Mounds Park Academy

June 28, 2018

MPA opened the 2018 outdoor season later than usual due to surprise April snows, but finally got underway with our first meet on May 3 at the IMAC relays, a relay-only meet.

Highlights from the girls team included the 4x1600m team of senior Sarah Ley, ninth graders Izzy Quam and Katie Dahiya, and seventh grader Margo N. placing third with a total time of 26:29.41. Margo N. finished in fifth place in the 1600m individually with a personal best time of 5:53.35! In the 800m sprint medley, the team of seniors Maya Sayers and Quinn Campbell, junior Catherine Moore, and ninth grader Izzy Quam placed second. Their time of 1:59.42 is the third fastest in MPA history!

MSHSL State Championships

June 28, 2018

Three MPA athletes qualified for the MSHSL State Championships held on Friday and Saturday, June eighth and ninth at Hamline University.

Senior Blake Henke finished in fifth place in the Wheelchair Shot Put (Category 1) with a put of 12’8 ¾. His throw established a new MPA school record in the Wheelchair Shot Put!

In the high jump, junior Yahya Madar placed fourth, clearing 6’5 in a near personal best performance.

Section 4A Championships

June 28, 2018

The Section 4A Championships are the culmination of months of hard work for our team, and MPA athletes showed exceptional talent and drive at this competitive, 26-team meet.

On the girls side, our 4x800m team of junior Gabby Law, ninth graders Izzy Quam, and Katie Dahiya, and seventh grader Margo N. earned a medal with their fourth place finish. In the 100m hurdles, junior Ellie Quam placed third with a time of 17.23, the fastest time at MPA in 15 years.

In the 4x200m, the team of senior Maya Sayers, junior Ellie Quam, sophomore Catherine Moore, and ninth grader Izzy Quam ran 1:50.36 to place second in their preliminary heat and qualify for finals. That time was their fastest time this season, the third fastest time ever at MPA, and the fastest time since 1999. While they didn’t do as well in finals, they still scored with an eighth place finish. Their time from prelims qualifies them for the MSHSL honor roll.

Meet Morgan Emmans ’15

June 13, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

Currently I am attending St. Cloud State University, where I am majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Human Relations. I am a member and captain of the softball team at St. Cloud State. This fall, I will be entering my senior year at St. Cloud State. Over the summer, I am coaching the 12U Silver Bullets softball team, and ironically, MPA student, Siri S. is one of my players.

How did you get there? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?

Witnessing Growth

June 7, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

At the door this morning, a kindergartener excitedly showed Ms. Wright and me her wiggly tooth. “Look! I’m losing another tooth! Right next to the one I already lost!” she said as she worked the tooth back and forth with her finger. For several weeks earlier this spring, we received daily updates of the process of losing her first tooth. It is stories like this that I tell when people ask me what I love most about my job.

Losing teeth, “high water” pants, and deeper voices are all outward signs of growing students. Not as obvious are the maturity and confidence students develop over their time at MPA, whether over the course of one year, or many. I see it in the way they carry themselves in the hallways and how they perform on the stage or playing field. Nothing is more rewarding than to witness this growth and to somehow be a part of it.

Congratulations to Deneane Richburg ’96!

June 7, 2018

The MPA Alumni Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce the first annual recipient of the MPA Alumni Association Award. This award is intended to honor alumni of outstanding talent pursuing their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations, while embracing the spirit of MPA’s commitment to community and social outreach.

Deneane Richburg ’96 embraces all of these attributes and more. As the artistic director and founder of Brownbody, a company that combines figure skating, modern dance and theater to explore African-American culture and history, Richburg explores themes of race, stereotyping and reconciliation while being mindful of diversity, inclusion and equity. Read More

Ready To Read This Summer

June 7, 2018

Reading is one of the many fun activities children do during the summer, and research shows that it’s so important. Children who read during the summer increase their reading level, build vocabulary, and expand their comprehension skills. Because we believe reading is an essential skill for our students, MPA is giving each child in Lower School the gift of a summer reading book and a journal!

All upcoming kindergarten and first grade students will be required to read “In My Heart; A Book of Feelings” by Jo Witek over the summer with a parent or guardian. There is also an assigned project for the children to complete after they read the book. This assignment should be done prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year and can be brought back to their new teacher at Back to School Night or the first day of school.

2018 Upper School Awards Assembly

June 7, 2018

Congratulations to all of the Upper School students who received honors and awards at the 2018 Upper School Awards Assembly! On Friday, June 1, the school gathered to commemorate all of these students’ achievements. Academic, National Merit, Scholarship, Yearbook, Choir, Band, Orchestra, Visual Art, Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Forensics, French, Spanish, Drama, Athletics, Service, Spirit of ’86, Junior Mission Statement, Certificate of Distinction, and Alumni Association awards were given. Please join us in congratulating the following students! View photos of the assembly or watch the assembly here!

The Class of 2018 Senior Walk

June 7, 2018

After 13 years of joyful learning, the Class of 2018 took one final walk among their PreK through 11th grade friends to remember where they came from, celebrate what they have achieved, show gratitude for their community, and inspire those who follow in their footsteps. You can watch this touching tradition here!

Class Of 2018: Kate Van Hecke, Saint Paul, MN

June 6, 2018

As the 2017-18 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2018!

In what grade did you come to MPA? In fifth grade.

How did you come to choose the college that you did? I chose Wellesley because it valued curiosity, exploration, the empowerment of women, and educating the whole person—all things I value as well! I chose a women’s college because I want to surround myself with fierce, intelligent, and dedicated women who also care about the world around us. The world is coed, so being able to go to college in a place run by and dedicated to women is a phenomenal opportunity.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience? I am so excited to continue studying foreign languages! Throughout my eight years at MPA, I’ve studied Spanish, French, and Arabic as well as Fante during my time abroad and the prospect of being able to add another language or two to that list is thrilling. I am also looking forward to learning to call a new place home—I’ve done it before, and it was incredibly rewarding.