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Upper School Division News February 8, 2024

February 8, 2024

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars

Wednesday-Friday, February 7-9: Grade 10 Deep Portage Trip
Friday, February 9: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20-12 PM, Room 150-151
Thursday, February 15: Re-enrollment Deadline
Friday, February 16: No Classes, Professional Development
Monday, February 19: No Classes, Presidents’ Day
Monday, February 19: US SAT Mini Prep Class, 5-8:30 PM, Room 181
Wednesday, February 21: Upper School Parent Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, PCR
Thursday, February 22: Upper School Band Concert, 7:30-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
Wednesday, February 28: Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Recital Hall
Thursday, February 29: Upper School Vocal Concert, 7:30-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM
Friday, March 1: Upper School SnoDaze Event (TBD), afterschool

Important Information
If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please reach out to the Upper School office via cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org.

REMINDER: even though there are no Lower or Middle School classes on February 9 due to their conferences, the Upper School will hold classes as usual.

Sharing your story is not just an act of self-expression, it is a powerful tool for personal connection and growth. When you “open up” about your personal, lived experiences, you invite others to participate in your stories and share your authentic self with them. One of the MPA graduation requirements is for all members of the senior class to give a Senior Performance. Most seniors speak to their peers in the Recital Hall, yet some choose to share their story with all members of the Upper School community in the Nicholson Center. The Senior Performances are often speeches that speak to individual growth and reflection, but at times are actual performances where original pieces of music or monologues are performed. Read More

Middle School Division News February 8, 2024

February 8, 2024

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, February 9: No LS/MS Classes, Conferences
Wednesday, February 14: Middle School Parent Quarterly Coffee, 8:15-9:30 AM, Library
Wednesday, February 14: MS Grades 7/8 BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, Panther Center
Thursday, February 15: Re-enrollment Deadline
Thursday, February 15: LS/MS Evening Conferences, 3:30-8 PM
Friday, February 16: No Classes, Professional Development, Panther Club Closed
Monday, February 19: No Classes, Presidents’ Day
Monday, February 26: SnoDaze Spirit Week Begins
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
Monday, March 4-Friday, March 8: i-Term 2024

This may be the first year since joining the MPA family in 2018, that the groundhog predicted an early spring! While we miss the sledding hill at recess, we are grateful to not be bundling up every day to be outside and maybe, just maybe, our spring sports will have a smooth start to their seasons.

As we approach conferences this week, I hope you’re also taking the time to connect with your Middle School students about how their year is going, what is working well for them, and where adjustments may need to be made to see great success. An important part of growing up is coming to a better understanding of how you learn and what you need to be successful. It was in Middle School when I realized that I needed clear checklists, absolute silence to fully comprehend what I was reading and studying and that not having a plan caused me an immeasurable amount of anxiety and caused me to procrastinate and avoid. Identifying hurdles and needs like these for your Middle School student helps them to manage their learning and their emotions and learn to ask for what they need. I encourage you, the next time you’re in the car, running errands, or sharing time on the sofa at home, ask your Middle Schooler about how they learn, what tips and tricks they’re learning, and where they’re finding success. If they’re not sure, guide them—help them see that learning is work, takes intentionality, and doesn’t just “happen.” The best part is that they get to decide how it happens! Read More

Lower School Division News February 8, 2024

February 8, 2024

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, February 9: No LS/MS Classes, Conferences
Friday, February 9-Thursday, February 15: LS Uniform Sale, 8 AM-3 PM, Atrium
Monday, February 12: PreK to Kindergarten Transition Parent Coffee, 8:15-9:15 AM
Wednesday, February 14: LS Valentine’s Day Party, 8:30-2:20 PM, Lansing Sports Center, Allergy Aware Guidelines
Thursday, February 15: Re-enrollment Deadline
Thursday, February 15: LS/MS Evening Conferences, 3:30-8 PM
Friday, February 16: No Classes, Professional Development, Panther Club Closed
Monday, February 19: No Classes, Presidents’ Day
Tuesday, February 20: LS Parent Quarterly Coffee, 1:15-2:45 PM, Gallery
Friday, February 23: LS Grade 4 Battle of the Books, 8:45-10 AM, Library
Wednesday, February 28: LS Grades 3/4 Orchestra Hall Field Trip, 9-11:30 AM
Wednesday, February 21: CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM
Friday, March 1: LS Grade 3 Battle of the Books
Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center

It looks like an early spring is on its way, and there is a palpable hint of warmth in the air. After living in Beijing, China for several years with my family, I will always treasure these special days in late January and early February, when many cultures around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year. In Beijing, that meant gorgeous red lanterns, lively music, sparkling fireworks, and stuffed red envelopes. As we head into the year of the dragon, please read on for more updates:

CHAMP News
At our CHAMP assembly on January 31, the children were introduced to our Lower School “Rainbow Voices.” With this new shared expectation, students are learning about four different voice volume levels and practicing them where appropriate. This whole-Lower School guideline is part of our initiative to continually refer to common understandings across the children’s day, reducing confusion and increasing personal agency and a deeper sense of belonging. Our next CHAMP assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21. We will be focusing on the CHAMP attribute of “courageous” with a special focus on Black History Month. Please be sure to send your child to school on February 21 wearing their CHAMP colors! Read More

We Need Your Help!

February 8, 2024

We need your help! The 2024 MPA Spring Auction: Together We Can Move Mountains is our biggest fundraising event of the year, raising over $200,000 in support of students and teachers. One of the best ways we raise funds is through the silent and live auction. It is a wonderful chance for you to help with this year’s event and support every student at MPA. No item is too big or small! If you don’t see your idea on our wish list, it may still be an excellent fit for our event, and we encourage you to contact us to discuss more.

Tickets and sponsorships are now on sale!

For questions or more information, please contact giving@moundsparkacademy.org or Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement, at 651-748-5532.

We want to ensure this community-building event is accessible to everyone. If the ticket prices are a barrier for you to attend, please contact us today for reduced pricing based on your need.

2024ward: An Update

February 1, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Mounds Park Academy has a long history of thoughtful strategic planning. Through the years, trustees, parents, faculty, staff, and students have come together to chart a path forward to guide the ongoing growth and development of the school in order to meet the evolving and emerging needs of our students. We are now in the third year of our current strategic plan, 2024ward, with the process to create our next plan beginning in the fall. I want to highlight a few accomplishments and share some emerging plans.

PRIORITY ONE: Empower Students to Live, Learn, and Thrive in an Increasingly Complex and Globalized Society.

A committee of faculty and staff created a Portrait of a Graduate. The portrait is a representative statement and visual heuristic that conveys our commitment to teaching and learning at MPA.
Standards for equity and inclusion, social-emotional learning, innovation, technology, and digital wellness were created by faculty and staff. Together with content-specific standards, they will guide a comprehensive curriculum review next year.
The Portrait of a Graduate and the newly developed standards guide the creation of a competency framework devised to articulate and make actionable the transferable skills embedded in the Portrait of a Graduate and prepare students for the world ahead.
In the past year, we have been researching international organizations that reflect our mission, vision, and values in hopes of establishing a partnership with an international school. Such a partnership is designed to foster cross-cultural competence and global citizenship. There have been some exciting developments that I hope to share with you very soon.

PRIORITY TWO: Ensure An Equitable and Inclusive Community.

A 16-member Equity and Belonging Committee composed of faculty and staff was convened in the fall of 2022 and has created shared diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) language for the MPA community. In addition, the committee developed DEIB-related curriculum standards that are reflected in the school’s Portrait of a Graduate and the emerging competency framework.
Together with the Equity and Belonging Committee, the director and assistant director of equity and belonging developed an extensive DEIB resource guide for all MPA employees that was deployed in September 2023.
For the second year in a row, MPA student representatives participated in the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and faculty and staff representatives attended the People of Color Conference, both sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. And, MPA is a founding sponsor, together with SPA, of a new and local Twin Cities Student Diversity Leadership Conference to be held on February 16.

PRIORITY THREE: Affirm and Inspire our Exceptional and Dedicated Faculty and Staff through Competitive Compensation. Read More

How To Know A Person

January 25, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

If you’ve read my previous Panther Posts, you probably know that I am a big fan of David Brooks. Earlier in the year, I wrote about an article he penned for The Atlantic, “How America Got Mean,” that touched me deeply. It prompted me to purchase his latest book, “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.”

I found it both sobering and inspiring. It is sobering in that more adult Americans are increasingly experiencing sadness, hopelessness, and depression. Sadly, our young people are not immune from this pandemic of declining mental health. The most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 42 percent of high school students in 2021 reported feeling so sad or hopeless for at least two consecutive weeks in the previous year that they stopped engaging in their usual activities, up from 26 percent in 2009.

I am inspired because the antidote, concludes Brooks, is simple: we must become better at genuinely seeing others and ensuring one another is seen, heard, and understood. Brooks quotes psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk that healing from trauma begins by “knowing that we are seen and heard by important people in our lives can make us feel calm and safe.” I am inspired because I genuinely believe that ensuring students are seen, heard, and understood is something MPA does exceptionally well.

Upper School Division News January 25, 2024

January 25, 2024

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, January 26: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20-12 PM, Room 150-151
Friday, January 26: PA Parent Trivia Night, 6-8 PM, Family Commons
Friday, January 26: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Saturday, January 27: MPA vs SPA Varsity Basketball at Target Center, 9 AM (girls), 11 AM (boys), tickets >
Saturday, January 27: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Tuesday, January 30: Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Nicholson Center
Wednesday, January 31: US ACT Prep Class, 5:30-8:30 PM, Room 181
Thursday, February 1: US Cabaret Concert, 7:30-8:30 PM, Family Commons
Friday, February 2: Re-Enrollment Agreements Sent
Friday, February 2: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151
Friday, February 2: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Saturday, February 3: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Sunday, February 4: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 3-4:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Wednesday, February 7-Friday, February 9: Grade 10 Deep Portage Trip
Friday, February 16: No Classes, Professional Development
Monday, February 19: No Classes, Presidents’ Day
Monday, February 19: US SAT Mini Prep Class, 5-8:30 PM, Room 181

Important Information

If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please reach out to the Upper School office via cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org.
The members of the Winter Show class are proud to present “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” in the Black Box Theatre over the next two weekends. Dates and show times can be found above. Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased here. The show is recommended for ages 10 and up.
Students’ quarter two and semester one grades will be available late in the day next Monday (January 29). Please reach out to the Upper School office if we can help you access this information.

Middle School Division News January 25, 2024

January 25, 2024

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, January 26: PA Parent Trivia Night, 6-8 PM, Family Commons
Friday, January 26: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Saturday, January 27: MS Gemstone Quiz Bowl Tournament, 8:30 AM-3 PM, Burnsville High School
Saturday, January 27: MPA vs SPA Varsity Basketball at Target Center, 9 AM (girls), 11 AM (boys), tickets >
Saturday, January 27: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Wednesday, January 31: MS Grade 7/8 BIPOC Affinity Group, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
Thursday, February 1: MS Class of 2032 Parent Gathering, 3:15-4:15 PM, Library
Friday, February 2: Re-Enrollment Agreements Sent
Friday, February 2: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Saturday, February 3: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 7-8:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Sunday, February 4: US Winter Show, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” 3-4:30 PM, Black Box, tickets >
Monday, February 5: MS Puss ‘N Boots Cast Party, 3:15-4:30 PM, Family Commons
Wednesday, February 7: MS Talent Show, 12:30-3 PM, Nicholson Center
Wednesday, February 7: MS Class of 2032 Parent Gathering, 6-7 PM, Library
Thursday, February 8: Middle School Snow Tubing, Badlands SnoPark, 2-5 PM
Friday, February 9: No LS/MS Classes, Conferences
Friday, February 9: LS/MS Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM
Thursday, February 15: LS/MS Evening Conferences, 3:30-8 PM
Friday, February 16: Professional Development Day, No Classes
Monday, February 19: Presidents’ Day, No Classes

New Semester, New Opportunity!
A new semester is something I always loved as a student … the chance to begin anew, be better, develop new skills, learn new things. I hope you’ll approach this semester, and this next part of our annual journey in the same way—optimistic, focused, and supportive! I tell Middle Schoolers that semester two is the start of their runway to their next grade and it’s time to fly more independently, more responsibly, and more maturely. How exciting to grow up!

Middle School Office
Review of applications for the Middle School Assistant position have begun. Ms. Meras and I continue to manage the divisional office tasks, duties, and day-to-day activities. If you need to report an absence, we request that you email MSOffice@moundsparkacademy.org. If it is urgent, please email either of us individually (pmeras@moundsparkacademy.org) and (jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org) and we will get it ASAP. As a reminder, the office phone number is 651-748-5565. Thanks for your support, kindness, and patience! We hope to introduce you to our next great “chaos coordinator” soon!

Lower and Middle School Conferences: Friday, February 9 and Thursday, February 15
Our conferences for Lower and Middle school will be held at the start of February. Scheduling for your conferences is ongoing now—please do not miss this opportunity to sign up! If you are not registered for conferences by this Friday, January 26, you will not be able to schedule! If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the Middle School Office.

Valentine’s Day in Middle School
Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday of the year—a time to tell those you love and appreciate that you do and who doesn’t love loads of pink and red? It can also be a challenging time in Middle School when our minds and brains tell us that others’ thoughts, opinions, and interactions with us are more important than just about anything. Fear of rejection, unrequited feelings, or being left out, are real and powerful, especially for (pre)adolescents. In Middle School we work hard to teach, practice, and reinforce that no one must like everybody nor be liked by all. This is a shifting landscape in the social-emotional journey, for sure. If you and your student decide to share valentines, treats, cards, or other trinkets, please help them to be mindful of others. It’s always good to share kindness and it’s also an important lesson to be sure that we’re not sharing at the expense of others.

Lower School Division News January 25, 2024

January 25, 2024

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, January 26: PA Parent Trivia Night, 6-8 PM, Family Commons
Saturday, January 27: MPA vs SPA Varsity Basketball at Target Center, 9 AM (girls), 11 AM (boys), tickets >
Wednesday, January 31: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM, Family Commons, wear CHAMP t-shirts
Thursday, February 1: MS Class of 2032 Parent Gathering, 3:15-4:15 PM, Library
Friday, February 2: Re-Enrollment Agreements Sent
Wednesday, February 7: MS Class of 2032 Parent Gathering, 6-7 PM, Library
Friday, February 9: No LS/MS Classes, Conferences
Friday, February 9: LS/MS Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM
Friday, February 9: Thursday, February 15 Lower School Used Uniform Sale 8 AM-3 PM
Monday, February 12: PreK to Kindergarten Transition Parent Coffee, 8:15-9 AM
Wednesday, February 14: Lower School Valentine’s Day Party, 8:30 AM-2:20 PM Lansing Sports Center, Family Commons
Thursday, February 15: LS/MS Evening Conferences, 3:30-8 PM
Friday, February 16: Professional Development Day, No Classes
Monday, February 19: Presidents’ Day, No Classes
Tuesday, February 20: PA LS Quarterly Parent Coffee Meet-Up, 1:15-2:45 PM, Gallery

We’re almost at the end of the first month of 2024, and learning is in full swing! Our classes are chugging right along and teachers are looking forward to connecting with families soon at the upcoming conferences. Please read on for more updates …

CHAMP Assembly on Wednesday, January 31
Our next CHAMP assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, January 31. We will be focusing on the CHAMP attribute of compassionate. Please be sure to send your child to school this day wearing their CHAMP t-shirts!

Conferences Coming Up: February 9 and 15
Conferences for Lower and Middle School will be held at the start of February. As previously shared, families have between noon on Friday, January 19, and noon on Friday, January 26 to register for conferences. Once the system re-opens at noon on Monday, January 29, families can schedule up to two additional conferences for a total of five (5) conferences. The scheduling window will close completely at noon on Wednesday, January 31. Kindly note no additional conferences will be scheduled after January 31.

Lower School Winter Used Uniform Sale Coming Soon: February 9 through February 15
Our Used Uniform Sale is coming back this February in the Lower School Atrium. The sale will be available in the Atrium from 8 AM to 3 PM every day, Friday February 9 through Thursday, February 15. Don’t forget to stop by and shop for great deals on slightly used and new uniforms at great prices!

PreK to Kindergarten Transition: Parent Coffee on Monday, February 12
To support our PreK families, we welcome the parents of our youngest learners to meet the kindergarten teaching team, learn more about the MPA kindergarten program, and get any questions answered about the next step in the PreK children’s journey. Please join us on Monday, February 12 from 8:15-9:15 AM. Mrs. Roche, Ms. Petersen, and Ms. Jennifer Le Varge are excited to collaborate with you! Further communication will be shared soon with PreK families.
Read More

Humility and Wisdom

January 18, 2024

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Since 2015, I have invited parents each December to participate in the Net Promoter survey. The Net Promoter is a standard industry measure of customer experience. Respondents are asked to answer a fundamental question, using a 0-10 scale: How likely is it that you would recommend MPA to a friend or colleague? It was created by Frederick Reichheld, a top management consultant at Bain & Company, to predict customer loyalty and measure customer satisfaction. Although it is geared toward Fortune 500 companies and is not common in education, it has been a valuable tool for MPA.

Our school-wide score is 48 this year, a noticeable improvement over last year. Historically, MPA parents have given an average score of 58, including a high of 74 in 2020 and a low of 40 last year. Like many companies and institutions, MPA’s Net Promoter score took a hit after the pandemic, a reflection of the uncertainty as society grappled with the “new” normal.

Approximately 78% of MPA families participated in the survey this year (although the numbers are skewed a bit because families were invited to take it several times if they had students in multiple divisions.) According to the Net Promoter methodology, survey respondents are grouped into three categories: detractor, passive, or promoter, based on the simple question of how likely respondents would be to recommend the school to a friend or colleague.

The breakdown for MPA is as follows:

Detractors: Fifty-nine parents (representing 16%) gave a score between 0 and 6 and are considered detractors or “unhappy customers.”
Passives: Ninety-five parents, or 26%, are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers, giving the school a score of 7 or 8.
Promoters: Two hundred and eight parents, representing 57% of those participating in the survey, gave a score of 9 or 10 and are classified as “loyal enthusiasts.”