Mounds Park Academy

Middle School Division News April 18, 2024

April 18, 2024

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, April 19: Pairing Assembly, 2:20-3 PM
Friday, April 19: MS/US Grade 5-12 Speedracer Video Tournament, 3-5 PM, Room 150-151
Friday, April 19: Spring Auction, 6:30-11 PM, Dellwood Golf Club, bid from home >
Wednesday, April 24: HeadSpace “Inspiring Global Responsibility,” 3:15-4:15 PM, Library
Thursday, April 25: MS Grade 5/6 BIPOC Affinity Group, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
Friday, April 26: Spring Musical Performance, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center, tickets >
Saturday, April 27: Spring Musical Performance, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center, tickets >
Sunday, April 28: Spring Musical Performance, 2-4 PM, Nicholson Center, tickets >
Wednesday, May 1: MS Grade 7/8 BIPOC Affinity Group, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
Thursday, May 2: MS Family Dinner, 5:15-6 PM, Family Commons
Thursday, May 2: Grades 4-8 Transition Meetings, 6-6:45 PM
Thursday, May 2: MS Vocal Concert, 7-8 PM, Nicholson Center
Friday, May 3: Connect With MPA’s New Middle School Director, 8:15 AM, Library
Friday, May 3: New Family Panther Party, 4-5:30 PM, volunteer >
Wednesday, May 8: MS Parent Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, Library
Wednesday, May 8: MS Grade 5 Service Trip, 8:30-11:30 AM, Off Campus
Wednesday, May 8: MS/US Orchestra Concert, 7 PM, Nicholson Center
Thursday, May 16: MS/US Band Concert, 7-8 PM, Nicholson Center
Monday, May 20-Friday, May 24: MS Grade 7 Washington DC Trip
Friday, May 24: Senior Walk, 1 PM, MPA Campus
Monday, May 27: No Classes, Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 28: MS Field Day, 12:30-3 PM, Soccer Fields, South Lawn
Friday, May 31: MS Adventure Day (5/6 Canoeing + 7/8 Valley Fair Performance)
Monday, June 3: LS/MS Grades 4 and 8 Moving Up Ceremony, 1:30-3 PM
Tuesday, June 4: Last Day of School, All School Yearbook Assembly and Signing, 8-10:30 AM
Tuesday, June 4: Early Release, 10:30 AM

As of this reading, there are 31.5 days of school remaining in the 2024-25 school year. Each of those days will be filled to the brim with learning, activity, performances, celebrations, and anticipation of summer and the next school year. Now more than ever, it is important that you read each week’s newsletter and check, double-check, and triple-check your family planners against the master calendar online so your family doesn’t miss anything important!

Quarter 3 Report Cards Available in Schoology
Parents can now access Quarter 3 grades in Schoology. Please review your student’s grades to determine if there are any habits, routines, or processes that need to be adjusted to ensure success through the end of the year. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to teachers and/or advisors.

We are now firmly in our final quarter together for this year. Maintaining focus, engagement, and stamina at this time of year can be challenging. Spending some time with your Middle School student to check in, set expectations, and maintain momentum, is a great way to keep them accountable and prepare them for the year ahead.

Spring Sports: Calendars, Cancellations, and Coordinating Schedules!
Spring sports seasons are upon us, and schedules can be very fluid depending on the weather. Please know that we, along with the Athletic Department, do our best to avoid last-minute cancellations of games and practices, but sometimes they cannot be avoided. Please bookmark the MPA Athletics website on your phone and check the weekly athletic schedule regularly to plan and organize your family activities. Additionally, please ensure that Dawn Zimmerman has your most current contact information to be in touch as needed. You can reach her at dzimmerman@moundsparkacademy.org. Read More

Lower School Division News April 18, 2024

April 18, 2024

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, April 19: Pairing Assembly, 2:20-3 PM
Friday, April 19: Spring Auction, 6:30-11 PM, Dellwood Golf Club, bid from home >
Wednesday, April 24: HeadSpace “Inspiring Global Responsibility,” 3:15-4:15 PM, Library
Thursday, April 25: LS/US Haiti Cultural Celebration, 1-3 PM, Family Commons, Gallery
Tuesday, April 30: LS Parent Quarterly Coffee, 8-9 AM, Library
Thursday, May 2: Grades 4-8 Family Dinner, 5:15-6 PM, Family Commons
Thursday, May 2: Grades 4-8 Transition Meetings, 6-6:45 PM
Friday, May 3: New Family Panther Party, 4-5:30 PM, volunteer >
Wednesday, May 15: CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM, Family Commons
Wednesday, May 15-Friday, May 24: FastBridge Testing (K-4)
Friday, May 24: Senior Walk, 1 PM, MPA Campus
Monday, May 27: No Classes, Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 28: Field Day, 8:30-11 AM, Soccer Fields, South Lawn
Tuesday, June 4: Last Day of School, All School Yearbook Assembly and Signing, 8-10:30 AM
Tuesday, June 4: Early Release, 10:30 AM

We’re feeling spring fever in Lower School! Thank you to all parents who participated in the recent Parents Association Cultural Celebration and to those who continue to contribute to the Lower School duty-free lunches. We so appreciate your support! As we gear up to end the year strong, please review the updates below:

CHAMP News
At our CHAMP assembly on April 17, we focused on the CHAMP attribute of friendly. We enjoyed learning a rap and dance to the song “The Good Friends” by artist Mr. B. Our next CHAMP assembly is May 15, and we will be learning about having self-control. Please send your child(ren) to school on May 15 wearing their CHAMP colors!

Caution: Prime Drink
We have noticed that some students are bringing Prime drinks to school for snack and lunch. Please note that Prime has ingredients that contain tree nuts and is manufactured in a facility where additional nuts are present and processed. Therefore, the Prime drink does not meet our Lower School allergy-aware policy. Please refrain from sending the drink to school with your child.

LS Visiting Author: Yangsook Choi
We had such fun meeting and learning from our visiting author, Yangsook Choi! After flying all the way from Seoul, she led our PreK-grade 2 students in a workshop on writing and illustration, inspired by her book “A Letter to My Friend.” Then, the students in grades 3-4 learned about the artistic process of storytelling inspired by “The Name Jar.” Lastly, 20 budding authors and illustrators from the Lower School got feedback on their work from Yangsook and gave feedback to their peers. The author shared that she was so impressed by our students and teachers at MPA! See all the photos here!

May Sprit Days: Wear Your MPA Gear
On Fridays in May (May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31) Lower School students are invited to wear their MPA gear (sweatshirt or t-shirt) as their top, with uniform bottoms. Let’s show our Panther pride throughout the month of May!

A Note About What to Wear on CHAMP + Spirit Days
We have received some questions about this, so please note that students are invited to wear their CHAMP shirts (on CHAMP days) and MPA spirit wear (on spirit days) along with uniform bottoms.

A Tremendous Success

April 17, 2024

Last Thursday, the Parents Association hosted Cultural Celebration Day, an evening celebrating the diversity of backgrounds at MPA with food, music, dance and community. Some of the highlights of the event were beautiful dance performances by MPA parents and students, colorfully decorated tables set up by the hosts sharing their culture and cuisine, the ever-popular henna artist, Bilkis and Boba tea vendor, Treats. It was wonderful to experience the energy and engagement from community members. We hope to see you all next year!

A big thank you to all who helped make this event a success:

Cultural Celebration Planning Committe: Fatima Khan, Erika Beernink, Mitun Gupta, Tenia Kalogeropoulou, Reema Anwar, Seema Anwar and senior, Soumya Raman

Cultural booth hosts: Moira Duverneau-Salifu and Ishmael Salifu, Jingtao Wang, Nouf Gazdar, Abdullah Hejazi, Than Zaw, Maw Maw Win, Rudy Karam, Catrin Magnusson, Evelyn Johnson, Maria Jose Johnson, Jessica Blue, Marisue Gleason, Cedar Meem, Kari and Jeffrey Kunze-Hoeg, Samah Fahmy, Mark Segal, Chanda Williams, Tara Lafferty, Mitun Gupta, Srilakshmi Sastry, Fatima Khan, Reema Anwar, Fabiola Grubhofer

MPA Staff: Cherie Honan, Lamar Shingles, Jennifer Le Varge, Natalie Waters Seum and Michael Pappas – Communications, Roy Timm and Tom Connors – Facilities Department, and Chris Pula – Sage Dining Services Read More

Parent Engagement Strengthens Our School Community

April 17, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Spring is a season of renewal, a time when both nature and our school community come alive with energy and activity. At MPA, spring is particularly vibrant, filled with concerts, performances, games, meetings, celebrations, and cherished traditions like the Moving Up Ceremony, the Senior Walk, and the First Grade Poetry Picnic.

As we embark on this busy season, I want to ensure that all parents and guardians are fully informed and engaged. You can expect to receive invitations to a variety of special events and gatherings in the coming weeks. I encourage you to stay connected by regularly reading Panther Post and the division news linked from it and keeping an eye on your email for important updates and announcements. We are committed to communicating with you in a timely and effective manner and we hope that’s helpful—especially during seasons like this.

While I understand that everyone leads busy lives, we believe that parent engagement is vital to the success of our school community. Your participation in events and activities enriches the educational experience for your child and strengthens our overall community. I value your input and involvement and want to make it as easy as possible for you to participate in the ways that work best for you.

Here are a few upcoming events where I hope to see you …

Connect With MPA’s Incoming Middle School Director
I am excited to welcome Paul Errickson, our incoming Middle School director, to MPA May 2-3. Paul will be meeting with teachers, students, and administrators during his visit. Parents are invited to join Paul for coffee on Friday, May 3 at 8:15 AM in the Library. He will also be in attendance at the transition meetings, dinner, and concert the evening of May 2. Read More

Global Responsibility: A Pathway to a Connected Future

April 11, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Over spring break, I traveled to South Korea and China to meet with parents, students, teachers, and educators in both countries. The trip’s purpose was to further enhance our school’s commitment to global responsibility and awareness. I first traveled to South Korea with Cory Becker-Kim, MPA’s international student program coordinator, to establish a stronger presence in the Korean educational marketplace and introduce MPA to interested students and parents. Our goal there was to showcase the unique approach to education that defines MPA: a holistic, experiential, liberal arts education that nurtures the whole child.

In China, I had the privilege of visiting eight schools and one university and met with a number of school leaders and educational officials. Throughout my visit, I enjoyed engaging in profound discussions about the future of education and the importance of global citizenship. I was struck by the genuine interest in our educational approach, particularly our focus on fostering global responsibility and citizenship.

Global responsibility is a key anchor of our school’s mission statement. It is also part of the first priority of 2024ward, our strategic plan: “Empowering students to live, learn, and thrive in today’s complex, global society.” This commitment is rooted in our belief that we must prepare our students for the world that awaits them—a world that demands global thinking, effective communication, and responsible contributions.

MPA Artists Receive 26 MSAA Awards

April 11, 2024

The Art Department is thrilled to share the list of students honored in the 2024 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards:

Zephyr Bulera ’24, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Ziibi”
Clara Deneault ’25, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Fragmented Still Life”
Arlo Dickson ’26, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Kaleidoscope”
Leo Eakin ’24, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Manhattan Bridge”
Paul Fertig ’25, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Poisoning Mother Nature”
Grace K. ’27, Painting, Gold Key, “Untitled”
Aixa Kellermann ’24, Digital Art, Honorable Mention, “Coyotes Are Invading New York!”
Aixa Kellermann ’24, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Great Blue Heron”
Aixa Kellermann ’24, Mixed Media, Gold Key, “Watcher”
Nicole Kim ’26, Fashion, Gold Key, “Dress with Red, Blue, and Yellow”
Nicole Kim ’26, Fashion, Silver Key, “The Color of the Earth”
Ash Klann, ’26, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Actuality”
Ash Klann ’26, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Mechanized”
Ellie L. ’27, Drawing, Silver Key, “Shading Practice”
Ellie L. ’27, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Autumn Feast”
Lilly Liao ’26, Drawing, Silver Key, “Charcoal Drapery”
Elena M-S. ’27, Drawing, Honorable Mention, “Still Life in Yellow”
Elena M-S. ’27, Painting, Silver Key, “Winter Scene”
Elena M-S. ’27, Photography, Gold Key, “Anni”
Lia Sonka ’24, Ceramics, Honorable Mention, “Lotus and Lily”
Lia Sonka ’24, Ceramics, Silver Key, “Cacti”
Lia Sonka ’24, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Wildflowers on Repeat”
Yuhan Zou ’25, Drawing, Silver Key, “Duomo di Milano”
Yuhan Zou ’25, Painting, Honorable Mention, “White Bird”
Yuhan Zou ’25, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Pieta”
Yuhan Zou ’25, Painting, Honorable Mention, “Breathe”

The Scholastic Art Awards is a highly competitive, nationally recognized competition for students ages 13-18. Gold Key awards will go on to competition at the national level.
The list of awards represents a variety of mediums, styles, and techniques, as well as countless hours of work over the course of years of skill development. We are so proud of the accomplishments of these artists! See an album of their award-winning work here.

Community Meets Experiential Learning

April 11, 2024

This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the April 11, 2024 issue of InsideMPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

Earlier this week, we celebrated the solar eclipse with a day of cross-divisional activities, STEM education, and a community-wide viewing. Upper School students transformed the Family Commons into a space laboratory and spent the morning leading Lower School students through experiential activities that explained the science behind the eclipse and why it was such a phenomenon. Students rotated from station to station where they were taught the physics of the eclipse, experimented with black lights and photons, demonstrated the movements of planets, and practiced safe viewing with their eclipse glasses. They were over the moon, pun intended, to learn from their older peers who engaged with them in a way that defines our PreK-12 school.

The sense of community here not only creates a safe, inclusive environment for our students and their families–it extends to supporting lifelong learners on their journey of a joyful education. The laughter echoing through the Family Commons was heard throughout the school, and the look of pure awe on our littlest Panthers’ faces was not just for the phenomenon in the sky; they were looking up at the leaders of the student body, and at their own future at MPA. One day, perhaps for the next eclipse years from now, they will be the Upper School students leading the way and providing new Lower Schoolers with these memorable moments at school.

Even though we couldn’t see the eclipse through cloudy skies, what we did see was a PreK-12 community, gathered in joyful excitement to learn and be together.

Speech Team Wins Section Title To Return To State

April 10, 2024

After winning the Minnesota State High School League’s Class A title last year, the Mounds Park Academy speech team put itself in a position to repeat by taking the Section 4A title on Saturday at St. Croix Lutheran Academy, sealing another berth to state for the Panthers. Eight students won their respective events, helping key the trip back to the state tournament, which will be held on Friday, April 19, at Shakopee High School. Congratulations to the following students for taking the top spots to punch their tickets to state:

Paul Fertig ’25 – Extemporaneous Speaking
Akshay Somayajula ’24 – Great Speeches
Guy Schwieger ‘26 – Humorous Interpretation
Zainab Lodhi ’25 – Informative Speaking
Ash Klann ‘26 – Original Oratory
Annika Binstadt ’25 – Poetry Reading
Andrea Pugh ’26 – Prose Reading
Maggie Banks ‘24 Storytelling

Sean Holland ‘25, Amila Avdic ‘27, Amal Sastry ‘25, Mari Minear ‘25, Mina Kim ‘26, Nico Bergh ‘27, Rowan Mulrooney ‘25, Oslo Norcross ‘27, Zoya Nayak ‘25, Nabila Artan ‘26, Lucy Mayer ‘27, Pahwa Yang ‘24, and Greta Hanson ’24 will join the eight, having all placed in the top three in their fields to represent MPA at the state competition. Just missing out on state berths had Jake Wyant ‘27, Warner Reid ’26, Sidd Sastry ‘27, Victoria Lin ‘27, and Soumya Raman ‘24, who all still earned placements during the section tournament.

Following the state tournament, some action still remains for the Panthers on deck. In May, the team will travel to Nebraska to compete at the NIETOC National Tournament. Those participants had to qualify throughout the season and include the following:

Maggie Banks, Nico Bergh, Kelvyn Boddipalli, Paul Fertig, Greta Hanson, Mina Kim, Ash Klann, Hannabella Li, Zainab Lodhi, Mari Minear, Rowan Mulrooney, Zoya Nayak, Oslo Norcross, Andrea Pugh, Amal Sastry, Sidd Sastry, Guy Schwieger, Akshay Somayajula and Pahwa Yang.

Meet The Reid Family

April 5, 2024

The Reid Family comes from St. Louis Park. Warner ’26 and Hazel ’27 both started at MPA in ninth grade. Get to know their family!

What’s the best thing about being part of the MPA community?
Our teens have been able to find their own places and interests at school and other like-minded kids who support them in those interests. It feels cozy, welcoming, and full of joy.

What is your favorite MPA tradition or event?
We are still fairly new to MPA, but so far, we have really enjoyed the choir concerts and art shows. MPA does a wonderful job of seeing the whole student, and these events highlight one facet of many students.

Complete this sentence: MPA teaches my child…
To persevere, to fail, to set goals, to express themselves, and to explore what’s possible.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The community of students at MPA embraced our new ninth graders in their separate years, giving them a fresh start and a safe environment in which to learn and dream big. Read More

Parents Association News and Events April 4, 2024

April 4, 2024

Parents Association News & Events
MPA Merch Pickup Dates
If you ordered merchandise from the MPA PA and Talisman collaboration, those items are here! Pick up your spirit wear on April 4, in the Family Commons, from 3-3:45 PM. Pick-up will also be available at the Lower School Art and Music Show that same evening, again in the Family Commons. We will also have items available for pick up and purchase on April 11 at our Cultural Celebration Day, on April 18 and 20 at the track meets, and on May 3 at the Panther Party for new MPA families. If you wanted to order something but missed this round, items will be available for purchase during those pick-up times. Come check it out!

Panther Committee Meeting
Friday, April 5, 1:30-3 PM, Porter Conference Room
Are you passionate about athletics at MPA? If you have a sporty Lower School student and see MPA athletics in the 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 Committee will determine topics of interest and work closely with Dan Haase, athletic director, to support MPA athletics. Interested parents can just come or reach out to Christine Larson at clarsonPA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Lower School Parents LGBTQ+ Family Group
Thursday, April 6, 1-2:30 PM
Contact Rachael Weber at rachaeleweber@gmail.com for more details.

Cultural Celebration Day
Thursday, April 11, 3-6 PM
The MPA Parents Association invites you to a Cultural Celebration event on April 11 from 3-6 PM. Enjoy sweet and savory street food from around the world and an international tea bar. Experience beautiful music and interactive folk and classical dance performances. Engage with community members who will be sharing their cultural heritage. Go home with some cool body art from an expert henna artist. Try your hand at global crafts — Greek laurel wreath making and Chinese paper lanterns. Learn how to use chopsticks. Attend a food demonstration. On offer are fun activities for the whole family! Looking to help out at Cultural Celebration Day? Sign up to volunteer! Food and drink tickets ($1 each) will be sold at the event. Zabiha, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options will be available.

Dr. Hudson’s Book Club
April 18 at 6 PM
Please join Dr. Bill Hudson and fellow book-loving parents in the MPA Library for a discussion of “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese on April 18. “The Covenant of Water” is “a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.” Sign up today to read this hotly anticipated novel by a beloved author!

Track Meet Concessions
Thursday, April 18 and Saturday, April 20
The Parents Association is excited to support athletics as we host our very own track meets this spring! In recent years MPA has not been able to host home track meets because of the condition of our track. Thanks to our generous community, we raised funds, and it was resurfaced last summer! We are hosting two track meets this spring: Varsity on Thursday, April 18, and Middle School on Saturday, April 20.

Please consider donating items for our concessions stand: Sports drinks, fruits, and snacks are on the wish list. Athletes need fuel to race! Offering concessions is a standard at other meets and an opportunity to serve everyone in attendance. If you are coming to watch your athlete, we’d appreciate your help manning the sales tables. Sign up to donate items or your time! If you have any questions, please reach out to Christine Larson at 612-251-1156 or clarsonPA@moundsparkacademy.org. Thanks in advance for your support of Panther athletes!

Spring Auction: Together, We Can Move Mountains
Friday, April 19
Don’t forget about the upcoming Spring Auction! Be sure to buy your tickets here. If you cannot attend in person, there are many ways to get involved! You can buy a Golden Ticket for a teacher, or you can buy a ticket to the event for a teacher or teachers of your choice. Also, the new fund-a-need will support encouraging strong executive functioning skills for all our students. Giving to that fund is a great way to support student learning and development!

Save the Date
Tuesday, May 7
The last Faculty and Staff Appreciation event of the year is coming on Tuesday, May 7, which is National Teacher Appreciation Day. More details coming soon.

Save the Date for These Summer Events
Saturday, June 22: Minnesota United FC game
Friday, July 26: St. Paul Saints game