Mounds Park Academy

February 14, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Adults and children alike are asking a question of themselves and others these days: What does it mean to be kind? During a time of societal change and upheaval, the place of kindness in our lives is often taken up by rancor, division, and sometimes violence. I was horrified last week by the incident on I-94 when a driver, overcome with road rage, fired a gun at a school bus driver. Schools are not immune and can be cruel places. It is a sad fact that more than one out of five students nationwide will be bullied this year. Research has demonstrated time and again that when students don’t feel safe, it is difficult for them to learn and grow.

Kindness is not something to be taken for granted. It is important that parents and schools join together and intentionally foster empathy. Ravi Rao, a pediatric neurosurgeon, believes parents should teach feelings as much as they teacher things like color and numbers. She is convinced that for kids to show empathy to us, we need to show empathy to them. At MPA, we believe very strongly in fostering a kind and joyful community. What is at stake is more than academic achievement, it is a sense of self and developing the confidence to fly. Read More

IMAC Nordic Ski Championship

February 14, 2019

Congratulations to the MPA Nordic Ski teams on a fantastic IMAC Championship meet! The girls team won the IMAC Nordic Championship at Battle Creek, with a score of 568. The boys took second in the Championship with a score of 507.

MPA Senior Matt Bourne individually took first place for the boys, while senior Ellie Quam earned first place honors for the girls. We wish the MPA Nordic Individuals advancing to State at Giants Ridge the best of luck and we can’t wait to cheer you on! Go Panthers!

A Message From The Spring Auction Committee

February 14, 2019

Join us for the Spring Auction Preview on March 5, from 7:30–9 AM in the Gallery! The Spring Auction Committee is inviting the community to stop into the Gallery after drop-off to preview the Spring Auction as we count down to the big day and be the first to hear our exciting announcement!

Not only will you see some of the fabulous items that will be up for bid, but you can donate some yourself and be entered to win a fabulous prize! Bring a gift card, a bottle of wine/liquor, or something for the silent auction we’ll enter your name into the drawing. Grab some coffee and breakfast treats and start your day off with a little celebration! If you cannot come in for the preview but would still like to donate you can drop it off in the Development Office prior to March 5 and be entered in the drawing for the door prize.

Meet Evan W. ‘24

February 14, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
How people are very kind and inclusive. Another thing that I really like about MPA is that the class sizes are very small, so the teachers really get to know you and your personality genuinely well. That makes it easy and comfortable to ask them for help.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
What encourages me is that the teachers are always supportive. If you have an idea and you tell one of your teachers, they would never make you think that your idea is stupid or not good. They would actually encourage you to try it and help you with it.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
One of the things that is different is that there are 10 times more teacher help than at other schools. Because MPA has such small class sizes, the teachers will give you lots more help and you will be able to get all your questions answered.

What would you tell a family considering MPA?
I would tell them that the environment at MPA is super welcoming and nice and that there are great people at the school, so you will be able to make friends very easily. Read More

Senior Maia Kelly Signs With Pitzer College

February 13, 2019

Senior Maia Kelly signed a letter of intent to Pitzer College in Claremont, California to play volleyball for their team, the Sagehens.

Maia has received Player of the Match multiple times throughout her high school volleyball career, as well as received the Coaches Award this past season. Her position is middle blocker.

Congratulations Maia! The Sagehens are lucky to have you.

Seventh Graders Help Define Library Dreams

February 13, 2019

When MPA faculty and staff learned of the extraordinary changes that Together, We Dream: The Campaign For MPA was bringing to our school, ideas started circulating about how student voice could be incorporated into the process. With the exact concepts yet to be entirely defined, Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, decided to incorporate the design of our new library into one of her classes: seventh grade students were going to take on the task of turning our shared library dreams into a reality. Read More

Middle School Mathcounts Results

February 12, 2019

MPA placed fourth out of 10 teams at the North Capitol Chapter of Mathcounts this past weekend!

Out of 77 students, MPA’s top individuals were eighth grader Anthony T. in sixth place, seventh grader Soumya R. in 16th place, eighth grader Kensi B. in 23rd place, eighth grader Griffin J. in 28th place, seventh grader Lia S. in 29th place, seventh grader Lily R. in 30th place, seventh grader Ian F. in 33rd place, and eighth grader Audrey J. in 34th place.

Nice job, Panthers!

Maker Fest 2019: Meet The North Star Scrollers

February 11, 2019

We’re interviewing the Makers you’ll meet at at Maker Fest 2019 on Saturday, February 23 so you can get to know them ahead of time! Returning to Maker Fest for their second year is the group the North Star Scrollers! If reading about the North Star Scrollers’ work has inspired you to share your own, sign up here to be a Maker yourself!

What (or who) inspires you to make?

The challenge of making wood projects with detailed cuts and seeing the joy it brings to a person when you give one as a gift.

What do you enjoy making?

Project types include: desk plaques with name/company, veterans, religious themes, occupations, pets, fish, etc.

What are your favorite materials and mediums?

Oak, walnut, Baltic Birch plywood

If you could make anything imaginable with no restrictions, what would you make?

Complex original logos of the military branches.

What music do you listen to while you work?

Classical.

How has the MPA Makerspace impacted your abilities?

Provides an opportunity to share your talent with others and to inspire youth to become interested in woodworking, such as scroll sawing.

Enriching Overall Development

February 8, 2019

There are freethinkers, free spirits, risk takers, right makers, dreamers, and doers who are standing up to support Together, We Dream. Here is one story that explains why. Meet Gary and Suzanne Schwartz, MPA parents.

What impact do you see the completion of Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA having on your family?
It demonstrates to our child that this community is invested in him and his future.

Why do you choose to give to Together, We Dream?
The Together, We Dream campaign will create the spaces that kids will want to go to to learn, socialize, and work together in ways that will enrich their overall development.

How do you see the four priorities (library, commons, cafeteria and kitchen, endowment, and outdoor track) of Together, We Dream impacting the student experience?
We appreciate that Mounds Park Academy is more than just a school—it’s a community. The library, cafeteria, and kitchen at MPA have parallels with the kitchen and living room of a home. These spaces are the gathering spaces, and are just as important for the development of the child as are the classrooms.

What is your dream for the future of MPA and how do you see Together, We Dream working toward your dream?
One key to the MPA curriculum is the idea that they are preparing students for excelling in real world settings. They are teaching our children to work collaboratively on complex problems, and the Together, We Dream campaign supports this idea by creating the necessary environments on the MPA campus.

Honor where we’ve been. Power our way forward. Make a gift at moundsparkacademy.org/together/donate.

Evening Activities Cancelled Thursday

February 7, 2019

Due to the weather, all afterschool activities including conferences, games, practices, and meetings are cancelled this afternoon, Thursday, February 7. School will remain in session until our regular dismissal time at 3 PM. All buses will run as usual. Panther Club and Panther Den will remain open until all children are picked up, however, families are encouraged to arrive as quickly as possible after 3 PM.

Tomorrow, we will communicate the process by which Lower and Middle School conferences will be rescheduled. All conferences scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, February 8, will be held as we are planning for a regular day. Use caution when traveling to campus and note that tardies will be excused for the Upper School students who will be in session.

Please stay safe and warm!