Alumni Archives

Today Brings The Annual Alumni Challenge!

April 9, 2019

Today, April 9, 2019, we are challenging you, our alumni and parents of alumni, to show your support for MPA by raising $75,000 and making a difference in both of these critical ways:

Your gift to the MPA Fund covers the gap between tuition and other revenue and the daily operational needs of our school. These gifts provide the foundation for continued support of our outstanding faculty, curriculum, and students. Help to give the gift of an MPA education to more students today.
Your gift to Together, We Dream includes four specific projects that cannot be supported through annual giving or operations. We need your help to improve our facilities and grow our school’s endowment to support the future of MPA.

We are asking you to give for now, through an annual gift to the MPA Fund, and to give for the future, in support of Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA. One gift in can help us to accomplish these two important goals. This is an important year in the life of our school and we call on our alumni and parents of alumni to help our students’ dreams come true.

Every gift matters, in any amount—your participation is so important to the future of our school and very much appreciated. Thank you for your support of the Mounds Park Academy students of today and of tomorrow! click here to make a gift >

And follow along on the Alumni Association Facebook page for progress updates throughout the day!

Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement, at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5532 with any questions or to discuss your gift.

Creating The Future

March 13, 2019

A Message From MPA’s Board Of Trustees

by Matthew Larson, MPA Parent, Board Treasurer, Board Chair-Elect

MPA’s faculty and staff are creating and nurturing our children’s dreams and providing the skills and mindsets it will take to fulfill them every day. Our school’s mission is held in deep regard and is sincerely felt throughout its classrooms and hallways. The future spaces and opportunities that Together, We Dream will create will be game changing for our students, faculty, staff, and entire MPA community. If I may speak on behalf of the MPA Board of Trustees, we believe Abraham Lincoln said it well: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Read More

Career Speakers Needed & Appreciated

March 7, 2019

High school students in class We are seeking volunteers to speak with our Upper School students to share information about their jobs, and the stories of their career preparation and paths. MPA 10th graders recently completed Myers-Briggs assessments to tie in with their current general career interests. Next we hope to give them the chance to hear from people in fields that might hold interest for them. While all students in the Upper School are invited to participate, 10th graders will be attending as a required part of their advisory program.

Our first event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 11:30 AM-12:10 PM (taking advantage of lunch/advisory meeting time). However, we envision expanding this program in the future, so even if you can’t participate on this date, please let us know of your interest and we will keep you posted on further developments and opportunities to be involved.

Spring Auction Sponsorship Opportunities

March 7, 2019

Become a sponsor of the 2019 Spring Auction! There are many different sponsorship levels, including Community Sponsor, Host Sponsor, and Family And Friends Sponsor. Community Sponsors receive two complimentary tickets to the gala, two complimentary tickets to the Private Sponsor Pre-party, the company name and/or family name on auction program, on-site recognition, website recognition, and help cover the cost of two teacher tickets.

Auction sponsors receive special recognition on the website and printed materials and are invited to the exclusive pre-party, where they will have special access to the silent auction, great gatherings, and games. Sponsors also support Mounds Park Academy’s faculty and staff by allowing us to provide them with complimentary tickets to the event Read More

Your Gift Matters

March 7, 2019

by Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, Director of Development and Community Engagement

I grew up in rural Nebraska. Despite often wishing for more and to have anonymity that isn’t often found in small communities, I didn’t realize how much I missed that sense of belonging until our family found MPA last fall. Since then, I’ve experienced the joy of being a part of this tight-knit community of dreamers and doers. Through Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA, I’ve had the chance to talk with many supporters who’ve shared why they give. They often cite the impact their gift has on the school, and how they hope to make a difference in the lives of their children, and the entire community. Just as it is in most communities, giving here is both deeply personal and meaningful. Read More

MPA Maker Fest This Saturday

February 21, 2019

Maker Fest 2019 is this weekend! On Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 PM, See our community’s hard work come to life in the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace. Anyone is welcome to attend as a spectator, and no RSVP is necessary! Students, parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and more will be showcasing a variety of skills, crafts, inventions, and activities.

If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to see you there!

Together, We Dream And Reflect

February 15, 2019

On Thursday, February 14, the MPA community gathered in the Kreischer Gym for one large, nostalgic celebration. One of the four Together, We Dream priorities allows us to create a shared space—a new commons and cafeteria—where Mounds Park Academy students and teachers alike will enjoy meals from a new state-of-the-art kitchen in the space where the Kreischer Gym currently resides.

We were lucky to have several MPA alumni in attendance who say that the Kreischer Gym is featured in some of their fondest school memories.

“I remember the obstacle course from my phy ed class and how fun that unit was weaving through the Kreischer Gym, hopping from one green step aerobics platform to another, running through a tunnel of gym mats, crawling under jump ropes strung across the course, flying through the air on the rope swing, pulling yourself along with the seated scooters, and tumbling down gymnastics mats,” says Nate Bander ’09. “I also remember flying balsa wood gliders in Middle School science, participating in my first Homecoming assembly in seventh grade, and playing on Mr. Brandon’s ninth grade basketball team in the Kreischer Gym.”

Maddy Wolfe ’12 echoes Nate’s sentiments. “The Kreischer Gym was a really fun home to have for all of the spring musicals I was in,” she says. “That’s where we made memories hanging out backstage and getting ready for the performances. I also remember taking a self-defense class in the Kreischer for my senior seminar.” Read More

A Message From The Spring Auction Committee

February 14, 2019

Join us for the Spring Auction Preview on March 5, from 7:30–9 AM in the Gallery! The Spring Auction Committee is inviting the community to stop into the Gallery after drop-off to preview the Spring Auction as we count down to the big day and be the first to hear our exciting announcement!

Not only will you see some of the fabulous items that will be up for bid, but you can donate some yourself and be entered to win a fabulous prize! Bring a gift card, a bottle of wine/liquor, or something for the silent auction we’ll enter your name into the drawing. Grab some coffee and breakfast treats and start your day off with a little celebration! If you cannot come in for the preview but would still like to donate you can drop it off in the Development Office prior to March 5 and be entered in the drawing for the door prize.

Join Us For Maker Fest 2019!

February 7, 2019

See our community’s hard work come to life at Maker Fest in the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace on Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 PM. Anyone is welcome to attend as a spectator. No RSVP is necessary! Participation is open to everyone in our community—students, parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and more–showcasing a variety of skills, crafts, inventions, and activities.

Maker Fest is the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” something that you have created and share your accomplishments. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

Together, We’ll Meet The Changing Needs

February 7, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

We are fortunate to live in an older neighborhood in Minneapolis. Our house, built in 1915, is more than 100 years old and has a warm, comfortable feel to it. However, with two parents, two children, two dogs, and aging parents, we made the decision several years ago to add on a new kitchen, a bathroom on the first floor, and a family room in the basement. The old kitchen was so small that I could touch the counter and cupboards on one side and easily touch the sink and counter on the other side. Cozy doesn’t quite capture the feeling of what it was like to cook in that small space and it limited what we were able to prepare and serve for our family and loved ones.

We love our house and can’t imagine living anywhere else. However, as our family evolved, our needs did too. We needed to change how we lived. Schools are like that too. Over time, our vision of education changes and the needs of our students emerge in ways that cause us to outgrow the spaces that served us so well for so long. Mounds Park Academy is no exception. Throughout the history of the school, we have renovated and added on to the original building constructed in 1958 to better meet the changing needs of our students. Read More