November 18, 2024
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.
Very often that means a parent’s role is not working through the material with the student but encouraging the student’s independence and responsibility. But as parent you may ask, “How do I do that? What is my role?” We have some ideas on how you can support your student with their homework. Read More
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. 
Parents of Lifers are those who chose MPA for their children every year for all 13 years of their education. Right before they graduated from MPA, 
Kristi (Jay ’24): The opportunities he’s had across the board. I don’t think he would’ve been in a school play if he was at a different school. And selfishly, I already knew that there were outstanding teachers here–some of them that I had!–so I knew from the get-go what he was getting into and how it was going to help him flourish in school, because I feel like that’s a huge piece too–knowing how supportive and invested all these outstanding teachers are. 
Near the end of their final year at MPA, we had the honor of interviewing many of the MPA Class of 2024 Lifers about their time at MPA, the only school they’ve been at for their entire academic career. A group of dedicated athletes, talented musical artists, Peer Leaders, and proud self-proclaimed robotics “nerds,” each of them shared memories and reflections of MPA past and present, looking toward the future well prepared by MPA. Devneet Biring, Jay Green, Greta Hanson, Sylvia Hawley, Micah Hudock, Khushi Jain, Else Kunze-Hoeg, Logan Miller, Ben Murr, Nora Pederson, Hunter Scheible, David Steinberger, and Molly Vergin will graduate on June 8 and join MPA’s Joanne Olson Club, reserved for students whose entire K-12 or PreK-12 journey has taken place here at MPA.
Nora: I like how integrated everybody is, whether in sports or other things. For example, in basketball, we did this kid’s camp with the boys’ and girls’ teams where we got to work with Lower and Middle School students, so now when I see them in the hallway I can say hi. And with different classes like choir and orchestra, you get to know people in all grades. With track, since it’s a co-ed sport, I get to talk and know people that I wouldn’t normally. It’s just interesting knowing more than one grade.