All School Archives

April 23, 2020

Thanks to our incredibly generous community, the first-ever MPA Virtual Spring Auction: Light up the Night was a huge success! Our community joined together to raise nearly $230,000! MPA families, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, and friends joined together as a community to dream big, do right, and light up the world. Thank you for being part of the most successful auction in several years!

In case you missed our incredible live program featuring student performances, guest speakers, and exciting announcements, you can view a recording by clicking here.

Thanks to our community, we have gotten a jump start on our Community Care Fund. These flexible funds will allow us to respond to emerging needs, including:

financial assistance for MPA families in need;
technology access for teachers to continue enhancing virtual learning;
employee support funds for wellness and emergency resources; and
the cost of additional supplies to ensure a whole child education can continue, including art supplies, books and e-books, software and hardware, and devices for families without access to adequate technology or wi-fi for virtual learning.

Middle School Earth Day Celebrations

April 23, 2020

MPA Middle School students were enthusiastic to celebrate the 50th Earth Day on April 22. Dr. Milam challenged students to go outside to be in nature and take photographs, and students in Ms. Atchison’s class wrote poems honoring Earth. Get lost in their beautiful writing and enjoy a few of their poems.

“The Lilac” by Zain A.
The lilac that grew from the rocks,
did what it had to do
to grow its stalks.
Do you know what it went through
to accomplish that?

It had to work.
It pushed and pushed.
Till it became a plant.
Then it soaked and soaked in nutrients,
and with all that effort,
it was beautiful.

It wasn’t easy.
There were rocks piled on it.
and then some snow,
and then some drought.
It should have died.
There was so much to overcome,
but it stayed alive with its will to grow
and be beautiful.

And because of that, it grew.
It grew and grew until the winter came.
Afterwards, it pushed and pushed,
and soaked and soaked,
and became beautiful again. Read More

D-Day: A Single Story Of Valor

April 16, 2020

Upper School student Salmah Elmasry and history teacher Katie Murr would like to invite the MPA parent community to a presentation of their work with the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute. Last year, Salmah and Ms. Murr intensively studied D-Day and researched the story of one Minnesota soldier buried in the American National Cemetery in Normandy. The academic culmination of this process was to write a lengthy biography of that soldier that could be archived at the cemetery. Additionally, Salmah and Ms. Murr had the privilege of traveling first to Washington, DC to take classes at George Washington University and research at the National Archives and then to France where they were able to see the D-Day beaches and eulogize their solder at his gravesite. Salmah and Ms. Murr would love for you to hear this story of commitment, perseverance, and valor. Please join them on April 28 at 7 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting >
Meeting ID: 573 855 168
Password: 043853

A Sense Of Community And Commitment To MPA

April 16, 2020

by MPA Spring Auction co-chairs Jennifer and Scott Holloway

When we began this school year with our daughter Grace embarking on her senior year at MPA, we could have never imagined how different school and life would be just a few short months later. We’ve been a part of many milestones at MPA, both as a family, and in the history of the school. One of the great joys we’ve had as parents and volunteers at MPA has been to serve as co-chairs of the Spring Auction for the past four years. Despite this history, this year has shaped up to feel like the first time all over again now that we’re offering our first ever virtual spring auction as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We can’t overstate the importance of our sense of community and commitment to MPA as it has given so much to our daughter and our family. We’ve often been asked why we continue to volunteer and urge others to do the same for the school we love. For us, it’s all about the sense of gratitude and appreciation that you can only understand when you’ve experienced the MPA way. Each year, we’ve witnessed the way that truly amazing things can happen when people join together in a common purpose. That might happen in a big banquet hall with fabulous decorations and amazing food, or it could happen on the basketball court, in the classroom, on stage, or now, in a virtual zoom room.

As co-chairs of this year’s auction, we urge you to join us for this special night. You can be a part of this event in whatever way is right for you: bid on our more than 130 auction packages, join our live Zoom program on Friday night at 6:30 featuring amazing students and guest speakers, share within your networks of family and friends to invite even more people to join in on this important fundraiser, or give at a level that is right for your family toward this year’s Fund-A-Need. Countless people have planned, donated, organized, and contributed in some way to what we’re sure is going to be another successful year. Please join us in building community and funding important needs for our students, faculty and staff, and incredible school. We can’t do it without you.

Invite A friend To Lunch With MPA

April 15, 2020

Invite a friend to Lunch With MPA on Tuesday, May 12 from 11:30 AM-1 PM!

Joining us via Zoom will be current students, parents, and school leaders to share their perspectives on MPA’s mission and values, academic rigor with purpose, and vast array of opportunities. We’ll start as a large group and then use breakout rooms by division for virtual tours and questions and answers.

Please have friends RSVP here!

MPA Parent Schoology Groups

April 9, 2020

Since we transitioned to virtual learning, parents and guardians are no longer able to connect with one another on campus, at events, or at activities. We know that your relationships are just as important to our school community as your children’s relationships, so we have created a virtual way for you to continue fostering them.

We recognize that some grade levels have private Facebook groups and those are wonderful—as a school community, however, we know that not every family is on Facebook. We do know that every family is on Schoology, so we’ve decided to use that as a tool to further facilitate grade-level parent and guardian communication and collaboration. These groups will be for you and by you; they will not be used for the school to communicate information. We will continue to use Panther Post, institutional emails and division emails to fulfill that need.

These groups are an opportunity for you to share resources, ask questions, post events or photos, and to support one another as MPA parents. Students are not a part of these groups. Your Parent’s Association grade representative(s) can provide additional guidance and ideas on ways to utilize these groups for additional parental support and connections. Read More

Truth And Trends In College Admission Testing Webinar

April 9, 2020

Join MPA College Counseling next Wednesday, April 15 at 7 PM for a terrific webinar opportunity: Truth and Trends in College Admission Testing. Both parents and students are welcome to attend! In this virtual session, Adam Ingersoll, one of the founders of Compass Education Group, will offer information and insights about college admissions testing and test prep, with the added context of the current college admissions landscape during this pandemic.

While this event was initially created to be offered to families of the MISP schools, the current situation has led us to open it to a wider audience via the Zoom platform. Registration is necessary to join the live Zoom presentation. We apologize for the conflict this presents for any of you with Middle School children and the parent meeting scheduled at the same time, but please note it will also be recorded. Click here to register for the live event.

Parents Association Virtual Happy Hour

April 8, 2020

The MPA Parents Association invites all parents to gather via Zoom for a virtual happy hour next Tuesday April 14 at 7 PM. There is no agenda! Ask, answer, share, vent, laugh, cry–whatever your mood moves you to do. We all miss the in-person conversations and socializing that a given week at MPA provides. While online gatherings can’t be a true substitute, let’s give it a try!

Join via Zoom >

Call in: +1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 626 573 128
Password: 887275

MPA’s First Ever Virtual Spring Auction

April 2, 2020

Save the date for MPA’s first ever virtual Spring Auction! Since the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and MPA’s shift to virtual learning, so much of our world has changed! One thing that has remained the same throughout all of this is the importance of our connection to one another, especially as we work together to overcome whatever challenges or obstacles may be in our way.

In this spirit, our volunteer Spring Auction committee is pleased to announce that this year’s 2020 MPA Spring Auction: Light Up the Night is going virtual! Join us on Friday, April 17 for a fun evening filled with inspirational stories, fun auction items to bid and win, and the most important element that makes MPA so special: community.

We need you now more than ever to ensure every student, family, and staff member has what they need to dream big, do right, and light up the world. Learn more about the event, including answers to some frequently asked questions and the changes to expect this year. Check your email inbox this weekend with more details and ways you and your entire family can get involved! Questions? Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt at 308-765-0524 or via email at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org.

Connect, Play, And Create With MPA’s Virtual Playground

April 2, 2020

Join us to connect, play, and create With MPA’s Virtual Playground! Beginning April 8, join via Zoom from 3:30-4 PM Wednesdays-Fridays for the following sessions:

Wednesdays: PreK-4 Playground (beginning April 8)
Thursdays: All Ages Guest Speaker (beginning April 9)
Fridays: All Ages Fiber Friends (beginning April 10)

Students age 13 and under must join with a parent. MPA Virtual Playground is facilitated by Tracey Joyce, Technology Integrationist and Nicole Koen, Makerspace Coordinator.