Blog Archives

May 13, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

If you’ve been in an airport recently, it certainly appears that the pandemic is waning. Having just returned from a short trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my 81-year-old mother whose health has been failing, I can attest to that. The lines to get through security are getting long again and planes are beginning to fill up again. It’s almost as if life is back to “normal” but we know that it is not, at least not yet.

There is good news as more and more people are getting vaccinated. Minnesota is near the top of the list of states with the highest percentage vaccinated with 64% of Minnesotans 18 years and older having received at least the first dose of the vaccine. And with the FDA recently authorizing the vaccination of children 12 and older, we may be in the last leg of the pandemic.

With all the positive news, it’s easy to forget that we haven’t crossed the finish line just yet. According to the Star Tribune, pandemic activity remains at high levels in Minnesota, which had the second highest rate of new infections in the latest White House COVID-19 state report released last Tuesday. While it is true that the risk is lessening as more people get vaccinated, given the rise in variants, our on-campus dial stop one mode, and increased cases in recent weeks, diligence is needed now more than ever. Read More

Talking With Children About Anti-Racism With Dr. Jazlynn Paige

May 13, 2021

Dr. Jazlynn Paige is a school psychologist who has her own consulting firm Paige Psychological Consulting, which was founded in 2019. Dr. Paige shared tips for engaging children in difficult conversations about race, racism, and anti-racism with our community during a live parent education session. The thoughts she shared during that session are summarized below for families unable to attend.

Focus On Your Family
Every family is different and everyone has their own perspective with regard to how they view talking about race, racism, and anti-racism. Everyone is coming from a different background. For some families, these are very uncomfortable conversations, and for others they are much easier. But talking about it is important because no matter what age, children are experiencing ideas around race regardless of whether they are being discussed at home or not. Read More

Why MPA Parent Susan Knapp Volunteers

May 13, 2021

by Susan Knapp (parent of Parker in ninth grade)

For the kids. There is something magical in seeing the joy on the kids’ faces, knowing you had a part in generating that. It’s a great way to get a glimpse into your child’s life at school—at least until they’re teens and don’t want you around at school. See what they’re like with their friends, get to know their class a little better, experience their camaraderie, their joy, and gratitude for the extras volunteers provide.

For the sheer joy of being a part of something bigger. One of the best experiences I’ve had volunteering was being involved in the MS Café. Using my talents and time in ways that I don’t normally has been very rewarding. I loved the teamwork, meeting the challenges, the creativity, and the gratitude and wonder on the kids’ faces as they walked into all of our hard work for the very first time. It was a labor of love and totally worth it. Another great experience was manning the snack room in pre-COVID teacher appreciation week. It’s a very fun way of meeting teachers and staff members, surrounded by sugar and snacks and gratitude. What can be better than that?! Read More

Boys Volleyball Finds Joy In Inaugural Season

May 10, 2021

When the Panthers girls volleyball team qualified for the MSHSL State Tournament in 2019, their achievement inspired many in the MPA community. Among those were a group of Upper School boys who saw their own future in volleyball. Fast forward two years, and the team is now competing in its first season this spring. “A lot of us had an initial interest in the sport, and we had watched it at the high school, college and professional levels,” recalls senior Callum Jones. We talked to the athletics department, started practicing, and asked (MPA Spanish teacher) Mrs. Kunze to be our coach. When she agreed, we got going.” Read More

A College Choice Day Unlike Any Other

May 6, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

I remember sitting in the bleachers in the upper level of Jenison Fieldhouse at Michigan State University to witness the graduation of my father. At five years old, I had no appreciation for the sacrifice he and my mother made for that to happen. I didn’t know that my dad joined the Navy after high school to help support his family and that afterwards, he worked full time to put his younger brother and sister through college. I didn’t know that over the course of seven years he drove 80 miles round trip to attend classes at Michigan State all the while working a full-time job, leaving my mother to care for three small children. I didn’t know any of that, sitting in the bleachers that hot May afternoon in 1969. But I did know how important college was as I spotted my dad cross the stage to receive his diploma.

MPA seniors, together with the entire MPA community, will celebrate College Choice Day this coming Monday, May 10. Sporting their chosen college apparel, seniors will gather in and around the Upper School Commons to create their college pennants and feast on individually pre-packaged cookies and beverages. “This class has my heart,” says director of college counseling, Lisa Pederson. “The pandemic literally shut down campuses last spring break as many were arriving to tour campuses. They rebounded and conducted the rest of their college search almost entirely online, demonstrating an amazing degree of resilience, imagination, determination, optimism, and support of each other.” Read More

Athena Award Winner Izzy Quam Commits to St. Michael’s College

April 22, 2021

Congratulations to MPA’s 2021 Athena Award Winner, senior Izzy Quam for committing to St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont for Nordic Skiing! A four sport athlete, Izzy competes in Soccer, Cross Country Running, Nordic Skiing, and Track and Field. She is a captain in each of her sports. Izzy has accumulated 19 varsity letters in athletics, 9 All Conference or Honorable Mention awards from the IMAC conference, and countless team MVPs honors and coaches awards. She is also a stellar student who appears on the honor roll, has earned academic letters, and is a member of the Cum Laude Society.

“I have been fortunate to coach Izzy since she was a 7th grader. She is an absolutely tremendous kid, really among the best ever to come through MPA. Her combination of leadership skills, positive attitude, kindness, and athletic ability don’t come along very often,” says Panthers Cross Country Running and Track and Field coach Nate Bander. “I can’t wait to see what great things await her as she heads off to college.” Izzy joins her older sisters Erin (2017) and Ellie (2019) in winning the Athena Award. Read More

What “Dream Big. Do Right.” Is All About

April 22, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Ask my kids or my husband. Ask a member of the administrative team. Any of them will say I am wrong a lot. That probably does not inspire great confidence in your head of school. However, if you ask Adam Grant, author and professor of Psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, it’s a good thing. According to Grant, keeping an open mind means reexamining our ideas and beliefs. For him, the purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs, it’s to evolve our beliefs.

These days continue to be difficult for many people. I keep asking myself when it will be that we can just “teach” and not feel the weight of social unrest, racial inequality, mass shootings, police shootings, political discord, and the pandemic. The truth is probably never, and I don’t think that is being pessimistic. Throughout history, educators have been called upon to walk with their students, helping them make sense of the world. As a school that teaches the whole-child, we cannot shut the doors and ignore the outside world or limit learning to only what happens in the classroom. Read More

A Breath Of Fresh Air

April 15, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I often say I have one of the best views from my office. That is especially true this year and certainly at this time of year. It is not uncommon for me to see Upper School biology teacher Mitch Thomsen leading a group of students into our reclaimed prairie and rain garden to study its ecology and make observations. If I look in another direction, I can see the tents set up in the west parking lot ready to house classes and lunch. After school, I can take in a boys’ tennis practice or witness the track and field teams trek out to the track.

After months of being cooped up indoors, Minnesotans (and Panthers!) are spending more and more time outdoors. In Minnesota, the arrival of spring is always cause to spend time outside, but it also makes sense as we aim to slow the spread of COVID-19. As part of our move to dial stop one, classes, whenever possible, will be held outdoors this spring. Teachers have access to outdoor tents which are being used as flexible, alternative spaces. Although we still need to take precautions, such as wearing masks, keeping physically distant, and avoiding large crowds, moving outside is certainly a breath of fresh air. Read More

Tanner Gasteazoro ’21 Solves The Basel Problem

April 9, 2021

As part of their graduation requirements, each MPA senior completes a senior performance. These performances take on many forms, from speeches, to piano concertos, to storytelling. Tanner Gasteazoro ’21 solved the Basel Problem.

Originally posed in 1400s, the Basel Problem, which calculates the precise sum of the reciprocals of the squares of natural numbers, remained unanswered for 300 years until a Swiss Mathematician named Leonhard Euler finally solved it at the age of 28.

Tanner has found a deep love for the kind of mathematical analysis required to solve the Basel problem, and since transferring to MPA in the winter of his ninth grade year, he has taken AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics & Probability, Honors Precalculus, Advanced Algebra II/Trigonometry, and Geometry. “I’ve always been naturally inquisitive, and the logic in math problems has always been something that helped me to continue that. Using the logical aspects of problem solving I learned in math and my inquisition, I am able to solve problems in my life as well. Tanner says. “I would like to thank Ms. Anderson, Mr. Noland, Mr. Shapiro, and the entirety of the math and science departments for answering my endless questions—literally to infinity.” Read More

The Best Is Truly Yet To Come

April 8, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I’m generally not a competitive person—unless it is a board game or cards. So much so that my family will no longer let me play Sorry or Uno with them. They say I turn aggressive and vindictive, like Inigo Montoya in the “Princess Bride,” intent on exacting vengeance on someone for having played a “Draw Four” card. Auctions bring out my competitive side as well, and I find myself throwing reason to the wind as I get caught up in a bidding war, much to the chagrin of my husband Ross. For the last several years, I’ve tried repeatedly to “win” a piece of artwork from alumni parent Heidi McKeown whose art I deeply admire and appreciate. Repeatedly, I fail. Fortunately, I will have another chance in just a few days.

Yes, it is that time of year with the annual MPA Spring Auction just a little more than a week away. On Friday, April 16, we will gather virtually from around the Twin Cities, the nation, and perhaps even the globe for our premier auction. More than just a fundraising event, the MPA Spring Auction is about celebrating our community, joining together to build relationships, and honoring every member of our community. There is so much to celebrate after a very trying and difficult year. A year ago, I promised that if we joined together and drew upon our MPA can-do spirit, we would emerge stronger and more resilient. As the end of the pandemic draws near and our school and society open up again, we know for certain that “The Best is Yet to Come.” Read More