August 6, 2020
As the new school year approaches, the MPA Upper School Student Council launched their first issue of their new monthly newsletter! Named “The StudCo Scoop,” it will be sent out to all Upper School students and faculty on the last Friday of each month and will include updates on school-wide activities. “Learning to navigate this new learning environment will require diligent communication, and that is what we hope to accomplish with this publication,” they said.
In their July issue, they shared a sneak-peek of the Student Council’s plans to stay engaged and connected this fall, including:
- Club of The Month: We know that club leaders and members facilitate important dialogue, create safe spaces, and their efforts strengthen our community. To recognize creativity, consistency, and commitment, Student Council plans to introduce a monthly prize that awards exceptional extracurricular achievement.
- Student-Run Podcast: “This American Life,” “Serial,” and “Pod Save America” better watch out because Mounds Park Academy Radio is coming out with a new podcast! Under the Student Council’s leadership, we want to create a platform to highlight student interests and achievements and discuss the issues you are passionate about.
- Monday Morning Memo: Even if we are on campus, it is hard to imagine congregating in the Upper School commons every Monday morning like we used to. Despite how different Monday Morning Meeting might look, Student Council wants to maintain a sense of community through a weekly online news segment, including student announcements and reminders on community events.
- StudCo Schoology Page: To avoid inundating your inbox, a Student Council Schoology page will be established to locate all Monday Morning Memo uploads, Club of The Month awards, and other announcements.
The MPA Alumni Mentorship Program completed its second year full of meaningful connections and a successful networking event to conclude the year. The program is designed to enhance personal and professional development experiences for our senior class students, while also providing alumni with an opportunity to reconnect to MPA and share their own experiences and knowledge with the next generation of graduates.
PreK Students
As we have reimagined our return to school events to ensure all can be on campus safely, we are excited to welcome Middle School students to campus for Back to School Days where we will get to know each other, our new campus health and safety procedures, attend laptop orientation, and learn about all of the new processes and practices that are part of our MPA student experience. We’re also going to have some fun—so we ask that students dress comfortably and ready for outside play! These are student-only events.
It is hard to believe that we are more than half-way through the summer and only five weeks away from being back on campus for the start of the 2020-21 school year. As we look ahead, it is very important that we are all aware of the measures and protocols that have been put in place on campus to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate risk for our MPA community. To that end, our annual Back to School evening will take a new form this year and we will be holding a number of in-person, small group meetings on campus for Upper School students.
It was a long week in the gardens on campus, as our volunteer restoration crew discovered them flooded after heavy rainstorms. Covered in half a foot of water, they weren’t sure what could be done to recover the young seedlings and careful work that had been put in over the past few weeks. Luckily, several heroes came to the rescue. Ms. Johnson and Ms. P had encouraging words of support for the garden crew. Chef Doug helped with moving the excess mulch, raising spirits, and refocusing energy into the garden work. Facilities team members Andy and Josh were also essential in draining the flood with a silk net technique.
Please join us every Friday on 
Nap Chats are casual conversations over nap time around life for Lower School children and parents. Each discussion hosts a topic expert to answer your questions and offer a helpful perspective. Join us from anywhere 
by Dr. Jules Nolan, Mounds Park Academy school psychologist
After the completion of the new Martin Lenz Harrison Library at MPA, current MPA parent Michelle Mick had a vision for a beautiful Panther Garden in the adjacent outdoor space. Thanks to the help of Samantha Forgosh Class of ‘22 and Jaeden McFarland Class of ‘19, it is well on its way to achieving this vision. These volunteers and many others are helping to remove sod, prepare the ground, and create beautiful sanctuary gardens with sustainable wildflowers and plants, as well as vegetable and produce gardens which will be used in the MPA kitchen next year.