Mounds Park Academy

February 1, 2018

by Erica Brewinski, Middle School Director

“Birthday candle smell is hot rods lab!” I’m guessing that most people, upon seeing this message in the subject line of an email, would surmise that it is: a) spam, b) a link to a funny YouTube video sent by a coworker, or c) a line from a recent late night show. For me, and all of the faculty and staff who received that message on Tuesday, the message is further evidence that our Middle School students are highly engaged in a collaborative, hands on learning experiences.

Upon investigation, I indeed found sixth grade students clustered around lab stations, talking animatedly as they tested their hypotheses. Next door, the eighth graders were working in small groups on a problem-based activity that required them to study various factors to determine the best location for a research station in Yellowstone Park. Each group then had to give a five-minute pitch to an outside scientist. These types of project-based, open-ended learning activities include real world applications and use multiple 21st century skills, and they permeate our Middle School experience. MPA is helping students to dream big and do right; our students are actively engaged in their own learning, teachers are discovering ways to weave together content from many disciplines into projects, and our classrooms have seen positive changes with the addition of our one-to-one laptop program.

The Great Kindness Challenge

January 25, 2018

If this is your first time hearing of “The Great Kindness Challenge,” it can be described in many ways. By definition, it is an annual, nation-wide initiative that takes place at the end of January. To those who see our Lower School students participating, it is one week dedicated to enhancing a pervasive culture of kindness in our school. To everyone who witnesses the Challenge taking place, it is a system of encouragement for our littlest minds to consider how their random acts of kindness add up. Lower School students are taking action and participating this week, as kindness is a core principle of their CHAMP program.

“Character education is one of the most important cornerstones at Mounds Park Academy. Our commitment to educating the whole child means that academic preparation is but one aspect of education, and that the artistic, physical, social, emotional, and ethical development are equally important. In practice, character education comes to life through the Lower School CHAMP Program,” Dr. Bill Hudson shared in an earlier Head’s Message.

Kindness and compassion make a significant contribution to the early character development Dr. Hudson speaks of. Thus, all week, students have been taking action to complete the “kindness checklist.” Many students have quickly figured out that their daily behavior already checks a thing or two off the list!

Celebrating Progress: A Momentum 2020 Report

January 25, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

We are now in year three of our five-year strategic plan, Momentum 2020. A mentor of mine was famous for saying, “Plan the work, work the plan.” Generally speaking, a strategic plan sets forth a vision that is part inspirational and part operational. Momentum 2020 is serving its purpose and we have been hard at work implementing year by year, executing the strategy laid out in the plan.

It has become a tradition at this time of year to provide an update on our progress. Click here for a visual representation of our cumulative three-year progress.

More specifically, one year ago, I outlined four priorities flowing from Momentum 2020 that would be the focus of the 2017-2018 school year:

Inspire innovation and creativity through staffing our new Makerspace and developing the accompanying educational program.
Provide additional and enhanced personal counseling and guidance services to ensure the health, wellness, and wholeness of each student.
Continue to invest in our exceptional faculty and staff through salary, benefits, and professional development.
Further strengthen our financial vitality and sustainability.

What follows is a brief overview of progress so far this school year in addressing these four priorities, including some of the open-ended responses from the recent Net Promoter survey that MPA conducted in December. I am overjoyed to see that MPA is living up to your expectations and our strategic direction aligns with what you value most in a school.

Priority One: Inspiring innovation and creativity through staffing our new Makerspace and developing the accompanying educational program.

“When I talk about MPA to others, I first talk about the Makerspace and that my child has had French, gym, grama, music, and art since kindergarten—as well as the other basic classes.”

“MPA stays at edge of innovation, diversity training, discipline, and has strong, competent faculty.”

With an incredibly generous gift, MPA was afforded the opportunity to “inspire innovation and creativity through staffing our new Makerspace and developing the accompanying educational program.” There has been a great deal of excitement and interest in the Makerspace this school year. In just a few short months since its opening, students from every grade level have spent time in the Makerspace. It has become wildly popular among students and many consider it to be their favorite part of the school day.

Faculty Explore the 6 Cs

January 24, 2018

The academic emphasis on only reading, writing, and arithmetic is long gone; the emphasis today is broader and more nuanced than these foundational skills encompass. Some schools, including Mounds Park Academy, are even broadening the skills identified in the “21st Century Skills” movement, commonly known as “the 4 Cs” or critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, to include two additional Cs: culture and connectivity.

At MPA, we welcome the increased focus on these critical skills, because, as a progressive and independent school, we’ve been emphasizing them since our beginning in 1982. This was long before the 21st Century was in our public consciousness. We have known for 36 years that these skills are critical for students to become engaged, thoughtful, and informed global citizens who are able to use their deep content knowledge to make a difference in their communities, in our country, and in the world.

We asked six MPA faculty members from across our community to share how they develop the 6 Cs in their students:

Thoughts on Critical Thinking from Jason Schwalen, Upper School English

In the English Department at MPA, we are creating students who are not simply critical thinkers, but informed thinkers who are willing to use those critical thinking skills to confront and solve the problems our culture has carried throughout history…attaining justice, equality, equity, and inclusivity begins with education.

In order to move our culture in a positive direction, our students need to be informed readers, critical thinkers, and skilled writers, and we build these skills by analyzing authors and artists who have attempted to document and improve our culture. Examining these authorial perspectives—and writing about them—helps create a foundation that equips our students to assess, analyze, and tackle the challenges that accompany trying to change the world. Read More

The Heart Of A Teacher

January 18, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Like most of Minnesota, I am officially caught up in the epidemic of Viking Fever. I was on my feet, jumping and yelling, scaring the rest of the family, as Case Keenum connected with Stefan Diggs for the game winning touchdown. Dubbed the “Minneapolis Miracle” by sportscaster Paul Allen, the play appeared to be a stroke of good fortune, an incredibly lucky catch. Truth be told, the play is a common one in the Vikings playbook and had been run several times earlier in the game. What seems to be luck is actually the result of a well-run team, good players, a strong culture, and having the right people in the right roles.

I learned a valuable lesson several years into my career as an administrator, long before I came to MPA. I was faced with the challenge of replacing a much beloved, incredible English teacher who had decided to retire. She was a tough, demanding teacher who was respected for her ability to push students to become excellent writers and prepare them well for the demands of college. Worried about continuing her tradition of excellence in teaching, I made a hiring decision based predominantly on the desired skill set. The new teacher was good at teaching English, but not so good at teaching students.

My mistake was not fully realizing the importance of mission, of character, of hiring for the “heart” of a teacher. What I have learned from my past experience is that one can become a better teacher, but someone needs to have the heart of a teacher first and foremost. MPA has been fortunate to have a strong school culture built and fostered by teachers that not only have the heart, but they are also masters of their craft. They are committed to continuous improvement and lifelong learning.

NFL Super Kids At MPA

January 11, 2018

Mounds Park Academy Upper School students Ben Yoch and Ian Beauchane are using the local Super Bowl and Vikings hype to make a difference in the community. The two are currently participating in the NFL Super Kids-Super Sharing project, partnering with the NFL and Vikings to help underfunded schools and they need your help.

“Knowing that some kids won’t be able to pursue their passions because they don’t have the proper equipment is heartbreaking to us,” Ben said. “We know that we cannot help every kid, but if we can help even a few kids’ dreams happen, it will all be worth it.”

This program takes place in Super Bowl host cities, collecting hundreds of thousands of books and pieces of sports equipment along the way. Ben and Ian are collecting donations of books, sports equipment, school supplies, and games from the MPA community to give low-income schools and other organizations that benefit local children in need. Cell phones can also be donated, as a resource for STEM education in underprivileged classrooms. Their drive ends January 18, so there is still time left to donate items to help Ben and Ian make a difference! Please bring the items to the Upper School office. Thank you!

Living Lives of Health and Wholeness

January 11, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Today, Middle School students met in mixed-grade level groups to explore the character trait of perseverance, a core pillar of our Middle School Character Education Program. Each group collaborated to complete two separate challenges related to fostering perseverance and then processed their experience with their teachers. Learning from failure, working together, developing skills such as persistence and tenacity were all a part of the lesson, but in the spirit of MPA, there was also a lot of joyful learning taking place.

Character education is but one part of an overall Mounds Park Academy wellness program. The MPA Strategic Plan, Momentum 2020, has as its first goal, “Empower students to live, learn, and thrive in the 21st century globalized society.” Academic and career success are important and MPA provides students a rigorous and relevant curriculum. But as a school committed to educating the whole child, we also understand that in order to reach one’s full potential, students must also have the knowledge and skills necessary live lives of health and wholeness.

Mental illness and anxiety among young people are on the rise. For instance, by the age of 18, 15-25 percent of adolescents will have experienced a major depressive episode. We also know that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 15-34. A recent New York Times article quoted research from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA that found the percentage of college freshmen reporting feeling overwhelmed rose from 18 percent in 1985 to 29 percent in 2010 and surged to 41 percent last year. These facts paint a grave picture—one that illustrates clearly how critical our work is in this area.

Fostering Citizen Scientists

January 4, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Just before break, the Washington Post reported that seven words were being banned from official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget at the Centers for Disease Control including “evidence-based” and “science-based.” The national conversation around “fake news” and questions about the veracity of climate change have placed science and science education at center stage. In addition, the steady drumbeat calling for more STEM education has ignited a passionate discourse about science education, particularly within a liberal arts education. In the midst of this often-polarizing discussion, I have repeatedly seen evidence that MPA does science ‘right’ by focusing on applied learning, critical thinking, and a grounding in fostering students to become citizen scientists.

The MPA science curriculum is founded on the principles of active and inquiry-based learning as first developed when the school was in its infancy. Our phenomenal science teachers continue to provide rich, thoughtful, experiences and opportunities for experimental design, while at the same time giving students the background and content they need to succeed in college and beyond. MPA students are encouraged to think critically about science by using their successes and failures in the lab as learning opportunities. What worked? What didn’t? How could it have been improved? Did it prove anything? These questions are best answered through learning by doing.

Points of Connection: The Benefits of Private School

December 27, 2017

When we reflect on the benefits of private school in general, and MPA specifically, the word “connection” comes to mind. When we talk about connection in the context of private school benefits, we see it as a thread through all that we do and offer. We see creating connections as central to the benefits of a private school education.

Small class sizes allow teachers to connect with their students and students to connect with the subject.
Small class size is the most often-cited benefit of a PreK-12 private school education. Small class sizes mean that teachers are able to know their students, better evaluate their academic and personal strengths and challenges, and then engage them in ways that ensure they thrive.

Fewer students in a class—combined with the freedom and flexibility that comes with teaching at a private school—means that faculty can create active and engaging learning opportunities with real-world applications that excite and challenge students. With their emphasis on collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and deep understanding over rote memorization, MPA teachers encourage and empower students to dive deep into the subject matter at hand, to answer the “why.”

Shared values, not geography, help create a connected community.
MPA, like many other private schools, has a clear mission and set of core values that includes involved and engaged students; open discourse and academic rigor; a balance of academics, arts, and athletics; experiential learning led by exceptional faculty; mutual respect and meaningful service; technology as an integral part of learning; and a school-wide spirit of innovation. We are strongly committed to diversity, freethinking, and collaboration, which creates a welcoming, inclusive, respectful, and connected community with an unassuming culture. Read More

Meet the Law Family

December 27, 2017

Upper School
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
We wanted a place that would develop them as whole people. We wanted a healthy balance of arts, foreign language, athletics, and, of course academics, but we wanted them to discuss and analyze topics, rather than just choose from four options on a test. Most importantly, it needed to be a place they could develop the confidence they needed to try anything.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at Mounds Park Academy?
Where I went to school, kids were pegged—smart kids, athletic kids, artsy kids—but at MPA there are no boundaries or limitations. That’s a beautiful thing. And, teachers lead by example at MPA without even articulating the expectation. The expectation clearly is that you will all take care of each other.

What would you tell another parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
I didn’t expect the academic rigor to be as great, but when I look at the depth of their studies and their level of understanding, I am truly impressed. What’s unique is that it is not to the point that they are stressed out. Expectations are high, but their teachers truly want them to do well in all areas and to live balanced lives. Read More