Lower School Archives

Founders’ Day 2022

December 1, 2022

by Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

I invite you and your family to our annual pancake breakfast next Wednesday, December 7, from 7-8 AM to celebrate Founders’ Day. Founders’ Day celebrates the official date that the school was established. This is a very special celebration, and what better way to mark the school’s founding than with a delicious pancake breakfast made by members of the MPA Board of Trustees?! This year, the day is being made extra special with an all-school pajama day in honor of the Book Festival.

My family spent a quiet Thanksgiving with my husband Ross’ brother and sister-in-law. We gathered for the annual Olson Family Lefse and Flatbread Making Day on Saturday. True North Dakotan Norwegians Willard and Vernita would spend a day making lefse and flatbread for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to enjoy over the Christmas holidays. Now that they have both passed away, we started a new tradition of getting together as a family to make the lefse and flatbread. It is a beautiful day of remembering, telling stories, arguing over which of Vernita’s lefse recipes we should use, working together to roll the perfectly rounded lefse, nurturing a shared identity, and sharing a meal. Read More

Help Keep MPA Children Safe

November 30, 2022

It is MPA’s number one priority to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children. Lately, we have noticed an uptick in risky driving behavior in our parking lots and drive-thru lanes.

We ask that you share this critical information with all of the drivers in your home and others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Drive-Thru Lanes
We realize it can be frustrating in the morning and afternoon as students unload/reload all of their things for the day and that many drivers are in a hurry to get to where they need to be. In the interest of safety, courtesy, and efficiency, we ask that drivers refrain from pulling in front of another car or “leap-frogging” to the front. To make the process as efficient as possible, please pull up all the way to the crosswalk to allow maximum space in the drive-thru lanes. Please help ensure no gaps are present in the drive-thru lanes, even if that means your child needs to wait or walk further to enter the vehicle.

Entering and Exiting the Car
Children should only be allowed to enter and exit the car from the right/curbside in the drive-thru lanes. If you need to leave the vehicle to help your children in or out, please do so with great caution. Additionally, if you park in a lot during drop off and/or pick up, please take extra precautions to ensure your child is safe and uses the appropriate crosswalks to enter the building. No Lower School student should cross the crosswalk into the parking lot without an adult caregiver by their side. Read More

Afterschool Activities and Care Canceled This Afternoon

November 29, 2022

Due to the weather, all afterschool activities, including games, practices, Panther Club/Den, Middle School study hall, and meetings are canceled this afternoon, Tuesday, November 29. MPA will remain in session until our regular dismissal time of 3 PM.

The families of District 622 and Minneapolis bus riders will be communicated with directly as soon as possible regarding modified bus schedules. All other buses will run as usual, although they may be running late.

PreK Panther, Panther Club, and Panther Den will remain open until all children are picked up; however, families are asked to arrive as quickly as possible after 3 PM so our faculty and staff can travel home as well.

Email communications@moundsparkacademy.org if you have any questions. Please drive safely!

RSVP Today For The PreK-12 MPA Preview

November 28, 2022

The PreK-12 Preview is the perfect opportunity to discover why you belong at MPA! You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the PreK-12 MPA Preview on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 2 PM. RSVP here!

The PreK-12 MPA Preview is designed to introduce you to the faculty, students, and families who make MPA the exceptional learning community it is. You’ll hear from various perspectives, be engaged in conversation with academic leaders, and leave with a much better understanding of the MPA way. These events are designed for family members of all ages to attend together and will include division-specific time. Read More

Meet Annika Binstadt ’25

November 21, 2022

What do you love about MPA?
It sounds cliché, but MPA is my home away from home. I know that I can come to school each day and I will have teachers, friends, coaches, and administrators all ready to welcome me. Whenever I speak with students who don’t go to MPA and they tell me how much they dread going to school or that they don’t feel comfortable being themselves at school, I realize that I have never had that experience at MPA. Not only is the Mounds Park campus where I spend most of my time, but it is where I have made many of my fondest memories and closest friends. It is the place that has raised and nurtured me, and it is a huge part of what has shaped my personality, interests, and character.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
Teachers at MPA genuinely care for their students, and it shows in the way they teach. At this school, I have never felt like just a grade or another essay. The joy teachers have for their students and for teaching shows in everything they do, inside and outside of the classroom. The teachers are truly the heart of what makes MPA great.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
At MPA, no dream is too big. If you see a solution, you pursue it. My dreams have been supported, even when they were far-fetched and arguably impossible. There is a strong culture of justice, dedication, and collaboration among the students. Read More

Our Community Is Powerful And Strong

November 17, 2022

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Throughout the day, you have undoubtedly received multiple messages from MPA and other non-profits urging you to make a gift today. Give to the Max Day in Minnesota is a fun and exciting way to maximize your giving to make a tremendous impact on schools and non-profits. For instance, we have an opportunity today at MPA to unlock $100,000 in gifts if we raise $250,000.

In determining your philanthropic priorities, you may ask, “Why give to MPA? Why give philanthropically when I already pay tuition?” That’s a fair question. From one perspective, an MPA education is transactional. Families pay tuition and, in return, receive an excellent education. However, I would venture to say that the relationship between the students, faculty, staff, and families is much more than a simple business transaction. It is transformative, and that is what motivates me more than ever to give to MPA. Read More

Parents Association Book Festival & More

November 17, 2022

December 5-11
This year, the MPA Book Festival will arrive just in time for holiday gifts or Winter Break reading! Usborne will be joining us in the Gallery during the school day with a wide range of books. Come and peruse the selection, chat with Liz, and enjoy the books on display. Valley Bookseller, a local independent bookstore, will also be represented online and via gift cards. Teacher wish lists will be available soon. Come and share the love of books and reading with all of your family. Please contact Michelle Wessely, Michelle_wessely@yahoo.com, with any questions or for more information.

We are asking for donations of books for readers of all ages (hardcover and paperbacks). Carts are located at the Upper and Lower School entrances through December 9 for convenient drop-off. Sales of these used books take place during the Book Festival and the proceeds benefit the library.

December 7 at 6 PM in the MPA Library, the MPAPA will host a book club moderated by Dr. Bill Hudson. This year’s selection is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. “A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.”

MPA Doer: Growing A Sustainable Future

November 16, 2022

We are launching a special story series where we profile Dreamers, Doers, Freethinkers, and Right Makers in the MPA community to inspire one another. Do you have an impactful story to share? Email communications@moundsparkacademy.org!

If you spend time at MPA during the summer, you’ll notice the lavish blooms and abundant vegetables and herbs that sprout about every year. You’ll also notice a particular student tending to the flora, ensuring that it is reaching its full potential and seeking out ways to enhance and sustain it. MPA senior Cassie Atkinson, consistently gives her time, dedication, and creativity to the campus gardens during the summer and throughout the year. She has a love for the outdoors, including a deep knowledge of plants and animals, is a leader of the Upper School E-Club, and inspires those around her to consider the environment with the same care that she does. Her work includes the general caretaking of the outdoor space, but it also careful curation and ingenuity when it comes to environmental efficiency. Cassie’s notable passion for sustainability has even produced amazing features such as the medicine wheel garden, a native botanical practice.

Cassie’s commitment to sustainability does not go unnoticed among our community. In fact, it led to Dr. Jurewicz—the interim Lower School director—approaching the senior, asking if she would take on the task of getting MPA’s old aeroponic tower up and running. Since this tower has been unused in the building for decades, Dr. J saw an opportunity to put it to good use and have an experienced student teach younger peers about an important topic. Shortly after, a senior service project was born, as Cassie agreed to use this growing equipment to teach younger students about aeroponics and sustainable growing. Cassie will show students what the aeroponic tower can grow, how it works, and even have some taste tests from whatever is harvested.

Cassie expressed that this is an incredibly important project, because “sustainable living is the future.”

“Especially for young people, who don’t have the financial liberties to make sustainable choices in their energy consumption,” she said.

Through the awareness Cassie is raising, a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds can have the opportunity to participate in sustainable living by growing their own produce, and protecting wildlife and their habitats. She’s very excited to promote this project and mission to the community.

Although Cassie had plenty of sustainability topics to choose from she says that “aeroponics is becoming increasingly important for humans to acknowledge because the resources and land we live on are critical and limited. Ninety percent of farmland is cultivated for cattle in the U.S.– That is a lot of tallgrass land that should be restored to preserve a natural carbon cycle. It’s also important for people to know that it’s possible to grow your own food in urban settings, with limited or no space for soil. Machines like the aeroponic tower preserve space and make it possible.”

Cassie’s senior service project is one that will impact younger generations to invest in their future through sustainable methods. The project’s initial processes will start this month and take four to six weeks to begin running smoothly.

Lower School Division News November 10, 2022

November 10, 2022

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Student Performance and Report Cards
As we come to the end of our first trimester, teachers are preparing report cards with scores in various subjects and thoughtful individual comments on student performance. Earlier this week, we sent home our early assessments on your child. These assessments help teachers with understanding each student’s readiness level for learning at grade level this school year. The assessments show both areas of strength in reading and math, as well as areas for growth. In combination with other performance indicators of student performance, if there are areas of concern, we are addressing these early to support students in their best success at MPA this school year. If you have further questions on the early assessments or the report cards when they arrive home on November 21, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher.

The Importance of Sleep for Children
Did you know that children spend as much as half of their early years asleep? Sleep promotes healthy brain and cognitive development according to a study from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Additionally, children undergo significant changes in how they sleep over time, from sleeping up to 20 hours a day as infants to taking periodic naps throughout the day as toddlers. Children phase out of naps at different ages, from as young as 2 to as old as 8 years old. The age a child transitions out of naps is related to brain and memory development rather than age. This means that about 30 percent of children ages 6 to 11 do not get enough sleep. While MPA does not have a routine of napping beyond PreK, perhaps parents might consider an early bedtime as an option. This will support your child with the rich learning experience we have each day at MPA. A well-rested child is a happy and engaged child.

Fall Campaign: Forward Together
This year’s “Forward Together” campaign kicked-off on Monday, November 7, and lasts through November 18. During this time, we ask our community to help us meet the gap between tuition and the cost of an MPA education to help ensure students, families, faculty, and staff have the resources they need. Read More

Parents Association News & Events November 10, 2022

November 10, 2022

Save the Date for the MPA Book Festival
December 5-11
This year, the MPA Book Festival will arrive just in time for holiday gifts or Winter Break reading! This year we’ll be back in person with opportunities for parents to engage in the festivities. Please contact Michelle Wessely, Michelle_wessely@yahoo.com, with any questions or for more information.

Usborne will be joining us in the Gallery during the school day with a wide range of books. Come and peruse the selection, chat with Liz, and enjoy the books on display. Valley Bookseller, a local independent bookstore, will also be represented online and via gift cards. Teacher wish lists will be available soon. Come and share the love of books and reading with all of your family.

Needed! Your Gently Used Books. We are asking for donations of books for readers of all ages (hardcover and paperbacks). Carts are located at the Upper and Lower School entrances through December 9 for convenient drop-off. Sales of these used books take place during the Book Festival and the proceeds benefit the library.

Wanted! Your time. If you would like to sign-up to help out, we would love to have you. Decorate, sell used books, or help LS students shop and create wish lists during library time. Be sure to look through all three tabs on the Signup Genius. Many thanks to those who have already signed-up!

Prepare….for Book Club! During the week of the Book Festival, the MPAPA hosts a book club moderated by Dr. Bill Hudson on December 7 at 6 PM in the MPA Library. This year’s selection is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. “A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.” The PA provides books for those interested in taking part in the evening’s discussion. Sign up for a book using this google form. Questions, email sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org

PA Board Meeting
Friday, November 18 at 9 AM
The next MPA PA board meeting will be open to PA members. If you’re interested in attending, email sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org for a zoom link and more information.

Upcoming Community Events
If you are interested in signing up for any of these events, please email Staci at sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org or Venmo @Staci-Banks-Hehenberger with the name of the event and number attending in the comment line.

MPA at the MIA
November 20 at 1 PM
Join other MPA families to tour the Special Exhibit, Botticelli and Renaissance Florence: Masterworks from the Uffizi. The cost of the exhibition is $20.00 for adults and free for children, and the MPAPA will be picking up the cost of the guided tour.

US Parent Dinner at India Palace
December 3, 8-10 PM
Looking for something to do while your US student dances the night away? Come meet other parents and have dinner at India Palace in Woodbury! They will stay open late for us, so please come and enjoy delicious food and great company.

If you are interested in signing up for any of these events, please email Staci at sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org or Venmo @Staci-Banks-Hehenberger with the name of the event and number attending in the comment line.