MPA Athletes Swept The Podium

August 4, 2021

MPA Student-Athletes/Lake Phalen Rowing Club take on the Iowa Games RegattaThe Lake Phalen Rowing swept the podium at the Iowa Games Regatta on July 31st with MPA student/athletes bringing home multiple victories. We’re so glad to see that our student community is remaining active in the summer months, and winning simultaneously! Please refer to the information below to see the results from this competitive regatta.

Men’s Novice 1x:
2nd place—Finn Zeruhn
3rd place—Alex Appleton

Men’s Jr 4x:
2nd place—Collin Steinberger ‘21, Grant Steinberger, David Steinberger, Matt Duerr

Women’s Novice 1x:
1st place—Sonia Olk
3rd place—Abby Appleton

Appleton siblings with their medalsMen’s Jr 1x:
1st—Grant Steinberger
7th—David Steinberger
8th—Collin Steinberger ‘21
16th—Alex Appleton
17th—Finn Zeruhn

Men’s Jr 2x:
Tied for 2nd place—Collin Steinberger ‘21, Grant Steinberger
5th place—Matt Duerr, David
10th place—Finn Zeruhn

Medal totals:
Gold—5
Silver—4
Bronze—2

A Night Of Panther Pride

August 2, 2021

Mason's Parents at the Watch PartyMason Ferlic ’11 Competes in Olympic Games 

MPA community members from alumni, faculty, and current families gathered to celebrate and support Mason’s olympic accomplishments. We launched the event with pizza and ‘Go Mason’ poster making, then concluded with a personal FaceTime from Mason after he crossed the finish line. The Ferlic family and the rest of the MPA community expressed their immense pride and happiness for Mason as we wished him a restful remainder of his evening. Enjoy this reflection piece written by Nate Bander ’09, one of Mason’s teammates and click through our photos from that night.

by Nate Bander, Class of 2009

Mason Ferlic ran a near personal best in the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on July 30, placing 21st in 8:20.23, an exciting and historic day for MPA! Mason came to MPA in ninth grade and joined the track and field team in his first year. He found success right away, and his coaches and teammates encouraged him to sign up for cross country running. The problem was that he was already registered for soccer! But, with a little arm twisting, he decided to give cross country a try. The rest is pretty much history, he went on to win four MSHSL state championships, break three school records, and appear on MPA’s track and field top 10 list 11 times (though fun fact, Nolan, his younger brother, appears 13).

After graduating from MPA in 2011, Mason competed for the University of Michigan as the first of what have now become four MPA track and field athletes to compete at the Division I level in the last 10 years, all in the Big Ten Conference. He won the 2016 NCAA steeplechase championship and after graduating from Michigan with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering, he is now pursuing a PHD in Applied Statistics, which he does while training with Very Nice Track Club in Ann Arbor. Read More

2021-22 COVID-19 & Back To School

July 21, 2021

first grader in art classby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Even though it can be a little quiet and sometimes lonely working over the summer, it is a delight to witness how the grounds come alive. My office overlooks the rain garden and reclaimed prairie at the north end of the campus and the indigenous flowers that only bloom in the summer are stunning. From time to time, I also stroll through our gardens outside the Middle School and our new garden outside the Harrison Library. We are fortunate to have such a beautiful campus and a committed cadre of teachers, staff, students, and parents who lovingly care for it over the summer months.

Great care has also gone into preparing for the new school year. This email serves as your re-introduction to life during a pandemic on campus at MPA. We’ve spent a great deal of time this spring and summer researching the progression of the pandemic, consulting with educational and medical experts, and seeking guidance from our Community Advisory Group to design a plan that continues to be flexible, nimble, and always attuned to the latest science. Just like last summer and even throughout the school year, please know that the plan and all of our safety measures will change based on emerging information, both locally and nationally. We remain wholly committed to being safe, being smart, and being kind and ask all of our families to recommit to that intention. We cannot wait to have the entire community back on campus this August—including families! Read More

New Family Orientations & Back To School Days

July 20, 2021

back to school day in first gradeNew Family Orientations and Back To School Days will be held on campus throughout August. These will be small events designed for maximum safety.

  • PreK Family & Teacher Meetings: August 10-14, scheduled by sign-up
  • PreK Playground Playdate & Family Orientation: August 19, 3-5 PM
  • Kindergarten Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 20, 9-11 AM (New family arrival time: 8:45 AM. Returning family arrival time: 9:30 AM.)
  • First Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 23, 12-2 PM (New family arrival time: 11:45 AM. Returning family arrival time: 12:30 PM.)
  • Second Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 23, 3-5 PM (New family arrival time: 2:45 PM. Returning family arrival time: 3:30 PM.)
  • Third Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 24, 12-2 PM (New family arrival time: 11:45 AM. Returning family arrival time: 12:30 PM.)
  • Fourth Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 24, 3-5 PM (New family arrival time: 2:45 PM. Returning family arrival time: 3:30 PM.)
  • Fifth & Sixth Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 17, 6-8 PM (New family arrival time: 5:45. Returning family arrival time: 6:45 PM.)
  • Seventh & Eighth Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 19, 6-8 PM (New family arrival time: 5:45 PM. Returning family arrival time: 6:45 PM.)
  • Ninth Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 18, 6-8 PM (New family arrival time: 5:45 PM. Returning family arrival time: 6:45 PM.)
  • 10th-12th Grade Back To School Day & New Family Orientation: August 23, 6-8 PM (New family arrival time: 5:45 PM. Returning family arrival time: 6:30 PM.)

Each of these Back To School Day & New Family Orientation events will include time with your division director as well as opportunities for students to meet their teachers, bring their school supplies, see their lockers, and walk their schedules (in Middle and Upper School). It will also include social time for returning and new students as well as their families.

To view these events in calendar form, click here.

Host An MPA International Student

July 19, 2021

international students in the makerspaceDo 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 several international students for the 2021-22 school year.

Our new students this past year found great success, experiencing near-daily “firsts,” and are loving their MPA journey. Between the adults in their school and home lives, our students feel supported, nurtured, and loved while living so far from their families. This is vital to their success and the strongest testament to everything our MPA host families and staff do to care for our international students. Read More

Mounds Park Academy Closed July 3-11

July 1, 2021

MPA campusMounds Park Academy, including the building and grounds, business office, heads office, development, admissions, communications, athletics offices, and all division offices will be closed July 3-11, 2021. We appreciate your patience while employees spend time with their families. We will respond to emails and voicemails immediately upon our return!

Students Join Volunteers To Help Our Campus Flourish

June 30, 2021

student volunteers working in the gardenThis past year, our community volunteers found so many creative ways to stay connected and involved. Many found their time and love pouring into one of the newer additions to campus–our library gardens. Since the gardens just turned one year old this summer, this year is the first time that it has had volunteer tending to its plants and foraging its vegetables. While there are currently five dedicated parent volunteers, more recently, several Upper and Middle School student volunteers are spending their time taking care of our beloved outdoor space, too!

“The energy is wonderful. Cassie Atkinson has spearheaded the organization of things like the watering schedule (which is no small feat!), she has brought ideas and she even brought her Mum along, who spent a good couple of hours weeding,” said MPA parent and volunteer Michelle Mick. Read More

Meet Ms. Hernandez

June 22, 2021

Congratulations to Lauren Hernandez who is moving from Communications Coordinator to Communications and Marketing Manager. Get to know Ms. Hernandez!

What do you love about MPA?
There is so much I love about MPA. I love the energy, the joyful students, the dedicated faculty and staff, and the sense of community. I love collaborating with my colleagues and dreaming up big (and small!) ideas. And of course, I really love getting super cute notes and drawings from kiddos!

How does MPA inspire students who dream big and do right?
MPA is full of role models that even I as a staff member look up to! The faculty is extremely dedicated and creative, but I think what’s especially inspiring is the environment that MPA creates, representative of different talents, passions, skills, backgrounds, and resources .

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
At the school I worked at before coming to MPA, my office was in a different building, separate from life on campus. At MPA, I am so connected to everything that goes on. I get to truly feel the joy that is ever-present throughout this school.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
Being a part of this community is a gift for your entire family. The educational journey your child will experience and the relationships and friendships you will make are so special.

What do you hope for MPA students in 20 years?
I have seen such brilliant and motivated change-makers graduate from MPA that I have no doubt about the impact they will make on our world. What I hope is that they’ll remember to reach out to us in 20 years so we can continue to share their stories!

Henry Snider ’20: Michigan Tech Nordic Skiing and Cross Country Running

June 21, 2021

After winning the 2020 Minnesota state championship in Nordic skiing, Henry Snider was nearly speechless. “I always dreamed of being a state champion,” he told the Pioneer Press. “It’s completely amazing. Just crazy. Lots of training over the summer, dedication, loving the sport.”

That love of the sport of Nordic skiing, and nearly all endurance sports, made Snider into one of MPA’s all-time greats. Though he only competed for the Panthers for part of his sophomore year, his junior year, and part of his year (the MSHSL’s transfer rule and COVID-19 both played a role in that), Snider’s name dots the record books and awards lists.

The 2020 state champion in Nordic, Snider was an IMAC conference and Section 4 champion who also placed sixth in state as a junior (qualifying all four years) and was named the Star Tribune’s Metro Boys’ Nordic Skier of the Year. He led the Panthers to a fifth-place ranking in the state poll in January 2018, especially impressive as there is only one size classification for schools in Nordic skiing.

In cross country running, Snider helped lead the boy’s team to a berth in the 2017 state meet, won the IMAC conference and Section 4 individual championships and earned all-state twice, finishing both ninth and tenth. His 5K personal best of 16:16 is third all-time in MPA history.

On the track, Snider appears on MPA’s top 10 list six times in five different events (800m, 1600m, 3200m, 4x800m, and 4x1600m) Snider was an IMAC conference champion, placed seventh in the 3200m at state and anchored the Panther’s 4x800m that placed ninth. His 3200m time of 9:50.93, run as a junior, makes him just one of four MPA track and field athletes to break the 10 minute barrier in that event. His senior track season was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19.

“MPA had great coaches that allowed me to train and compete at a high level and prepare me for college racing,” Snider says.

Snider chose to compete collegiately in Nordic skiing and cross country running at Michigan Tech, located in Houghton, MI. Since joining the Huskies, Henry has been quite successful. He placed 12th overall amongst both the CCSA and Midwest juniors in the Mt. Itasca skate 10km race. He also placed first in the Midwest junior classic 10km race and garnered 12th place honors at both the 2019 and 2020 U.S. Junior National Championships.

“My college experience so far has obviously been different because of COVID-19, but I was lucky to still have almost a normal ski season. I was able to have some classes in person, but most were online, I also had to eat meals in my dorm. I was able to practice with the whole team everyday though which I found very helpful and important,” says Snider, who is studying mechanical engineering.

Jerusalem Thao ’20: St. Olaf College Tennis

June 17, 2021

Jerusalem Thao ’20 came to MPA as a tenth grader and made an immediate impact. As a Panther, he excelled in both soccer, and his primary sport, tennis. He was captain of the soccer team, IMAC all conference, and a recipient of the coaches’ award.

In tennis, Thao served as captain, helping bring a state team championship home at the 2019 Boys’ state tennis tournament. He paired up with Dillon Vue ’20 to compete in the 2019 State Doubles tournament. In their path to the consolation championship, David Gorman and Zachary Piehl from Breck defeated Dillon and Jerusalem, followed by the MPA pair’s wins over Worthington High School’s Kipton Jenson and Cade Lindner, Hibbing High School’s Carter Anderson and Ryan Osborne, and Virginia High School’s Ryan Scherf and Jace Westerbur to secure the Consolation Championship for Mounds Park Academy. Thao was also heavily involved in St. Paul Urban Tennis. Read More