Mounds Park Academy

December 13, 2021

Invite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member to join us for MPA’s PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Winter Preview! Held virtually on Sunday, January 30 at 2 PM, this event will be a structured program that will allow prospective students and parents to get a sense of what makes MPA an exceptional place to learn and grow.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!

Early Dismissal Logistical Information

December 10, 2021

After careful review of this afternoon’s forecast, we’ve made the decision to dismiss school at 1 PM today.

All of MPA’s buses will depart school shortly after 1 PM with the exception of District 622 buses. They are not able to depart until 2:10 PM and 622 riders will be cared for at MPA until then. MPA’s St. Paul and Minneapolis routes will be combined into one route. The families of our bus riders should watch for a separate email with their specific route information.

For those who do not ride a bus, Panther Club/Den/Study Hall will not be available after school today and all afterschool activities including games, practices, and meetings are cancelled this afternoon.

Please come pick up your child up at 1 PM—we will, of course, remain on campus until the last child leaves for the day, but Panther Club will not available.

Be safe on the roads and enjoy the beautiful snow!

Connect With The Parents Association

December 9, 2021

December Walks with Dogs
Join Michelle Mick on Friday, December 17 for a walk in a local dog park. Bring your dog or not, we’ll meet at Battle Creek Dog Park, a lovely, big, off-leash dog park with 35 acres at 8:15 AM. Parking is off Upper Afton Road, in the parking lot next to the dog park. Look for Michelle and her dog Rufus (pictured), near the entrance of the dog park. For your GPS, the address is: 2350 Upper Afton Road, Maplewood, MN 55119. The contact person is Michelle Mick, and please feel free to text or call 651-328-7312 if you can’t find us!
Holiday Gift Wrapping
This much-loved tradition is returning! MPA teachers and staff bring in their Holiday gifts and parent volunteers wrap them. This gift of time is greatly appreciated and will really get you into the Holiday spirit. Monday, December 13 from 8 AM-3 PM in the Porter Conference room. You can sign up here.

A Deep Commitment To MPA

December 9, 2021

from Gina Wallraff, Chief Financial and Operations Officer

One Thursday per month you will see a guest Head’s Message from a member of the Institutional Advancement Team. We hope these additional perspectives will help you catch a glimpse inside the innerworkings of your school.

The Board of Trustees for Mounds Park Academy is the governing authority of the school. It has ultimate responsibility for the school’s financial stability and integrity. The board is made up of parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and other professionals. Along with Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school, I have the honor and the privilege of working with this group of dedicated people who are deeply committed to the health and vitality of the school.

Among other roles related to the mission and vision of the school, the Board of Trustees and its subcommittees, like the Finance Committee, has responsibility for the following:

determination of tuition levels;
effective financial oversight; and
realistic budgeting and monitoring of budgets.

This article aims to provide a glimpse into how the board approaches these responsibilities and the annual cycle of budgeting and tuition setting.

The annual budget process for the next academic year begins soon after the current school year starts, 10 months before the start of the next school year. First, an enrollment forecast is created. In this early stage the forecast is an estimate based on historical trends for current students leaving and new students joining. The enrollment forecast is reviewed by the Admissions team and the Head of School to evaluate the reasonableness of the estimated number of new students and projected total enrollment. Read More

Meet Lucia Simon ’22

December 8, 2021

Lucia has been an MPA student for three years.

What do you love about MPA?
MPA gives me the space to be authentically myself, to dive deep into the curriculum through our modified block schedule, and to make real connections with students and faculty. I feel completely supported by the MPA community in moving by myself to Minnesota. I know I always have people to go to for help, advice, or just a fun conversation. To me, MPA really is my family because my own isn’t here. I’m spending the day with my friends learning about things that matter to me.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
The support given at MPA is unparalleled. Teachers and faculty truly care for each student’s experience and well-being. Since day one, I have been encouraged to follow my passions and use my voice to advocate for myself and others. We have been taught that as teenagers we can make meaningful change in the world just as much as any adult. Our level of knowledge, skills, and passion does not hold us back; rather, it gives us room to learn and grow. We can make a difference as long we do the work to go into our communities, build relationships, and make the effort to understand different perspectives.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
Because they really care both about the students and the impact the curriculum has on students. Teachers understand that they aren’t just teaching for us to get through high school but they’re teaching the next generation of change-makers. Everything they teach, they show us why we should care about it and why it’s useful in the world. Even if you’re not a science person, our science teachers will show you how science will help you with what you are passionate about. They make their teaching more specific in moments to help students care about what we’re learning. Read More

MPA’s Success At The Classic State Debate Festival

December 6, 2021

from Katie Murr, Social Studies Teacher and Upper School Debate Coach

Congratulations to the MPA debate team on a wonderful performance at the Classic State Debate Festival. 42 students represented the school, and Mounds Park Academy received the second-place team sweepstakes award. This award is based on the top two performances across each of the three divisions of competition – novice, junior varsity, and varsity. It’s a testament to the depth of the team.

We call the tournament the Classic Debate Championships in novice and junior varsity. In the novice division, the team of Greta Hanson and Max O’Connor advanced to the octafinal round, and the team of Zoya Nayak and Annika Binstadt advanced to the quarterfinal round. The team of Molly Vergin and Meiran Carlson advanced all the way to the final round, finishing as the runners up in the division. In the junior varsity division, the teams of Ben Murr and Akshay Somayajula and Zoe Schnell and Frances Martin advanced to the quarterfinal round, while the team of Ian Frankel and Trevor Lien made it to the semifinal round.

The varsity division is called the Minnesota State High School League Classic Debate State Festival, as the MSHSL sponsors the awards for this event. Before we get to the team results, we want to applaud two seniors who were recognized with all-state debate honors for their excellence over the entire season: Charlotte Bergh and Ruby Schwieger. In team competition, MPA had a strong performance. The team of Kaija Kunze-Hoeg and Jenna Sherwood broke to the quarterfinals, where, because of seeding, they had to debate their teammates, Charlotte and Ruby. The judges commented that it was a good round, and Charlotte and Ruby advanced. In the semi-finals, Charlotte and Ruby defeated an excellent team from Eastview High School, and in the finals, Charlotte and Ruby also debated well against another fine team from Eastview, finishing as the runner up.

A special thank you to all the alums who judged and coached for the team this season. In particular, Meg Wilkening ’18 and Elli Carlson ’20 deserve special recognition. These two alums were outstanding debaters and returned to the team to give back to MPA in ways that are hard to capture in words. This season, they coached over 100 students through the rigors of debate, teaching about research, speaking, and writing. We are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their patient brilliance.

Go Panthers! Go Juggernaut!

Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognizes MPA Alumni

December 3, 2021

MPA acknowledges and celebrates our alumni for being featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list! Congratulations to Laurel Schwartz ’11 and Aaron Millberg ’10, we are so proud of our alums!

Laurel Schwartz ’11 was featured in the Marketing & Advertising category as the brand director of global non-profit organization: Crisis Text Line, which provides free, 24/7 mental health support by text message. In addition to this, Laurel is also a documentary filmmaker. Laurel shares that she is “so thankful for my MPA education that got me here!” Read more here.

Aaron Millberg ’10 was featured in the Hollywood & Entertainment section for his excellent work with United Talent Agency and for representing some very recognizable names such as DJ Khaled and Zachary Levi. Read more here.

Exceeding What We Dared To Dream

December 2, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“There are four main ingredients contributing to the success of our school. First is the student body which is made up of a diverse group of individuals, each with their own strengths, talents, and enthusiasm. Second is a dedicated faculty that enjoys and really cares about students and individuals. Third is an administration that truly believes in establishing an atmosphere of support for the students, faculty, staff, and parents. Fourth is a board of trustees which is actively committed to overseeing the entire operation of this school.”

Does that sound like something you might have read in one of my recent Panther Post messages? Perhaps. Instead, they are the words of MPA co-founder Bob Kreischer in a document shared with the founding Board of Trustees of a school with no students, no teachers, no building, and no name on December 11, 1981. Yet there was a vision, what founding Lower School Director Joanne Olson described as “a dream and a shoestring with no assurance of success.” Read More

December 2 Upper School Division News

December 2, 2021

by Mark Segal, Upper School Director

It has been clear over the past year and a half that being a part of a community provides us the opportunity to connect with peers at both social and emotional levels. Strengthening interpersonal relationships make us feel that we belong and that we are something greater than ourselves. It is for this, and many other reasons, that we are working hard to bring back a sense of “normal” in the lives of upper school students and provide them with the Rites of Passage that makes MPA the special place it is. It is for these reasons that the Student Council will again be hosting the Semi-Formal dance this Saturday evening, December 4, at Prestwick Golf Course for 9-12 grade students. The dance will run 8-11 PM and all attendees should plan to arrive before 9:30 PM. The Student Council sold tickets during lunch this week, and we are expecting strong attendance.

Maintaining the health and safety of those in attendance remains a priority, and all MPA students who plan to attend are required to wear facemasks for the duration of the dance and will need to provide negative covid test results within 72 hours of the dance. Unlike earlier this year, either PCR or at home rapid antigen test results are acceptable and should be sent to msegal@moundsparkacademy.org by dinner time Friday. On campus testing will not be provided. MPA students may also invite a guest to the dance. All guests must currently attend high school and must be registered using the Semi-Formal guest form no later than 12 PM on Friday, December 3. Guests may not register at the Semi Formal dance. All guests are required to provide proof of covid vaccine AND a negative covid test result within 72 hours of the dance. Either PCR or at home rapid antigen test results are acceptable and should be sent to msegal@moundsparkacademy.org by dinner time Friday. (Please find below important information about home COVID-19 Antigen self-testing kits sent home today)

According to Happiness.com, “Humans aren’t meant to be alone all of the time: connecting as part of a meaningful community is important for our mental well-being.” The past couple of years have been a challenge for social interactions and building relationships. As social beings, it is experiences like dances and social gatherings that brings us together and unites us. Events like this, actually, help us develop a stronger sense of personal and collective identity. I am excited about and looking forward to our first off campus upper school dance in more than two years. I hope your child(ren) will be joining us. Read More

December 8 Grades 6-8 Band, Orchestra, Vocal Concert Attendance

December 2, 2021

With next week’s concert approaching, we want to provide a reminder about in-person and virtual concert attendance protocols. (Please find additional logistical information for our performers including attire and arrival times in this week’s Middle School News.)

To maintain alignment with the MPA health and safety protocols, each guest who plans to attend the live performances will be required to pre-register by providing proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (a picture or scan of their vaccination card) via email to covid@moundsparkacademy.org by 7 PM the night prior to the scheduled concert. If your vaccination card is already on file at MPA through athletics or other events, you do not need to send it again. If you have a medical or religious exception, please contact covid@moundsparkacademy.org with those details as we will provide information and work with you to obtain a clearance COVID-19 test so you may attend. Masking is required on campus. All pre-registered guests will enter and exit through the Gallery on the south side of campus (door #3) and go directly to their seats in the Nicholson Center where the performances are held.

For the convenience and safety of our community, all performances will also be live streamed here with a password of 2051. Regardless of how you view the events, we are excited for you to enjoy the wonderful talent of our students! Read More