January 26, 2023
from Mark Segal, Upper School director
Last Wednesday, after a long holiday weekend, Upper School students returned to campus for the start of quarter 3 and semester 2. Over the past week they have quickly fallen into the routine of their classes, and in the case of their non-elective courses, have retrieved information learned during quarter 1 to apply to their quarter 3 classes. In an August 2021 blog post, Harvard University outlined the importance of starting a new semester strongly and provided eight tips to do so. Please find below four suggested tips that will be helpful to MPA upper school students:
- Find Your Study Zone: starting a new semester is a good opportunity to evaluate (and re-evaluate) if the space being used to study is optimal for learning. All too often students find their way from their desk or kitchen table to their bed because it is more comfortable, and their laptop computers are easily portable. Scholastic.com states that making a space comfortable, but not too comfortable, will keep students “alert, focused, and relaxed.” Providing a space with good light where they can lay out their materials is key to their learning success.
- Train Your Brain: a student’s brain is just like any other muscle in their body. “The more it is exercised, the more agile it will become.” Returning to a first semester class will engage a different part of a student’s brain and they will, just like when they work out, become “sore” for the first week or so. As they build up strength and muscle memory, they will be able to experience academic success in their classes.
- Get and Stay Organized: kidshealth.org shares that “everything is easier when you are organized.” Starting a new semester allows students to clean out their backpacks, start a new notebook, and “offload” items that are no longer needed. Looking at the start of a new semester like it is a fresh start will allow students to establish good habits from which they will benefit for the remainder of the year. It is also important for students (and parents) to establish a system for looking at Schoology. Students should be looking at it at least once daily and parents should look at it once or twice a week to get a sense of how their students are doing and to learn more about what wonderful topics they are covering in class.
- Don’t Wait to Ask Questions: Students wait to ask their teachers for help too often. A September 2022 New York Times article shared that people don’t ask for help because they have a fear of rejection or because they do not want to impose on others. Once students, however, acknowledge that they are struggling and need assistance, they realize that teachers are there to assist them and want their students to apply their self-advocacy skills. Waiting too long to ask questions may put students behind, relative to their peers, in learning class material which, in turn, makes it harder to catch up. MPA teachers are often available before and after school, and during student study halls to meet and answer questions that students have.
Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week
Mina Kim has been at MPA since eighth grade. She is from Seoul, South Korea, and is currently living with an MPA host family. Learn more about our 
Allison Leopold ’16: Allison is in her second year of medical school at the University of Minnesota and loves it! She’s planning to pursue a career in addiction medicine and is most excited about her work in harm reduction, health equity, and Medicare for All advocacy. Outside of school, she has been writing/directing a play, singing in a local choir in Minneapolis, dabbling in poetry, tending to houseplants, and rollerblading about town. Allison mentions that she is grateful to be still connected to friends from MPA through traditions like annual gingerbread competitions, Shabbat reading circles, and Friendsgiving celebrations. She looks forward to the continued support from old friends near and far.
Emily Rhodes ’15: After MPA, Emily attended Grinnell College and graduated in 2019 with degrees in History and French. Not long after, she moved to England and completed an MPhil in Early Modern History at the University of Cambridge in 2020. Emily’s Master’s dissertation won the Women’s History Network’s prize for best MA dissertation. She is in the third year of a Ph.D. in early modern history at the University of Cambridge. Currently studying the public and political lives of non-elite women in 17th-century Britain and striving to tell the stories of those often overlooked in history. Emily recently published an academic article exploring how poor women navigated marital breakdowns when they did not have the money to obtain a legal separation. Emily still attributes her love of history to Ms. Conway’s class in Junior year!
After a successful Alumni Meet & Greet event, MPA seniors and alumni mentors submitted their meaningful experiences and connections formed through the MPA Mentorship Program. Community members gathered in the Family Commons and connected based on similar interests, hobbies, career goals, and college choices. 
What do you love about MPA?
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and MOST of all, love of what you are doing.” -Pelé
Snowshoe Evening at Seven Vines Vineyard: January 21, 6 PM
MPA Upper School students Alex Appleton, Abdur-Rahman Lodhi, Alex Appleton, Andrea Pugh, and Ema Santibañez represented MPA at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The students attended this transformative gathering in San Antonio, Texas in December. Some members of MPA’s faculty and staff also accompanied the students and participated in intentional professional development concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion.
If you have ever dreamed of a way to experience life at MPA in a day, the PreK-12 Preview is the perfect opportunity to discover why you belong here. You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, January 22 at 2 PM.