May 19, 2020
Are you interested in sharing your story with the MPA Community? MPA Talks is an opportunity to come together, gain perspective and be inspired. We are looking for alumni who will join fellow community members to share impactful stories virtually for our community. If you are interested in speaking for the event or would like to recommend a speaker please contact the Development Office at alumni@moundsparkacademy.org.
Kian Dahlberg ’16 Receives Nishi Luthra Senior Prize
May 18, 2020
Congratulations to Kian Dahlberg ‘16 on winning the Nishi Luthra Senior Prize, which is awarded to an outstanding senior physics major based on performance in their physics courses at Washington University in St. Louis. Kian is graduating this spring with a double major in physics and statistics, and a minor in computer science. She will be moving to Seattle this summer to begin work as an Environmental Test Engineer for Boeing Space.
Share Your Love For The Class of 2020!
May 15, 2020
Send us your clips to be part of the Senior Walk, a beloved MPA tradition! The Senior Walk is going virtual this year, and whether you are a senior in the walk or a proud Panther cheering them on, you can participate!
To join in, send us clips of your family cheering on and celebrating the seniors! Take a look at last year’s Senior Walk video for some inspiration. If recording with a phone, make sure to record horizontal. Change your settings to record at the highest resolution. On iPhone, go to settings > camera > record video > 4k and highest frames per second (fps) possible. Your clip should be 5-10 seconds long.
The Senior Walk video will be released on May 29, when it was originally scheduled to be held. Email your clip to communications@moundsparkacademy.org by Tuesday, May 19. If your video is too large to email, please upload it to this shared folder. We’re so excited to combine these clips with others to create this memento for the Class of 2020!
Lunch And Learn: Social Media And Digital Wellness
May 14, 2020
Erin Walsh is a parent, speaker, educator, and writer. She has worked with communities across the country who want to better understand child and adolescent development and cut through conflicting information about kids and technology. She is fiercely committed to bringing an equity lens and asset-based approach to our understanding of, and response to, youth and media. Her signature down-to-earth approach and sense of humor helps families and educators engage in complicated topics and leave feeling capable and motivated.
Erin will be speaking with MPA parents on Friday, May 22 from 12-1 PM about social media, balance, and parenting in the present moment. Her presentation will last about 30 minutes and then parents will have time to talk and share until the end of the lunch hour.
A special thank you to our Parent’s Association for providing this great opportunity for education and community!
Virtually Mentoring Lower School Students
May 14, 2020
MPA’s Virtual Mentoring Program matches Upper School students with students in our Lower School. The Upper School students meet virtually weekly or bi-weekly during the day to help Lower School students in a variety personal and academic situations, including one-on-one academic support, one-on-one enrichment opportunities, story writing, Lower School reading, share and tell, word games, charades, and coloring and painting.
This program not only helps our Upper School students develop leadership skills, but also gives them an opportunity to receive their graduation credit for community service while the world is virtual. It benefits our Lower School students because they recognize that there is another person who cares about them, and assures them that they are not alone in dealing with the day to day challenges of school.
We currently have ten Upper School students who are matched up with Lower School students. more than 40 Zoom meetings have been scheduled for these students, with each meeting lasting 25-45 minutes. We also have a waitlist of available Upper School students who are looking for Lower School students to work with. If you are an Upper School student who would like to be a mentor, please contact Dawn Zimmerman at dzimmerman@moundsparkacademy.org. If you are a Lower School family who would like to get involved with this Mentoring Program, please contact Lower School Director Renee Wright at rwright@moundsparkacademy.org.
Spread The Joy Of Reading During The Virtual Book Festival
May 14, 2020
We are having so much fun participating in the annual MPA Book Festival virtually! From story time on Zoom, to sharing our favorite stories, and even connecting in real-time live on Facebook, we are inspired by the creativity and dedication that all of you have shown in support of the Virtual Book Festival. This beloved tradition provides our MPA community with opportunities to participate in reading activities, purchase great books, and support our local booksellers. The MPA Library will use the donations from the booksellers to purchase books for teachers, for the classrooms, and the Library. It’s so important in our MPA community to support one another and our extended community–that’s why this year the MPA Library will also donate books to Breakthrough to support their summer literature program. Let’s help spread the joy of reading!
As in years past, you may purchase books from Valley Bookseller and Usborne Books. Since our event is online this year, you have the ability to purchase any books available through their distributors—bonus! You can even purchase a gift certificate for a teacher—double bonus!
If you have any questions, please contact Erin Dimopoulous, Parents Association Book Festival chair, at erin.dimopoulos@gmail.com.
Submit Your Photos To The MPA Yearbook
May 14, 2020
A note from the MPA Yearbook Staff
We hope your families are well and thriving as much as possible in the midst of challenging circumstances. The end of the year is approaching and we are looking forward to celebrating with as much “normalcy” as possible. We are excited to put together our traditional slideshow, but the yearbook staff needs your help to capture the craziness of this spring!
Please email the Yearbook Staff photos of your child participating in virtual school or activities related to life during “Stay at Home Minnesota.” Any submissions are greatly appreciated! Stay tuned for information regarding yearbook distribution and the assembly plans!
Students Vote To Name Ms. Murr’s New Kitten
May 13, 2020
Giving a nod to her Upper School history curriculum on voting rights and the importance of voting, Ms. Murr had her Upper School history class vote on the name of her new kitten! They settled on the name Jackie, for Jackie Kennedy. So cute!
Mental Health Awareness Month Activities With MPA
May 13, 2020
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Ms. Cooper, Middle & Upper School Counselor, shared that mental health is “the quality of one’s social, psychological and emotional well-being. It directly impacts every aspect of our life, including how we think, feel, behave, and connect with others. Everyone has mental health. When our mental health is good, we have the flexibility to cope with life’s challenges.”
Throughout the month of May, we will be exploring various parts mental health by participating in a new activity each day. The activities include Mindfulness Mondays, gratitude journaling, introducing healthy routines, art projects, and more. There will also be mental health lunch talks hosted via Zoom on different topics each week.
Reach out to Ms. Cooper at acooper@moundsparkacademy.org for the full monthly calendar and Zoom links!
MN Secretary of State Visits Upper School History Class
May 13, 2020
Seniors in the 21st Century Global Issues elective were lucky to hear from Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about cybersecurity in elections. Secretary Simon discussed issues ranging from potential attacks on election infrastructure to state versus federal control over elections to how to hold elections in the context of a public health crisis. Students were able to ask a range of questions, putting their own learning and research to the test. We appreciate the work of public servants like Secretary Simon.