MPA Sailing Qualifies For National Competition

Two students sailingDespite frigid, soaking conditions, MPA Sailing is excelling on the water this fall. With a team of three seniors, one sophomore, one freshmen, and one 8th grader, the team has constantly performed at or near the top in every regatta they have competed in, including the Great Oaks Qualifier at Hoover Sailing Center in Ohio. Because of their first place finish there, four members of the team are headed to the Great Oaks Invitational at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans in early November.

High school sailing in Minnesota is considered a club sport and any student in grade seven through 12 may participate, regardless of experience. Together with students from White Bear Public Schools, Mahtomedi Public Schools, and Mounds View Public Schools, Mounds Park Academy practices out of the White Bear Sailing School at the White Bear Yacht Club.

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MPA Students Receive National Merit Recognition

national merit studentsMore than 1.6 million high school students from about 22,000 schools nationwide take the PSAT in October of their junior year. Those with the highest PSAT Selection Index scores are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their exceptional performance–and this year, that includes three of our own MPA students! Seniors Ajay Manicka, Henry Peterson, and Lindsey Baldwin were honored this fall by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, based on their scores on last fall’s PSAT.

Ajay and Henry are two of 16,000 Semifinalists selected from the 50,000 highest scorers in the country. Semifinalists proceed in the scholarship competition by submitting their academic records throughout high school, endorsements and recommendations by a high school official, written essays, and SAT® scores that confirm their prior performance on the qualifier test. If Ajay and Henry are named Finalists, they will be eligible for National Merit Scholarship opportunities. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and nearly half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. We wish the best of luck to them! Read More



Thank You From The Parents Association!

chef Doug's dinner for faculty appreciationOn behalf of the Parents Association, thank you to all of the parents and volunteers who generously donated their time, gift cards, and goodies during Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week. A special thanks to chef Doug Pittman and his staff at Sage for providing a delicious dinner and snacks throughout the week, and to Vern Kissner and the maintenance staff for all of the set-up and extra work they did. The faculty and staff were very appreciative of our efforts to thank them for all they do.

And congratulations to our gift card winners Sarah McFarland, Dan Haase, Craig Dodson, Marc Shapiro, Mark Segal, Jason Schwalen, Angie Gerstner, Nate Bander, Rose Wick, Ashley Goetzke, Susan Roberston, Jake Eibon, Leah Abbe Bloem, Martha Castellanos, Rachel Amundsen, Becky Tesdahl, Michael Vergin, Randy Comfort, Josh Rohricht, Ariel Kitsch, and Pat Reinhardt!


Today’s Lineup Of Panther Games

girls tennisToday is full of Panthers competing in several different sports! We’ve rounded up all of the games for you, but make sure to follow MPA athletics on Twitter and turn on Tweet notifications to receive updates wherever you are! Go Panthers!

Girls Varsity Tennis is competing today at the Section 4A individuals tournament! Good luck to Middle School athletes Khushi J. and Freya R., seniors Julia Portis, Gabby Law, and Sofia Walker, and junior Ceci Driano!

Both Girls and Boys Soccer are playing in the Section 4A tournament today! The girls face St. Paul Harding and the boys take on St. Paul Como. Both games kick off at 5 PM on the road.

It’s Conference Championship Thursday for the Girls and Boys Cross Country runners! The Panthers race at Battle Creek Park starting at 4:30 PM.

Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity Volleyball take on Providence Academy at 4:30 PM and 6 PM. This match has important connotations for the approaching IMAC Championship, with both teams in the top of the the standings!


Two Strong Weeks For MPA Debate

MPA DebateCongratulations goes out to MPA Debate! The past two weekends have been excellent for both veteran and novice members of the team.

During Homecoming weekend, 24 students participated in the competition at Eastview High School, and half of them were making their debate debuts! There were 126 teams from 15 schools that participated, and MPA left with three undefeated teams and three awards for near-perfect records! The varsity team of seniors Ellie Quam and Henry Peterson placed second with an undefeated record. The junior varsity team of sophomores Isak Dai and Ellen Vergin were the champions of 31 teams with an undefeated record. The novice team of sophomores Izzy Quam and Emma Cohen placed fifth out of 72 teams with an undefeated record as well. Three teams also won awards for 3-1 records: sophomore Hana Miller and junior Charles Grimes, sophomores Garrett Hollihan and Ryan Ghose, and sophomores Fiona Blank and Salmah Elmasry. Read More


MPA Cross Country At State

MPA State cross country runnersCongratulations to MPA cross country for a terrific State meet!

Junior Henry Snider finished ninth to earn a medal and all-state honors, running his personal best–16:16! Senior Matthew Bourne ran his best-ever time in his third appearance at State. Eighth grader Margo N. also ran her best-ever time at State, which was five seconds better than last year! And while this was sophomore Katie Dahiya’s first State championship, she ran a time faster than anything she had run this season.

Way to go, Panthers! See more photos and videos on the cross country blog at mpa.link/ccstate18!


Coffee With The Parents Association

PA coffeeThe Parents Association is trying something new, and you’re warmly invited to join! The PA will be hosting several neighborhood coffee events, where you can come and meet MPA parents who live in your neighborhood. Parents of all grades are welcome! On Saturday, November 3, your coffee hosts will be at the following locations:

JUST ADDED! Amore Coffee–St. Paul
879 Smith Ave, W.
St. Paul MN 55118
9-11am

Dunn Brothers Coffee–Minneapolis
5008 Xerxes Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55410
9-11 AM

Quixotic Coffee–Highland Park
769 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN 55116
8-10 AM Read More


Panther Club Family Game Night

lower schoolers playing card gameJoin us as we celebrate “National Lights On Afterschool” day with the MPA Lower School Family Game Night…with a twist! We’re giving it a zoo animal theme! The night will feature a special appearance by the Minnesota Zoo Zoomobile!

The event is sponsored by the MPA Panther Club Department and is on Thursday, October 25 from 6:30-8 PM in the Kreischer Gym and Cafeteria. Students must be accompanied by adult to attend! In addition to the Zoomobile, there will be lots of awesome board games to play with family and friends (use one we have, or bring our own!), an MPA rendition of “Are You Smarter than a Third Grader,” and refreshments.

Contact Russ Purdy, Extended Day Program Coordinator, at rpurdy@moundsparkacademy.org or (651) 748-5571 if you have any questions! We can’t wait to see you there!


Invite A Friend To Our Fall Preview

middle school girls walking to classInvite a friend to visit and get to know MPA! On Sunday, November 4 at 2 PM, prospective students and their families are invited to campus for its fall Admission event, the MPA Preview! This wonderful opportunity will be similar to an Open House in that there will be time to explore, however a formal program will also help participants get to know MPA.

From hands-on learning experiences in the Makerspace to cozy classrooms visits, families will enjoy student-led tours that will include meeting MPA’s exceptional teachers, visiting the state-of-the-art Makerspace and Lansing Sports Center, and getting to know all spaces that matter most to them.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!