September 24, 2018
What do you love about MPA?
Faculty and administration that connect with each student. They expertly recognize each child’s strengths and encourage them to challenge themselves (and succeed) in ways they never thought possible.
How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
Starting with the application process, the emphasis was on what things my son could personally contribute to the school and to his peers—with extra encouragement to explore completely new things. By using and appreciating his own emerging talents and interests, he has gained the confidence to think of himself as a scholar, world citizen and kind friend.
If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The difference—and my son’s transformation—have been remarkable. His previous school, though highly regarded academically, had a one-dimensional approach to teaching and learning. That approach suppressed, rather than nurtured, my son’s talents and interests. By the time he reached middle school, this curious, bright and compassionate boy had become an indifferent, unmotivated student. At MPA, with the support of teachers who immediately saw his strengths (and his weak spots), he has become a highly motivated learner, who actively participates in both academic and extracurricular activities. Read More
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally? I graduated from college last spring, and I am applying to medical school for the fall of 2019. However, I am currently spending two gap years abroad in the southern French port city of Marseille, where I’m taking full advantage of all the opportunities this city and country have to offer. I spend two days a week working as an English language assistant for a preschool and primary school, where I teach English lessons to little ones. When I’m not in the schools, I’m either in the hospital or laboratory and take part in a weekly shadowing internship with a French neonatologist. I’ve even started to sit in on births in the operating and delivery rooms! I also volunteer weekly at another local children’s hospital, where I play board games with patients. The rest of my time is spent working in a neuroscience lab at the local university, where I will start conducting spatial navigation experiments on rats. The best part of my time in France is that I can do all of things I love in the clinical and laboratory settings all while speaking French!
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
Please save the date for an MPA School Safety Roundtable on October 15, 2018, from 6-7:30 PM. This will be an opportunity to learn about how MPA approaches school safety and best practices in the field. You’ll hear from a panel of experts, including members of MPA’s School Safety Taskforce and some of the faculty and staff who recently attended a school security training. Come with questions and leave with a better understanding of this very important topic. Due to a lack of interest, childcare will not be provided at this event.
There is only one more week until Homecoming, and the joy begins at the starting line of the Homecoming Fun Run on Saturday, September 29! The MPA Cross Country team is hosting a 200M run at 8:30 AM. It’s the perfect opportunity for our younger students to participate in the festivities and run with the Panthers! Immediately following the 200M Fun Run, we are hosting a 2-mile race that is open to the entire community. All run participants will receive a limited edition aluminum MPA water bottle, energizing snacks, and plenty of water!
Registration for the 2018-2019 winter sports season is now open! There are so many opportunities to join the Panthers and be a part of a team at MPA!
Parents are all too familiar with navigating the stress of everyday life. From getting children ready for the day and out the door in the morning, to helping with homework at night and everything in between, there is a lot to manage. As a parent, it can be easy to forget that even the youngest people in our lives can become overwhelmed and stressed. In our fast-paced world, learning to cope with challenging situations is just as important as learning how to read and write. Research has shown that mindfulness programs can help students of all ages learn to deal with everyday stress. More schools across the country are integrating mindfulness into their curricula to teach students to be present and better able to identify how they’re feeling in order to manage their stress.
We are so excited to share a recent opportunity brought to MPA students to engage with and assist the local arts community. MPA alum Kelly Turpin ’04, founder of the Arbeit Opera Theatre, was awarded the Artists Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to produce her own production of “The Consul,” an opera that premieres on November 29 and November 30, 2018. She reached out to MPA to assist in building the set, wanting to directly involve students, since MPA is the place where her passion for art, music, theatre, and singing all began.