Lower School Archives

September 5, 2018

Come meet your Grade Reps, the PA Board and other parents! The MPA Parents Association Meet & Greet is Friday, September 7, at 8 AM in the Gallery. Light breakfast will be served while you learn about the 2018-19 Parents Association events and initiatives and how to get involved. Ask questions, share your ideas, and help us grow our community-building at MPA! We would love to see you!

The first monthly all Lower School Family Social, organized by Lower School Parents Association Grade Reps, is also right around the corner! On Saturday, September 22, from 10 AM-1 PM, please join us at Como Town, where we will use a three-hour unlimited wristband for kids to enjoy the rides and play together! The fee for this event is $5 per child. Read More

Grandparents And Special Friends Day 2018

August 30, 2018

Save and share the date for Lower and Middle School Grandparents and Special Friends Day with your grandparents and special friends! The cherished MPA event will be held the morning of Wednesday, October 17, prior to an early dismissal at 11:30 AM for grades PreK-11. Information was sent home via Lower School folders and Middle School advisories with how to tell us the names of the grandparents and special friends whom we should invite. Please ask them to save the date prior to their invitation arriving in the mail!

Please contact Ashley Goetzke at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org if you have any questions.

Save The Date For Homecoming 2018!

August 30, 2018

We all belong here! All families PreK-12 should save the date to come and celebrate MPA Homecoming 2018 on Saturday, September 29!

The weekend is a wonderful way to celebrate who we are, where we come from, and where we are going together. Whether you’re a parent cheering on your athlete, an Upper School student competing, a Lower School student excited for the bounce houses, or an alum coming back to celebrate a milestone reunion, this is an opportunity for all of us to support and celebrate MPA. Come home to connect with us and one another, and to celebrate MPA.

You can find all of the event details at moundsparkacademy.org/homecoming. We can’t wait to see you there!

MPA Printed Calendars

August 29, 2018

Did you get your 2018-19 MPA printed calendar? The youngest child in each family should have received one at Back to School Night. If not, please contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at communications@moundsparkacademy.org and we will send one home with your child!

Updated Recycling Program

August 23, 2018

Faculty and staff met this summer to learn the ins-and-outs of the new recycling program at MPA, and we’re excited to launch it among students, too!

This updated program provides a streamlined way to dispose of recycling, organics, and trash in the cafeteria. We will maximize efficiency and provide organic materials to a local farm. We are excited to do right, reduce our waste, and make our campus even more green and sustainable.

While we are starting with the cafeteria, the next phase of the new recycling program will include the entire school! Students will attend a Recycling Assembly on September 5 to learn more and we will share more with you in an upcoming article as well.

MPA Ice Cream Social

August 23, 2018

Come for the sundaes, stay for the friends! The MPA Ice Cream Social is on Thursday, August 30, from 3-4 PM. This annual community gathering is hosted by MPA faculty and staff, servings scoops to anyone who would like to attend and spend the afternoon with us! The Social will take place outside of the Lower School Atrium. All families are welcome to come and we hope to see you there to celebrate a fantastic first week back at MPA!

Announcements From The Makerspace

August 23, 2018

We can’t wait to see you and your children in the Makerspace this year! There are many new activities and creative projects to explore, and Ms. Koen is so happy to guide you through them all. “I have some new ideas to bring to the table after taking an engineering class over the summer!” she said. We also have exciting announcements for Makerspace events both new and back by popular demand from last year!

Starting September 7, the Fiber Friends maker group will meet every Friday from 11 AM-12:30 PM. This group of knitters, crocheters, and textile gurus is open to faculty, parents, alumni, and students! If you want to participate, but do not know how to knit or crochet, beginners are always welcome!

Lower School STEAM club will begin in January and meet after school on Thursdays. There is a winter and a spring session, and registration will come out at the end of November! More reminders to come this Fall! Read More

Welcome Home

August 23, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Welcome home to MPA! It was wonderful to see you Tuesday evening for Back to School Night. There was great energy and optimism in the school as we welcomed 80 new students and families to MPA and re-connected with returning families. The packed bleachers in the Lansing Center was a sight to behold and filled me with gratitude and great pride. As I stood at the south entrance on such a beautiful morning, the hugs, handshakes and high fives reminded me how fortunate I am to lead this amazing community. Thank you for the joy your family brings to our school.

A common theme emerges when students, parents, teachers, or staff are asked to describe MPA in one word. Family. The strong relationships that form between members of the MPA community resemble the bonds between family members. Because of those bonds, our students develop the confidence to discover and pursue their dreams and uncover their purpose in the world.

In October, we will welcome educators from independent schools across the Midwest who are serving on our accreditation visiting team. After one year of self-reflection here on campus, we seek their review and affirmation of the plans and priorities we offer as part of our commitment to continuous improvement. They will make a recommendation of accreditation to the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), validating who we are as well as offering suggestions that will enhance our school. This is a very important part of the life of an independent school and I am looking forward to the process.

Welcome Home, Panthers!

August 16, 2018

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at New Family Orientation and Back To School Night to start off another fantastic school year! Grab your new school supplies and head to campus on Tuesday, August 21, for time with your teachers, an all-school assembly, and snacks! Welcome home, Panthers!

New Family Orientation: 3:30-5:45 PM

LOWER SCHOOL FAMILIES • GRADES PREK-4
3:30-4 PM – Students and parents stay together to meet homeroom teachers, put away school supplies, and locate and/or practice lockers.
4-4:45 PM – Students separate for an activity with Mr. Purdy, Extended Day Coordinator, while parents meet with Ms. Wright, Lower School Director, in the Library.
4:45-5:30 PM – Enjoy dinner in the cafeteria.
5:30-5:45 PM – Meet Head of School Dr. Hudson and the Leadership Team.
6:15-6:30 PM – All-School Welcome Back Assembly in the Lansing Center.
6:30-7:30 PM – Additional time to visit homeroom and specialist teachers and classrooms, organize school supplies, and practice student lockers. Refreshments available. Read More

Witnessing Growth

June 7, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

At the door this morning, a kindergartener excitedly showed Ms. Wright and me her wiggly tooth. “Look! I’m losing another tooth! Right next to the one I already lost!” she said as she worked the tooth back and forth with her finger. For several weeks earlier this spring, we received daily updates of the process of losing her first tooth. It is stories like this that I tell when people ask me what I love most about my job.

Losing teeth, “high water” pants, and deeper voices are all outward signs of growing students. Not as obvious are the maturity and confidence students develop over their time at MPA, whether over the course of one year, or many. I see it in the way they carry themselves in the hallways and how they perform on the stage or playing field. Nothing is more rewarding than to witness this growth and to somehow be a part of it.