Mounds Park Academy

Cretin/MPA/Minnehaha Gymnasts Featured For Strong Season

February 23, 2024

The Cretin/MPA/Minnehaha gymnastics team was featured in the Star Tribune today for its recent success, which includes a berth to the state meet. MPA’s Delaney Cunnington ’25 and her mom, Carrie, both played critical roles in the strong season!

When faced with a lack of coaches, Carrie recruited former Gophers gymnast Jonda Hughes and a former Level 10 club gymnast, Anja Mundahl, to help fill out the Cretin/MPA/Minnehaha coaching roster. Delaney handled the competition side of things, recruiting another top athlete to the team and then winning the all-around title with a career-high 38.2. She also won on the bar, beam, and floor routine during the section meet.

With the people in place to help the program excel, the motto has stayed simple to keep moving forward, Delaney said.

“Give it your all, have fun. That’s kind of it. It’s all we do,”

The state competitions are Friday and Saturday at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Please join us in wishing Delaney and the rest of the Cretin/MPA/Minnehaha team the best of luck this weekend. Go Panthers!

Congratulations To MPA’s National Merit Finalists!

February 23, 2024

Congratulations to seniors Zain Ali, Maggie Banks-Hehenberger, Ian Frankel, Miles Niemeyer, and Soumya Raman, who recently were named National Merit Finalists! These seniors entered the competition based on their PSAT performance in the fall of their junior year—earning scores that placed them in the top 16,000 students nationally of the 1.3 million students tested at more than 21,000 high schools. Finalists are eligible to be awarded National Merit Scholarships later this spring, which could come from their chosen college or university, a participating corporate sponsor, or the National Merit Scholarship Corporation itself.

MPA Competes At Harvard National Speech And Debate Tournament

February 23, 2024

The Mounds Park Academy Speech traveled to the prestigious Harvard University National Speech and Debate tournament this past weekend. The tournament included teams from 38 different states, categories exceeding 300 entries each, and is a precursor to the NSDA National Tournament in June. On one of the country’s largest stages in the activity, 14 MPA students shined through three days of competition. Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding achievements:

Akshay Somayajula ’24: Top 100 Double-Octafinalist Oratory
Amal Sastry ’25: Top 60 and tiebroken from Extemp Speaking Octafinals
Nico Bergh ’27: Top 50 and Octafinalist in Humorous
Guy Schwieger ’26: Top 50 and Octafinalist in Humorous
Zainab Lodhi ’25: Top 25 and Quarterfinalist in Informative
Ash Klann ’26: Seventh Place and Semifinalist in Oratory
Paul Fertig ’25: Sixth Place and Finalist in Extemp Speaking

The Harvard National Tournament is considered the most prestigious high school Speech and Debate Tournament outside of the official National Tournament. In her speech accepting her nomination to the United States Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson referenced her experience and success at the Harvard Tournament as the reason for her rise to National Champion, and eventually, the highest bench in the country.

Welcome To MPA, Michael Pappas!

February 22, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Michael! Michael joins us as the communications coordinator. We are so excited to introduce him to our community!

What school/organization are you coming from?
I previously worked for Adams Publishing Group.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I graduated from St. Cloud State University before heading to work for the Union-Times and County News Review as the sports editor.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
The school seemed like a very welcoming place for everybody.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I plan to help push MPA to make it even better than it currently is by helping in whatever way I can. Read More

Lower School Division News February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

Thursday, February 22: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 7 PM, see email for link
Friday, February 23: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Friday, February 23: LS Grade 4 Battle of the Books, 8:45-10 AM, Library
Saturday, February 24: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 10-10:45 AM, click here to join >
Wednesday, February 28: LS Grades 3/4 Orchestra Hall Field Trip, 9-11:30 AM
Friday, March 1: Grade 3 Battle of the Books, 10:20-11:20 AM, Library
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
Friday, March 1: LS End of Trimester 2
Wednesday, March 6: CHAMP Assembly, 8:15 AM (wear CHAMP colors!)
Monday, March 11: Trimester 2 Report Cards emailed home
Monday, March 11-Sunday, March 24: No Classes, Spring Break
Monday, March 25: Classes Resume at 8 AM
Thursday, April 4: LS Art and Music Show

Lower School
Thank you, Lower School parents and the Parents Association, for helping us celebrate a wonderful Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week! It was heartwarming to visit the teaching kitchen each day and snack on delicious treats. My heart always skipped a beat when I saw the coffee cart rolling down the hallway, and I could enjoy a cup of caffeine and a cherry Pop-Tart (oh, how I missed these when living abroad!). As Trimester 2 is coming to a close, please read on for more updates:

CHAMP News
At our CHAMP assembly on February 21, we celebrated Black History Month by exploring some well-known Black Americans who have contributed greatly to our world. We focused on the CHAMP attribute of courage and heard the beautiful words of Amanda Gorman, the first-ever Youth Poet Laureate. We were able to hear Amanda recite her poem “The Hill We Climb,” filmed at President Biden’s inauguration. Amanda is a member of the “speech difficulty club,” (her words) and is a courageous figure for many reasons. Our next CHAMP assembly is March 6, and we will be learning about being cooperative. Please send your child to school wearing their CHAMP colors!

2024 MPA Spring Auction on April 19
Be on the lookout for information about the 2024 MPA Spring Auction: Together, We Can Move Mountains, scheduled for Friday, April 19 at Dellwood Golf Club. This is your chance to attend a night of fun, inspiration, and community building while supporting MPA with fellow parents, alumni, and friends. Read More

Middle School Division News February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024

by Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

Thursday, February 22: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 7 PM, see email for the link
Friday, February 23: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Saturday, February 24: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 10-10:45 AM, see email for the link
February 26-March 1: SnoDaze Spirit Week
Monday, February 26: MS Parents/Guardians Coffee with Middle School Director Candidate, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Tuesday, February 27: Grade 6 Battle of the Books, 10-11:15 AM, Library
Wednesday, February 28: MS Grade 7/8 BIPOC Affinity, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
Thursday, February 29: MS Parents/Guardians Coffee with Middle School Director Candidate, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Friday, March 1: MS Parents/Guardians Coffee with Middle School Director Candidate, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
Monday, March 4-Friday, March 8: i-Term 2024
Monday, March 11-Sunday, March 24: No Classes, Spring Break
Monday, March 25: Classes Resume at 8 AM

February days seem long as we are eagerly working our way to i-Term and Spring Break. Please remind your student that the hardest and most rewarding part of being a student is using good habits and routines each day to be successful and realizing that success. Encourage them to keep their focus for just a little while longer until we all get a much-deserved spring break!

NWEA MAP TESTING: Student Reports Coming Home!
We have wrapped up our second administration of the NWEA MAP Growth assessment and we will be sending home student reports next week. These will come to you via mail in hard copy. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email or phone.

i-Term 2024: TRAVEL! PLAY! BUILD! DREAM! LEARN!
In just over a week, on Monday, March 4, i-Term 2024 will begin–a week of passion-driven, inquiry and exploration in a chosen area, alongside peers from all grades in the Middle School, and led by a teacher (or two!) and maybe even a tour guide! Your students have been entered into Schoology courses where they will get updates, information, announcements, and other key information for their week. Read More

Upper School Division News February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars

Thursday, February 22: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 7 PM, see email for link
Thursday, February 22: Upper School Band and Orchestra Concert, 7:30-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
Friday, February 23: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
Friday, February 23: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151
Saturday, February 24: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 10-10:45 AM, see email for link
Sunday, February 25: US SAT Mini Prep Class, 10 AM-1:30 PM, Room 181
February 26-March 1: SnoDaze Spirit Week
Wednesday, February 28: Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Recital Hall
Thursday, February 29: Upper School Vocal Concert, 7:30-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
Saturday, March 2: US SnoDaze Dance, 8-11 PM, US Commons
Monday, March 11-Sunday, March 24: No Classes, Spring Break
Monday, March 25: Classes Resume at 8 AM
Tuesday, April 2: World Language Final Exams During Scheduled Class Time
Wednesday, April 3: World Language Final Exams During Scheduled Class Time
Thursday, April 4: Science Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM
Thursday, April 4: English Final Exams, 12-1:30 PM
Friday, April 5: Math Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM
Friday, April 5: Social Studies Final Exams, 12-1:30 PM
Friday, April 5: End of Quarter 3
Monday, April 8: Quarter 4 Begins
Wednesday, April 10: No Classes, Professional Development Day
Thursday, April 11: Parents Association Culture Day, 3-6 PM, Family Commons
Saturday, April 13: National ACT Test Date, 8 AM-1 PM, Lansing Sport Center
Thursday, April 18: Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Nicholson Center
Friday, April 19: MPA Spring Auction, 6:30-11 PM, Dellwood Golf Club

Important Information

If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please reach out to the Upper School office via cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org.
We are entering Upper School winter concert season this week. The Upper School Band and Orchestra Concert is scheduled for this Thursday, February 22, at 7:30 PM. Then, the Upper School Choral Concert is scheduled for next Thursday, February 29. The students look forward to sharing their love of music and their hard work with you during these concerts.
Be on the lookout for information about the 2024 MPA Spring Auction, Together We Can Move Mountains, scheduled for Friday, April 19 at Dellwood Golf Club. This is your chance to attend a night of fun, inspiration, and community building while supporting MPA with fellow parents, alumni, and friends.

In high school, experiential field trips play a pivotal role in enhancing the educational journey of students. They are offered invaluable real-world experiences that go beyond the four walls of traditional classroom learning. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, “students who participate in field trips show significantly higher achievement in (science) subjects compared to their peers who do not have the same opportunities.” This can be attributed to the real-life learning experiences that field trips provide. Read More

A Sacred Space Inside: The Power of Positive Affirmations

February 22, 2024

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Editor’s Note: Periodically, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from members of the administrative team. We hope you will enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

I recently came across, on Instagram of all places, a video clip from an episode of Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday” featuring the great Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Angelou, a female Black American poet and civil rights activist, has inspired millions through her writings and teachings. In this conversation, Dr. Angelou recalled advice she gave to her son when he was growing up:

“He said, ‘I don’t have any friends. How can I get some friends?’ I told him two things. First, in order to get a friend, you must be a friend. And second, there is a place in you that you must keep inviolate. You must keep it pristine, clean, so that nobody has the right to curse you or treat you badly. Say no, when it’s no … Because that place must remain clean, clear.”

As the message sank in and I sat there on my couch, in my pajamas on a Saturday morning, this teaching reminded me of the words of my grandfather. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, my abuelo was a commanding figure in our family. I used to love sitting around the big mahogany table at the tail end of family dinners when the grownups would start drinking coffee and the cousins scattered off to play—this is when the juicy family drama would come out! Sometimes, the grownups would reminisce about the old days, and I often heard renditions of my mother’s great escape from South Bend, Indiana in the late 1950s. At that time, my grandfather returned from serving in the US Navy during the Korean War and was attending Notre Dame University as an engineering student. My mother and uncle were young children in elementary school, and my grandmother worked as a seamstress. One day, they came home and found that slur words for Hispanic people had been painted on the side of their bungalow house. Fearing worse was to come, my grandmother packed up my uncle and mother and escaped on the first train out of South Bend, leaving my grandfather to finish his engineering degree alone. It was years before the family was properly reunited. Read More

Engage With The Search

February 15, 2024

Original publish date: February 21, 2024

Mounds Park Academy and its board of trustees are committed to an open and transparent search process. To that end, please feel welcome to email your questions to communications@moundsparkacademy.org until the formal search email address is established. All questions and comments will be shared with Tiffany Scott Knox and Betsy Van Hecke while Natalie Waters Seum, director of admission and communication, will respond on the group’s behalf.

There will be a variety of ways for the community to engage with the search including a survey and facilitated group discussions. The first discussions will occur next week, so please save the dates and times that work for you … Read More

The Joys And Challenges Of A PreK-12 Schedule

February 15, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

I am deeply touched by the outpouring of kind sentiments I’ve received since announcing my intention to retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year. This decision was incredibly difficult, as I have found immense joy in serving as the head of school at MPA and feel privileged to lead such a remarkable community. Each day, I eagerly anticipate coming to school, recognizing the rare fortune of a job that is both professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling.

As I look toward the future, I have full confidence in the board of trustees and the search committee to find an exceptional successor. Rest assured, my commitment and passion for MPA remain unwavering, and I am dedicated to giving my all over the next 16 months.

Looking ahead to the 2024-25 school year, I am excited to share some exciting changes coming to the Middle and Upper Schools. Throughout this year, the academic administration has carefully reviewed feedback on the curriculum and academic schedule from students, parents, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to continuous improvement is guided by our school’s mission and values, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of our students.

Developing a master schedule and academic calendar that caters to students from PreK through 12 is indeed challenging. I often liken my role as head of school to managing a wonderfully messy family with three different schools, each with its own unique students, teachers, and parents—all under one roof. We are one school united by our mission, yet each division approaches the daily schedule with a focus on our students’ academic, social-emotional, and mental well-being. A committee of teachers and administrators, supported by our exceptional new registrar, Renae Wantock, has refined the master schedule to be even more responsive to our students’ needs.

Upper School
In the Upper School next year, we will offer an impressive 50 elective classes, with 29 available to ninth graders, 13 more in the tenth grade, four more in the eleventh grade, and four more in the twelfth grade. This breadth of choice is rare and reflects our commitment to providing an enriching academic experience. Read More