Mounds Park Academy

Parents Association News And Events October 24, 2024

October 24, 2024

Call for Volunteers: Lower School Halloween Party!

The PA is seeking volunteers to help out during the Lower School Halloween Party in the Lansing Center on Thursday, October 31. Kids will enjoy games, crafts, activities, and an obstacle course during their P.E. time. Join us for part of the day or the whole day! The Lower School Halloween parade will follow the party at 2:30 PM. Sign-up here!

Dr. Hudson’s Book Club Returns Next Month!

All book lovers are invited to join us on November 19 at 6:30 PM in the Martin Lenz Harrison Library for Dr. Hudson’s Book Club. We will be discussing “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. If interested, please RSVP here.

Upcoming MPA PA Events

October 31: PA Lower School Grade Level Halloween Parties, 8:30 AM-2:20 PM
Friday, November 8: College Admissions Staff Appreciation hosted by MPA PA
Saturday, November 16: LS Rainbow Club Family Fun Day, 2-4 PM, Lakewood Hills Park (White Bear Lake)
Tuesday, November 19: Dr. Hudson’s Book Club, 6:30 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library

Please Welcome Ms. Staydohar To MPA!

October 24, 2024

MPA is excited to announce the hiring of Ms. Santina Staydohar as an assistant to the Lower School director! She started on October 9, and we are thrilled to introduce her to the community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I am coming from Children’s Minnesota Hospital, where I worked on the St. Paul campus.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I previously worked as an assistant for almost three years and as a health unit coordinator in the Children’s Minnesota Hospital Emergency Department.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
I found the community aspect of MPA to be the most appealing. Everyone was super nice and helpful during my interview.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA and its students?
I plan to always be a helping hand and a warm face to the students and teachers at MPA.

What’s your big dream?
I would love to travel to Bali! Read More

Your Involvement In Accreditation Is Essential

October 24, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

I am still on a high from last week’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day. It was a joyful event, and I enjoyed the many conversations I had with our guests. To see the pride our students have in their school and the delight in the eyes of their grandparents and special friends warmed my heart. I heard over and over what a wonderful school we are and how special MPA is. One parent shared that their dad never quite understood the value of the school given the cost until he witnessed the extraordinary teachers and warmth of the culture. “His experience was life-giving,” said the parent.

Events like Grandparents and Special Friends Day can serve as a mirror to reflect the school’s mission and values in action and to affirm whether we really are who we say we are. At MPA, we don’t take that for granted and strive to hold ourselves accountable to our mission and values. Our accountability extends to all members of our community: students and their families, faculty and staff, alumni, trustees, and benefactors.

I want to share with you an important process that underscores Mounds Park Academy’s commitment to accountability, improvement, and excellence: our participation in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) accreditation process. As you may know, Mounds Park Academy is a proud member of ISACS, an organization whose mission is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high academic achievement, social responsibility, and independent governance. ISACS was founded in 1908 and serves more than 240 member schools in 13 states.

What New Families Are Saying About MPA

October 24, 2024

This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the October 26 issue of Inside MPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

Fall is full of events at MPA, both for students and their families. Through opportunities ranging from volunteering and conferences to discussions on screentime and the election, we love to be in touch with MPA parents and value open, transparent communication to support one another.

Another important step we take in the fall is surveying families who are new to MPA. With a deep commitment to continuous improvement, we want to better understand their experiences with the admission and onboarding processes. Our goal is always to offer the best experience possible, and receiving feedback is essential to doing just that.

With that in mind, we wanted to share some of the noteworthy comments we recently received from surveying our new families:

“We were seeking out a space the was more inclusive than the average private school. Mounds Park Academy has absolutely checked all boxes when it comes to quality education, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging.”
“Our child has had a great transition and we can see a huge difference in her at home when it comes to wanting to attend school and feeling a sense of belonging.
“MPA has been AMAZING at facilitating his transition. We continue to be so impressed with MPAs communication, and found the ‘buddy’ connection particularly helpful.”
“While dissatisfaction with our previous school definitely played a part in our decision-making process, it was the overall reputation of MPA that made it an obvious choice for us. We toured all of the top tier private schools, looked at charter schools with excellent ratings, and also considered moving into a better public school district. When we first toured MPA, we absolutely fell in love. It is such a warm and welcoming environment. When it came time for us to get applications out, we had planned to apply to several schools, but in the end put all of our eggs into the MPA basket. We decided if we didn’t get in this year, we would try again and again. We feel so blessed to be a part of the community!”

Discover The PreK-12 MPA Preview Sessions

October 23, 2024

The MPA Preview on November 3, 12:30-2 PM, is a signature PreK-12 event designed to introduce prospective families to the faculty, students, and families who make MPA the exceptional learning community it is. You’ll hear from a variety of perspectives, engage in conversation with academic leaders, experience mini-lessons taught by expert teachers, and leave with a much better understanding of the MPA way.

Explore the mini-lesson sessions at each division level that will be taught! Read More

A Message From Kethan Dahlberg ’14

October 22, 2024

School is back in session, students are back in classrooms, and it’s the perfect season to reflect as a community on how the time we spent on campus led us to where we are today. As MPA alum, we have experienced firsthand the power of a faculty, staff, and community dedicated to helping students discover and develop their passions and dreams.

It is in this spirit that you are invited to join us for the 2024 MPA Fall Campaign: Igniting Dreams, One Gift at a Time. With your support, we can ensure faculty and staff have the tools and resources they need to ensure students keep dreaming.

As I’m starting out my new career in law, I am constantly reminded of the impact MPA had on my dream to one day join the legal profession. There are the social studies and history classes—from the Parade of States to Ms. Conway’s famous lectures on Civil Rights and the Cold War—that sparked my interest in American government, politics, and foreign affairs. There are the speeches and projects—from Chaucer recitations to mock oral arguments at the Minnesota Supreme Court—that helped me hone my research and public speaking skills and develop a curiosity for constitutional interpretation. And there are the early mornings and late nights—from chamber choir rehearsals to meets running past midnight out on the track—that taught me the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and the benefit of having caring peers who are just as focused on pursuing their dreams as they are in supporting you achieving yours. At work, while helping clients achieve their goals and navigate novel legal challenges, I find myself drawing upon my experience as a panther and am always grateful to MPA for its role in igniting my dream from an early age. Read More

No Matter Where You Are In The Process

October 15, 2024

This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the October 16 issue of Inside MPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

No matter where you are in the exploration process, the perfect opportunity to discover what life is like at MPA is the MPA Preview on Sunday, November 3 at 12:30 PM. This is the ideal opportunity for your family to learn why you belong here.

From the moment you step onto campus and meet our vibrant community, you’ll experience firsthand the warm, dynamic learning environment that shapes our students’ lives. The Preview allows you to explore the diverse programs and innovative teaching methods that define the MPA experience. You’ll not only gain insight into our curriculum, but also connect with the passionate faculty and welcoming community members who make up the fabric of our school. Read More

Parents Association News And Events October 10, 2024

October 10, 2024

Our call to action is simple: be a part of the MPA school community! The goal of the Parents Association is to provide clear, accessible ways for parents/guardians to be active participants in the quality of community that surrounds the student body collectively. Efforts are being made each month to invite you in to learn, support, and lead in partnership with faculty and staff in a variety of ways. Check out what’s coming up this month! Let us know if you see new or different ways to strengthen our efforts by emailing PA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Panther Sports Committee Kickoff Meeting!
Saturday, October 12, from 10 AM-12 PM
Porter Conference Room

Everyone is welcome! The PA is actively seeking new members for the Panther Sports Committee.
Please contact Christine Larson at clarsonPA@moundsparkacademy.org.The Panther Sports Committee is hoping for your input if you are passionate about athletics at MPA.

If you have a sporty Lower School student and see MPA athletics in your future this is a great place to join the team! If you have a Middle School student who plays club sports and you’re not sure how that translates to MPA sports, this is the spot for you. If you have an Upper School athlete who is hoping to play their sport in college, we may be able to connect you with like-minded families. The Panther Sports Committee will determine topics of interest and work closely with Dan Haase, athletic director to support MPA athletics. Read More

Ms. Sonka’s Passion For Sumi-e Sparks Lessons

October 10, 2024

When Renee Sonka, Middle and Upper School visual arts teacher, first started work on her painting “Dancing Flower Collage,” a Sumi-e styled piece, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“I painted the flowers a couple of years ago, and I was unhappy with them, actually. I put them in the cabinet for a long time,” Sonka said before looking at the piece with fresh eyes recently and touching up the piece. “The collage turned it from an okay painting into a more than okay painting.”

Revisiting the artwork proved to be a worthwhile decision as once Sonka was pleased with the piece, it proved to be a winner. “Dancing Flower Collage” was awarded the National Capital Area Chapter Award in the 61st Annual Juried Exhibition, presented by the Sumi-e Society of America.

“Most years, I will get a piece in, but not every year. To get in is an honor, and to get an award beyond getting in is a huge honor,” Sonka said on the achievement, netting her the first National Capital Area Chapter Award of her career. Read More

Upper School Division News October 10, 2024

October 10, 2024

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, October 11: No Classes, All School Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM
Monday, October 14: No Classes, Indigenous Peoples Day
Tuesday, October 15: Election 2024 Through Civil Discourse: A Sample Lesson for MS/US Parents, 6-7 PM, PCR, register here >
Wednesday, October 16: US G12 No Classes
Wednesday, October 16: US G10/11 Pre-ACT & Mock ACT Practice Tests, 8 AM-12 PM (Early Dismissal)
Wednesday, October 16: US G9 Special Programming, 8 AM-3 PM, Off-Campus
Wednesday, October 16: US G10/11 Early Dismissal
Thursday, October 17-Friday, October 18: No Classes, Fall Break
Thursday, October 24: LS/US Blood Drive, 12-6 PM, Gallery
Friday, October 25: G1-9 Bring a Friend to MPA Day, 8 AM-3 PM
Friday, October 25: US Senior Retreat, 8 AM-5 PM, Camp St. Croix
Friday, October 25: US Senior Retreat Dinner, 5-7 PM, US Commons
Wednesday, October 30: US Instrument Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Nicholson Center
Thursday, October 31: End of Quarter 1
Friday, November 1: No Classes, Grading Day

In 2001, I returned to my alma mater to serve as the assistant director of the middle school. For me, my middle school experience was one that I would have much rather forgotten. I was “that kid.” The one who was often moved to the front row from the back of the room as I was busy serving as the class clown and disrupting the learning of myself and others. My relationship with my teachers was, to say the least, strained and my parents and I could have been on a first-name basis with my school administrator. It was extremely ironic that for my first school administrative role, I served on the other side of the figurative and literal desk.

Thankfully, my parents, teachers, and administrators worked in partnership to support me. A similar partnership is also available and strong at MPA. Parent/teacher conferences play a pivotal role in fostering effective communication and collaboration between educators and parents, forming an important relationship in a student’s educational journey. According to KidsHeath.org, “Conferences help students reach their full potential by providing a space for open dialog, collaboration, and support.” They also provide a dedicated space for parents to gain insight into their child’s academic progress, social development, and progress within the school environment. Read More