Lower School Archives

September 9, 2021

from Renee Wright, Lower School Director

Our first CHAMP assembly took place on Wednesday, September 8. I am excited to share that our focus for this school year will be on ACCOUNTABILITY. Students will practice using CHAMP character traits to be the best version of themselves on campus, at home, and in their community. They will learn the importance of making good choices and take responsibility for their words and actions. At our assembly we were all inspired by the book, “I Am Human…A Book of Empathy,” by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Being human means we are full of possibility. We learn, dream big, and wonder. At times we make mistakes but learn from them. We mindfully strive to act with compassion and empathy to others and ourselves.

As a follow-up to the CHAMP assembly teachers led a community circle in the classroom to talk about being responsible. Students shared their thoughts and ideas to the following questions:

What does it mean to you to be responsible?
What have you done in the past week that shows responsibility?

Encourage your child to be responsible at home. Being responsible is an important quality for school success. You can help your child develop these qualities by establishing reasonable rules and procedures in your home and reinforcing them consistently. Expecting your child to complete simple tasks or chores is important to building responsibility. Break jobs down into smaller steps and praise your child’s efforts. Children feel good about being contributing members of the family.

Parent and School Partnership
Mark your calendar for parent/teacher conferences. Please see the dates below when conference times will be offered.

Thursday, September 30–3:30-7 PM
Thursday, October 7–3:30-8 PM
Friday, October 8–8 AM-4 PM (No Classes)

You will receive a communication soon from the Lower School Office with information on how to sign up for a conference. Please make attending conferences a priority. Conferences are extremely important and provide teachers the opportunity to team with parents to help students be successful. Lower School homeroom conferences are scheduled for 25 minutes and specialists conferences are scheduled for 10 minutes.

After-school Pick-up Name Request
If you pick-up your child in the drive-up lane after school it would be helpful if you would place a sign with your last name on the dash, so it is visible in the window on the right side of your vehicle. This will help speed up pick-up procedures. Thank you in advance for your attention to this new procedure!

Dates to Remember

Monday, September 13: Picture Day
September 27-October 2: Homecoming Week
October 20-22: No Classes/Fall Break

The Magic Of A Noisy Classroom

September 2, 2021

After several months of quiet and sometimes eerie peacefulness, the hallways and classrooms are abuzz with energy and joy this week. And so, it should be as the MPA family comes together again for a new school year. With 139 new students and an overall enrollment of 577, much of our time over the last week has been dedicated to building community and developing relationships with one another.

There are volumes of research demonstrating that when students feel like they belong, self-esteem, positive peer relationships, classroom engagement, academic achievement, positive attitudes toward school and learning, resilience, and many other positive attributes increase. One of those volumes collecting dust in the stacks of the University of St. Thomas Library is my own dissertation on the importance of creating a school culture that is grounded in relationships.

Late last week, I was drawn to a classroom by the laughter emanating from it. Rather than be concerned, I simply smiled, for I learned early in my career as a teacher and administrator that there is magic in a noisy classroom. What on the surface may seem a bit chaotic or messy can in reality be a very intentional experience with students engaged in their own education, building relationships, and learning collaboratively, in a robust and captivating place. Read More

Guidelines For Bus And Traffic Safety

September 2, 2021

It is MPA’s number one priority to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children. Please share this information with all of the drivers in your home, in addition to others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

COVID-19 Bus Precautions
We have implemented these strategies to prioritize health and safety on MPA buses:

Masks worn by all on board.
One student per seat whenever possible (siblings may sit together).
A seating chart for any bus with more than 22 students (there are 22 seats on a bus.)
Four windows open one inch: the two in the last row on each side of the aisle and two in the front row on each side of the aisle.

Distracted Driving
Parents and students are asked to refrain from using cell phones (hands free or otherwise) while driving on campus, especially when children are present. This helps us all to be aware of the children moving around us and keep the traffic flow steady and uncongested. Read More

Connect With The MPA Parents Association This School Year

August 26, 2021

Parents Connect: Wednesday Morning Walks

The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun! Wednesday, September 1 we’ll have a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet at the flagpole near the Lower School entrance. Lower School, Middle School and Upper School families are welcome. This week’s walk will include strolling through some of the grounds on MPA, including the prairie area. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us.

After that walk if parents are interested, we can head over to the Farmer’s Market at Aldrich Arena, a short walk from MPA. They have a large variety of great produce and you’ll be supporting local farmers.

Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

Monday and Thursday Mornings in the Garden

Get your hands dirty Monday and Thursday mornings after drop off, helping in MPA’s gardens. No experience necessary. Come and help weed, plant, dig, or sow, all are welcome. How long you stay is up to you. If Michelle Mick is not at the flagpole, go around the corner, in the Library gardens, next to Door #2.

Remember to bring a mask! Hope to see you there!

Picture Day Information For Families

August 26, 2021

Hello, families!

Picture day is approaching! Our vendor is Jostens and you will receive flyers soon with information on how to order your pictures online.

Picture day is on:

Monday September 13

Retake day is on:

Monday, October 11

All students should be in school uniform or dress code. Jostens asks that your child avoids wearing the color green!

Jostens, knows customers care deeply about privacy and data security. Customer trust is their top priority and maintaining this trust is an ongoing commitment. They strive to protect the privacy of customer data by the security policies, practices and technologies put in place. Jostens does not sell or rent directory information to third parties for any reason. Jostens does not use email addresses to market any other products or services.

Providing parent email addresses for each student is the best form of security. Student photos are automatically linked to their parent’s email address, and parents with multiple students will be able to see all of their students. If a parent’s email address is not provided, they must enter the school name, event code, exact spelling of the student’s name and another unique identifier (Student ID/Lunch ID/etc).

Parents will receive the following communications from Jostens:

Picture Day Is Coming–This will be a reminder email that is sent a few days before the scheduled Picture Day
Pictures Are Ready–This will notify parents that the photos have been uploaded and can be viewed on the website
Reminder Emails–If an order is not placed, we do send out one email per month letting them know the pictures are available

Jostens Condensed Privacy Policy >

Jostens Full Privacy Policy >

From your yearbook advisors,

Lauren Drake (ldrake@moundsparkacademy.org) and Sara Mohn (smohn@moundsparkacademy.org)

Accessing MPA’s Family Directory

August 26, 2021

As you make new connections at MPA, we warmly encourage families to connect with one another outside of school (safely, of course!). Here are instructions about how to access MPA’s community directory in Schoology.

On Desktop

Visit https://app.schoology.com/login.
Login to Schoology using your parent login.
In the upper right-hand corner, using the drop down button, navigate to your parent profile. You are now viewing Schoology as yourself, not as your child.
Along the top navigation bar, click on Resources (top) > Apps (left).
Click Approve then refresh the page. This is only needed the first time you open MPA Resources.
The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

On Mobile

Download the Schoology app (if you haven’t already) in the Apple or Android App Store.
Login to the app using your parent login.
In the upper left-hand corner menu, select Resources > Resource Apps > MPA Resources.
Click Approve then use the back button to get back to Resources. Click MPA Resources again.
This is only needed the first time you open the MPA Resources app.
The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

If you have any questions, please email Jay Springer, MPA webmaster, at webmaster@moundsparkacademy.org. If you have any changes to your directory listing, contact your division assistant:

Lower School: Denise Johnson, djohnson@moundsparkacademy.org

Middle School: Jolynn Lassonde, jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org

Upper School: Jolynn Lassonde, jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org (temporary)

Lower School Division News

August 26, 2021

Off to a Good Start!

Lower School had a perfect start to the 2021-2022 school year! It is energizing to have students back on campus! Students and teachers are experiencing the joy of learning in classrooms as they get to know each other and launch into learning new concepts and skills. A huge thank you to parents and teachers for helping with the transition back to school.

At the beginning of the school year teachers work hard to develop a positive, kind, inclusive classroom culture and set the tone for a respectful and engaging learning environment of trust. This year lower school teachers will be using Responsive Classroom Morning Meetings periodically throughout the week as a way to build that culture.

Students, and even teachers, crave a certain amount of predictability and routine in the school day, especially at the start of the year. Morning Meeting merges academic, social, and emotional learning. They also enhance the sense of significance and belonging and provides an opportunity to have fun.

Morning Meetings teach necessary competencies and abilities to communicate ideas and information clearly, to collaborate, and demonstrate innovation and flexible thinking. In addition, Monday Meeting will reinforce CHAMP concepts and teach responsible citizenship. Social emotional Learning skills will also be practiced helping children develop life-long skills such as recognizing and managing emotions, developing care and concern for others, establishing positive relationships, and handling challenges constructively. Morning Meeting components also offer students endless opportunities and practice and review academic skills.

When we start the school day together, face to face, welcoming each other, sharing news, listening to individual voices, and communicating as a caring group, we make a powerful statement. We say that all students matter! We say that we are a team working together! We say our classroom culture is one of friendliness and thoughtfulness! We say that we can accomplish hard work and make discoveries together.

Morning meetings help create connections among all members of the classroom community. Students learn details about each other and build common bonds. Students learn that each classroom is a community of unique students and families. Teachers can take advantage of the diversity of the group to teach cross-cultural understanding and acceptance. The connection between students and their teachers helps students feel comfortable taking risks when they know they will be respected and valued, no matter the outcome. Read More

Providing A Joyful Light

August 26, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Welcome home! I hope that you had a wonderful summer, filled with plenty of time with family and loved ones. Although I enjoyed the slower pace, I am thrilled to start a new school year. We begin the school year with 575 students, the highest enrollment in more than 10 years with 138 new students, several grade levels full, and others close to capacity. Our growing enrollment is surely an indication that “Dream Big. Do Right.” speaks resoundingly to the hearts and minds of a growing number of families in the Twin Cities. With confident humility, we acknowledge our place among the very best independent schools in the nation.

I love to read but find very little time during the school year to tackle a good novel while also staying abreast of journals, the most current educational research, and professional reading. During the summer, however, you can find me reading on the deck, the dock, the boat, or on long car trips (in the passenger seat, of course). Of all the books I read this summer, one stands out, the Pulitzer Prize winning “All the Light We Cannot See.” It is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read and is deeply, deeply moving.

As I was thinking about many reasons why MPA is a unique and special place and the tremendous growth of the school over the last several years, I was inspired by a line in the book:

“So how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world full of light?”

The mission of MPA over the last 40 years, as captured by our school motto, “Dream Big. Do Right.” is dedicated to bringing light to a world that all too often seems darkened. Each child holds within them immense possibility and potential. By igniting and nurturing the light within each student, our students are better able to bring that light to the world. Through cultivating critical thinking, creative inquiry, and social responsibility, we inspire and empower our children to improve an ever-changing and sometimes, challenging world. We do that by truly knowing each student and though a rigorous, yet joyful, education delivered by an exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to fostering caring relationships with their students.

Thank you choosing MPA and entrusting your children to us. It is going to be a fantastic year!

A Night Of Panther Pride

August 2, 2021

Mason Ferlic ’11 Competes in Olympic Games

MPA community members from alumni, faculty, and current families gathered to celebrate and support Mason’s olympic accomplishments. We launched the event with pizza and ‘Go Mason’ poster making, then concluded with a personal FaceTime from Mason after he crossed the finish line. The Ferlic family and the rest of the MPA community expressed their immense pride and happiness for Mason as we wished him a restful remainder of his evening. Enjoy this reflection piece written by Nate Bander ’09, one of Mason’s teammates and click through our photos from that night.

by Nate Bander, Class of 2009

Mason Ferlic ran a near personal best in the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on July 30, placing 21st in 8:20.23, an exciting and historic day for MPA! Mason came to MPA in ninth grade and joined the track and field team in his first year. He found success right away, and his coaches and teammates encouraged him to sign up for cross country running. The problem was that he was already registered for soccer! But, with a little arm twisting, he decided to give cross country a try. The rest is pretty much history, he went on to win four MSHSL state championships, break three school records, and appear on MPA’s track and field top 10 list 11 times (though fun fact, Nolan, his younger brother, appears 13).

After graduating from MPA in 2011, Mason competed for the University of Michigan as the first of what have now become four MPA track and field athletes to compete at the Division I level in the last 10 years, all in the Big Ten Conference. He won the 2016 NCAA steeplechase championship and after graduating from Michigan with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering, he is now pursuing a PHD in Applied Statistics, which he does while training with Very Nice Track Club in Ann Arbor. Read More

2021-22 COVID-19 & Back To School

July 21, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Even though it can be a little quiet and sometimes lonely working over the summer, it is a delight to witness how the grounds come alive. My office overlooks the rain garden and reclaimed prairie at the north end of the campus and the indigenous flowers that only bloom in the summer are stunning. From time to time, I also stroll through our gardens outside the Middle School and our new garden outside the Harrison Library. We are fortunate to have such a beautiful campus and a committed cadre of teachers, staff, students, and parents who lovingly care for it over the summer months.

Great care has also gone into preparing for the new school year. This email serves as your re-introduction to life during a pandemic on campus at MPA. We’ve spent a great deal of time this spring and summer researching the progression of the pandemic, consulting with educational and medical experts, and seeking guidance from our Community Advisory Group to design a plan that continues to be flexible, nimble, and always attuned to the latest science. Just like last summer and even throughout the school year, please know that the plan and all of our safety measures will change based on emerging information, both locally and nationally. We remain wholly committed to being safe, being smart, and being kind and ask all of our families to recommit to that intention. We cannot wait to have the entire community back on campus this August—including families! Read More