Mounds Park Academy

Student-Teacher Collaboration at the Heart

April 15, 2017

Mounds Park Academy fosters innovative teaching that fuels creative thinking and sparks a passion for learning. Every day MPA teachers are creating active and engaging learning opportunities with real-world implications, emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and deep understanding over rote memorization. Every opportunity is maximized to allow students to explore, create, and express their ideas in ways that build on their inherent motivation and self-direction.

Examples of student-directed learning abound at MPA in small and large ways, from allowing students to choose a topic to demonstrate what they’ve learned to engaging them in designing an entire unit. Our teachers love uncovering new and innovative ways to include students in the learning process, guiding them to take ownership for their academic and intellectual development.

Student-Designed Unit a Resounding Success

After teaching in a large urban school district, Middle School history teacher George Dalbo appreciates the comparative flexibility that MPA offers him; he feels that state standards and testing can limit the flexibility of public school teachers.

Earlier this year Dalbo offered an entirely student-driven unit on South Asia. When he initially considered having the students involved in structuring the unit, Dalbo thought that he would simply host a focus group and those students would present ideas to the class. But every student wanted to be involved.

Get to Know a Kindergartner

April 15, 2017

A Q & A With Maahi, MPA Class of 2029

When did you come to MPA and what was the transition like?

I came to MPA … I’m going to say I did it when I was almost … Umm, I don’t remember. Okay, just before the first part of the year. I came in September. For kindergarten. It felt like fun here. When I was in PreK, I cried. Here I didn’t cry because I thought it was a pretty good place.

If you met someone who was unfamiliar With MPA, what would you tell them about our school?

There are so many fun things to do. We have pajama day and we celebrate really cool things about your birthday and there are so many amazing classes. It’s like a party. Kindergarten is so fun. The teachers are nice and tell you that it’s okay to make an accident. You know, you don’t have to do it perfectly.

What is your favorite MPA memory?

My favorite school memory is going outside and feeling how the weather is. And then I also love staying inside and doing beautiful artwork. And some of my favorite memories are in the Monday Morning Meetings … to find out who won the CHAMP awards. And if Mrs. Wright says a kindergartner, it’s so exciting! Read More

Head’s Message: Be Prepared

April 13, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

One of the reasons I love education is that it is unpredictable. Unpredictability is a given when working with children, especially 480 of them! The unexpected hugs from kindergarteners, a sense of accomplishment radiating on the face of a student after a performance, or helping solve a printing problem for an Upper School student who is running late for class, make work enjoyable and rewarding. On the other hand, surprises can be a challenge, perhaps even threatening, and sometimes require a great deal of acumen and attention to successfully address. Yesterday’s discovery of a case of whooping cough in the Upper School was certainly a surprise (see notice here), but I was proud of our school’s immediate response, relying on the experience of administrators and staff members coupled with an excellent crisis communication plan. Read More

Head’s Message: I’d Like to Give You an Assignment

April 6, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Whether your family traveled or stayed local, I hope you had an enjoyable spring break. It’s been wonderful to see the school come alive again after two weeks of a near-empty building. While breaks are a great time for me to delve into projects that require focused attention, I miss the hustle and bustle of a busy school day. In between work days, I did take some time off to spend with my daughter Ari. Upon the recommendation of friends, we spent one afternoon touring the Mill City Museum on the river in downtown Minneapolis. It has been on my list of things to do in the Twin Cities for some time, but without the urging of friends, we probably wouldn’t have made the visit.

Family and friends can not only play a role in choosing a place to visit or a new restaurant, but they can also be instrumental when choosing a school. While new families come to MPA through a wide variety of channels including online research, community events, direct mail, advertisements, etc. the most important way they come to us is through their personal relationships with you, our current community members. Your friends, neighbors, family members, and colleagues are the people who are most likely to find MPA to be the right fit for their family. This is only natural since you are likely to share similar values related to your children and their education.

Head’s Message: Permission to Create and Explore

March 15, 2017

By Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Although winter is not yet ready to let go, as evidenced by Sunday’s snowfall, spring is beginning to make itself known at Mounds Park Academy. It has been a rather busy week with several rites of spring making their appearance. The Upper School is in the throes of final exams, Middle School is in i-Term, and Lower School students are embarking on a series of project-based learning experiences. The energy level is building as Friday approaches.

I was away from school for several days in early March attending the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools. A central theme of the conference was innovation. It is also a buzzword in educational circles as well as in business and industry. People in all sectors tend to confuse technology and innovation. They are not synonymous and technology is only one piece of the innovation puzzle.

Yoga Calm Featured in MPA Lower School

March 13, 2017

MPA alumna and PreK teaching assistant shares her passion for yoga with her young charges

by Annie Stewart ’11, teaching assistant

Many yoga practitioners remember their first yoga class as the day their life changed. My first class was at the Heartworks Yoga studio in Northfield, Minn. when I was a sophomore at St. Olaf. I was living in the dorms and going through a challenging time. My friends suggested that I try a yoga class—a hot yoga class. I don’t know how I survived the 100-degree heat, the high humidity, and the crazy moves, but I was hooked.

Today I am sharing my love of yoga with the Lower School students at Mounds Park Academy. I think it’s vitally important for young children to experience yoga. They are experiencing a lot of emotions—and expending even more energy—during the course of the day. As teachers, we often expect them to sit still and listen, not move or chat with their neighbors. Few adults have that control!

I asked some of my students what they like about Yoga Calm. One said, “It calms me, and I just love time to be still.” Another shared, “If I am having a bad day, remembering these techniques really helps me calm down.” A young boy said, “I can get nervous before tests and this really helps relax me.” Another student said, ““I showed my mom how to do the yoga flow. She was really stressed about her annual meeting at work.”

Head’s Message: Makerspace Construction Begins

March 9, 2017

Several years ago, we did a major renovation of, and addition to, our house. For three months, we were without a kitchen and without running water on the main floor. Our living room became both a kitchen and dining room. It wasn’t easy but when the construction was complete, it was well worth the inconvenience.

Demolition and construction of our new Makerspace will begin next week. After careful consideration, we decided to locate it across from the cafeteria where the current Middle School office, Mr. Witt’s Spanish classroom, and Panther Den are now. When completed, we will have 2,300 square feet dedicated to “making.” The new Makerspace will open in August and be ready for students to use when school begins.

Head’s Message: PreK–12 Under One Roof

March 2, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

One of my favorite things to do is ask students, especially seniors, about their favorite “MPA moment.” What is your best memory that expresses what is uniquely MPA? Over lunch with a group of seniors, one replied, without hesitation, “Serving as a buddy to a Lower School student.” He went on to recount that ever since he was in kindergarten, he looked forward to making a difference in the life of a kindergartener in the same way that a senior touched his life so many years before.

Having grades PreK through 12 under one roof at MPA is not an accident—it is deliberate. Furthermore, role-modeling and mentoring are intentionally nurtured as a means to foster a safe, nurturing school culture. In a time that large public schools lead often to anonymity, MPA offers a warm, personal school culture wherein students truly know, respect, and value one another.

The events of a recent Friday drove home the very natural and organic way that relationships are nurtured across grade levels. My day began by attending the annual third grade event, Poetry and Pastries. As part of the third grade language arts curriculum, students study various forms of poetry and then recite a poem of their choosing in front of their peers and parents. As I scanned the faces of those assembled, I noted an older sibling of one of the third graders in attendance. That is not uncommon at such presentations. Having PreK–12 under one roof makes that possible.

Later in the day, I stopped by the classroom of Upper School physics teacher Marc Shapiro for the annual testing of bridges. This problem-based learning project challenges students to construct models of bridges using principles of physics and then tests each one’s strength by suspending weight. Throughout the day, PreK, kindergarten, fourth grade, and Upper School students attended to witness the successes and failures of each iteration. In fact, kindergarten and fourth grade students paired earlier that morning to build their own bridges in a growth mindset activity so they were able to compare and contrast the work. The look of awe, curiosity, and wonder on the faces of the younger students was priceless—especially when they witnessed Ben and Andrew George ’17 set a new school record (see video and photos here on Facebook). Read More

Head’s Message: Our Community has Momentum

February 9, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I am incredibly fortunate to be a member of the Mounds Park Academy community, both as a leader and as a parent. Each day, I have the privilege of working with an exceptional group of teachers and staff who care deeply about MPA’s students. Each day, I interact with hundreds of incredible young people who give me so much hope for the future of our country and world. I am fueled by that hope, even in the midst of uncertainty, and sometimes, despair.

This morning, hope came in the form of seven of our students. As they delivered their senior speeches, I was moved to tears on more than one occasion. Their reflections on their growth as individuals and the impact that MPA has had on their lives was inspiring. One student spoke of her love for science that resulted in her being teased and isolated at another school. At MPA, she discovered she could embrace her passion and find respect from her peers. I am confident the world will be a better place by what she will do with her life.

The Importance of Creativity in the Technological Age

February 7, 2017

Middle School student playing violin On January 11 at MPA Talks, MPA parent and Director and Professor of the University of Minnesota School of Music, Dr. Michael Kim, presented “Creativity and the Fine and Liberal Arts in the 21st Century” to the Mounds Park Academy community. See below for a thoughtful Q&A with him, based on the same topic.

In schools today, there is a strong emphasis on STEM education. Why is it important to focus on STEAM instead, as Mounds Park Academy does?

Today in our schools and in our public discourse, we are increasingly focused on the importance of students developing skills in and experience with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM. Indeed, technology is now a major part of our society, and technological advancements have progressed rapidly.

Given the pace and pervasiveness of technology-driven changes, however, some of the most important skills for students to acquire are flexibility and adaptability. Our children will need to adjust to ever-changing times and possess qualities and skills that are the focus of a strong liberal arts education. So we really need to focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics), not just STEM, as is the case at MPA.

My family and I love the focus on creativity at MPA and that the school engages students in the visual and performing arts at every academic level. As an educator myself, I believe it’s not enough to just foster an appreciation for the arts. But rather to guide students in developing their own artistic skills and to provide opportunities for them to explore, create, and express their ideas through art, performance, and music.

Why is a liberal arts education so important in our technology-driven world?

We live in an age where computers and technology can complete critical functions better, faster, and cheaper in all areas of life. We even have robotic nurses that can help diagnose and treat patients. So how do we stay relevant in a world where even business magnate, engineer, and inventor Elon Musk calls artificial intelligence our biggest existential threat? I believe that is by focusing on creativity, empathy, and the qualities that define our humanity; qualities, skills, and insights developed through the liberal arts and integrating the arts wherever possible in a cross-disciplinary way, as they do at MPA.