November 21, 2019
Join us in a long-standing tradition at MPA! To show appreciation for faculty and staff during this busy time of year, the PA lends a helping hand and volunteers to wrap their holiday gifts for them. Please sign up to help wrap holiday gifts for our faculty and staff on Monday, December 9 in the Porter Conference Room.
During this Faculty and Staff Appreciation event, teachers bring us their unwrapped gifts which we wrap and return to them by the end of the day. This is a fun and festive event with coffee, snacks and holiday music provided by the Parents Association. All wrapping materials are also provided by the Parents Association. Sign up for one hour or more–such as one hour at drop off and one hour at pick up–to still free up your day. We appreciate your help and hope this event gets you into the holiday spirit!
With the cold and flu season upon us, please keep the following guidelines in mind when deciding whether to send your child to school. This will help to control the spread of infectious diseases at school and allow your student to be available for learning.
Save the date for the MPA Founders’ Breakfast! On Wednesday, December 11 from 7-8 AM in the Family Commons, come and celebrate MPA’s 38-year history with us while enjoying a community breakfast served by the Board of Trustees. There will be homemade pancakes fresh from the griddle, a variety of delicious toppings, savory sides, coffee, and juice. Come early to visit and avoid the long lines!
Congratulations to MPA sophomore Elissa Frankel and freshman Jack Peterson, who auditioned and were selected to be members of the ACDA-MN 9-10 State Honor Choir! Elissa will sing in the Soprano-Alto Choir under the direction of Brandon Dean from Gustavus Adolphus College while Jack will sing in the Mixed Choir conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier from Drake University.
Save the date! The MPA Parents Association Gift Wrapping event is on Monday, December 9 from 8 AM-3 PM. This is another Faculty and Staff Appreciation event where members of the Parents Association and parent volunteers come together to wrap presents for MPA staff. Look for the Sign Up Genius coming next week!
by Jeff Kunze-Hoeg, MPA Varsity Volleyball Coach
Invite 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.
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. 
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!
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!