Thank You From Coach Kunze-Hoeg

girls volleyball team at the state tournamentby Jeff Kunze-Hoeg, MPA Varsity Volleyball Coach

I want to thank the entire MPA family for your overwhelming support of the MPA volleyball program this season–especially at the 4A Section Final where we beat New Life Academy to advance to the State Tournament for the first time in school history. The cheering was electric and there is no doubt that it helped push our team to victory. Winning that match will be a long-time memory for us. I was blown away, not only by the number of students in the stands, but the number of MPA faculty and families who took time out of their weekend to show their Panther Pride at Kennedy High School. Read More


Invite A Friend To Lunch At MPA

upper schoolers working together in the commonsInvite your friends and neighbors to join us on campus for lunch on Thursday, December 12 at 11:30 AM! This small-by-design event includes a casual lunch with students and administrators and opportunities to see inside classrooms, where students and teachers are in action during a regular school day.

Kindly have them RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP and contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org with any questions.


MPA Alumni Spotlight: Laura ’14, Ingrid ’16, and Sofie ’16!

Laura Nicholson '14 spent six months researching pollinator declines in the Ecuadorian cloud forestAfter 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

MPA's largest 52 student debate teamThis 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!

mpa volleyball at the state tournamentThank 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!

second graders 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!


Give To The Max Day Is One Week Away!

Sally Richie holding her reason for donating to the fall campaignGive 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”

Angst promo imageMounds 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

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

fall campaign progress

Make A Gift


MPA Students Finding Their Voices To Create Change

Jordan akers and Meera dear with group from the Youth Climate kickoffWith 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!