Blog Archives

May 24, 2018

This is an excerpt from Nicholas Guiang’s ’18 senior speech, delivered on Friday, May 18, to Middle and Upper School students, faculty and staff, in the Nicholson Center. As a school community, we are immensely grateful for his family’s 24-year commitment to Mounds Park Academy.

Dear MPA,

Today I hold a unique challenge. I am not only thanking you for my time over the past 13 years, but I also hold the responsibility of thanking you for my family’s past 24 years.

For me, this spring signifies the end of those 24 years. It is the end of high school, childhood, and the end of a huge part of my life. In the fall, I will be heading off to Northwestern University to pursue my love of journalism, broadcasting, and sports. On June 9, I will toss my cap in the air on this very stage and these past 13 years, and the 13 years that each of my three older brothers spent here, will simply be the stories of old. However, MPA, you have been more than a school, you have been our home.

Reflecting On The Makerspace

May 24, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

One of my favorite things to do is to pop into the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace. I am continually amazed and inspired by whatever is taking place. As I look back over the last year, I see even more clearly what an incredible gift the Makerspace is to our students. Full of light and color, it conveys the joy of learning that is a cornerstone of an MPA education. Amid the whimsical playfulness, there is also serious learning happening. Lessons are taught from a variety of disciplines but share fundamental and foundational MPA values, such as hands-on, experiential learning using new and emerging, as well as traditional, technology. Students from across all grade levels and divisions have benefitted from their time in the Makerspace.

Let’s Actively Counter Negative Messages

May 17, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

A little over a year ago, I wrote to you about the concerns that educators and mental health professionals had with the Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why.” The series told the story of a high school student who died by suicide, leaving behind 13 reasons that the actions (or lack of actions) negatively affected her life and led to her suicide. My concerns included romanticizing suicide, minimizing the mental health that lies beneath suicidal ideation, and portrays adults as inept and uninterested in supporting children in distress. Around the same time, MPA instituted a comprehensive suicide awareness and prevention program called SOS. We also provided tips and resources to parents to engage in constructive and meaningful conversations with their children.

Committed to Science and Storytelling

May 17, 2018

Meet Blair Benham-Pyle ’06, a passionate scientist on her way to solving important scientific questions destined to improve our world. Blair is doing her post-doctoral research in regenerative medicine at the Stowers Institute, a highly innovative center for biomedical research. She’s currently immersed in studying the cute, but highly unusual, planarian flatworm, an organism that exists by breaking apart and cloning itself. Unlike other organisms in the process of regeneration, these worms amazingly do not get tumors or show signs of aging.

“My job as a scientist is to understand—through rigorous study in the lab—how they are able to control stem cell growth so robustly that they can protect themselves against cancer and aging,” explains Blair. “We want to know their life strategies and how a tiny group of cells can be cleaved off without damaging their basic blueprint. In layperson’s terms, we are trying to break apart that black box and apply our discoveries to improve human health.”

Blair has always had the heart and mind of a scientist, recalling her many opportunities to experiment at MPA and delve deeply into subjects of interest with her teachers. She appreciates that she was given freedom to explore across many disciplines, including ethics, constitutional law, and writing. Evidence of these skillsets is seen in her work today.

Students Discovering Their Voices

May 10, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Monday mornings are generally a flurry of meetings at Mounds Park Academy. Both the Lower School and the Upper School begin the week with division-wide meetings intended to keep the respective community informed, share what is happening in the classroom, celebrate milestones and important achievements, and build community. Monday morning meetings also give voice to students and intentionally invite engagement into the life of the school.

Thanks For An Amazing #ShareMPAMonth!

May 3, 2018

Thank you for sharing your love of MPA throughout all of April! We received more than 100 reasons why you love MPA and are elated to see all of the things that makes our community special and impactful. Because of how many replies you sent, we will be sharing them periodically on MPA’s social media, so keep an eye out for yours! For now, enjoy a few to share the joy:

“I love how caring and thoughtful the teachers are.” – Lia S.

Teaching Students to Make a Difference

May 3, 2018

by Erica Brewinski ’96, Middle School Director

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

“You can change the world.” When I think back on my education at MPA, these are the words that always come to mind. Maureen Conway, retired Upper School history teacher, repeated them to her students so many times that no one could doubt that we had the ability to shape the future for the betterment of the world around us. After graduating from MPA, I put these words into action by creating a new program in which Brown University students were paired with developmentally disabled adults in the Providence community so that the latter could learn and practice important life skills. While the rest of my college friends volunteered in pre-standing programs or, more likely, didn’t bother with service at all, I felt both empowered and compelled to take action to address a need that I knew would make a difference. MPA provided me with the skills, courage, creativity, and perseverance necessary to create something from scratch, including programming, budgeting, advertising, locating and working with a large number of community partners, and more in a place where I could no longer rely on family and friends for help. It also guided me to choose a career in education, since I could think of no better way to make a difference than by guiding the next generation.

Henry Is The Head For The Day!

April 27, 2018

Meet Henry S., MPA’s Head of School for the Day! Henry is a fifth grader who loves solving challenging math problems and skiing on MPA’s Alpine Ski team. He spent the day exploring the many daily components of the school, from business in the Athletics Office to a tour of the school (including the roof and its solar panels).

To start the day, Henry greeted students arriving at school through the south entrance with Dr. Hudson. They were so delighted to see that their friend was in charge today!

He then visited the Communications and Marketing department, where collected some brand-new MPA swag and quickly mastered graphic design and photography in order to publish his own custom display screen on campus. He even starred in a promotional video that will be shown at the Spring Auction. Read More

Tell Your Friends About Lunch At MPA!

April 26, 2018

Our next upcoming admission event is Lunch at MPA on Tuesday, May 15, starting at 11:30 AM! Invite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or anyone you know who shares your educational values. We can’t wait to meet them!

Guests are invited to campus during a regular school day to meet school administrators over a casual meal and tour the campus to see our students and teachers in action.

Kindly extend our invitation for lunch and have your friends RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org.

Sweet Moments From Grandparents Day

April 26, 2018

We had a wonderful time hosting everyone on campus for the first annual Upper School Grandparents And Special Friends Day! This day developed into an event specially designed for the Upper School division, where all of our visitors experienced a unique glimpse inside our older students’ life at MPA! We had grandparents and friends across all of the Upper School, in classes from Spanish to history and more.

Enjoy these sweet moments and thank you to all who visited and helped establish a new wonderful tradition! See all of the photos here!