski ’14

April 11, 2025

Every year, we seek additional members to join the MPA alumni board, and we recognize that you may or may not know what committing to the board entails. The board is perfect for those who want to connect further with the MPA community or give back to the school that gave them so much without a major time commitment. As a second-year board member, I am incredibly glad I chose to join the board and only wish I had joined sooner.

I’m here to share my experience by debunking a few common myths about joining the board:

Myth No. 1: I have to live in the Twin Cities

I have lived in two cities since joining the Board, neither of which are even located in the Midwest. While there are always alumni and school events you can attend (as a board member or not!) if you live locally, your participation on the board will be entirely virtual. I’ve Zoomed into our meetings from San Diego and New York City over the years and am grateful that I can participate from out of state. Read More

Cultures Come Together, Celebrate

April 10, 2025

On Wednesday, April 9, the Parents Association hosted Cultural Celebration Day, an evening celebrating the diversity of backgrounds at MPA with food, music, dance, and community.

Some of the highlights of the event were beautiful dance performances by MPA parents and students, colorfully decorated tables set up by the hosts sharing their cultures and cuisines, the ever-popular henna artist, Bilkis, Boba by Treats, and a West African drum workshop. It was wonderful to experience the energy and engagement of community members. We hope to see you all next year!

A big thank you to the Cultural Celebration Day Planning Committee, cultural booth hosts, MPA staff, MPA student hosts, and event volunteers, who all helped make this event successful.

Upper School Division News April 10, 2025

April 10, 2025

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, April 11: New Student Enrollment Deadline
Monday, April 14: No Classes, Professional Development
Monday, April 14: US G11 SAT, 8 AM-1 PM, Room 150-151
Wednesday, April 16: US G10 College Counseling Parent Night, 6:30-7:30 PM, Recital Hall
Friday, April 18: US Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Nicholson Center
Thursday, April 24: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center, Tickets >
Friday, April 25: MS/US Robotics Team Banquet, 5-8 PM, Family Commons
Saturday, April 26: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center, Tickets >
Sunday, April 27: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 2-4 PM, Nicholson Center, Tickets >

As the school year enters its home stretch, maintaining student motivation and engagement is increasingly important for academic success. Research from the American Psychological Association finds that student performance often declines during the fourth quarter, confirming that “spring fever” is a true and real educational phenomenon. The Association’s findings share that “while not a legitimate medical condition, ‘spring fever’ refers to the common feeling of restlessness, decreased motivation, and a desire for outdoor activities that can affect students as the weather warms and the school year nears its end.”

I would imagine this is especially true in communities like the Twin Cities, where our temperatures have been cold, and the students and educators arrived and went home from school in the dark. With proper support, open lines of communication, and strong, trusting relationships, students can maintain their momentum and finish the school year strongly. Read More

Middle School Division News April 10, 2025

April 10, 2025

from Paul Errickson, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, April 11: New Student Enrollment Deadline
Monday, April 14: No Classes, Professional Development
Wednesday, April 16: MS G7/8 Affinity Group Meeting, 2:30-3 PM, Panther Center
Tuesday, April 22: MS Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
Tuesday, April 22: LS/MS G4 Lunch-Up, 11:35 AM-12:30 PM
Wednesday, April 23: MS Author Visit, 8-9:30 AM, Recital Hall
Thursday, April 24: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
Friday, April 25: MS/US Robotics Team Banquet, 5-8 PM, Family Commons
Saturday, April 26: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
Sunday, April 27: Spring Musical: “The Wizard of Oz,” 2-4 PM, Nicholson Center
Wednesday, April 30: MS G7/8 Affinity Group Meeting, 2:30-3 PM, Panther Center
Thursday, May 1: MS/US G5/8 Parent Meeting, 6-6:45 PM, To Be Announced and Recital Hall
Thursday, May 1: MS Vocal Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center

As we head into our fourth quarter of the year, my question for our Middle Schoolers is, “How can you make this last quarter your BEST quarter?” Challenging them to reflect on all that they’ve learned so far this year and to finish off the year, over our final eight weeks of school, as strong as possible can be both challenging and rewarding. With so many different opportunities for our students to showcase their learning, from concerts and the musical to their final assessments, papers, projects, and presentations, we will work hard to keep them (and you) well-organized, prepared, and balanced for the work ahead.