February 11, 2020
Meet 2019-20 Alumni Association Board member Nate Bander ’09!
MPA Class of 2009 alum Nate Bander is MPA’s admission outreach coordinator and Upper School admission coordinator at Mounds Park Academy. He also coaches boys basketball and the varsity track and field and cross country teams at MPA. After attending MPA K-12 and the University of Minnesota, where he majored in Communications Studies with a Spanish Studies minor, Nate moved to Baza, Spain and worked in an adult language academy as an English teacher.
“The single biggest impact that my MPA experience had on me was inspiring me to learn about the world. MPA is a wonderful, diverse community of parents, students and educators who place a high value on education. I feel prepared to speak about the greater world, travel to faraway places, digest complex theories and thrive as a global citizen. MPA connected me to the broader world.”
But Nate’s MPA moments did not stop as a student and alumni. In fact, he didn’t make one of his fondest memories until coaching in 2019.
Nate recalls, “I first met Yahya Madar (Class of 2019) when he came out for my ninth grade basketball team. That season, I benched him in a game and he almost quit the team.” But, Yahya persevered and in 10th grade, he came back out for the basketball team. He also tried high jumping in track and field for the first time, and something clicked. Read More
Fellow Alumni, MPA has provided us with a trampoline! For many of us, MPA has provided a safe launching pad that catapults us into action. We have been able to “launch” towards our dreams with the knowledge that we have a net that will catch us softly if we fall. The metaphorical trampoline gains its strength from the MPA community: our teachers pushed us to dream big and take actions; our colleagues inspire us to do right and remind us of who we are and where we come from. MPA gains its strength from its community, and that includes you!
More pairs of MPA seniors and alumni mentors have been eager to share their positive experiences and connections through the MPA Mentorship Program and how it has continued to inspire them. In just its second year, a historic number of alumni participated, outnumbering the current senior class! Mentees and mentors were matched based on interests, hobbies, career goals, and college choice. 
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
Thank you to our generous and kind community for helping us unveil the brand new Martin Lenz Harrison Library yesterday! Martin Lenz Harrison was a member of MPA’s first graduating class. His memory and legacy will live on for generations of Panthers as they read, learn, and grow in their beautiful library.
Stop by the Family Commons during drop off time for drinks and snacks and to learn more about this year’s Spring Auction! You can ask questions, purchase tickets, and talk to the volunteer planning committee members about the event. In addition, if you bring wine, gift cards, or a silent auction item to donate, you will be entered in a door prize drawing to win one of our coveted 
The MPA Fiber Friends are currently working on a community-wide quilting project and want your masterpieces to be part of it! Bring your artistic vision and voice and be a part of something special. Anyone may be part of the community quilting. The Fiber Friends meet on Fridays from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. This group of knitters, crocheters, and textile gurus is open to all parents, alums, grandparents, students, staff, and faculty. Beginners are always welcome!
Joanne Olson, MPA’s first Lower School director, is fond of saying that MPA was born “of a dream and a shoestring.” What started as the dream of founders Bob Kriescher and Sandy Kriescher Smith, quickly became the dream of parents and educators from across the Twin Cities. Bob, Sandy, our founding teachers, board members, and parents pooled what resources they could muster to make their dream a reality on a shoestring budget that would have a lasting impact.
We’re interviewing the Makers you’ll meet at at Maker Fest 2020 on Saturday, February 22 so you can get to know them ahead of time! Debbie LaChapelle is MPA’s PreK teacher who loves to use the Makerspace to channel her students’ and her own creativity.
Don’t forget! Golden Tickets for the 2020 Spring Auction: Light Up the Night go on sale this Saturday, February 1. Only 100 tickets will be sold, and the winner will receive the live auction item of their choice! Don’t miss your chance to win one of these fabulous prizes.