Mounds Park Academy

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!

Why Choose Kindergarten at MPA

February 22, 2018

At Mounds Park Academy, a private school in Saint Paul, the words “kindergarten” and “joy” are inseparable. And it doesn’t matter who’s describing the experience.

When asked what she loves about teaching kindergarten, MPA’s Kristine Petersen said immediately, “Pure joy!” While Petersen didn’t specify if it was her joy or that of her students, it’s clear from a parent’s feedback that it’s both.

“Our daughter seems so committed to school because of her joy for it, which is the goal. She not only believes in the joy of school, but she trusts in the joy and excitement you bring to learning and to the classroom!”

Learning by Doing

The overarching philosophy at MPA is that kindergartners learn best by doing. MPA kindergartners move, play, dream, and do. The teachers present every single day as filled with wonder. In an MPA kindergarten class, education is fun, meaningful, purposeful, challenging, and always hands-on.

For example, students: Read More

Congratulations, Logan!

February 22, 2018

Logan Erickson ‘15 has been awarded the prestigious international title of IGDA Scholar from the Independent Game Developers Association Foundation. Logan is one of 18 recipients in the World to receive this honor for 2018. The IGDA Scholars conference scholarships are among the most coveted awards for students in game development and related disciplines. Read the full press release here. Congratulations, Logan!

Alumni Challenge 2018

February 22, 2018

On Tuesday, March 6, we are calling on our alumni community to participate in our annual 24 hour giving challenge! As a nonprofit institution, we rely on financial contributions to support the programs and opportunities that our students take part in. When alumni show their support by participating in the Alumni Challenge, they not only affirm their faith in the teachers that supported them, but they show the community the reach and impact that MPA alumni can truly have on the world—from Youth Ambassadors to the United Nation to socially conscious business owners to MPA Panthers running through Times Square!

We are beyond excited to see how you challenge each other and the collective impact you will have on this day!

To make a gift on that day, click here.

The First Annual Maker Fest Makers

February 22, 2018

Interested in the mechanics of robotics or the intricacy of textiles? Curious how woodworking is advancing global medicine and how common household items are upcycled and given new life? Have you ever seen a squishy circuit? The Makers of the 2018 First Annual Maker Fest will answer all of your questions this Saturday!

You already met Jess Blue and learned about her handmade garments and accessories, but there is a whole community of Makers just waiting to guide you through the Maker Movement. While all of these Makers sound amazing in writing, their inventions and creations are going to be even better to see in person. We are very excited to share them all with you firsthand at the MPA Maker Fest on Saturday from 1-3 PM!

Meet Rachel Katar ’02

February 22, 2018

Rachel Katar is a member of the Mounds Park Academy Class of 2002.

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in April. I am a middle school science teacher and dorm parent for high schoolers at The Masters School in New York. My favorite part of my job is seeing students set up their own experiments to test ideas and learn more about how the world works.

How did you get there? Where did you attend college? Are there key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I took a circuitous route to become a teacher. My mother was a band director in the Roseville schools, my father taught at the University of Minnesota Medical School on occasion, and both my grandmother and my grandfather were teachers. So, naturally, I did not want to become a teacher. When I told my grandmother what I was doing for work though, she replied, “That sounds a lot like teaching to me….” During my college years at Lawrence University and St. Olaf College, I volunteered for Biology Club to teach the water cycle to elementary students. After graduating, I worked at the Science Museum of Minnesota teaching cell biology principles to high school students, so they could in turn teach over 50,000 museum visitors yearly. I then worked at the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities to manage Youth in Government, Leadership Team, and the Achievers college readiness programs. At Saint Paul Public Schools Community Education, I doubled the science and music class offerings for preschool through high school age students. I even saw Mr. Thompson (MPA faculty member) while planting native plants with students along the Keller Lake shoreline.

Incredible Summer Drama Opportunities

February 22, 2018

by Heather Mastel, MPA drama teacher

One of the reasons I love teaching drama is how it resonates with children. There is movement, humor, and creativity. It also teaches collaboration, communication, empathy, reflection, and problem-solving skills for creative challenges. I am excited to bring these learning opportunities to Summer at MPA! Children in Beyond Drama Class will create their own short play, while Beyond Acting! gives lower school students the chance to design, write, and choreograph. The One Act Drama Camp will challenge middle schoolers to rehearse and perform a one-act performance in just one week. We will also go see “Shrek Jr.” and tour the Guthrie Theatre.

For more information about these incredible drama classes and so many other opportunities, visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer. Next week in Panther Post, we’ll share much more about our brand-new summer musical program!