MPA Alumni Spotlight: Laura ’14, Ingrid ’16, and Sofie ’16!
November 12, 2019
After graduating from Rice University, Laura Nicholson ’14 spent six months researching pollinator declines in the Ecuadorian cloud forest through a fellowship sponsored by Rice. She is now pursuing a Masters in Wildlife Ecology and Evolution at the University of Florida researching the endangered Florida Bonneted Bat in the Florida Everglades. Read More
MPA’s Biggest Debate Team Succeeds At Two Tournaments
November 11, 2019
This weekend, MPA sent out the biggest debate team in school history to compete. Fifty-two students competed at the Minneapolis Southwest and Minnehaha Tournaments, and 28 students took home awards!
In the Novice B division, the teams of Amanda Xie and Graham Li, Prescott Hutton and Noah Marnach, and Nathan Harvanko and Tyler Schell received awards with 3-1 records, while Henry Feng and Steve Min placed third and Salma Ali and Lucia Simon were second in the division. Read More
Thank You To The Entire Panther Community!
November 7, 2019
Thank you for your incredible support of the MPA Girls Varsity Volleyball Team as they advanced to the State Tournament for the first time in school history! We are so proud of our athletes, our fans, and our entire Panther community. It was a day to remember as five buses full of students departed campus for the Xcel Energy Center and other students gathered in the Family Commons to watch the livestream. The Panther Pride across all grades was palpable and truly represented how our community comes together to support one another. It was a great day to be a Panther! See photos of the electric energy from today here!
The New Library Is Opening Soon: Help Us Move!
November 7, 2019
In order to efficiently pack and move nearly 30,000 titles from their current space into their new home, many volunteers are needed! Please click here to sign up for a shift or two. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
To make space for this moving process, the library will be closed from 3 PM on Friday, November 22 through winter break. We know that MPA families regularly check out books and welcome that. Before the library closes, please see Ms. Lage or Ms. Petrich to check out any titles you may need during the closure. Students will continue to read, research, and connect with books with via their classrooms.
More information will be forthcoming about the grand opening of our new library!
Girls Varsity Volleyball In The State Tournament
November 7, 2019
For the first time in school history, Mounds Park Academy Varsity Girls Volleyball is competing in the State Tournament! The Panthers play TODAY at 1 PM and Friday, November 8 at the Xcel Energy Center. You can watch today’s game live here and if you plan to attend Friday’s game, it is encouraged that you purchase tickets in advance. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the gates one hour prior to the first session beginning each day. Tickets are $10 for students and $16 for adults. Thank you for all of your support this season and GO PANTHERS!
Give To The Max Day Is One Week Away!
November 7, 2019
Give to the Max Day is the one day when our community rallies together to reach a big milestone for our “Make a Joyful Gift, Create a Better Future” campaign. Learn more about the Fall Campaign and why this time of year matters to every student, teacher, and community member at MPA.
Join us on Thursday, November 14 for a Give to the Max Day Community Coffee at 8 AM in the Family Commons, and at the end of the school day for our Give to the Max Day assembly and Lip Sync Contest in the Lansing Sports Center at 2:30 PM.
Make a gift today to increase your grade’s giving and to earn fun class prizes if they reach the goal of 70% participation! If a grade reaches 70% participation by November 15, Lower School students will win a party with Mr. Sheehan, Middle School students will win a Friday Night Party, and Upper School students will have a Coffee and Hot Chocolate Bar.
Join Us For The Second Screening Of “Angst”
November 7, 2019
Mounds Park Academy invites you to the second showing this week of the documentary “Angst” with open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com Read More
Make A Joyful Gift, Create A Better Future
October 31, 2019
This year’s Fall Campaign is well underway! At MPA, we believe that participation matters. Every gift of every size is valued and makes an impact. If a grade reaches 70% giving participation during the Fall Campaign, then the class wins a fun activity for students! Here are the prizes for each division:
Lower School: A recess party with Mr. Sheehan
Middle School: Kids-only Friday Night Party in the Family Commons
Upper School: Coffee and Hot Chocolate Bar before and after school
MPA Students Finding Their Voices To Create Change
October 31, 2019
With a mission to empower communities to engage in climate change solutions and a vision for “a world of resilient communities with equitable solutions to climate change,” Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy is providing youth with an opportunity to stand up for a cause they feel passionate about. Among the first generation to experience effects of climate change are MPA seniors Jordan Akers and Meera Dear, who seized this opportunity as a chance to use their voices and lead for their own generation and those to come. The two attended Climate Generation’s Youth Climate Kickoff at Roosevelt High School, joining other local youth and leaders for a day of learning, making new connections, problem-solving, and growth.
“We loved connecting with like-minded activists and learning about other issues and movements. Being there, we really felt like we were changing the world,” they wrote in their blog post about the event.
Jordan and Meera navigated through workshops and deep discussions, with topics that were both familiar and brand new, from environmental racism to the philosophies behind protesting. Discussing with new people and discovering more about climate change solutions built upon not only their knowledge, but also their confidence, and it furthered their passion for making a difference in their communities.
“To say the least, this year’s Youth Climate Kickoff was a transformative experience,” they wrote. Read Jordan and Meera’s full blog post reflection here!
Thank You For A Special Culture Day At MPA!
October 30, 2019
Culture Day at MPA was made possible with help from our wonderful faculty, staff, parent, and student volunteers and participants. We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing community at MPA! On behalf of the Parents Association, thank you to everyone who was involved.
Thank You MPA Faculty & Staff!
Language teachers Evelyn Johson, Maria Jose Johnson, Martha Castellano, Liz DesLauriers, Kari Kunze-Hoeg, and Marisue Gleason for providing artifacts, information and participation; Nicole Koen for crafts in the Makerspace; Jenn Milam for procuring volunteers and MCing; Sarah McFarland for planning and coordination; Hannah Lawson for preparing the musicians; Lauren Hernandez and Natalie Waters Seum for all the marketing materials and advertising; Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, Ashley Goetzke, and Ilse Larsen in Development for help with logistics and getting the word out; Jake Eibon for A/V logistics; custodial staff Vern Kissner, Thomas Connors, Andy Gilbert, and Pat McLees for set up, take down, and clean up; Sage Dining Services, Chef Doug Pittman, and his staff for the delicious food!
Thank You Parents!
Tina Jain for donating drinks; Melissa Tuura-Johnson for the awesome decorations; Sunderraju Ramachandran for the idli cooking demonstration; Lizabeth Lane, Yukiko Miyokawa, Gayane Manukyan, Chris Weimholt, Lucia Gray, Eliza Auyeung, Christine Daves, Deborah Crutchfield, Weijun Tanya Liang, Samrina Mapara, Anastasia Mastrogiorgis, Alan Troske, Kristin Gasteazoro, Jim Saliba, Raphael Coffey, Karlyn Peterson, Adrienne Risner, Fabiola Grubhofer, Amy Cowen, Christine Larson, Sally Richie, Mikki Williams, Susan Mercer, Anudeep Rahil, Marian Hassan, and Misty Tandon for help with the parade, decorations, serving food and cleaning up.