Mounds Park Academy

April 7, 2022

As a top ranked college prep school, MPA has the responsibility to prepare students for college, and more importantly, for life. At every grade level, MPA finds a developmentally appropriate way to incorporate rigor–not just for the sake of a rigorous education, but to challenge students to push their limits, discover what they are truly capable of.

Being experts in their field, MPA teachers are tremendously passionate and dedicated to getting students to not only answer the “what,” but the “why.” They inventively design learning opportunities with real-world applications for our students. They equip their students to use their knowledge to make the world a better place.

This is rigor with purpose.

What does rigor with purpose look like?

MPA’s highly rigorous education does not challenge top students by piling on busywork, nor does it take away support and individual attention from a teacher. It’s about diving deeper.

It looks like PreK, our youngest students, digging into a dinosaur fossil lesson in the Makerspace to explore how the biology and science of the world of the past influences the one of the future.

It looks like Middle School students blossoming into freethinkers, discovering the independent freedom of being resourceful, organized, and adaptable as the guided lessons of early childhood give way to multistep research projects and open-ended discussions in their classrooms.

It looks like Upper School physics students venturing out into our community to address problems, and then reactively designing, engineering, and manufacturing 3D-printed tangible solutions to improve them and our overall physical campus. Read More

Let’s Dream

April 7, 2022

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“I need to start living again,” I said to myself last week after exchanging a series of texts with a good friend that I have seen only once in the previous two years. I immediately texted her again, and we made plans to meet for breakfast over the weekend. Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience. The last two years of the pandemic have been difficult for a number of reasons, including the lack of opportunities to socialize with and expand our circle of friends. I noticed this at school also. My heart was bursting at the seams during our Lower School Art and Music Show last week, and I realized how much I missed the casual, joyful interaction with parents.

In just a few weeks, on Friday, April 22, we have an opportunity to burst out of our pandemic cocoons for an evening of fun, strengthen friendships, make new friends, and celebrate our school community. While the MPA Spring Auction, “Let’s Dream,” is the only fundraising event of the school year, it is so much more. Whether you are a new or returning family, you will enjoy the laid-back atmosphere held this year in a stunning setting. A’Bulae is a truly unique venue set atop a building in Lowertown St. Paul with sweeping vistas and a rooftop terrace.

“Let’s Dream” is a wonderful celebration that raises over $200,000, directly benefiting our teachers and students. It is a chance for parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, and employees to celebrate all we’ve accomplished. Our volunteer planning committee, Karen Chan, Rebekah Cook, Sarah Cotter, Lucia Gray, Amy Kotch, Tara Lafferty, Jennifer Macdonald, Amy Minear, Renee Roach, Mindy Ruane, Kelley Still, Leslie Todero, and Lisa Vale, have been hard at work planning a wonderful evening. Hundreds of community members and area businesses have joined together to create our fantastic 170+ item silent auction. There are also a limited number of golden tickets that are still available that provide the opportunity to pick any one of the fabulous live auction items. Read More

Lower School Division News April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

from Renee Wright, Lower School Director

MPA Book Festival
The Mounds Park Academy Book Festival has been a cherished event over many years. The purpose of the book festival is to foster the joy and love of reading for all ages. Funds raised from book purchases go toward supporting the MPA library and directly impact students. This event is sponsored by the MPA Parents Association in conjunction with faculty and staff.

On Tuesday, April 5 Lower School students participated in the book festival kick-off assembly to begin the celebration. The assembly was hosted by Renee Wright, Nancy Lage, and Michelle Mick, member of the MPA Parents Association and book festival organizer. Each student was presented with a book festival bookmark with information for families.

The theme of the book festival is “superheroes.” Students were reminded that they are all superheroes and their superpowers can change the world. A brand-new book was shared with students entitled, “Our World is a Family,” by Miry Whitehill and Jennifer Jackson. The message shared in the book is that the world is one big family and everyone must be welcomed. We can use our superpowers to make others feel welcome. Read More

Middle School Division News April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School Director

Spring Has Sprung!
While it does not feel like it, we are in the middle of Minnesota spring! We are counting down the days to warm recess time, reading outside, and the eagerness to bust out of the classroom/building to learn outside.

7/8 Grade Dance Party and Parent Social Opportunity
This Friday, April 8, from 7-9 PM, our 7/8 Student Council, lead by Marina Dale and Jocque Warner will host our first dance in the Family Commons. Please note the following details:

Entry fee is $10 and includes pizza, beverage, and snack.
Outside food/drink may not be brought to the event. No exceptions.
Phones will collected from all students upon entry to the building and placed into a bin at the start of the evening and can be picked up at 9PM at the end of the event.
Dress is “come as you are” casual
In addition to dancing and fun music, we also have bean bag toss in the hallways, card games and other board games available to play and gather with friends.

Please do not drop your student off before 6:55 PM and plan to promptly retrieve them at 9 PM. All drop-off and pick-up happen at DOOR 1 (Lower School office).

Book Festival at MPA
While many of our events remain virtual this year, there are a few places where YOU and your middle schooler can get involved. Please join us from now, until April 17 to share in the adventure of reading and promote literacy at MPA.

Daily, from now until the end of the festival, gently loved books are for sale in our hallways during the day. Paperback books are $.25/each and hardcover just $1.00. You’re welcome to donate books your family no longer wishes to keep and sending a few dollars with your avid reader to select a few new ones is a great way to support the festival!

You can also purchase new books for yourself and others to benefit the library. Visit this link to place your order. Mention MPA in the order comments or when purchasing in person and 20% of the order will go back to the MPA Library. Looking for a different selection? Visit this link to place an order with Usborne Books & More. Based on your purchases, MPA Library will earn 50% of the sales back in FREE BOOKS! Read More

Upper School Division News April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

from Mark Segal, Upper School Director

During the past week I have had the opportunity to speak with families who had a child accepted to MPA next year. Some of them are current MPA families and already have children on campus, and many will be new next fall. I love hearing their unbridled joy emanate through the speaker of the telephone as they talk about their happiness for their children and their family. This reaction made me think about how our students and faculty look at the joy experienced on campus.

At MPA the joy of learning is one of the six tenets of our mission statement. It is not just something that we hope our community experiences, but rather something that we thoughtfully and intentionally expect of our faculty and students. As I think about this, I wonder how we measure one’s joy of learning.

My guess is that it is not through the width of a student’s smile, or the decibel levels of laughter coming from a classroom, but rather from the intangible sense that we as educators and parents innately have.

As I think about this, I “measure” the joy of learning when seeing a gaggle of seniors gathered in the Hart Commons working together while huddled around a challenging AP Calculus problem, witnessing a group of juniors leaving their American Studies class discussing the “This American Life” podcast that they listened to, noticing sophomores sharing information about a peer critique in their Photography class, or eavesdropping on freshmen reminding each other to take care of their mental health as they learned in their health class. These genuine and authentic conversations between students about things they learn in class gives me great joy. The happiness that emerges from this community fills me with deep gratitude for the students and the incredibly talented faculty members who teach them. Read More

Parents Association Book Festival & April Events

April 7, 2022

Book Festival
Tuesday, April 5-Sunday, April 17
MPA’s beloved annual Book Festival is here! The goal is to promote the joy of reading and connect with the MPA community through our shared enjoyment of reading. This year we have a hybrid model with some on-campus events and online book purchasing from our booksellers, Usborne and Valley Bookseller. If you have any questions, please email michelle_wessely@yahoo.com.

Proceeds from the used book sale and purchases made through the booksellers benefit the MPA library so every purchase you make will help support our wonderful library, a great resource for both students and families. Read More

Welcome To MPA, Shaun Saeger!

April 7, 2022

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Business Office Assistant/Transportation Coordinator

From what school/organization are you coming?
Sacred Heart Catholic School

Tell us a little bit about your education and past experience.
I have acquired many skills throughout my career including but not limited to accounts payable, accounts receivable, administration, bookkeeping, human resources & management.

What did you find appealing about MPA during the interview process?
My first person of contact was Shian. She went above & beyond to find an interview time & date that would work for everyone which was impressive. The staff that interviewed me were very friendly & welcoming. It was appealing to see how well they functioned as a team. Read More

Meet Elissa Frankel ’22

April 5, 2022

What do you love about MPA?
I love the learning environment that the teachers and students create together! Everyone is encouraged to follow their curiosity and given the support to learn about things they’re interested in. The student body is really involved in clubs and extracurriculars (especially for such a small school), and trying new things is encouraged.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
The teachers at MPA always supported me in my goals and dreams and given me the resources to help me follow the right path to achieve them. MPA is a place where dreaming big and doing right are valued and encouraged by the whole community. Having a community that truly believes in you and your future has encouraged me to dream big and do right.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
The teachers at MPA truly care about their students and the subject matter they are teaching. They want their students to find fascination in learning and discover their passions. MPA teachers want to see their students make an impact in the world and achieve their goals and they equip us with the tools to do so. Read More

Rigor With Purpose

March 31, 2022

I enjoyed the opportunity last Friday to visit with fifth-graders about their SEEK (Science, Experiments, Explorations, and Knowledge) Projects. A tradition for more than 20 years, Middle School Science Teacher Courtney Nagle describes SEEK as “the scientific method on steroids!”

As I wandered around the Family Commons, I was impressed by the variety of scientific experiments students chose and was struck by their curiosity. In particular, I was delighted with their ability to critique their project, talk about what they would do differently next time, and how what they learned could be applied in other contexts. The SEEK Project is an excellent example of what we at MPA call “rigor with purpose.”

Rigor is different from difficulty. Traditional applications of rigor most often entail more and harder assignments that are “pushed down” from the teacher and “piled on” to the student. In reality, such an understanding of rigor requires little more than lower-level thinking skills such as factual recall and procedural regurgitation rather than greater cognitive complexity. At MPA, rigor with purpose is meaningful learning that goes deeper to challenge students’ thinking in new and exciting ways. Read More

Parents Association Book Festival Announcement

March 31, 2022

Book Festival
Tuesday, April 5-Sunday, April 17
MPA’s beloved annual Book Festival is almost here! We’ll have many fun book-centered activities, including stories to help unwind in the evening, and our padlet board for sharing your favorite read. Click here to add to the padlet board. The Book Festival’s goal is to promote the joy of reading and connect with the MPA community through our shared enjoyment of reading. This year we have a hybrid model with some on-campus events and online book purchasing from our booksellers, Usborne and Valley Bookseller, more details coming soon.

Used Book Sale
The Book Festival Committee is asking for donations of gently used books and music that will be available for sale (25 cents for paperbacks, $1 for hardcovers) during the Book Festival. Look for donation carts at the North and South entrances from March 24-April 15. We welcome books for all ages!

MPAPA One Book, One Community: Book Club with Dr. Hudson April 14, at 6:30 PM
Please join us for a lively discussion of Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel! The PA will be purchasing books for those who would like to take part. Let us know if you plan on attending the book club, and whether or not you would like a copy of the book provided to you. Please fill in this google form to order the book and sign up for the book club.