Mounds Park Academy

January 26, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “Greatness is not where we stand but in what direction we are moving.” Last week, I shared with you the results of the most recent Net Promoter survey. The Net Promoter is one of many ways MPA seeks parents’ feedback and spurs continuous improvement. MPA is not content to rest on our laurels, and we are always on the move. Our school’s strategic plan, 2024ward, drives us onward and is the roadmap that guides us as we strive for excellence.

Each year at this time, I provide a brief update on the progress we have accomplished as we implement 2024ward in the past year. I will follow up this message with a “State of the School” address at two meetings next week. The first meeting is in person on Monday, January 30, 8:15-9:15 AM in the PCR (Porter Conference Room) in Upper School. The second is a virtual evening meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 7-8 PM. The sessions will be similar, so please choose the one that works best for your schedule. I hope you will join me for one of these important opportunities.

While we do not currently have a formal vision statement, the first priority of 2024ward, “Empower students to live, learn, and thrive in our increasingly complex and globalized society,” stands much like one. In a society marked by so much by rapid change, uncertainty, division, and discord, MPA exists to partner with parents to prepare students to embrace the challenges and opportunities presented to them. And yet, preparing them is not quite enough. Rather, we need to empower them—give them the confidence, agency, resiliency, perseverance, skills, and knowledge to succeed and thrive. Read More

Lower School Division News January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Lower/Middle School Conferences and End Of Trimester Two
We are looking forward to welcoming Lower School families beginning next week for important conversations on student learning progress. Teachers will share Fastbridge results at conferences and Fastbridge reports will be provided with trimester two progress reports on Monday, February 27. Teachers will be sharing in-depth information with parents at conferences in lieu of comments on the trimester progress reports. Trimester two ends February 16, followed by a teacher professional development day on February 17 prior to the President’s Weekend.

Parent Chat—Mastery Learning, Wednesday, February 8, 8:10-9 AM
This is a gentle reminder there will be a session on mastery learning and standards-based grading and reporting for Lower School students. The purpose of mastery learning is to reduce a focus on grades as a measure of student aptitude, and instead, find the areas for growth to target so that students can become their very best.

Valentine’s Day Party with the Support of the PA , February 14
The Lower School is looking forward to creating class parties in the Lansing Sport Center in collaboration with the Parents’ Association. Please watch for an invitation to sign up to participate in these joyous activities at grade level for your child(ren).

Middle School Matters: A Community Book Study! 4th Grade Families—You’re invited!
Middle School is a time of rapid changes, new experiences, and sometimes, perplexing encounters in a new world in which we (parents!) did not grow up! In partnership with Ms. Cooper, our school counselor, and Ms. Meras, our new Middle School Dean, I will be hosting a community book study this spring. We will do a shared reading of “Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond—and How Parents Can Help” by Phyllis L. Fagell. Read More

Middle School Division News January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Welcome to the Second Semester!
As we have officially made our way through half of a school year, I am pleased to share that you can now download your student’s grade report from Schoology for first and second quarters. We also look forward to discussing your student’s progress at Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, February 2, Friday, February 3, and Thursday, February 9. If you missed the registration for conferences, you may reach out to teachers with whom you would like to visit to see if they have any available openings!

Middle School Snow Tubing Outing—Thursday, February 16
For our newest cherished tradition for our Middle School community, we will load buses with all Middle School students and leave MPA at 2 PM and head to Badlands Snow Park (772 Kinney Rd, Hudson, WI 54016) for an afternoon of sledding and tubing fun! This event is meant to be an all-community outing, a chance to have fun together, and share the joy of living in the snowy north. Siblings and parents are encouraged to join us at the park!

Our Parent’s Association and MPA partner to provide the cost of admission to the park and transportation. A food truck (cheese curds and philly cheesesteak sandwiches!) and the park snack bar will be open for cash purchases for hungry kids! Please send $10-15 with your student for the day to purchase food. Read More

Upper School Division News January 26, 2023

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.

Parents Association News & Events January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week
February 2-9
The second Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up fast! Look for opportunities to donate snacks and drinks or to volunteer your time during the week of February 2-9 in the Sign Up Genius. Carts will be placed just inside the LS and US entrances for donated items or they can be brought to the Teaching Kitchen. Evening volunteer opportunities during the LS/MS conference dinners are also available. Questions, please contact Tara Lafferty, TMattRN@aol.com

Show You Love, Volunteer for the Lower School Valentine’s Day Party
February 14, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
We’re delighted to announce the LS Valentine’s Day party is back! This year’s festivities will take place in the Lansing Sports Center. Join us for the day or during your student’s assigned party time. Sign up to volunteer here.

Middle School Snow Tubing in 2023
Thursday, February 16, 2-4:45 PM
Additional guest registration is due February 13. All Middle School students and their families are invited to this year’s snow tubing community event at Badlands Snow Park, 772 Kinney Road Hudson, WI 54016. Outside winter gear is a must (no scarves). Bring a helmet if you’d like and cash for snacks. Read More

Meet International Student Mina Kim ’26

January 26, 2023

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 international student program and becoming a host family here!

What do you love about MPA?
What I love the most about MPA are the opportunities given to me. MPA offered me a chance that I can study abroad, then a whole new journey in my life began. While I have continued my study in MPA, I, fortunately, was able to have enough opportunities which satisfied my academic desires. MPA provided me with a challenging and engaging social environment through well-driven people, multiple projects to express my creativity, and open chances for everyone. For instance, I am involved in band, debate, soccer, and student council. I take these as opportunities that allow me to build many good relationships with teachers and teammates and be passionate and responsible at my tasks. I deeply appreciate these great opportunities that I enjoy in MPA.

How is your experience at MPA different than your former school?
I spent most of my youth in South Korea. I am grateful that I was under an excellent education system with rigorous and challenging academics throughout my former school years in South Korea. It helped me develop my own study habits and have confidence, which led me to MPA to discover new academic challenges. Besides the academic aspect, I really liked that respecting and cooperating with others was always strongly emphasized in Korean schools in a social manner. Now, as a proud member of MPA, I recognize that the MPA community is more liberal and diverse. Chances that are given to me of choosing electives and clubs helped me out with enhancing my own abilities and how to efficiently use them. I learn and adapt a lot from interchanging ideas with people from different backgrounds and histories. Further, a deep encouraging sense of community and easy interaction with teachers has become a solid ground for me to navigate academic paths. Read More

Keeping Up With Our Alumni

January 24, 2023

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!

We would love to hear what you have been up to since graduating MPA. Please reach out to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org to provide your update.

Building A Path For Success Through Alumni Mentorship

January 24, 2023

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. See all of the photos from the networking event here!

Pairing curious and inquisitive students with adults that have experience in their field of passion is an invaluable way to provide insight. This especially applies to students seeking to get a more detailed sense of a profession, college, or industry’s nuances. William Tan ’23 explains, “this program really helped me gain new perspectives on the transition between undergrad and medical school. I also picked up many great tips to help me with college. While I have heard more generalized perspectives regarding undergrad in the past, it was nice to hear about a more focused experience regarding the career I want to pursue. Knowing I will be starting this path next year, it was nice to hear a perspective from someone who has already experienced college.” Read More

Meet Georgia Magers ’23

January 23, 2023

What do you love about MPA?
I love how MPA provides the space for kids of all backgrounds to communicate and learn together. We all have an equal chance to speak our minds while diversifying our own knowledge and perception of the world.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
I am encouraged to dream big and do right through the supportive resources MPA has to offer. From an emphasis on mental health, to being greeted at the door each morning by staff, or being encouraged to ask questions in class each day.

What’s your big dream?
My big dream is to find a fulfilling life path that challenges me every day.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
I believe my teachers teach the way they do to prepare me for life outside of MPA and help me find my passions inside and outside of school.

In what ways has MPA prepared you for life beyond school?
MPA has exposed me to more ideas, concepts, and people than I could have ever reached on my own. Read More

We Are Listening

January 19, 2023

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and MOST of all, love of what you are doing.” -Pelé

The recent passing of Pelé was felt around the world. He was a remarkable athlete and is partially responsible for the rise in interest and participation in soccer in the United States. He was a role model, politician, businessman, and ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He was also very committed and passionate about what he valued most, including ongoing growth and improvement.

At MPA, like Pelé, we strive for excellence at all times. Our dedicated faculty and staff work extremely hard each and every day, truly know their students, and are passionate about their academic, social, and emotional growth. We celebrate our successes, build upon our strengths, and strive for excellence. We are also willing to face the hard truth when we fail to meet expectations. The Net Promoter Survey, administered last month, is one of the ways we seek to engage parents and listen to their constructive criticism and take note of their commendations.

Approximately 78% of MPA families participated in the survey this year (although the numbers are skewed a bit because families were invited to take it several times if they had students in multiple divisions). According to the Net Promoter methodology, survey respondents are grouped into one of three categories: detractor, passive, or promoter. The breakdown for MPA is as follows:

Fifty-nine parents, or 16% of the survey responses, gave a score between zero and six and are considered “Detractors” or unhappy customers.
Ninety-five parents, or 26% of the survey responses, gave a score of seven or eight and are considered “Passives” or satisfied but unenthusiastic customers.
Two hundred and eight parents, or 57% of the survey responses, gave a score of nine or 10 and are considered “Promoters” or loyal enthusiasts.

Subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters yields the Net Promoter Score, which can range from a low of -100 (if every customer is a Detractor) to a high of 100 (if every customer is a Promoter). The MPA score for 2022 is 41. To put that in context, SurveyMonkey reports an average score of 32 across industries. Read More