November 25, 2024
What makes a strong kindergarten program? How do you know what will be a good fit for your child? Should you find a program that focuses on academics, play, or one that promotes both? Is a public elementary school the right choice or a private one with smaller kindergarten class sizes?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Every family needs to base their kindergarten decision on what works best for their individual circumstances and values. Given our experience at Mounds Park Academy, a private PreK-12 school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, we believe that you can determine whether a kindergarten program is strong by asking yourself the following questions.
Is it joyful?
Kindergarten is a magical time in early childhood development. Our teachers, administrators, parents, and students all use the word “joy” when describing kindergarten at MPA. Students should be happy about being at school and excited to come home and share the news of their day. When you visit a kindergarten classroom, a sense of joy should exude from it because children are active, engaged, and having fun. Read More
“I’m living the dream every day,” remarks kindergarten teacher Katie Roche. “Not only do I have the honor of helping our kindergarteners grow into readers, mathematicians, scientists, and historians, I have the privilege of helping them learn to love school and truly love learning. That is the feeling we want them to have walking in through the front door every day, and to be carried with them even as adults.”
One of the most frequent questions asked of our admission staff when families are first exploring our school is, “Tell me about homework” or “How much homework do students have at Mounds Park Academy?” MPA’s philosophy is that homework should always affirm and confirm what students have learned in the classroom. In other words, homework assignments should be about practice. When homework is designed this way, it leads to students taking responsibility for their assignments because they understand how to approach it. Our end goal is that students will find motivation within themselves to succeed. We also work to teach our students balance. We want them to be able to focus on their academic achievements, but also be in the musical, or play soccer, or participate in debate. It is important that students can handle the responsibility of homework without them drowning in it. Rigor at MPA is not the amount of homework you have or the number of hours you spend studying. Rigor at MPA is a deep and meaningful inquiry.
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the November 8 issue of Inside MPA. 
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the October 26 issue of Inside MPA. 
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the October 16 issue of Inside MPA. 
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the October 2 issue of Inside MPA. 
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the September 21 issue of Inside MPA. 
A liberal arts education is one of the many benefits of a private school. But looking deeper, the philosophy behind it reveals why a liberal arts education is so important in our technology-driven world. Education is more dynamic and multifaceted than ever, responding to the demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape. Amidst this transformation, the advantage of liberal arts education stands out as both timeless and increasingly relevant. Traditionally associated with studying subjects such as humanities, literature, philosophy, history, and the arts, liberal arts education emphasizes a broad-based approach to learning that fosters critical thinking, effective communication, and ethical reasoning.
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the August 27, 2024 issue of InsideMPA.