August 30, 2018
We all belong here! All families PreK-12 should save the date to come and celebrate MPA Homecoming 2018 on Saturday, September 29!
The weekend is a wonderful way to celebrate who we are, where we come from, and where we are going together. Whether you’re a parent cheering on your athlete, an Upper School student competing, a Lower School student excited for the bounce houses, or an alum coming back to celebrate a milestone reunion, this is an opportunity for all of us to support and celebrate MPA. Come home to connect with us and one another, and to celebrate MPA.
You can find all of the event details at moundsparkacademy.org/homecoming. We can’t wait to see you there!
Did you get your 2018-19 MPA printed calendar? The youngest child in each family should have received one at Back to School Night. If not, please contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 
Upper School social studies teacher Ms. Murr recently traveled to Washington, DC to meet with the coordinators of the “History Unfolded” project at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This is the project to which MPA alums Maija Olson ’17, Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin ’17, Bennett Winga ’17, and Ben George ’17 made significant research contributions. In fact, one of the articles they discovered is being used in a new exhibition, titled “Americans and the Holocaust.” It is an incredible honor to have their work displayed in one of the most renowned museums in the country. Additionally, historians moving forward will have access to their articles and thousands of others found by citizen historians. This will allow more people to ask difficult questions about what Americans knew, when they knew it, and what they did with that knowledge when it came to the Holocaust.
Mike Velin ’06 is making good on his class challenge and running the Historic Riverfront 5k in the Panther Suit on October 13! We are inviting the whole community to join him to make this a truly MPA event. 
There are so many alumni and community events during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend starting on Friday afternoon with a Pep Rally at 2:20 PM in the Lansing Center and then the All Alumni Happy Hour at 6 PM at Tin Whiskers in Lowertown, Saint Paul. Catch up with teachers and fellow alums while being treated to appetizers and a drink on us!
In order to help our community adjust to the back-to-school traffic on campus, the Maplewood Police will have a patrol car stationed at MPA from 7:30-8 AM and 2:50-3:20 PM on Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23. The police cars will be assisting on Larpenteur Avenue. Thank you for driving in and out of school safely!
elcome to MPA! We are so happy you’re here!
Come for the sundaes, stay for the friends! The MPA Ice Cream Social is on Thursday, August 30, from 3-4 PM. This annual community gathering is hosted by MPA faculty and staff, servings scoops to anyone who would like to attend and spend the afternoon with us! The Social will take place outside of the Lower School Atrium. All families are welcome to come and we hope to see you there to celebrate a fantastic first week back at MPA!
We can’t wait to see you and your children in the Makerspace this year! There are many new activities and creative projects to explore, and Ms. Koen is so happy to guide you through them all. “I have some new ideas to bring to the table after taking an engineering class over the summer!” she said. We also have exciting announcements for Makerspace events both new and back by popular demand from last year!
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at New Family Orientation and Back To School Night to start off another fantastic school year! Grab your new school supplies and head to campus on Tuesday, August 21, for time with your teachers, an all-school assembly, and snacks! Welcome home, Panthers!