October 9, 2019
Do you remember the days of the Drive-In Movie Theater? Lower School families are invited to join us for a night of family, friends, and movie fun as we celebrate “National Lights On Afterschool” day with an MPA “Drive-In” Family Movie Night!
Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and pillows as we watch “The Emperor’s New Groove” in the new Family Commons on October 24 from 6-8 PM. Students must be accompanied with an adult. Popcorn will be provided!
Family Movie Night is sponsored by MPA Youth & Family Programs. Please contact Russ Purdy at rpurdy@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5571 with any questions.
Beautiful weather and a variety of activities brought more people than ever to campus on September 28 for our community-wide Homecoming festivities. Sports games included a varsity volleyball tournament with the Panthers as the overall winners and several soccer games and tennis matches. We hosted My Burger food truck, which is owned by MPA alum Mandy Abdo-Sheahan ’92, and concessions were made possible by our MPA Spirit Committee. Our third and fourth grade Lower School students sang the National Anthem for the volleyball and soccer games; three types of inflatables were there for the students including a bounce house, axe throwing, and mini golf; additional lawn games; several goodies and giveaways; community gathering around the fire pit; and face painting and chalk art in the parking lot. We had additional alumni-focused events including a tour of our renovated spaces attended by approximately twenty people, an alumni soccer scrimmage, and reunions on Saturday evening.
The Mounds Park Academy debate team attended its first tournament of the year at Eastview High School last weekend. Out of 44 students that competed at the tournament, 15 won awards!
The MPA Blood Drive is coming up on October 24! The MPA first grade class and Upper School Student Council are joining together again to host this year’s blood drive for a joint community service project. Please take note of the date and begin thinking about how you can contribute to our event. We are asking for an hour of your time to donate blood on Thursday, October 24. And if you know that you are unable to give blood, please be sure to ask as many friends or relatives as you can to take your place! You may sign-up by going online to 
Save the date for Culture Day at MPA on Wednesday, October 23 from 3-6:30 PM! Join us for a gastronomic tour around the world as we share sweet and savory delicacies from 10 countries and an international drinks bar. Attend a cooking demonstration in our wonderful new teaching kitchen, go home with some cool body art from an expert henna artist, and try your hand at global crafts like “worry dolls” from Guatemala and Origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding. You will also be able to enjoy musical and dance performances by our talented students! This day full of food, community, and fun is hosted by the MPA Parents Association. 
Join us in thanking the MPA Faculty and Staff during All School Conferences! Conferences take place during week starting September 30, coinciding with the MPA Parents Association Staff and Faculty Appreciation Week.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to support Together, We Dream: The Campaign For MPA. Help us reach the $5 million goal by October 1 so we can fully fund each priority and finish the campaign strong. Thank you!
Seventh and eighth grade students read “Refugee” by Alan Gratz this summer. The book follows the journeys of three different children, fleeing their home countries in order to save their lives. But one character in particular, Isabel, is a Cuban refugee in the 1980s, who told a captivating story that would follow the students from their summer reading and into Ms. Atchison’s classroom this year.
Invite a friend to join us and experience the joy at MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Preview! Community member referrals are the most important way that new families learn about MPA and we greatly appreciate you sharing your love of our school with you family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
Did you know you can access the MPA Community Directory in Schoology? The most current information will always be found online.