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Parents Association News And Events November 20, 2025

November 20, 2025

There’s “snow” place like the library! Please join us for “stories in the snow” at MPA’s annual book festival on Monday, December 8-Friday, December 12, in the Martin Lenz Harrison Library!

To help us celebrate the long-standing Book Festival tradition, the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to build your child’s home library with new books they’ll dive into again and again. Learn more by clicking here!

Sign Up To Volunteer

In order to make this event a success, we need volunteers to staff the browsing times for each of the grades, various times during the week when it is open for perusing & purchasing, and during some special after school events. Read More

An Opportunity To Experience MPA On A School Day

November 20, 2025

The school day PreK-12 MPA Preview is Thursday, December 11, 8:30-10 AM! With community members as your hosts, you’ll visit classrooms to see students and teachers in action and end the morning with an opportunity to ask any specific questions you may have. If you will be bringing a child, please do let us know.

MPA Previews are signature PreK-12 events designed to introduce you to the faculty, students, and families who make MPA the exceptional learning community that it is. You’ll hear from a variety of perspectives, be engaged in conversation, experience what a day in the life of an MPA student is like, and leave with a much better understanding of the MPA way.

RSVP today to discover why Mounds Park Academy is the #2-ranked private school in Minnesota.

RSVP Today

How We Learn

The Admission Process

You’re Shaping Tomorrow At MPA!

November 15, 2025

At MPA, we’re not just imagining the future—we’re building it every day in our classrooms, studios, labs, and on the playing fields.

And none of it happens without you.

This short video offers a glimpse into the wonder, creativity, curiosity, and growth happening across campus—made possible through your generosity.

As we approach Give to the Max Day, we invite you to see what your support unlocks for our students. Every gift, no matter the size, fuels our shared mission and inspires greatness.

Giving Challenges

Get ready for some exciting giving challenges and exclusive incentives! See what your gift can unlock…

A $250 boost will be added to every gift from alums in the classes of 2010-2025, up to $20,000 total!
The grade with the highest participation wins a chance to pie their division director!
Leadership Circle members will receive a limited edition MPA-branded umbrella.
If a division has 60% participation, watch for a special surprise celebration for them.
Grandparent donors will be gifted a custom tote bag featuring student artwork.
Special unlocking challenges when we hit milestones, and much more fun to come!

When you give, you shape tomorrow. You bring learning to life. You open doors. Let’s show our students—and each other—what’s possible when a community comes together for the school it loves.

Make A Gift

Learn More About The Fall Campaign

You can make your gift or pledge today at moundsparkacademy.org/support or by contacting Ashley Goetzke, director of development and community engagement, at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.

Join Us In Shaping Tomorrow For MPA

November 15, 2025

from Ashley Goetzke, director of development and community engagement

At MPA, we’re not just preparing students for the future—we’re empowering them to shape it. That belief comes to life every day across campus, and it’s one of the many reasons MPA is so special.

Growing up, I didn’t have an MPA. What shaped me instead were the people who saw something in me, pushed me to think bigger, and believed I could make a difference. That’s why I feel such a deep connection to MPA’s mission—because here, that belief in every child is lived out daily.

You make that possible.

Teachers stay after class to check in. Coaches build character along with skill. Classrooms feel like communities where students are known and belong. Those moments happen because of your support. Read More

Celebrate Stories In The Snow At The MPA Book Festival!

November 14, 2025

There’s “snow” place like the library! Please join us for “Stories In The Snow” at MPA Parent Association annual Book Festival on Monday, December 8-Friday, December 12, in the Martin Lenz Harrison Library!

The easiest way to let your child shop the fair independently is by creating an e-wallet. It’s easy to set up and easy for others to add funds. Once you create an e-wallet, you’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to Share the Fair—the giving program that supports students at our school who need help buying books. Consider participating so that no child leaves the festival empty-handed. Read More

Shaping A Future Where Curiosity, Compassion, And Courage Thrive

November 13, 2025

from Tiffany Scott Knox, chair, board of trustees

When I think about Mounds Park Academy, I’m reminded that what makes this place so special isn’t just what happens today—it’s how every moment, every act of kindness, and every gift shapes what’s possible for tomorrow.

This year’s Fall Campaign theme, “MPA, Where Every Gift Shapes Tomorrow,” captures that beautifully. Each contribution—large or small—fuels the dreams of our students and supports the incredible work of our faculty and staff. Together, we’re shaping a future where curiosity, compassion, and courage thrive.

As a parent and board chair, I’ve had the privilege of being part of the MPA community for nearly a decade. Since Alex and Ava started in kindergarten, it’s been incredible to watch how this community encourages them to take risks, lead with heart, and think deeply. That same spark shines in every student across campus. Read More

Parents Association News And Events November 13, 2025

November 13, 2025

Join Us! Inaugural Community-Wide Parents Association Meeting

Come together with fellow parents for our inaugural Community-Wide Parents Association meeting on Monday, December 1, from 8-9 AM in the Martin Lenz Harrison Library. This is a great time to get to know each other, what the PA makes happen at the school, and PA board openings for the 2026-27 school year.

In addition, Dr. Lori Anne Brogdon will be presenting on the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning, as well as introducing Pam Gronski, MPA’s manager of campus safety and security. Please let us know if you are attending and if you have a question that you would like Dr. Brogdon to answer at the meeting, email PA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Upcoming Events

Friday, November 14: Lower School Family Forum, 8-9:45 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
Tuesday, November 18: Coffee & Connections With The Head of School, 8-9 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
Tuesday, December 9: Middle School Quarterly Coffee, 8-9 AM, PCR
Friday, December 12: Upper School Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, PCR
Thursday, December 18: PA Book Club with Dr. Brogdon, 6-7:30 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library, RSVP here >

Lower School Division News November 13, 2025

November 13, 2025

from James Ewer, Lower School director

As we move deeper into the school year, I find myself feeling especially grateful for this community and for the trust you place in us every day. Your children walk through our doors with big ideas, big feelings, and a desire to be seen.

Our commitment is simple and steady. We build our decisions around their experience. How do they feel in the classroom? How are they challenged in their thinking? How are they known, affirmed, and held accountable with care?

Thank you for partnering with us, asking thoughtful questions, and standing with us as we work to make school a place where your children feel both a deep sense of belonging and a push to grow.

Peace and love,
Mr. James

Small Nook. Big Reading Wins.

Making reading fun at home is important. A great way to start this is by creating a special reading nook that your child can help design! When children have ownership over their space, they feel more excited and invested in using it. Let them choose cozy items to be in the reading space. Items like a cozy blanket, stuffed animals, special lights, bean bags, and of course, a basket of their favorite books within reach. By giving your child a say in how their reading area looks and feels, you’re encouraging a positive connection to reading and helping build a lifelong love of books!

Middle School Division News November 13, 2025

November 13, 2025

from Paul Errickson, Middle School director

As we keep rolling along with our November, we have an exciting way for our thespians and fifth and sixth grade students to end the week, as we will have the opening shows of “Dracula: A Comic Thriller!” As the show is described, “Count Dracula and his devoted Draculettes have already munched their way through most of rural Transylvania, and now they’ve set their sights on London—where every citizen looks like a midnight snack. Unless someone stops them, the whole city may soon be on the menu!”

This is our largest Middle School production to date, with 27 students in sixth through eighth grade and over 40 stage-crew members in fifth through 12th grade! Opening night is Friday, with Middle School performances this Friday (fifth and sixth grade) and next Friday (seventh and eighth grade) in the morning. The show runs this weekend and next weekend, and if our preview at yesterday’s Middle School meeting is any indication, folks will be rolling in the aisles.

Also happening this month around the Middle School is an increased focus on developing our sense of gratitude and inclusion of others. Last week, I asked our students to think about what they are grateful for, who they are grateful for, and why. I reminded them of those things we value and celebrate at MPA, such as joy, intellectual ambition, respect and integrity, effective communication, and diversity in all of its forms—race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, and religion. And I asked them to consider how we can continue to thrive as a more inclusive community as we head into a new quarter, striving to learn from missteps in the first quarter. As we look to find gratitude in others, how do we look to be someone that others are grateful for? Read More

Upper School Division News November 13, 2025

November 13, 2025

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting our partner school, Vanke Meisha Academy (VMA), in Shenzhen, China. During my on-campus meetings and classroom visits, I explored both the similarities and differences in the Upper School experience at our two schools. What struck me most were the many similarities between our schools and educational systems; curiosity, resilience, collaboration, and the joy of learning were abundantly visible in both settings.

At the same time, I discovered differences in daily schedules and routines, class pacing, and curricular and extracurricular offerings. These differences are not obstacles, but rather invitations that offer us a mirror to reflect on our own practices, and an opportunity to broaden our students’ and teachers’ perspectives. A study from the Centre for Global Education shares, “international school partnerships encourage students to deepen their learning experiences through learning activities that explore global themes.”

My trip offered me a meaningful window into how our two schools can learn and connect across our cultures and reinforced the benefit of ongoing international travel and partnerships. Even though I was very tired, I returned home energized, inspired, and even more committed to deepening our school’s global engagement. My goal is to apply ideas from my recent visit and find ways for our teachers and students to collaborate on projects, classroom experiences, and cross-cultural understandings that will better prepare our students to be global citizens. Read More