February 27, 2020
As the world continues to monitor the Coronavirus and its impact on the lives of many, so too does MPA’s leadership. The safety of the entire community is always at the forefront of our minds.
To that end, students have been strongly discouraged from traveling to regions most susceptible to infection. If a student or other community member decides to travel to a country that has been identified with a warning or alert, they will need to follow the protocols of the Minnesota Department of Health, and the World Health Organization prior to returning to campus. We will work in close partnership with any impacted family while we follow the recommendations of those organizations.
At this time, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Health, the risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 is low, including for people in Minnesota schools. In the unlikely event that more significant school-related measures need to be implemented, MPA is well positioned with the educational technology necessary to facilitate communication and learning. Again, we will be following the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health.
In your daily life, please take great care to prevent the spread of all diseases: use good hand washing practices, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and do not travel or come to school or work while sick. On campus, we are working diligently to implement the additional recommended cleaning protocols.
We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and plan to communicate again next week as new information becomes available. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your division director or email communications@moundsparkacademy.org.
Invite your Upper School student’s Grandparent or Special Friend for a day at MPA on Wednesday, April 22!
Invite a friend to join us for Lunch at MPA on Wednesday, March 4 from 11:30 AM-1 PM! This admission event during a regular school day allows prospective families to meet school leaders, parents, and students over a casual meal and tour the campus to see our students and teachers in action.
The 11th grade Quiz Bowl team competed in the League Playoffs at Burnsville High School and placed fifth overall! The players were Isak Dai, Ryan Ghose, Hana Miller, Ellen Vergin, and Tanner Gasteazoro. Isak Dai placed third individually in their division. Separately, ninth grader Anthony Troullier placed fourth individually in their division. Nice work, Panthers!
See you this Saturday, February 22 from 1-3 PM for Maker Fest 2020! Join us in the AnnMarieThomas Makerspace and Family Commons to view and participate with our community’s talented and passionate makers. Maker Fest is free is open to everyone–students, parents, grandparents, alums, faculty, staff, etc.
We are proud to be a part of this year’s Independent School Diversity Career Fair on Saturday, March 7, from 9 AM-12 PM at Breck School in Golden Valley. Faculty, staff, and school administrators who identify as people of color/indigenous are welcome to learn more about employment opportunities at a number of independent schools in the Twin Cities. Participating schools include: Blake, Breck, DeLaSalle, Friends School of Minnesota, Groves Academy, Minnehaha Academy, Mounds Park Academy, Shattuck-St. Marys, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and Waldorf City of Lakes. 
Congratulations to All-State Choir members Ryan Ghose, Jordan Akers, Solie Svennevig-Brosi, and Caleb Rhodes! Ryan sang in the SATB Mixed Choir under the direction of Jo Ann Miller while Solie sang in the Soprano Alto Choir with Therees Hibbard. Jordan and Caleb were in the Tenor Bass Choir with Michael Culloton conducting. Today marked the culmination of an All-State process that started with auditions last spring, a summer camp, and a final performance at Orchestra Hall. Ryan, Jordan, Solie, and Caleb are members of the MPA Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers.
Congratulations to freshman Jack Peterson and sophomore Elissa Frankel on their performances with the 9-10 State Honor Choir! Jack sang in the SATB Choir under the direction Aimee Beckmann-Collier while Elissa sang in the SSA Choir with Brandon Dean conducting. After a day full of rehearsals, they performed at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. Jack sings in the MPA Varsity Choir while Elissa is a member of Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers.
MPA’s Board of Trustees collaborates with the Head of School to guide the school’s strategic direction, to protect its mission, to support the school’s development efforts and to safeguard the school’s financial stability.
Save the date! The MPA Book Festival is April 20-22 this year, and is open to all students and families. Book Festival Family Night will be held April 22, 3-6 PM. Come join us for an evening of crafts, activities, dinner, and of course an opportunity for book buying! Our theme is “MPA ComicCon.” What that means is that in addition to having a wide variety and assortment of books for sale, we will also have a specific focus on Graphic Novels and Comics. Did you know that a Graphic Novel won the Newberry Awards for the 2020 for the first time ever? And we chose our theme way back in 2019!
Nan Etzwiler, Dan O’Neill, and Laura O’Neill