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Lower School Division News December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

  • Wednesday, December 20: Last Day of School before Winter Break 
  • Thursday, December 21-Tuesday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break 
  • Wednesday, January 3: Classes Resume 
  • Wednesday, January 10: CHAMP Assembly 

I hope everyone is staying warm and gearing up for the winter break that lies ahead. As the winter festivities may be ramping up for some families, please read on for more information to share: 

Trimester 1 Reports Sent Home 
On Monday, December 4, your child(ren)’s Trimester 1 report cards were sent home via email. Please feel free to contact the Lower School office with any questions or help needed and/or your child’s teachers regarding the content of the report(s).  

Missing Mittens, etc 
We still have several students visiting the Lower School office lost and found cabinet on the search for mittens, gloves, and hats during recess. Please help ensure your child has the appropriate winter gear for a chilly but refreshing playtime.   Read More

Middle School Division News December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars  

  • Friday, January 12: Class of 2028 Parent Coffee, 8-9 AM, PCR
  • Thursday, December 14: Middle School (Grades 6-8) Band, Orchestra and Choir Concert, 7 PM 
  • Tuesday, December 19: Class of 2028 Parent Coffee, 6:30-7:30 PM, PCR
  • Wednesday, December 20: 5/6 Feed My Starving Children/Bowling Field Trip 
  • Thursday, December 21-Tuesday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break 
  • Wednesday, January 3: Classes Resume 

As we count down the days to winter break, it is important to remember that not all of us, even our own children, look forward to two weeks away from the routine, structure, support, and friendships. This can be a good time to pause and check in with your student (and yourself!) to ensure you’re managing stress, expectations, and change healthily. As young people begin to anticipate a change in routine, it’s not uncommon for them to become more restless, anxious, or stressed. There may also be increased feelings of grief and sadness, particularly for those who lost a loved one or experienced big life changes over the past year.   Read More

Upper School Division News December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Mark Your Calendars 

  • Tuesday, December 19: Class of 2028 Parent Coffee, 6:30-7:30 PM, PCR
  • Wednesday, December 20: MPA Caroling, 7:30-8 AM, Family Commons
  • Thursday, December 21-Tuesday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break 
  • Wednesday, January 3: Classes Resume 
  • Friday, January 5: Alumni Meet & Greet with Class of 2024, 8-9:15 AM, Family Commons 
  • Tuesday, January 9: Grade 11 Parent College Counseling Night, 6:30-7:30 PM, Recital Hall 
  • Wednesday, January 10: US ACT Prep Class, 5:30-8:30 PM, Room 181
  • Friday, January 12: Class of 2028 Parent Coffee, 8-9 AM, PCR
  • Friday, January 12: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151
  • Monday, January 15: No Classes, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 
  • Friday, January 19: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151
  • Friday, January 19: End of Quarter 2/First Semester 
  • Monday, January 22: No Classes, Grading Day 
  • Tuesday, January 23: Quarter 3/Second Semester Begins 
  • Wednesday, January 24: US ACTP Prep Class, 5:30-8:30 PM, Room 181
  • Thursday, January 25: Admission Preview  
  • Friday, January 26: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151
  • Friday, January 26: Parents Association Family Trivia Night, 6-9 PM, Family Commons
  • Friday, January 26: Winter Show—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 7-8:30 PM, Black Box Theatre 
  • Saturday, January 27: Winter Show—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 7-8:30 PM, Black Box Theatre 
  • Sunday, January 28: Winter Show—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 2-3:30 PM, Black Box Theatre 
  • Friday, February 2: US BIPOC Affinity Group Meeting, 11:20 AM-12 PM, Room 150-151 
  • Friday, February 2: Winter Show—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 7-8:30 PM, Black Box Theatre 
  • Saturday, February 3: Winter Show—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 7-8:30 PM, Black Box Theatre 

A couple of years ago was the first time that I heard the term “cuddle puddle.” It was used to (positively) describe the mass of humanity gathered at our monthly Monday Morning Meetings, where students gather closely together to learn about the happenings in the upper school. According to medium.com, a cuddle puddle is a “fairly new term ubiquitous for non-sexual, touchy friendly happenings.” As the upper school director, I see the students huddled together as a way for students to foster a supportive and nurturing environment from which a strong sense of community is built. Building community happens frequently at MPA, yet last week, several opportunities stood out.  Read More

Parents Association News and Events December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

Thank You!
Thank you to all MPA community members who volunteered to wrap gifts for MPA staff on December 11. This is a beloved tradition at MPA where volunteers wrap the personal gifts of MPA Faculty and Staff, giving them the gift of time during the Holiday season. This Monday, we wrapped 229 gifts for 25 staff members! We took 0 lunch breaks and had 0 reported paper cuts. It was quite a day! Thank you again from Tara and the MPA PA!

Book Festival Success
Last week, during the 2023 Book Festival, the MPA community celebrated our love of literature in a big way! We raised money for the library, supported student literacy, and discussed so many wonderful books with each other. Thank you to our community for participating in this effort, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped make the MPA Book Festival a success.

Dr. Hudson’s Book Club
February 12 at 6 PM
One more announcement for our parent readers! Dr. Hudson’s Book Club will return to the MPA Library on February 12 at 6 PM. We will be reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James Baldwin. Childcare will be provided. Sign up here to get your copy of the book.

Nominations Sought for School Committees and Board of Trustees 

December 13, 2023

Each year, the Governance Committee of MPA’s Board of Trustees identifies, considers, and invites a small number of people within the MPA community to become new trustees. In soliciting and evaluating nominees, the Board seeks to match the board’s needs with the nominees’ professional and leadership skills and broad personal, cultural, and experience backgrounds. Before becoming trustees, many members first served in various capacities at MPA, such as on school committees, committees of the Board, in the Parents Association, or in other volunteer positions where they have been able to demonstrate and share their capabilities, personal experiences, and leadership skills.

The Board continuously seeks to broaden the diversity of experience and background of its membership. In addition, this year, it seeks to identify, among other things, those with professional capabilities in development, facilities, the arts, HR and personnel management, finance, education, and strategic planning. If you know someone who might be a strong candidate for the board or other school committees, or if you are interested, please submit a simple nomination form. The Governance Committee of the Board will be reviewing and vetting nominations during January and February and bringing a slate of candidates to the full Board for consideration at its spring meeting.

A detailed explanation of the Board’s work and a description of the Board’s active committee’s work can be found on the Board of Trustees MPA webpage.

Feel free to contact Board Vice-Chair and Governance Committee Chair Jeremy Drucker ’97 at Drucker.Jeremy@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Please complete this form to nominate yourself or someone else.

Talented Sophomores Achieve a Harmony of Accomplishments

December 11, 2023

Congratulations to sophomores Grace Nelson, Chali Yang, Warner Reid, and Truman Wilgocki, who auditioned and were selected to be members of the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota 9-10 State Honor Choirs. Grace will sing in the Soprano-Alto (SA) choir under the direction of Maria Ellis, owner of Girl Conductor, LLC. Chali is a member of the Tenor-Bass (TB) choir and will sing for Chris McGinley from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Warner and Truman will sing in the SATB choir conducted by Kira Haler Knutson from Valley City State University. The daylong Honor Choir event will culminate with a concert at the Minneapolis Convention Center in mid-February. Grace, Chali, and Warner were sponsored by Mr. Habermann, while Truman auditioned as a member of the MN Boychoir. Great work, everyone!

 

The Evolution of Digital Environments

December 7, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Next week, MPA will celebrate “Hour of Code,” an international movement of schools dedicating one hour to coding activities for students to introduce them to computer science. Instead of just one hour, MPA will dedicate the entire week of December 11-15 to activities designed to de-mystify “code” and demonstrate how anyone can learn the basics. The idea came from our Technology and Innovation Committee, comprised of our technology team and teachers from all divisions who meet regularly to better leverage technology to advance and enhance student learning and prepare students for college and life.

In keeping with our mission and values, technology is a critical aspect of a college-prep, progressive education that centers hands-on, experiential learning at the core of all we do. At MPA, our philosophy is that since technology surrounds us, its knowledge and skills are best learned through active participation. Our charge is to prepare our students to meet the challenges of this continually evolving digital environment with new ideas and new ways to use it that are spiraled throughout our curriculum.

I recently came across a quote that said that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t yet been invented. In a world of disruptive technological change with ever more rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence, I believe there is an urgent need for what Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, calls “citizen developers,” those who will be able to design work even if they lack formal programming skills. Likewise, director of academic technology Michael Moran shares, “By no means do we expect our students to become computer programmers; however, it’s our responsibility as educators to approach computer science and coding as a literacy.” Read More

Parents Association News and Events December 7, 2023

December 7, 2023

Holiday Gift Wrapping
Monday, December 11
Join the MPA Parents Association for this beloved holiday event. Give the gift of time to our staff by wrapping their gifts while also putting yourself in the holiday spirit. MPA teachers and staff bring in their unwrapped gifts; we return them wrapped and decorated. All supplies and snacks will be provided. Sign up here for one hour or more! See you in the Porter Conference Room (PCR), which is located in the Upper School above the Lansing/North entrance.

Middle School Pre-Concert Community Dinner—Last Call!
Thursday, December 14, Family Commons
The annual MS Dinner is here, and we want to welcome you and your entire family! Please join us next Thursday, December 14, from 5-6 PM before the MS Concert. A complete taco bar will be served in the Family Commons, along with beverages and dessert (allergies have been taken into account!). Please RSVP by sending $5 per person to Molly Oliver, PA MS Lead, via Venmo (@Molly-Oliver-7) or email Molly (moliverPA@moundsparkacademy.org) to make other arrangements. We need your RSVP by THIS SATURDAY, please!

Who We Are and What We Do

December 7, 2023

Who We Are And What We Do 

The Mounds Park Academy Board of Trustees is a self-generative body of approximately 20 to 22 trustees (plus the Head of School in an ex officio capacity) who guide the school’s strategic direction and protect its mission. Critical functions of the Board include hiring, supporting, and evaluating the Head of School, establishing the school’s mission and strategic plan, supporting the school’s development efforts, and safeguarding the school’s financial stability.

The Board’s purview is strategic, not operational (which is the responsibility of the head of school and his or her administrative team). Specifically, the Board does not hire or terminate employees or establish policies for doing so.  It does not make line-item budget determinations, including those on faculty salary; it does not establish the academic scope and sequence of classes. Rather, the Board collaborates with the Head of School to ensure that the school’s larger strategic goals are met, including accreditation, legal compliance, and other requirements.

MPA’s current Board Chair is Tiffany Scott-Knox, an experienced MPA trustee, completing her second year of a three-year term. Trustees serve up to two three-year terms. MPA’s Board meets 5-6 times a year and follows a ‘decentralized” model where the bulk of its work is accomplished through its five standing committees:  Read More

A History-Making Performance For Debate

December 3, 2023

Congratulations to the MPA Debate Team on a history-making performance at the Classic State Debate Festival. Forty-six students represented the school, and for the first time in its history, Mounds Park Academy won the team sweepstakes award. This award is based on the top two performances across each of the three divisions of competition—novice, junior varsity, and varsity. This win is a testament to the countless hours of research, thinking, and practice these students contributed throughout the season.

We call the tournament the Classic Debate Championships in novice and junior varsity. In the novice division, the teams of Sidd Sastry and Kelvyn Boddipalli, Amila Avdic and Ayub Barre, and Myah Hoeschen and Nicole Kim advanced to the octafinal round. The teams of Josh Murr and Hannabella Li and Carter Short and Nico Bergh advanced to the quarterfinal round. And in a commanding performance, the team of Ash Klann and Victoria Lin won the entire division. In the junior varsity division, the teams of Mari Minear and Navreen Biring and Paul Fertig and Zainab Lodhi advanced to the quarterfinal round, while the team of Truman Wilgocki and Soren Winikoff advanced to the semifinal round. And the team of Greta Hanson and Rowan Mulrooney finished second in an extremely competitive final round.
Read More