Mounds Park Academy

Four Students Succeed To History Day State Level

March 30, 2023

Ms. McCall’s sophomores write a research paper in the fall and can choose whether or not they want to submit it for the annual History Day Competition. Minnesota has the largest program in the nation and is highly competitive. This year, hundreds of students submitted their papers, and only 12 (total) made it to State. At MPA, six students submitted their papers, ranging from 12-22 pages long, and four made it to the state level of the competition. Please help us congratulate Earl Martin, Greer Krumpelmann, Sydney Petersen and Zayd Naseem for their hard work and dedication!

AI To Advance And Deepen Learning

March 23, 2023

by Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

The debut last fall of ChatGPT and, more recently, Microsoft’s Bing GPT-4 and Google’s Bard have been getting a tremendous amount of press lately and have many in the educational field up in arms and very nervous. I’m not one of them. Instead, I believe that artificial intelligence can benefit students and teachers significantly to advance and deepen learning.

ChatGPT is not a technology to be feared, discouraged, or banned but to be embraced and harnessed. Artificial Intelligence can assist students in understanding complex topics better, provide assistance with homework, and sharpen their critical thinking skills. I don’t believe that AI will ever replace a teacher, but instead, it will provide them with a powerful toolbox to assist them in very practical ways so that they have more time to spend with their students.

Last fall, I wrote about Climate Alpha, a company using AI to understand how climate change will affect property development. Climate Alpha founder Parag Khanna began by asking, “How are cities adapting and investing in infrastructure to protect against climate impacts? Where are jobs growing? Where are people moving now, despite extreme heat or wildfires or sea level rise?” Climate Alpha is an excellent example of the shift from the Information Age to what author and futurist Daniel Pink calls the Conceptual Age. While the Information Age was all about big data, the Conceptual Age is concerned with using the information in new and novel ways to make the world a better place. Read More

Upper School Division News March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

The pressure to end the quarter on the “right note” is frequently a focus for students and their families. Next week most third quarter non-elective classes will be offering final exams to 9-11 grade students; seniors do not take final exams. For the most part, these assessments are not the old blue book cumulative exams that many of us experienced when we were in high school. Instead, teachers do a wonderful job of asking students essential questions based on the material and discussions had throughout the quarter. Certainly, math and World Language courses have more cumulative assessments as those courses are based upon a sequential curriculum. According to the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, “final exams remain one of the most common genres of cumulative assignments, set at the end of courses in order to give students (and instructors) the opportunity to synthesize and reflect on the full arc of the grading period.”

The schedule next week will provide students the opportunity to review the material on which they will be assessed and focus only on their exams on Thursday and Friday. Final exams are allotted 90 minutes of time and students take specific exams at scheduled times. The content covered on final exams is cumulative for the entire year, but the exam is worth up to 20% of the second semester grade. There is no averaging of the first semester and second semester grades as each grade earned goes into the GPA calculation separately. The first term grades are already finalized and have been entered into each student’s permanent record, so performance on the final exam has no bearing on the first semester grade and only affects the second semester.

The Schedule for Finals Week
Monday, March 27, through Wednesday, March 29, are “normal” school days. Students in Quarter 3 World Language classes will take their final exams on either (or both) Monday or Tuesday, March 27 and 28, during their regular class meeting time.

On Thursday, March 30, and Friday, March 31, there are no regular upper school classes – there are only final exams these two days. Upper school students may be on campus before and after their final exams and lunch will be available for those students on the MPA lunch plan 11:20-11:45 AM. Light breakfast and snack items will be available throughout the day to all upper school students outside of the upper school office. Please note that Middle and Lower School students will follow their regular class schedule all week and only Upper School has a modified schedule for final exams. Read More

Middle School Division News March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

WELCOME BACK! I hope you all had a lovely Spring Break and took time to relax, recharge, and maybe even read a good book. While many folks travel to escape the cold of Minnesota “spring,” some of us just took advantage of time a little less hectic and a lot less hurried. In whatever way your family spent their time, I hope it was fulfilling and just the break you needed to prepare for the sprint ahead.

In just one week, we will finish our third quarter and find ourselves welcoming the last nine weeks of the school year. This year has flown by and it’s hard to believe before too long, I’ll be sending our eighth graders on to Upper School, and we’ll be welcoming our newest class of Middle Schoolers!

END OF QUARTER 3
As always, encourage and support your student to finish strong. Our quarter ends on March 31, and it is imperative that students finish all assignments, do well on assessments, and make sure to leave “no points on the field” (a.k.a. no missing assignments)! While grades are important, establishing strong work habits and an ethic of personal responsibility is the goal. If you have concerns, questions, or wonderings about your student’s progress, please reach out to teachers. We are always happy to hear from you!

NOTE: The end of the quarter is Friday, March 31. Late assignments and past due work will not be accepted after this date. Additionally, Monday, April 3, is a Grading Day, and this is a day of NO CLASSES at MPA! Read More

Lower School Division News March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

It has been a pleasure welcoming everyone in the Lower School back from a wonderful Spring Break. So many students have lovely stories of their travels and I believe we have a couple of students who returned from Europe on the same plane as our very own Dr. Hudson!

Lower School Student Art Featured At State Capitol
Several of our students also returned to the great news that their art will be displayed at Minnesota’s State Capitol building as part of Youth Art Month! Youth Art Month (YAM) was started in 1961 by The Council for Art Education (CFAE). Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs and promotes art material safety. The honored works are:

Kindergartener’s artwork: Lisa Congdon Inspired Shapes
First grader’s artwork: Northern Lights
Second grader’s artwork: Heart Art
Third grader’s artwork: Jellyfish
Fourth grader’s artwork: Untitled
Fourth grader’s artwork: Notre Dame

Thank you to Ms. Scharfenberg for creating this opportunity for our students!

Lower School Art And Music Show: Thursday, March 30, 6-8 PM
Our whole community is getting excited for the annual spring Art and Music Show. Families are invited to view artwork prior to entering the Nicholson for musical entertainment from kindergarten through fourth grade. We look forward to seeing all families and extended family members there! Read More

Please Welcome Jay Dean to MPA Permanently!

March 23, 2023

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Assistant Upper School director

From what school/organization are you coming?
The Blake School

Tell us a little bit about your education and past experience.
I earned my B.S. in Producing for Electronic Media from Syracuse University and earned my M.A. in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. My teaching and administrative experience includes time at The Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica, California (2002-11) and The Blake School (2011-22). At Blake, I served as Middle School director for five years. I also served in the interim assistant Upper School director role here at MPA during the 2022-23 school year.

What did you find appealing about MPA during the interview process?
What initially drew me to MPA is the focus on the whole child, its progressive approach to teaching and learning, and the recognition of the importance of social-emotional learning and DEIJ work. After being here for nearly a year, what keeps me at MPA are the people. I have deeply enjoyed my experience working with the talented and dedicated teachers and our curious, creative (and often hilarious!) students. I want to spend more time with them here!! MPA is a “transformative” partner for students and families, and I am excited to continue being a part of that. Read More

Spring Auction Ticket Prices Increase April 1!

March 23, 2023

We are in the final days before ticket prices increase April 1! Now that the snow is beginning to melt and we’re seeing signs of spring, plan to celebrate the joy and imagination at MPA by joining us for the auction. There are still many ways for you to join us in celebration of MPA through this year’s auction:

Purchase a sponsorship or tickets. Don’t forget, your sponsorship helps to ensure teachers and staff are able to attend at no cost to them.
Purchase a Golden Ticket.
Learn more about the event and book your hotel room for a discounted overnight stay!

MPA Speech Are Champions Again!

March 23, 2023

They’re champions again! The MPA Speech Team competed at Dassel-Cokato this past weekend, and came out as tournament champions. Five students won individual titles: Zoya Nayak, Zaara Nayak, Ash Klann, Meiran Carlson, and Greta Hanson. The team has had an incredibly successful season so far, which also includes a school record 22 entries qualified for the National Tournament.

Full season results:

Ties of Friendship @ MPA: Second
Westonka: First Small Schools, fifth overall
Pequot Lakes: First
Duluth: First
East Ridge: First Small Schools
Chaska: First Small Schools, fifth overall
Eastview: First Small Schools
St. Anthony Village: First
South St. Paul: Third Small Schools
Dassel-Cokato: First

Let’s go, Panthers!

Join The Parents Association For Upcoming Events

March 23, 2023

The MPA Parents Association Spring Reading Book Club with Dr. Hudson
April 6, 6:30-8 PM
Looking for something great to read this spring? Try The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict! This historical fiction novel tells the story of a not-so-famous scientist who not only loved Albert Einstein, but also shaped the theories that brought him lasting renown. This is a great pick for Women’s History month. Dr. Hudson will host a discussion of the book. The MPA PA will be providing copies of the book to those who would like to participate and child care will be provided. Please fill out this form to sign up for the book club and request a book.

MPA All-School Gluten-Free Cooking Class with Kate Thrane ’16
New Date: April 13, 5:30-7 PM
Please join us in the teaching kitchen for some hands-on cooking, as well as learning about the joy of cooking gluten-free. You can learn more about Kate and her recipes on Instagram at @theglutenlessmaximus. Please RSVP to Staci at sbhehe42@icloud.com so that we can have plenty of ingredients prepared! Hope to see you there!

Cultural Diversity Day
April 26, 3-7 PM
Save the date for the Culture Diversity Day celebration at MPA! Enjoy an evening of food, music and crafts from around the world! Would you like to share your culture through cuisine, music, dance or art? We invite you to be a part of our cultural showcase or host a cooking demonstration. Please email seema_anwar@hotmail.com.

Please Welcome Camille Johnson!

March 22, 2023

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Extended day and Summer Panther assistant, and night desk attendant.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I’m working toward my degree in child development. Prior to MPA, I have worked as a childcare assistant, PreK teacher, and as a direct support professional for young adults with autism.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
The people who work at MPA and the students are so amazing! I feel like I have a great family here. I like that it’s well-structured and the students are focused, and the parents are there for their kids. Everyone is positive and always polite to me. You all make me feel so welcome, and I thank you so much.

What’s your big dream?
To be happily employed! I’m very happy to be here! And to live, love, and laugh comfortably! Read More