February 10, 2022
Thank You!
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in and donated to Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week! This is always a fun week for all staff as they stop in the Peacock Teaching Kitchen to satisfy their cravings. Offerings included healthy choices, salty snacks, dark chocolate, and that infamous Twinkie! Tara and Shari included a Good Riddance box, celebrating Harry Styles’ 30th birthday (with Twinkies and Hohos), and regional results of Groundhog’s Day. Thank you again from Tara Lafferty, Shari Jacobus and the MPA Parents Association.
Lower School Valentine’s Day
This year in lieu of a party, the PA Valentine’s Day committee will be handing out gift bags. We’re sad to miss our beloved tradition but have to keep our kiddos safe!
February Walks
February 11, 18 and 25, 8 AM
Join Michelle Mick Fridays starting February 11 for a little brisk walk around the MPA grounds. Look for Michelle and her black Suburban with the MPA sticker on the rear window, in the lower school parking lot, just after drop-off at 7:55-8 AM. Read More
What is it about great teachers that makes them stand out?
How many years have you been at MPA?
How many years have you been a student at MPA?
from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
Middle School Café Reimagined—Together We Tube Pre-Event Fun
Microfunding Grants
If you have been by the Makerspace recently, there’s no doubt that you’ve seen the quaint treehouses that are spread across the hallway for all to enjoy! This project was a second grade collaboration with Mr. Braafladt in the Makerspace. Though this was only the first time that students participated in this project, it seems as if another MPA tradition has begun as the children, teachers, and other community members passing by appreciate the end result–and had so much fun in the making!
The inspiration for this fun activity began in November with a project called the Nature Walk. To prepare, the second grade students read many nature-centric stories and completed a plethora of great writing pieces to sharpen their observational and sensational skills for the world outside of the classroom. The Nature Walk took place on our campus and children were tasked with observing, analyzing, being present with their surroundings, and picking up objects that could be included for building the Treehouses. After the Nature Walk portion of the second grade unit, the classes read, “Everything You Need for a Treehouse” by Carter Higgins. This book includes gorgeous images along with a lively description of all the essential elements of a treehouse, from wood and rope, to rafters and ladders. This descriptive picture book perfectly “captures the universal timelessness of treehouses and celebrates all the creativity and adventure they spark.”
Before the eager students could get started with building in the Makerspace, it was crucial that they learned and understood the steps within the Design Thinking Process: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. The children worked with a partner to collaborate—another important aspect emphasized in this project—and design a structure that is stable, had a way to get up and down, had a some type of roof to protect, walls to hold up the canopy, and incorporated nature elements collected from their exploratory walk. Three building sessions took place in the Makerspace where they started with a sketch of both a birds eye view and an eye level drawing, and then began building from there. After completing their amazing constructions, the students were asked to write a descriptive piece about them, and why they had specific features, how they managed to build it, and how they collaborated with their team.
Do you have room to spare? Space in your heart for another family member? A desire to expand your family’s perspective of the world? MPA is seeking host families for international students for the 2025-26 school year!
What do you love about MPA?
Please join the Visual Arts Department in congratulating these Upper School artists for having their work acknowledged in the 2022 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards!