Lower School Archives

Lower School Division News October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Grandparents and Special Friends—What a Day!

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate student learning last Wednesday. The students loved having their guests participate and enjoy the JOY we create every day at MPA.

Parent Chat—All Students Can Learn

Thank you to everyone who made it to the Parent Chat on Learning Support for students. You can find a recording of the presentation here. If you prefer to go through the slide deck, you can find that here.

Parent Opportunities To Connect!

Parent Coffee Wednesday, November 2, 8:15-9:15 AM

Middle School Transition—Thursday, November 10, 8:15 AM

Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School Director, is offering the first of several informal meetings to learn more about Middle School at MPA, share dreams and worries, and ask questions. Please mark your calendar for Thursday, November 10, at 8:15 AM. We will have coffee and hot tea and some light breakfast refreshments available. No need to RSVP, just join us if you can! If there are specific questions or topics you’d like to be addressed, you can email those to Dr. Jenn Milam, jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org.

Halloween Festivities—Friday, October 28

This is a gentle reminder students are invited to wear their costumes to school on Friday, October 28 and the PA will have games for them in the Lansing Sports Center during their PE time. We are capping off the day with a Lower School parade to showcase costumes and have a ghost of a good time! Families are welcome to come into the building at 2:30 PM to witness the students parading through the main hallway to the Upper School Commons and back to their classrooms. Read More

Parents Association News & Events October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

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.

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. Read More

Young World Citizens Open The Baa-Baa Boutique

October 27, 2022

October 24, the first day of the Baa-Baa Boutique, was incredible! The Baa-Baa Boutique is a service-learning project that will culminate with the kindergarten class purchasing an animal from Heifer International for a community in the world. It is helping these young students learn that they can be agents of change and make a difference in their community and globally as well.

The kindergarten students greeted their customers with smiles, handshakes, welcoming words, participation shyness, and their product story. Ms. Petrich and Ms. Petersen folded more than a thousand pieces of paper to create their cards. Then, in a collaboration between grandparents, special friends, and kindergarten students, unique notecards were created. The students collated the cards into bundles so our parent volunteer, Bruce France, and our librarian, Ms. Petrich, could put the finishing touches on with the blue ribbon.

They also sold plant bulbs. The students used their math skills to give the correct number of bulbs to each customer. They placed the bulbs on a ten frame and used their one-to-one correspondence to count to ten. They even used their skip-counting skills. Their favorite part was using the cash register and collecting the money. Read More

The Power Of Connection

October 26, 2022

The following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2023 member Justin Choi’s Senior Speech.

I’ve always feared change. There’s something about leaving everything known and entering new territories that scares me. When my family and I made a choice to move to Minnesota, I didn’t have the time to fully evaluate the process of moving to a new country, a new environment. I was on the plane to Los Angeles when I realized how much of my life was packed on a small island in Hong Kong, and in that plane seat I also realized how frightened I was. I had never even met a single person in America. I had only met my aunts and uncles when they would occasionally visit Hong Kong or the rare time we would visit America, but even then, I’d never had a whole conversation with them. I realized this was going to be the biggest change of my life, and I had no idea how to even adapt.

I landed at MSP, and I immediately felt lost. I didn’t know where I was in the country, I didn’t have any friends, I had never seen lakes, boats…farms! I felt tiny–coming from Hong Kong, where I was the same size as everyone else–felt weird. In Hong Kong, there were mountains surrounding a concrete jungle. I could walk the streets throughout the whole city and find my way home. Here, I couldn’t even get from my house to my school…and for our first year here, we lived in the apartments right by MPA! Read More

MPA Preview Sessions Revealed!

October 25, 2022

If you have ever dreamed of a way to experience life at MPA in a day, the PreK-12 Preview is the perfect opportunity to discover why you belong here. You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, November 6 at 2 PM.

This event will provide prospective families with an opportunity to truly discover the type of remarkable hands-on learning that MPA students do each day. You will rotate among several classes taught by our expert faculty. These will be interactive, experiential sessions that are actually abbreviated versions of real MPA lessons, modified to be appropriate for all ages.

LOWER SCHOOL SESSIONS

Physical Education: Juggling Scarves
Get ready to move, play, and laugh! Students will learn the basics of juggling by using one, two, or three scarves.

The Joy of World Language
There is so much joy in world language at MPA! In this session, you will learn some fall vocabulary, sing songs, play a game, and possibly work on a small craft.

“The Fall Song:” Bringing A Poem To Life
With “actor tools”–your body, face, and voice–join us for this intro to Lower School theatre. Put these tools to work and bring a poem to life!

Makerspace Marble Roll
Ready, set, roll! This beloved fourth grade Makerspace activity requires teamwork, creativity, patience, and enthusiasm.

Food Education
Join Ms. Santiago for a condensed hands-on version of her “Edible & Educational” ISACS food education fellowship work!

Science Sort
Students will love this sorting activity with our first grade teachers. This activity will be based on a short book, and then students will sort object-possible buttons by various features such as size and color. This will be hands-on and participatory. Read More

Our Mission Is Our Compass

October 13, 2022

from Bill Hudson, head of school

As I walk about the building each day, I see powerful signs of how the mission of MPA is brought to life and animated by students, teachers, staff, and parents. For instance, the Lower School gathered yesterday in the Family Commons to celebrate CHAMP Day, parents met on Monday to launch the inaugural Parents Association Diversity and Equity Committee, and students from across all divisions celebrated Maker Monday in the Makerspace honing their skills in designing and creating.

You may be aware that last year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Mounds Park Academy. During events throughout the 2021-22 school year, we took the opportunity to celebrate the founding ideals and mission of the school as they were lived out over the last 40 years. This summer, I was fortunate to be invited to lunch with several founders of MPA: Bob Kreischer, who, together with his then-wife Sandy Kreischer Smith founded the school; Harvey Kaplan, who deftly negotiated the lease and the eventual purchase of the school building; Karen Benz, who with her late husband George Benz, engaged and inspired other parents to philanthropically fund the school; and Jim Gardner, the founding member of the finance committee of the board whose fiscal stewardship established the school’s financial foundation.

It was inspirational to hear their stories about the successes and challenges they encountered and the joy, creativity, and passion that fueled their work. As I joined in the revelry with the founders, I shared ways in which the mission they established continues to live daily. I also became acutely aware that I, the board of trustees, and the entire MPA community, have the awesome and awe-filled obligation to advance the mission we’ve inherited for the next 40 years. The school’s mission is entrusted to us, and we have the existential responsibility to ensure the mission not only survives but thrives well into the future. Read More

Lower School Division News October 13, 2022

October 13, 2022

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

As we bid ‘Adieu’ to the warm weather and morning sunrises on our way to school and hunker down into our warm woolies and routine school practices, we are beginning to see some real growth and development in our Lower School kiddos! It was a joy to share with parents the great accomplishments MPA students have made so far and collaborate with you on positive learning and behavior goals for the rest of the school year. We feel blessed to have such wonderful families to partner for a great school team! Please do reach out with any thoughts, ideas or insights as we take this journey together for your child(ren).

CHAMP Assembly—Respectful

We had our second CHAMP Assembly of the school year led by Ms. Satiago’s Kindergarten and Mr. Wilson’s grade 4 classes. They played a video in which they demonstrated how we have circles of love in our lives with people (and pets) we care about and who care about us. We also learned that it is important to make your circle bigger by opening yourself to new friends and including others who would like to be in our circle. As we continue to focus on TOGETHER throughout this school year, we are choosing one value a month that encompasses some of the CHAMP attributes at MPA. This month is Respectful and includes respect, integrity and inclusiveness. We welcome you to reiterate the value of being respectful at home and connect it for students with our message here at school.

Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day – Wednesday, October 19, 8:30-11:30 AM

MPA is getting excited to welcome grandparents and special friends in less than one week! After coffee, treats, and a welcome from Dr. Hudson in the Family Commons, Lower School guests will have a chance to visit homerooms and see two specialist classes. The event culminates with a musical concert for everyone from our K-6 students. Special thanks go to Mari Espeland and Joque Warner for their leadership. Please remember to RSVP as space is filling up fast! Read More

Essential Arts Education

October 6, 2022

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

One of my favorite times of the year is early fall, when the first round of student artwork is displayed throughout the school. Bare walls come alive with beauty, creativity, and splashes of color. With just a few weeks of the semester to cultivate ideas and build skills, I am astounded by students’ accomplishments. This year is no exception. A quick walk about the school will be rewarded with marvelous displays of shape, lines, textures, shading, and values.

I am sometimes asked why MPA considers the arts an integral part of our academic program. Shouldn’t a college-prep school focus solely on subjects such as math, science, and English? The arts are considered electives or optional in many schools, but not at MPA. Unfortunately, many schools are forced to cut art education to free up funding and make time for standardized assessments. In contrast, we firmly believe that art education is essential to developing skills, mindsets, and attributes in the whole person both during their time at MPA and throughout their lives.

Many of us are familiar with the term growth mindset. A growth mindset is a belief about the malleability of intelligence and is associated with a wide variety of positive academic outcomes, including curiosity, resilience, and improved achievement. Guided by their teachers, students see that there is more than one way to approach a problem and that every solution, when well executed, offers a unique perspective. As a result, they learn that instead of mistakes being a failure to replicate an ideal, they are opportunities to expand ideas and use the process as an opportunity to creatively problem solve. “I love the process of designing a visual challenge,” says Middle and Upper School art teacher Renee Sonka. “Preparing students to meet that challenge, and then stepping back to see the incredible variety of beautiful solutions that result from that process.” Read More

Parents Association News & Events October 6, 2022

October 6, 2022

Fall Parent Brunch
October 12, 10AM-12 PM
Parents, please join us for a morning meet-up at Churchill Street in Shoreview. Now that school is back in session, parents deserve a mid-morning break. Head over to this great community gathering spot to meet, connect, and chat with other MPA parents. The PA is covering the cost of the private dining room for the morning, and parents can order what they like and pay for it at the counter. Churchill Street is at 4606 Churchill Street, in Shoreview, MN! Preschool-aged siblings are welcome.

It’s not too late to attend. Email Staci Banks at sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Halloween Will Soon Be Here
October 28, 8:30 AM-2:20 PM
Our annual Halloween Party is back! Please contact Jasmin Stees at jasminstees@yahoo.com if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. We’ll have a SignUp Genius coming soon. Read More

One Space, Infinite Possibilities

October 5, 2022

MPA’s Makerspace intentionally provides students with opportunities to construct meaning through making with practical, hands-on, interdisciplinary, problem-based projects. In this space, students of all ages use design thinking to develop empathy with individuals and design creative solutions to problems through an iterative process involving brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. The Makerspace allows for the blend of technical and creative skills conducive to developing a well-rounded individual.

Kindergarteners are experiencing the immersive magic that occurs daily in our Makerspace. For one of their first projects of the year, the eager students gathered around Mr. Braafladt, the Makerspace technology and innovation teacher. They watched in wonder as he carefully demonstrated their tasks and introduced the letter block activity.

The first letters that children learn are most often the ones in their names. In early kindergarten, names are used to practice letter recognition, syllables, counting, and so much more. In this project, Ms. Santiago’s class leveraged the Makerspace to take this foundational literacy work to a more creative and hands-on level.

For this experiential learning activity, kindergarteners were given small blocks of wood with the letters of their names outlined on them. Their challenge was to glue different materials over these outlined letters, producing unique and personalized art pieces.

Ms. Santiago explains, “Even though this project gave each student a beautiful end product, it is a prime example of a process-driven Makerspace experience for the students. Mr. Braafladt and I offered a wide variety of materials and intentionally left the rest up to the kids. They had to decide which material to use, how to best attach the material to their letters, and how to troubleshoot the problems that came up as they worked. Process-driven learning fosters creativity, independence, and perseverance.”

According to a Philly Art Center article on the importance of process-driven art for children, “If we show them an example and proceed to teach them exactly how to make their project the same as ours, we have only given students one answer to one question and both came from us. But if we instead give them materials and demonstrate the many ways they can use that material, we are posing questions and teaching them to find their own solutions in a world of possibility.” The Makerspace letter block project is an instrumental activity in developing autonomy for young MPA learners!