Mounds Park Academy

Join Us For The 2026 Spring Auction: Rooted In Purpose!

January 30, 2026

Join us for the 2026 MPA Spring Auction: Rooted In Purpose, on Friday, April 17, at the Lowlands in St. Paul! We look forward to gathering as a community to celebrate the mission we share and the people who make Mounds Park Academy such a special place. This joyful evening will bring together families, alumni, staffulty and friends to raise critical support for our school, all while enjoying great company, food, and a little fun along the way.

Sponsorships are now available. This is the perfect time to consider a Business or Family Sponsorship. Sponsorships include:

admission to the event for two or more
reserved priority seating
access to our Sponsorship Pre-Party
recognition across event materials
interactive auction opportunities, depending on the level
early access to our silent auction
and the chance to underwrite tickets so our incredible staffulty can attend at no cost.

Family Sponsorships can be purchased here, and Business Sponsorships can be bought here.

We are committed to making this community-building event accessible to all. If ticket pricing presents a barrier to attending, please contact Ashley Goetzke, director of development and community engagement at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org to discuss reduced pricing options based on need.

State Of The Upper School: Living, Learning, Thriving

January 29, 2026

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

As we reach the midpoint of the school year, our division directors are pausing to reflect on what is thriving, what is evolving, and what lies ahead. These updates reflect the unique character of each division and, together, highlight the shared commitment to learning, belonging, and growth that defines Mounds Park Academy. Watch for a state of the school report with a PreK-12 perspective from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school, in next week’s Panther Post.

At the midpoint of each year, I enjoy setting aside time to examine how the first half of the school year has unfolded and to consider where our focus should be for the months ahead, as we also begin planning for the next school year. Recent data from the Net Promoter Survey, along with student feedback and faculty conversations, affirm that the Upper School continues to thrive as a place of strong academic engagement and personal growth.

Academic Excellence and Preparation

With a well-established culture of exceptional teaching, Upper School students consistently report feeling supported, challenged, and well prepared for the academic demands of college and beyond. Alumni echo this sentiment, often sharing that the habits of thinking, writing, and self-advocacy they developed here served them well as they transitioned to some of the most rigorous colleges and universities in the country.

Class sizes that hold in the mid-teens, along with a thoughtfully structured daily schedule, support meaningful student–teacher relationships. Students have regular opportunities to connect with faculty during prep periods, study halls, and shared involvement in extracurricular activities, many of which meet during the school day. These connections allow teachers to know students well—not only as learners, but as individuals—and to support them in ways that extend beyond the classroom.

State of the Middle School: Growing, Connecting, Exploring

January 29, 2026

from Paul Errickson, Middle School director

As I reflect on the year so far, I continue to be inspired by the energy, curiosity, and joy your children bring to Mounds Park Academy’s Middle School each day. Serving 165 students in grades five through eight, our division is a vibrant, student-centered community where intellectual exploration, personal growth, and joyful learning come together in meaningful ways. I’m grateful every day to partner with you as we support the growth of your young adolescents—academically, socially, and emotionally. While it has been a challenging year with a lot going on outside of school, we are so fortunate to have such a safe, inclusive, and joyful school where our middle schoolers can learn and grow.

A Well-Rounded, Engaging Academic Experience

One of the aspects I am most proud of is the richness of our Middle School curriculum. Every student takes art, drama, English, health, math, music, physical education, science, social studies, and world language—every year, in every grade. This ensures that students develop wide-ranging skills and the confidence to try new things. Our concerts and project presentations have been a joy to experience, and our faculty continue to collaborate to create meaningful, authentic experiences for our students.

Our daily structure is intentionally designed to support balance. Students love having a 50-minute lunch and recess period and a 30-minute Flex period, which supports homework completion, clubs, extra help from teachers, and music lessons. This Flex period was restructured and enhanced this year, moving it from the Panther Center to our Family Commons, creating an intentional and productive space and allowing us to add many more clubs. We now have more than 30 extracurricular opportunities—from robotics and sailing to quiz bowl and D&D club! Read More

State of the Lower School: Strong Roots, Clear Steps

January 29, 2026

from James Ewer, Lower School director

We have something very special. And we have work to do to protect it.

A Program Built on Relationships and Breadth

When I step back and look at what I consistently observe, I see a division built on relationships and a real belief in children. Our specialist program stands out as a major asset. Our students get a breadth of experiences that most schools cannot offer, with strong offerings across areas like arts, world language, LMT, robotics, theatre, and daily P.E. That range gives kids multiple entry points to confidence, success, and belonging. Read More

Parents Association News And Events January 29, 2026

January 29, 2026

Lower School Valentine’s Day Party

Calling for volunteers from Lower School families! Please sign up to volunteer at the upcoming Lower School Valentine’s Party on February 12!

Basketball Game Concessions

Support the girls and boys basketball teams and MPA Athletics by keeping the crowd happy and fed during the games! No previous experience needed.

Upcoming Events:

Middle School Quarterly Coffee | Thursday, February 12 from 8-9 AM | Porter Conference Room

Parents Association Trivia Night | Friday, February 27, 6-8 PM | Family Commons

MPA Shifts From TADS To Clarity For Contracts & Billing

January 29, 2026

We are excited to announce that MPA is expanding our use of Clarity to include its contracts and billing portal. Families who have used Clarity for Indexed Tuition applications will find the process familiar and families who are new to Clarity should find it straightforward as well. This will integrate beautifully with our use of Clarity for financial assistance applications. Based on your feedback, we selected Clarity due to its ease of use, modern interface, and exceptional customer service.

With Clarity, you’ll benefit from:

A Streamlined Process: Indexed Tuition re-applications, contract, invoice, and billing information will be conveniently located in one place.
Convenient Payments: You can pay your deposit, tuition, and incidental charges in the portal. You can pay by ACH or credit card.
Mobile Friendly Interface: Access right from your phone or any device, wherever you are.

FAQs for MPA Families

How will I access my 2026-27 re-enrollment agreement and complete the process?

On Monday, February 9, you will receive an email from Clarity on behalf of MPA inviting you to start the process of re-enrolling. This message will contain your unique link to complete your re-enrollment contract.
Once you click through, Clarity will prompt you to create a login. If you have applied for Indexed Tuition through Clarity, you will log in with that username and password. If you are new to Clarity, you can sign in using Google or Microsoft single sign-on, or create an account using your preferred email address.
After logging in, you’ll be guided step-by-step through the contract process. You’ll be able to review and select your tuition and payment plan, choose any additional offerings, and sign your contract digitally. If there is a second guardian, signing the contract will generate an email to the second guardian inviting them to co-sign. Either guardian may initiate the process.
When you’re ready, you’ll be directed to make your deposit payment via credit card or ACH. Once your payment is submitted, your enrollment will be complete. You’ll then be taken to your Family Dashboard, where you can view your contract and manage your account going forward.
Your student will be fully re-enrolled when all guardians have signed the contract and you have paid the deposit.
You will then repeat this process for each child re-enrolling at MPA. Note that Clarity issues contracts and billing by student, not by family. You will be able to see all students in the portal.
If you have two separate households, each household will complete the process independently and not have visibility into the other household.
The deadline to complete this process is Friday, February 20.

How will I know what my Indexed Tuition award is?
Upon logging into Clarity, you will see your award on the first screen. MPA does not send separate notifications of awards unless there is a special circumstance.

How will the transition from TADS to Clarity happen?
For the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, you will continue to access 2025-26 billing through TADS. During re-enrollment for 2026-27, you will sign a new contract and set up 2026-27 billing in Clarity. You will need to have both accounts until you make your last payment for the 2025-26 school year, at which time everything will be accessible in Clarity.

Is my information safe with Clarity?
Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards, including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to Clarity’s Privacy Policy.

Who do I contact with questions about contracts, billing, and Indexed Tuition?
Your family is very important to us and we want to hear from you with questions and concerns.

For questions or concerns about tuition or your Indexed Tuition award, please contact Robert Perez, CFOO, at rperez@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5501.
For questions or concerns about the details or specific charges you see in Clarity, please contact Allie DeLeo, student billing coordinator, at studentbilling@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5502.
For assistance with the Clarity interface, please contact Clarity at support@clarityapp.com or 206-210-3752.

Where can I learn more?
If you would like more information prior to re-enrollment opening on February 9, please take a moment to view these tutorials from Clarity:

How to create an account >
Note: If you already have a Clarity account through your financial aid application, please use that login.
How to sign your contract >
How to set up autopay >

Contribute To The Do Right Helping Hands Food Drive!

January 26, 2026

We are proud to continue our community-wide effort to support families in need across our local area. Each week from now until spring break, we are collecting and delivering nonperishable food, household essentials, and personal care items to benefit the following:

Two local schools
Local clinic on the East Side
Open Cupboard/Today’s Harvest
MPA’s own community pantry, supporting MPA families

If you are able, we invite you to drop off needed items at doors one and seven on any weekday.

Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers are needed weekly! If you would like to join us on campus to help sort, package, and prepare deliveries for our partner organizations, click here!

Most Needed Items

Canned Goods:

Tuna
Chicken
Sardines
Vegetables
Baby Corn
Beans
Fruit
Coconut Milk

Starches:

Rice
Pasta
Mama Brand Instant Noodles
Canton Egg Noodles (Dried)
Corn Tortillas
Maseca (corn flour)

Easy Meals:

Mac & Cheese
Ramen
Soup
Hamburger Helper
Canned Pasta (ravioli, SpaghettiOs, etc.)

Dried:

Beans
Lentils

Spices:

Garlic
Onion
Chili Powder
Cumin
Bouillon Cubes

Sauces/Oils:

Cooking Oil
Sesame Oil
Pasta Sauce
Black Bean Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Sriracha
Soy Sauce
Hoisin Sauce

Household Items:

Trash Bags
Dish Soap
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Laundry Detergent

Personal Hygiene:

Shampoo/Conditioner
Body Wash/Soap
Lotion
Deodorant
Sanitary Pads
Toothpaste
Toothbrush

Other:

Diapers
Formula
Jelly
Instant Coffee
Cases of Water
Shelf Stable Milk
Cereal
Snacks (chips, cheese crackers, granola bars, fruit pouches, cookie packs, etc.)
Applesauce

Please follow MPA’s allergy guidelines and refrain from bringing in anything with peanuts or tree nuts as ingredients or in the precautionary allergen labeling.

If your family needs support, please don’t hesitate to reach out confidentially to Ashley Goetzke at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org. We would be honored to assist through our MPA pantry.

If you have any questions about the food drive, please contact MPA Parents Association co-presidents Laura Nicholson at laurahnicholson@gmail.com and Jasmin Stees at jasminstees@yahoo.com.

Parents Association News And Events January 22, 2026

January 22, 2026

Care For Faculty & Staff!

Once again, the Parents Association will host a conference dinner for the Lower and Middle School divisions on Thursday, and snacks to fuel our teachers on Friday. Sign up to contribute perishable and nonperishable items for our upcoming events. Thank you!

Upcoming Events:

Middle School Quarterly Coffee | Thursday, February 12 from 8-9 AM | Porter Conference Room

Parents Association Trivia Night | Friday, February 27, 6-8 PM | Family Commons

MPA Closed Friday, January 23

January 22, 2026

Dear MPA Community,

We have been closely monitoring the forecasted temperature and windchill. Unfortunately, we have made the decision to cancel all classes, activities, practices, and events tomorrow, Friday, January 23.

This cancellation includes the 7 PM performance of the Winter Show. If you purchased a ticket and would like a refund, please contact James Lekatz at jlekatz@moundsparkacademy.org. Otherwise, your ticket purchase will be treated as a donation to the theatre program.

All after-school activities and events today will proceed as scheduled.

This is not a decision we take lightly, as we carefully balance the safety of our students and families with our commitment to students’ time in class. Safety, however, is always our highest priority.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on campus on Monday. Stay warm!

Sincerely,
Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon
Head of School

Small Acts, Shared Belonging

January 22, 2026

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school

Lately I’ve felt, as I suspect many of you have, a heavier, quieter kind of worry. Over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I took time to reflect on peace, equality, and the lessons my parents taught me about service: that small acts of kindness truly change lives. Hearing our youngest students at their Lower School assembly speak about Ruby Bridges and ways to practice kindness and fairness gave me chills and renewed my hope. I then had the good fortune of walking through the Upper School Commons, where I could see some Upper School students helping one another and connecting across grades, along with their teachers, which makes it very evident to me how our daily choices to connect create belonging.

This week, a group of MPA students, faculty, staff, caregivers, and administrators attended the Pollyanna National Conference: Building Stronger and Kinder Communities. The original plan was to hold the conference in Minneapolis, but organizers pivoted to virtual at the last minute. Though not the same, seeing over 40 schools from across the nation gather and focus on communities offered the encouragement so many of us have been looking for. The conference reminded me why MPA’s commitment to community and deepening relationships matters.

I want to take a moment to offer a few takeaways from two keynote speakers from the conference.