All School Archives

September 15, 2020

Amanda Campbell is joining the Alumni Association this year as the Parents Of Alumni Liaison. Amanda served on the MPA Parents Association from 2010–2018 when her daughter Quinn [first child of an alum (Ryan Campbell ’90) to attend MPA and 13 Year Club member] graduated. Since 2018, she has been an active member of the POA. It has been a great organization to maintain the connections and friendships made over the course of 13 years as a parent at MPA. Amanda has been the POA Executive Board Secretary and will serve as the Alumni Board POA Liaison for the 2020-2021 school year. She feels fortunate to remain tethered to MPA and its faculty and staff through the POA.

The MPA POA Executive Board consists of Mary Jo Thrane, Amanda Campbell, Jeanne Danaher, Linda Goodno, Carey Ide, Chris Levesque, and Karla Myers. Each are members of the POA with alumni from the graduating classes 2009–2020.

The POA looks forward to hearing from you & catching up at one of our virtual social activities throughout the coming year. For more information, please reach out to the POA directly via email at POA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Four MPA Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

September 14, 2020

Congratulations to this group of MPA seniors! Isak Dai, Ryan Ghose, Dhruv Muppidi, and Sungjoon “Sean” Park have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists. They qualified based on their performance on the PSAT they took as juniors.

More 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. These four students were honored this fall by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, based on their scores on last fall’s PSAT.

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 they 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. Read More

A Message From Alumni Board Member Amanda Magistad ’12

September 14, 2020

What advice do you wish you had been told your senior year of high school? I can think of a few things I wish I had known. Like not to rush through the year, to enjoy your last summer in Minnesota and don’t overload yourself on difficult courses your first semester of college. While life has moved very quickly and senior year seems like a lifetime ago, I’ll never forget the people who gave me valuable advice and helped me pave the path to where I am today.

Now, I have the opportunity to share advice with an MPA senior through the 2020-2021 mentorship program. This will be my first year joining the mentorship program and I am looking forward to offering my perspective on senior year, preparing for college and more. The program requires a small-time commitment, that results in a positive impact on an MPA senior. Behind every successful person is a mentor who took the time to listen, offer advice, and most of all who cared. I encourage you to be that person. Make an impact and join this year’s mentorship program to help a senior navigate their final year of high school and prepare for their next adventure. To learn more about the mentorship program, please email Ashley Goetzke, Assistant Director of Development at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.

Save The Date For MPA Talks

September 10, 2020

This year’s MPA Talks is going virtual! MPA Community members, specifically alumni will be given the platform to share their stories and knowledge through an MPA Talks series this fall. MPA Talks this year will be a platform devoted to the voices of people of color and take place virtually. Save the date for September 30, 2020 to join us at 6 PM live on Facebook.

MPA 2020 Virtual Grandparents & Special Friends Week

September 10, 2020

MPA 2020 Virtual Grandparents and Special Friends Week is October 12-14, 2020! One of the most beloved events of the school year is our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day, and we are excited to offer a virtual week to celebrate the special relationships between our students and their grandparents and loved ones.

Due to COVID-19, campus is currently closed to outside visitors. However, we have activities planned that will make this week memorable and meaningful. Activities on Monday and Tuesday include letter writing projects to their loved ones, special videos and livestreams throughout the day, and more! Our traditional half-day on Wednesday, October 14 will now be a no classes day. This is a day for you to begin your MEA week break early and to help your students find time to spend with their loved ones!

In order for your student’s grandparents or special friends to participate virtually in these fun offerings, please click here to register them. You must register those individuals you would like to be invited to participate virtually before October 1. For questions, please contact Ashley Goetzke, assistant director of development at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.

Connect With MPA Parents On Wednesday Mornings

September 10, 2020

The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun!

Wednesday, September 16 will be a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet in the Lower School Parking lot and head out, rain or shine. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us. Read More

Looking Forward To Homecoming 2021

September 3, 2020

One of the annual traditions our community has enjoyed celebrating is the MPA Homecoming festivities, which had been scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2020. Due to our ongoing focus on health and safety given the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as limits on social gatherings and visitors on campus, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s activities. We will miss the joy, laughter, and sense of community shared by all during Homecoming, but look forward for new ways in the coming weeks and months for current families and alumni to celebrate our Panther Pride. Look for our chance to celebrate together again during Homecoming 2021!

Parents Association Kick-Off & Connect Events

September 3, 2020

The MPA Parent’s Association is hosting Kick-Off Zoom meetings next week. Come join us to learn about who we are and what we do. Meet members and your grade reps. We’re looking for your ideas and your help as we continue to brainstorm how best to strengthen our MPA community this year.

We have three sessions set up, one for each division to help focus discussions. The Friday session (Lower School focus) is purposefully scheduled longer to allow the second hour to be open for anyone to join for a general discussion. We look forward to seeing you at one or all of the sessions! Read More

Traffic Safety Reminders

September 3, 2020

It is MPA’s number one priority to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children. This takes on new meaning during the 2020-21 school year, but we’d like to share some important traffic safety reminders too. Please share this information with all of the drivers in your home, in addition to others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Distracted Driving
Parents and students are asked to refrain from using cell phones (hands free or otherwise) while driving on campus, especially when children are present. This helps us all to be aware of the children moving around us and keep the traffic flow steady and uncongested.

Please Slow Down
Keep your speed at or below 10 MPH, depending upon the time of day and the area of campus. This is particularly important near crosswalks. Read More

Tips & Tricks For New Protocols

August 27, 2020

Arrival & Dismissal
We anticipated that this first week would be a little challenging and we are so grateful for everyone’s support and kind words! Internally, we are tweaking our processes and looking for opportunities to enhance the experience. We anticipate that it will get easier each day. Please know that every faculty, staff, and admin team member is available to assist students and make it as easy as possible for families! Let’s be safe, smart, and kind!

Here are some helpful tips and tricks …

Please have the “green pass” email ready to show staff when you arrive. If you choose to park you will need to show your green pass to the staff as you walk your student to the door.
If you have students in multiple divisions, you need to drop off and pick up each one at their designated door (Lower School: Doors 1 and 2, Middle School: Doors 4 and 5, Upper School: Door 7).
For arrival and dismissal, Lower School families should enter the drive thru off Larpenteur Avenue—this is the lane to the east that goes in front of Doors 1 and 2 (east driveway). Note there is no left-hand turn into this lane in the afternoon. Middle and Upper School families should enter the parking lot off Larpenteur—west driveway—and proceed toward the applicable door.
Dismissal will begin at 3 PM for students who will be picked up by families.
Please have your child’s/children’s first and last name and grade on a sheet of paper highly visible to the sidewalk for dismissal. This will significantly speed up the process.
Staff will be signaling teachers in waves to ensure physical distancing of students.
Students will be exiting the same door that they entered.
If families choose to park in the parking lots they will need to wait until all the drive up lanes are clear before their child will be dismissed. We encourage all families to enter the drop off line rather than park.