Mounds Park Academy

December 7, 2017

by Renee Wright, Lower School Director

Lower School students participated in Sports Week the week of November 27. This Lower School tradition is a joyful way to promote physical activity, and as I watched the students immersed in sports activities, I reflected on my own childhood and realize how much I had missed in being a student prior to the enactment and implementation of Title IX. I did not have the opportunity to try out different sports or compete on a sports team. How joyful to watch our students—girls and boys alike—celebrating sports and cheering on each other.

Throughout the week students had the opportunity to tell their sports story and were reminded of the importance of being physically active. On sports dress-up day, students came dressed as soccer players, skiers, dancers, football players, skaters, and more. I was so impressed with the pride Lower School students showed when sharing their sport or talking about the physical activities they participate in individually, on a team, or with their families. When asked why sports are important to them, kindergarteners shared, “Because it is fun to play sports with friends, being active gives you more energy, and playing sports makes your body healthier.”

The kindergarteners were right in identifying the importance (not to mention the fun) of staying physically active. Research shows that sports participation is a significant predictor of a young adult’s participation in physical fitness activities. Three in four adults aged 30+ who play sports today played sports as school-aged children. Only three percent of adults who play sports did not play when they were young (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard University/NPR, 2015). Read More

Faculty & Staff Holiday Appreciation

December 5, 2017

Show your appreciation for MPA Faculty and Staff by volunteering to wrap holiday gifts in the Porter Conference Room on December 11, 2017 from 8 AM-3 PM! Shifts are flexible! Spend one or two hours, or split the day and wrap a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon. Sign up here to volunteer! Thanks for all of your help!

MPA Sails Through The Great Oaks Regatta

November 30, 2017

MPA juniors Karan Jain, Toby Sullivan, and Jose Varela came in second in the Great Oaks National Invitational Regatta in New Orleans!

The Great Oaks Regatta is a national championship for schools with small sailing teams. Teams need to qualify in a regional regatta in order to be invited to compete in New Orleans. This is the MPA team’s third consecutive year of qualifying and participating and it was their best result yet. Go Panthers!

Generosity Improves The Black Box Theatre

November 30, 2017

Renovating the Black Box Theatre was MPA’s Fund A Need from the last Spring Auction. In less than five minutes, our community raised nearly $100,000 to make necessary improvements. The Fine Arts Department was humbled to be spotlighted and supported by the community in such a profound way.

The Middle School Play, Peter Pan, sold out four performances in the newly-remodeled space, and everyone noticed a difference in the new lighting, costume shop, infrastructural updates, and learning spaces that proved to be valuable to the students and their teachers throughout the entire production.

Heather Mastel, drama teacher and Middle School Play director, shares the difference: “I overheard many positive comments about the updated look with the new risers and chairs. The curtain made the Black Box look so polished. My favorite part of the remodel was the costume shop though … looking at it now, I don’t know how we even got by with the previous space. The new space allows for collaboration and work in the shop!”

Lower School Kid Of The Game

November 30, 2017

MPA students in grades PreK-4 are invited to be a Lower School Kid of the Game at an MPA Boys Varsity Basketball home game!

The Kid of the Game will first be introduced before the game, then join the Panthers and coaches on the court for pregame warm ups, and receive an MPA basketball gift and concession stand item. Being a Lower School Kid of Game is free and siblings are welcome to be Lower School Kid of Game on the same night.

MPA Students Selected For State Honor Choirs

November 30, 2017

Congratulations to Solveig Svennevig-Brosi (Class 2020) and Jordan Akers (Class of 2020) who auditioned online and were selected to be members of the 9-10 ACDA-MN State Honor Choirs!

Solveig will sing in the SSAA Honor Choir under the direction of Jennaya Robinson from Luther College.

A second-year member of the SATB Honor Choir, Jordan will sing with Jonathan Talberg who teaches at California State University.

Jordan and Solveig will prepare their Honor Choir music for a day long festival in February culminating with a performance in the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Solveig and Jordan both currently sing in the MPA Concert Choir and Madrigals Singers. Best wishes to our musicians!

Thank You For Your Generosity

November 30, 2017

The Thanksgiving season is a traditional time to recognize and appreciate all that is good in one’s life. At Mounds Park Academy, we are thankful for the continued generosity of our community. This year’s annual five-week Joyful Learning, Joyful Giving Fall Campaign grew like an ocean wave with its peak on Give to the Max Day! Of the nearly $300,000 in gifts throughout the campaign, 43 percent was contributed on that day alone! Incredible! Thank you!

This year’s Give to the Max Day also included the Lip Sync Battle! In its third year, the event is now an established tradition celebrating our fabulous community! Click here to revisit this year’s fun one more time!

Your Presence is Essential

November 30, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

If I could, I would mandate that all parents attend the upcoming parent education night on Tuesday, December 12 at 6:30 PM. In partnership with the Parents Association, MPA is offering a showing of the acclaimed documentary, Screenagers, followed by a discussion facilitated by teachers and administrators. As an educator, I see firsthand the effects of social media, video games, and internet addiction and have grave concerns regarding their effect, developmentally, academically, socially, and mentally on the wellness and happiness of our children.

As a family, we struggle with finding the right balance between allowing our children to make decisions about their screen time and asserting ourselves with what we know, or think, is best for them. We have made a conscious decision against having internet access and television at our cabin. Mateo and Ari will complain all the way up but quickly, without them even noticing, find creative ways to spend their time once we are there. Up to this point, neither of them have a smartphone. However, Ari reminds me (almost daily) that she is the only sixth grader without one. I’m not so sure I believe her!

Meet Priya Manda ’20

November 27, 2017

What do you love about MPA?
I love the community and the way I feel encouraged to push myself and strive to do my best. I also love how there are so many resources within the community to help me achieve my goals.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
One way in which I’m encouraged is through the academically competitive nature of the students. Almost all of the students push themselves and want to accomplish a lot and are supported by the school—this makes you want to work hard too. I feel like MPA has encouraged me to pursue anything I would like and, in many ways, I feel like with my Mounds Park Academy education, I can.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The school I went to before was very small and I felt like I wasn’t pushed at all. I remember that when I came to MPA I was shocked by how rigorous the classes were and how many opportunities I had.

What would you tell a family considering MPA?
I would tell them that because of my MPA education I feel like I have so many options for colleges and careers that I could pursue. In a way, I feel limitless.

In what ways has MPA prepared you for life?
I feel like I’m really well prepared for college because of MPA. I know that I will be able to handle and accomplish a lot thanks to my experience in high school.

What do you dream for yourself in 20 years?
This is hard! I would love to be a surgeon or work in human rights. Either way, I see myself settled down and successful!

Priya Manda now attends the University of Southern California.

Meet Ms. Murr

November 27, 2017

Upper School history teacher
Lower and Middle School parent

How many years have you been at MPA?
This is my 14th year teaching at MPA.

What do you love about MPA?
Usually, when we talk about people being themselves at MPA, we are referencing the students. This is absolutely a strength of the school and a huge part of the reason that I choose to send my two boys to MPA. At the same time, I also love to work at MPA because I too have the freedom to be myself. Students rarely snicker when I get worked up about the pre-Civil War caning of Sumner or tear up over the trauma of 9/11. Instead, they are willing to let go of their own adolescent insecurities and uncertainties and join me in an intense and personal exploration of history. This makes every day in the classroom unimaginably fulfilling and explains why I love MPA.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
I think I have grown particularly interested in the “Do Right” aspect of this phrase. By studying the mistakes of the past, I stress to students that they can and must do better. While some might see this as a dim or negative approach to teaching history, I hope that it empowers and motivates students to right the wrongs of the past.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
“Do you have an hour or two?” is probably how I would start. It is that difficult to capture the full power of an MPA education. Recognizing, however, that time is short, I would stress that MPA equips students with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to make the world a better place, thereby making their lives richer and more fulfilling. Read More