Blog Archives

From the Board’s Perspective: Sharing MPA

April 10, 2019

by Beth Finch, Parent of Alumni, Current Parent, Trustee

As someone who has spent the past 20 years in education from starting a school to working to close the achievement gap in underserved neighborhoods, I am somewhat of an education fanatic. I have travelled the country observing the impact of high performing schools. I understand the importance of quality programming, strong teachers, and a talented leader to successfully operate and deliver great outcomes for kids.

When exploring Mounds Park Academy for our three children nearly 11 years ago, expectedly, my school evaluation rubric was activated. With our youngest graduating next year, I now reflect on how fortunate we have been to call MPA home.

Through the years, I have looked for opportunities to share our love for MPA with others. When we approached our neighbors, Sally Doherty and Karen Weiss, about considering MPA, there was no hesitancy in affirming our MPA allegiance. However, Sally had worked closely with a local superintendent providing pro bono financial and general management assistance. She asked all the right questions and had her own very thorough questions and process. Karen and Sally engaged with Dr. Hudson and the leadership team to come to their own unique reasons for choosing MPA—but that all began with our recommendation.

Two Seniors Far Surpass Previous Bridge Record

April 5, 2019

A story of creative risk-taking and turning challenges into opportunities.

Fifteen sticks of basswood, a tube of glue, a bunch of instructions, guidelines, and some hints: these are the only materials given to students in Upper School physics for the infamous Bridge Project. The students have four weeks to build a bridge that will hold the most weight possible and garner votes for craftsmanship, creativity, realism, beauty, and best name, before putting the bridges to the test.

“I’ve been doing it since the mid-nineties,” says Marc Shapiro, Upper School physics teacher. “I do it because it’s a great way to apply things that we have learned during the first semester of physics. It’s a new, different kind of project than any other thing that we do, and we get to learn about structures and forces along the way.”

This year started out like previous years, with the students hard at work on their bridges. After the bridge testing, however, it was clear that something special had happened; two MPA seniors, Gabby Law and Henry Peterson, set an outstanding new record that would go down in MPA Bridge Project history as the bridge that held the most weight. Their bridge weighed 21.05 grams, and held an astonishing 319 pounds, which was 6,900 times its own weight. The previous record held just under 2,400 times its own weight.

Spring’s Impact On Learning

April 4, 2019

by Renee Wright, Lower School Director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will find a guest blog post here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

The March break stimulates thoughts of spring in Minnesota, stirs up feelings of excitement, and renews the soul. Spring has always been my favorite season, marking the end of a brutal winter and the transition into warmer temperatures. As a child I watched for puddles to appear and looked for the first sighting of a robin or baby bunnies or ducklings in our backyard as a sign that spring was on its way. Spring seemed so mysterious to me as a child, and as an adult I continue to feel the same. The transition from winter to spring magically transforms nature, which impacts the human spirit. Read More

Summer Enrichment With Ms. Koen

March 19, 2019

“Look what I made in the workshop!” and “I’m excited to design my own project!” will be regular phrases said by students who take Ms. Koen’s Beginning Carpentry enrichment course this summer. In Nuts and Bolts: Beginning Carpentry, students will learn how to safely use the tools and materials in the Makerspace, while creating a game or toy of their choice.

Students in grades 1-4 will start the week by using the scroll saw to create a wooden toy, while students in grades 5-8 will build a step stool, bird house, or tool box. Both age levels will have the opportunity to design and bring an idea to life.

The Lower School class is June 17-21 from 9 AM to 12 PM, and the Middle School class is June 17-21 from 1 PM to 4 PM. Space is limited, so visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer to sign up to secure your spot today!

What Students Discover When Learning By Doing

March 14, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

For most Middle School students, this week is their favorite time of the school year. It is i-Term, a signature MPA program that offers students an intensive learning experience in a single class that aligns with their interests and fuels their passion for learning. For some, it primarily means a week without homework and without grades. For all, this inquiry-based, experiential learning experience reflects a core attribute of an MPA education that has been with us since our founding 37 years ago.

Inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, and service-learning are relatively new terms in the educational world and seem to be in vogue as schools look for creative and innovative ways to more fully engage students in learning. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation defines project-based learning as “an instructional approach that addresses core content through relevant, hands-on learning—challenging students to solve ‘real world- problems.” According to the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Washington, “Service-learning refers to learning that actively involves students in a wide range of experiences, which often benefit others and the community, while also advancing the goals of a given curriculum.” Read More

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

There’s Power In Being Kind To Yourself

March 7, 2019

by Mark Segal, Upper School Director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will find a guest blog post here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you will enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

I recently celebrated a milestone birthday. It was one of those birthdays where AARP sends you both a birthday card and a membership card in the same envelope. It’s not hard to believe that I have now entered my sixth decade, but rather that I have been an educator for as long as I was a traditional student. Regardless, my experiences as a student are the ones that I often find myself replaying in my mind and on which I rely as I work with MPA students and my own fifth-grade son. The reality is that it is not my successes that draw me back to my childhood, but the challenges that I experienced. The times I did not meet the expectations that I set for myself or were given to me by others. Read More

Summer Enrichment with Ms. Mastel

March 5, 2019

Calling all American Girl fans, as well as dragon, fairy and unicorn lovers! Join Lower School and Middle School Drama Teacher and Director Ms. Mastel for three summer enrichment classes during the week of June 17-21!

In the American Girl Club, students will use the American Girl stories as inspiration for this interactive class. Join us as we play games, do crafts, and create treats from various time periods in history. “What I love about this class,” shares Ms. Mastel, “is that it teaches students about history and friendship through arts and crafts, games, and even cooking.” It is for students in Grades 2-4, and will be from 10:40 AM-12:10 PM.

Imagination Station is for students in Grades 2-4, and will be held from 12:50 PM-2:20 PM. Dragons, fairies, unicorns, and other creatures from our imagination are the foundation for this fun and exciting class. From building fairy houses and writing unicorn poems, to acting out Chinese fairy tales with dragons, the sky is the limit if you use your imagination. When asked what her inspiration was behind the class, Ms. Mastel replied, “When my daughter was in kindergarten, some of her friends started a ‘fairy club,’ which I thought sounded like a lot of fun! I asked her what they did in their club and began brainstorming my own ideas and then extended it out to other magical creatures when planning this summer class.”

Last, but certainly not least, are you ready for a fun-filled week of summertime fun? Join Ms. Mastel for a water day with a slip-and-slide and sprinklers, pitching a tent and roasting marshmallows, creating a lemonade stand, and playing numerous outdoor games. If this sounds up your alley, sign up for Classic Summer Fun for Grades K-4, from 2:30-4 PM!

We’re so excited to celebrate summer in Minnesota with you. For more information and to register, visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer!

Senior Service Makes An Impact

March 4, 2019

As part of their senior service project, Mats Dahlberg and Haley Rhodes wrote a children’s book together entitled “Little Lion Finds His Roar.” They shared their lovely book with the community at last week’s Book Festival.

Haley was primarily in charge of writing the story, while Mats illustrated it. All of the proceeds from the book go to an anxiety research foundation at Rogers Memorial Hospital.

When asked how they chose where to send the proceeds, Haley responded, “It [mental health] is something that’s meaningful to both of us, and we think there’s a gap for children in knowing about topics like this.”

To get your own copy of the book, you can email Mats or Haley at mdahlberg19@moundsparkacademy.org or hrhodes19@moundsparkacademy.org.

Seeking Student Voice

March 4, 2019

What does the term “student voice” mean today? Internationally recognized expert in youth voice and student engagement, Adam Fletcher relates that it goes far beyond the important work of helping students develop their own voices. The concept now implies a much deeper commitment, suggesting that educators have an ethical imperative to engage students in new ways that are vital to school improvement. With student voice integrated into the core values at MPA, even our youngest children help to significantly impact their educational environments and experiences.

MPA’s PreK teacher Debbie LaChapelle describes how her small but mighty students shape their education. One four-year-old girl, for example, requested a PreK art show like the older children have. LaChapelle picked up on the idea, credited the student with it, and shifted her curriculum to include an annual art exhibit. “I witness in my students pride, confidence, respect for themselves and others, empathy, and leadership,” she shares. “When their ideas and thoughts are accepted and validated, it illustrates to them that they matter and can make a difference.”

Kari O’Keefe provides another example of how first graders design their educational environment. “From the moment you walk into the classroom, one sees that the room belongs to the students. They have created everything from the alphabet and number line to the bulletin boards and borders. They came up with classroom expectations and labeled special areas of the space. They have a true sense of ownership as they’ve helped to create every aspect of their classroom.”