August 13, 2019
Welcome home, Panthers! We are looking forward to seeing new families at New Family Orientation and returning families at Back To School Night to begin a fantastic school year! Grab your school supplies and head to campus on Monday, August 26, for an all-school assembly, time with your teachers, and a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new commons, cafeteria, and kitchen! Click here to learn about road construction in the area.
New Family Orientation: 3-6 PM
LOWER SCHOOL FAMILIES • GRADES PREK-4
3-3:30 PM – Students and parents stay together to meet homeroom teachers, put away school supplies, and locate and/or practice lockers.
3:30-4:45 PM – Students separate for an activity with Mr. Purdy, extended day coordinator, while parents meet with Ms. Wright, Lower School director, in the library.
4:45-5:30 PM – Enjoy dinner in the cafeteria.
5:30-5:45 PM – Meet Dr. Hudson, head of school, and the leadership team.
6:15-6:30 PM – All-School Welcome Back Assembly in the Lansing Center.
6:30-7:30 PM – Additional time to visit homeroom and specialist teachers and classrooms, organize school supplies, and practice student lockers.
7:15-7:30 PM – Ribbon cutting ceremony and refreshments in the cafeteria. Read More
Join fellow MPA alums on Homecoming weekend, September 27 and 28, to reconnect with friends, family, and faculty. Celebrate milestone reunions and participate in special, alumni-only activities. Welcome home, alumni, and we hope to see you soon!
by Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement
At the most recent Spring Auction, the Schwartz family purchased the ability to name one of the sewing machines in the Makerspace. They chose to name the sewing machine in the memory of Linda Handler-Lack, who was a great aunt of MPA seventh grader Henry S.
Meet Cherie Honan, who will be our executive assistant to the head of school. Ms. Honan comes to MPA with more than 20 years of high level executive administrative experience in the legal and banking fields. She has excellent skills in project management, is organized and detailed, and communicates warmly and articulately. In her role at MPA, she will help best serve MPA families, faculty, and staff in a way that is responsive and helpful. She also has an extremely caring and joyful disposition.
It’s time for the third annual Max’s Muffins fundraiser! Every summer, MPA fourth grader Max sells muffins to raise and deliver funds to a local food pantry. Max was first inspired to host these summer muffin sales by Ms. P’s Kowalski’s food shelf project in kindergarten. When he learned that families struggle more in the summer when children aren’t in school with lunch provided to them, he decided he had to do something to help.
Do you enjoy reconnecting with your classmates and like to stay up-to-date on the milestones in their lives? The MPA Alumni association is seeking additional class representative volunteers to help us stay connected with you and your classmates.
The weekend of September 27-28, 2019, we will be celebrating the classes of: 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015 for their milestone reunions.
Last year, the MPA Alumni Association launched an innovative student enrichment opportunity, pairing Upper School seniors with alumni mentors. The program is designed to enhance personal and professional development experiences for our senior class students, while also providing alumni with an opportunity to reconnect to MPA and share their own experiences and knowledge with the next generation of graduates.
Meet Summer McCall, who is joining MPA as a social studies teacher. Ms. McCall has a Bachelor of Arts in history and Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota, and has been teaching high school for the past fifteen years across the country and internationally in Louisiana, Arizona, and Korea. After moving back to Minnesota, she worked at Bloomington Kennedy High School until joining the faculty at MPA!