October 26, 2023
from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle 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.
Being a parent means wearing a million and one hats, managing endless lists of appointments, practices, and playdates, all while working hard to instill what we believe are all of life’s most important lessons. As they say, the days are long, and the years are short. And while we’re wrapped up in the day-to-days, it can be easy to find ourselves, as grown-ups, running on autopilot, giving very little thought to our well-being and sense of balance and awareness. When we arrive in these moments, tending to others’ needs before our own, it can lead to frustration, feelings of anxiousness, maybe even loneliness and disconnection, or worse, a sense of spinning and dysregulation that lends itself to burnout and exhaustion.
Parenting is, without a doubt, one of the most challenging adventures of adult life. To be sure, navigating our young people’s lives while attempting to find balance in our own and to model what it means to be a wholly authentic person, a kind human being, and a productive citizen requires, too, a commitment to caring for ourselves, developing skills to process emotions, and sharing fully our own learning and growth, even when we mess up. Ashley Cooper, MPA school counselor, always speaks from an affirming position about emotions and emotional regulation, reminding us that “all emotions are normal and deserve to be acknowledged.” This is why, today, as we make our way through fall and into the busy holidays, the dimmer days of winter, and more rigorous days of school, I’m writing to you, parents and caregivers, to remind you of the importance of caring for yourself emotionally and mentally. Moreover, I hope to illuminate the importance of self-care as a means by which you may teach your young people, through living, intentional modeling, and purposeful discussion, how to develop healthy and proactive skills to practice positive emotional regulation. Read More
from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director
from Mark Segal, Upper School director
MPA Panthers Qualify for State Cross Country Meet
MPA Rowers Compete in Boston Boston At The Head of the Charles 
Thank You!
The Taste of Ninth Grade is a lunch event for prospective ninth graders and their families immediately before the November 5 MPA Preview. This is an opportunity to learn more about MPA’s ninth grade program. Students will engage in an activity to help them determine their school search priorities while parents participate in a Q&A and hear from MPA’s school psychologist about the Upper School years. 
Ben Ullery ‘00
Sofia Walker ‘19
Earlier this year, one of my classmates from MPA’s class of 1993 texted me asking if I had heard if anything was happening for our 30-year reunion. I said no, but I’d contact the alumni team at MPA to see. When I did that, Ashley Goetzke, assistant director of development, got back to me and said, “No, but congratulations, you’re the reunion chair for your class’s reunion!” So, I texted my buddy and said, “Congratulations! You’re the reunion chair for our reunion.” It’s not that we didn’t want to do it. Well, that’s not true. We weren’t relishing the idea per se, but we quickly realized that the benefit (reconnecting with our classmates) outweighed the drawbacks (herding cats and doing so from afar as neither of us live in Minnesota). We decided the challenge was worth pursuing and forged ahead.
Dear MPA Alumni,