Mounds Park Academy

March 1, 2018

Congratulations to sophomores Jordan Akers and Solveig Svennevig-Brosi on their excellent performance at the American Choral Director’s Association of MN 9-10 Honor Choir Concert!

Jordan sang in the SATB choir under the direction of Mark Potvin while Solveig sang in the SSAA choir with Jennaya Robinson. Both conductors are on the faculty at Luther College. It was a day full of rehearsals, building ensemble, culminating with the concert at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Keep on singing, Panthers!

Maker Fest 2018 Was Extraordinary!

March 1, 2018

Our community is filled with the most creative dreamers and doers! We are so impressed by what these brilliant minds made and brought to the first annual Maker Fest on Saturday. Participants and viewers ranged from students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff of all ages and divisions. It was an excellent way to bring us all together and inspire the Maker in all of us! See the photos here!

MPA’s First Summer Musical

March 1, 2018

by Russ Purdy, Summer Program Coordinator

We are really excited about our first annual summer musical for students entering fourth grade through those graduating from ninth! I put together the summer musical program for the district I was in before MPA, and l am really looking forward to bringing it here. This year we are doing “Lion King Jr.” It will be a large-scale production with amazing costumes, music, and performances. Our production staff includes a director, choreographer, costumer, and set designer.

The kids will work all summer for the performances, and our mission is to work as a collaborative group to put together a top-notch show for our audience! I also believe that the process of putting together a show is as important as the product itself.

Familiar Faces Return to MPA

March 1, 2018

This week, MPA warmly welcomed beloved retired faculty and staff members Jackie Kemper, Sarah Kumagai, Betsy Chmelik, Ellen Turpin, Joanne Olson, Joan Shrum, and Nansee Greeley back to campus! After much hugging and reunions between each other and current faculty and staff, Ms. Koen toured the group around the Makerspace with wide eyes, followed by plenty of “ooh and ahs.” They loved the new addition to campus, extremely impressed and happy that students and teachers were benefiting from it every day. Then, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work!

With the help of Ms. Koen, they each made their own wooden “Dream Big. Do Right.” caddy, learning how to use an electric saw and the process of woodworking in the Makerspace shop over stories and laughs. It was an absolute joy to have them here!

You can take a look at all of their fun here!

Easing The Transition

March 1, 2018

by Mark Segal, Upper School Director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will now find a guest blog post here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you will enjoy reading their stories and reflections about life at MPA!

The transition from middle to high school can sometimes be difficult. It is an awkward time when students may fit in right away, or feel like outcasts. Parents and teachers may seem like they are harping at them about the smallest things, and they may feel as though they have no similarly interested peers with whom to connect. What students might not realize–and is our responsibility to point out–is that Upper School offers new and exciting opportunities that are ready and waiting for them to explore.

Meet Mr. Ethier

February 27, 2018

Middle School math teacher

How many years have you been at MPA? 27

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
The students. Every day I get to work with students who are curious, motivated, eager to learn, and willing to do the hard work to solve challenging problems. We talk about the joy of learning, but it’s a joy to work with students like this! As a coach, I get to hear positive things about our students from others they encounter. It might be the neighbor who noticed some of our runners stopping to pick up trash at Goodrich, or the bus driver who always looks forward to driving MPA students because they’re the best.

How does Mounds Park Academy nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
One of the really important things we do is create an environment where students can be themselves. Each student is unique, but each student feels right at home at MPA. Here, it’s cool to be smart, cool to be a math nerd, a drama nerd, a speech nerd, or whatever type of nerd allows you to explore your passion. That welcoming environment is critical to allowing students to have those big dreams and sets an example they can carry on to welcome others.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at Mounds Park Academy been different?
I only worked one year at another school—a public school in northern Minnesota. It was like night and day comparing that experience to my experience at MPA. I remember giving a simple problem solving assignment to one of my classes and the students had no idea how to approach it. Nobody had ever asked them to do problems like that before! MPA students jump right in when given those kind of challenges. They’ve been given many opportunities to do open-ended, problem solving, creative activities, and they don’t back down from a challenge.

What would you tell a parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
At MPA, we ask students to solve challenging problems and give them the support they need to be comfortable doing that. Whether it’s solving interesting algebraic problems in sixth grade, writing a novel in seventh grade, doing a research paper in eighth grade, we ask a lot of our students, but we also provide the nurturing environment that helps them feel safe in taking those academic risks. Read More

MPA Talks: Meet Ling DeBellis

February 26, 2018

Ms. Ling DeBellis was adopted from Guiping, China in 2001 and has an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition. She’s a life long patient at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul. She attends MPA and lives in North Oaks with her family. This year, Ms. DeBellis is a member of the Young Women’s Initiative Cabinet of MN to advocate for a better Minnesota where all women have the opportunity to thrive.

We asked Ling some questions so you could get to know her before hearing her speak at MPA Talks on March 13! Take a look!

Who inspires you to be better and how?

My parents. My friends. My teachers. My community. The world. Their courage in me inspires everything I do. They care about me and teach me and trust me, so it’s my duty to show them how much I appreciate their endless dedication by aspiring to change the world.

What do you believe will be the greatest challenge our current students will face in their lifetimes and how do you see MPA equipping them to face that challenge?

Spread The Word About Lunch At MPA!

February 22, 2018

Have you told your friends and neighbors about MPA? Invite them to our next admission event, Lunch at MPA, on Wednesday, March 14 starting at 11:30 AM! Guests are invited to campus during a regular school day to meet school administrators over a casual meal, tour MPA, and see our community in action.

Please extend our invitation and have your friends 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.

The Year of 100 Stories

February 22, 2018

Thank you for sending in your stories! We are so excited to hear from more of you! We are working hard to design a more connected and productive network that works for you and the entire MPA community.

Your stories will do more than just fill space in Alumni News and on Facebook. They will inspire current MPA students, give your former teachers the excitement of knowing what you’re up to, and allow us to begin a mapping project to better connect alumni to other professionals throughout the MPA community. Our reach is growing every year, and your collective life journeys are at the heart of what makes an MPA education exceptional.

We’ll enter each person who provides their story into a drawing for a $250 gift card or a $250 donation to the non-profit of the winner’s choice.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to reflect, write, and stay engaged. Click here to tell your story!

Call for Nominees!

February 22, 2018

The Alumni Association is still looking for nominees for the MPA Alumni Association Award! Do you know an alum who is dreaming big and doing right? We want to hear about them!

The MPA Alumni Association 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. They should be real-world examples for both current students and alumni to dream big and do right.

Please include the nominees’ name, email, and a brief explanation of why you believe they should receive the MPA Alumni Association Award (250 words or less). Send all nominations to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org by April 1!