Mounds Park Academy

Parents Association News & Events May 18, 2023

May 18, 2023

Voting for Next Year’s PA Board Members
Watch for the ballot in next week’s Panther Post.

End of Year Grade Events
The end of the year is coming soon! Watch your email for all the details from your grade representative.

Pre-K: Details coming soon
Kindergarten: Wednesday, June 7, 11 AM-12:30 PM at Richard Walton Park, Oakdale
Grade 1: Wednesday, June 7, 1-3 PM at Richard Walton Park, Oakdale
Grade 2: Details coming soon
Grade 3: Wednesday, June 7, 3:30-5:30 PM at Richard Walton Park, Oakdale
Grade 4: Wednesday, June 7, 10:30 AM at Seaquest, Roseville
Grade 5: Details coming soon
Grade 6: Details coming soon
Grade 7: June 7, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, Casey Lake Park, North St Paul (sharing with grades 7,8,9 & 11)
Grade 8: June 7, 10:30-12:30 PM, Casey Lake Park, North St Paul (sharing with grades 7,8,9 & 11)
Grade 9: June 7, 10:30-12:30 PM, Casey Lake Park, North St Paul (sharing with grades 7,8,9 & 11)
Grade 10: June 7, 10:45-12:45 PM, Wakefield Park Community Building, Maplewood
Grade 11: June 7, 10:30-12:30 PM, Casey Lake Park, North St Paul (sharing with grades 7,8,9 & 11)
Grade 12: Details coming soon

Welcome To MPA, Rudy Ford!

May 17, 2023

We are so excited to welcome Rudy Ford to MPA as our new director of after-school and summer programs. We’re incredibly happy to have him, and we can’t wait to see all of the enhancements and growth he will bring to the program. Rudy will be starting May 31, so make sure to stop by and give him a warm MPA welcome!

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Director of After School and Summer Programs

From what school/organization are you coming?
Sylvan Learning—Twin Cities

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I am a graduate of Williams College and pursued graduate studies at Loyola University (Maryland). I have spent over 30 years in education as a teacher, coach, admissions director, and Middle School principal. Notable stops include Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, PA; Dedham Country Day School just outside of Boston, MA; Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, WA, and St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, MN.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA’s spirit and culture are a match for my background and experience, and those features are tangibly present from the moment you enter the campus. MPA is the only school I’ve encountered that included a demonstration lesson as part of a leadership interview—and that speaks volumes about what is important here. I have never been made to feel more welcome or valued during a school visit.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I look forward to bringing new ideas, energy, and growth to the Panther and summer programs—all the while continuing to keep kids safe, happy, and learning. I’d love to see kids choosing to stay for Panther Program events even when they have the option to go home, and I’d love to see the summer program be something that draws kids from all over the twin cities for its vibrant and innovative program.

What’s your big dream?
I see “off hours” from school and summer days as having just as much potential to provide formative, impactful experiences for kids. I look forward to the day when kids return to tell us how much some of their experiences in those times have meant to them.

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about my family, my ‘extended family’ of great friends, music, and baseball (go Red Sox)! I am passionate about teaching and learning—both of which I have always done and can’t imagine doing without. I love woodworking, cooking, kayaking, and studying music.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I recently joined a band based in St. Paul to play bass guitar and sing.

Meet The Tanwongsval Family

May 15, 2023

What’s the best thing about being part of the MPA community?
A bit of context–our family is an international nomad and our kids have studied in international schools in Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and China. What we seek in a school is positive diversity (not just cultural but viewpoints), appropriately challenging academics, a small teacher-to-student ratio, a small and tight-knitted community, and warm and welcoming educators and administrators. MPA ticked all the boxes and can easily rival any top international schools we’ve experienced throughout our moves.

What is your favorite MPA tradition or event?
We love the orchestra. Our daughter is not much of a musician, but she enjoys the supportive environment and the opportunity to perform with her friends.

Complete this sentence, “MPA teaches my child…
to be caring, curious, and courageous (3C’s). Read More

John Malone’s Impact At MPA

May 11, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

I just returned from my oldest nephew’s wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, the first in the next generation of my family. It was a wonderful weekend, and I thoroughly relished spending time with family and friends. The setting, a historic building on the low-country shore of Charleston Harbor, was delightful. I also had the honor of serving as the officiant for the ceremony, another first. Despite the many graduations I have addressed and the many school events I have presided over, I was incredibly stressed and nervous.

I also took the opportunity to visit the Porter-Gaud School, an independent school in Charleston. I have become friends with the head of school, DuBose Egleston, and enjoyed spending time with him and his administrative team. I’ve come to know DuBose, and Porter-Gaud, through our shared association with the Malone Scholars Program and the Malone Family Foundation.

The Malone Family Foundation is dedicated to improving access to quality education—particularly at the secondary school level—for highly capable students who lack the financial resources to best develop their talents. Mounds Park Academy is proud to be one of the 48 schools across the United States chosen to partner with the Malone Family Foundation. Since 2012, 15 MPA students have graduated as Malone Scholars. We are incredibly proud of our Malone Scholars and are thankful to call them MPA students. They undergo a rigorous application process and not only persist but thrive at MPA. The Malone Scholarship program is a model we hope to expand so more students can access an MPA education in the coming years. Read More

Parents Association News & Events May 11, 2023

May 11, 2023

Thank You!
A huge thank you to Kirstin Sweet Kennedy, Jessie Flynn, Amy Dahiya, Seema Anwar, Molly Oliver and Christine Larson for helping Tara Lafferty and the Parents Association in the Teaching Kitchen on Tuesday. The PA celebrated National Teacher Appreciation Day with fresh fruit cups topped with whipped cream, drinks, and 18 varieties of fudge from Trio Fudge for all staff to try. Everyone rocked out to a music playlist based on the theme: Teachers Drive the Future. All had a great time!

Neurodiversity Parent Affinity Group meeting
May 17, 3-4:30 PM at MPA in the PCR
All parents and caregivers of neurodiverse MPA students are invited. Our goal is to foster a sense of belonging by providing a space to connect through shared experience and shared identity. Contact Stephanie Sommer with questions at stephaniesommer@me.com.

Get involved with the Parents Association through Informational Sessions

May 11, 8 AM, Starbucks, 2146 White Bear Ave, Maplewood
May 11, 2 PM, MPA Library, table near the front window
May 15, 8 AM, Starbucks, 2146 White Bear Ave, Maplewood
May 15, 2-4:30 PM, MPA Library, table near the front window

The Parents Association seeks new board members, grade reps, and volunteers for the 2023-24 school year. Each year PA volunteers organize events for MPA, including the Book Festival, Cultural Diversity Day, Lower School Holiday Parties, and Middle School Snow-Tubing. If you’re interested in learning more about opportunities within the PA, we would love to connect with you. Getting involved with the PA is a great way to meet people and enrich your family’s experience with the MPA community.

Can’t make those times? Please email Staci Banks, sbhehe42@icloud.com, or Christine Larson, chrisandmatt1289@gmail.com, for more information.

Welcome To MPA, Leah Hawley!

May 8, 2023

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Panther Club Assistant

From what school/organization are you coming?
University of Minnesota

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I graduated from Woodbury High School and am currently finishing my second year of college at the University of Minnesota, pursuing an early childhood and elementary education degree.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
I really enjoyed the community here, and all the staff I interacted with were so nice.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I would like to make a positive impact on the kids that I get a chance to work with.

What’s your big dream?
Right now, my biggest dream is to graduate from college and become an elementary school teacher.

What are you (and your family, if you so choose) passionate about?
I am very passionate about music, as I have been in band since I was little, and have also done choir and musical theater! I also really love the outdoors, whether it’s hiking or just relaxing!

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I play the mellophone in the University of Minnesota Marching Band.

The Foundation For A Long-Lasting Future

May 4, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

May is one of my most favorite months of the year (not just because of my birthday!). There is so much hope and promise as the grass greens, trees bud, flowers bloom, and boats go in the water. Hope and promise are important to us all and spring is a reminder of what can and will be.

Hope and promise are important to institutions as well. Over forty years ago, a group of parents and educators banded together in hopes of founding a new and different school, one built upon an understanding of the whole child. They believed in the promise of each child and knew that education is more than academics and includes the social, emotional, and physical development of a child and a balance between academics, arts, and athletics.

Mounds Park Academy would not exist without the vision of the founding families and the generosity of time and resources of so many through the years who have built our beautiful campus and school community. The hope and promise that led to the founding of MPA were fulfilled through financial gifts to sustain the day-to-day operations of the school and through gifts to capital campaigns to augment and enhance the MPA facilities and to provide scholarships to deserving students. Over the years, some families and alumni have made gifts to the school’s endowment, doing their part to ensure that the school benefits in perpetuity. Read More

Lower School Division News May 4, 2023

May 4, 2023

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

May 4: Middle School Family Dinner and Rising Grade Level Meetings, Grades 4-8
May 9: Grade 3 Field Trip to the MIA
May 12: Grade 1 Poetry Picnic, 2 PM
May 17: Final CHAMP Assembly for the school year
May 19: PreK Family Music, 8:45-9:15 AM
May 26: No Classes, Teacher Professional Development Day
May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
May 31: Grade 1 drama performances and Klein’s Grade 3 performance
June 2: Colianni’s Grade 3 and both Grade 4 drama performances
June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
June 6: Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony, 2 PM
June 7: Last Day of School—Early Dismissal 10:15 AM

We have so many wonderful events planned as we move into the Spring. We will celebrate a successful year and honor those teachers who have given so much to MPA over the years, especially Ms. Lage in the library and Ms. Espeland in music. While the end of year is full of celebration and accomplishment, it also entails a great deal of change to the well-established routines for children. Change can be difficult and trigger a lot of emotions for students. This important article from Edutopia provides tips for helping your child navigate the change coming with the end of the school year. Read More

Middle School Division News May 4, 2023

May 4, 2023

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events 

May 4: Middle School Family Dinner, 5 PM
- Rising Grade Level Meetings, Grades 4-8, 6 PM
- Middle School Vocal Concert, 7 PM
May 11: Middle/Upper School Orchestra Concert, 7 PM
May 17: Middle/Upper School Band Concert, 7 PM
May 22-26: Washington DC, Grade 7 Trip
May 26: No Classes, Teacher Professional Development Day
May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
June 2: 5/6 Canoeing Adventure
- 7/8 Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day
June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
June 6: PASSION PROJECT Showcase, 1 PM
- Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony, 2 PM
June 7: Last Day of School
- Early Dismissal 10:15 AM

See You Tonight: Middle School Family Dinner, Grade Level Transition Meetings, and Choir Performance
A longstanding tradition, we will welcome our rising Middle School families to dinner with Middle School on Thursday, May 4, followed by transition meetings and an all-Middle School Vocal Performance. This is a great night to learn about what to expect and look forward to in the 2023-2024 academic year, meet some of the teachers and advisors, and enjoy a great show! We usually begin between 5-5:15 PM, with meetings at 6 PM, and performance at 7 PM!

If you did not reserve dinner last week, you are welcome to bring your own dinner and join in the fun and fellowship. No additional orders for dinner are available. Read More

Upper School Division News May 4, 2023

May 4, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Looking Ahead

May 5: New Family Panther Party, 4-5:30 PM
May 6: Grade 10-12 Prom, 8-11 PM, St. Croix River Boat
May 11: Middle and Upper School Orchestra Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
May 17: Middle and Upper School Band Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
May 19: Class of 2023 Last Day of Classes
May 24: Upper School Vocal Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Nicholson Center
May 25: Senior Performances, 10-11:30 AM, Recital Hall
May 25: Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus
May 25: Upper School Awards Assembly, 1:45-3 PM, Nicholson Center
May 25: MPA Retirement Gathering, 4-6:30 PM, Family Commons
May 26: No Classes, Professional Development
May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
May 30: Upper School Service-Con, 1-4 PM, MPA Indoor Track
May 31: Class of 2023 Senior Dinner, 6:30 PM, Off Campus
June 1: World Language Final Exams, During World Language Classes
June 2: World Language Final Exams, During World Language Classes
June 2: Class of 2023 MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal, 11 AM-12:30 PM, Nicholson Center
June 3: Commencement, 6 PM, Nicholson Center
June 5: English Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM, Locations TBD
June 5: Math Final Exams, 12:00-1 PM, Locations TBD
June 6: End of Quarter 4/Semester 2
June 6: Social Studies Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM, Locations TBD
June 6: Science Final Exams, 12:00-1 PM, Locations TBD
June 7: Last Day of School
June 7: Yearbook Assembly, 8:15 AM, Nicholson Center
June 7: Dismissal, 10:15 AM

We are quickly approaching a fun and exciting time for 10th-12th grade students and their families as the MPA Prom is scheduled to be held this Saturday evening on a St. Croix River cruise. I find myself reflecting on the possibility of Upper School students being placed into situations where they may have to make difficult decisions and it is important that we work collaboratively to do all that we can to make it a happy and safe time for our students. Nothing is more valuable to a teenager than their friends, and nothing is more valuable to parents than the safety of their children. Unfortunately, these two don’t always interact well with one another. Statistically, prom night has been one of the most dangerous nights in a high school student’s life. Each year, we lose far too many teenagers to motor vehicle accidents, with an increase in alcohol and drug-related traffic fatalities on prom weekend. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for young adults between the ages of 15-19, and the reality is that many of those deaths are caused by teenage impaired or distracted driving. Sometimes, even the best kids encounter situations where alcohol and drug use occur, and our children could find themselves in an environment with unexpected expectations and consequences. As an upper school parent, you have the opportunity and responsibility to help ensure the safety of your children and others by helping them make the right choices.

There is no doubt that alcohol and drug usage is common risk-taking behavior during adolescence, and MPA students are no exception. Often this behavior happens, at home or school, right under our supervision. It is important that adults send a clear and consistent message that any illegal use of drugs or alcohol is forbidden. It is important to remember that it is illegal to provide alcohol to those under the age of 21, even at a supervised party at your own home. It is also important to know that if you choose to host a party where you serve alcohol to those under the age of 21, you can be held liable if one of your guests drinks alcohol and harms themselves or others by driving under the influence. Even if you are not actively providing alcohol to under-age drinkers, it is a dangerous choice to allow for teen drinking parties in your home. Read More