Lower School Archives

January 24, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Last week, a new lunch group was launched in the Middle School. Seventh and eighth grade girls were invited to participate in a “Girl Power Friendship Group” over the course of eight weeks. During lunch, Middle School girls are coming together to learn about how to navigate difficult emotions, confidently communicate with others, and build strong friendships. The new group, under the guidance of Ashley Cooper, Middle and Upper School counselor, and Aria Fiat, Ph.D. candidate from the University of Minnesota, is a proactive way to address the social, emotional, and mental health challenges that appear developmentally in adolescent girls.

Just last week in my head’s message, I reiterated a vision of MPA that reframes the understanding of “whole-child for whole-life.” Such an education is collaborative, experiential, and interdisciplinary, which values the assessments of broader aims—those skills, dispositions, and mindsets most necessary to live, learn, and thrive in today’s 21st century globalized society. A crucial aspect of which is the social, emotional, and mental health of our students. Read More

Strategic Planning From The Board’s Perspective

January 24, 2019

by Brent Peacock, Chair of the MPA Board of Trustees

In 2015, MPA launched an extensive, highly collaborative, strategic planning process. The process, which was initiated, designed and driven by a task force of the Board of Trustees and Head of School, involved and engaged 64 stakeholders from across the school community, including leadership, faculty, staff, families and, critically, students. The process was grounded in the mission and values of the school and was designed to be collaborative, comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive. It provided both a compass and a blueprint to make informed decisions in order to respond, anticipate, and proactively plan for changes and challenges ahead. Not only did the process produce a strong 5-year strategic plan (Momentum 2020), it also built trust and partnerships among its wide array of stakeholders. Read More

Maker Fest 2019: Meet Michelle Mick

January 24, 2019

We’re interviewing the Makers you’ll meet at at Maker Fest 2019 on Saturday, February 23 so you can get to know them ahead of time! If reading about Michelle’s work has inspired you to share your own, sign up here to be a Maker yourself!

What (or who) inspires you to make?

Having had a brain tumor that compromises my ability to do certain things, I find that having been told I am completely impractical–and now being able to function normally–I have an inner strength to try my hand at things that I have been told I can’t do or am no good at. I am inspired by bending down in the garden, in a parking lot, or wherever, and seeing this beautiful nature all around us. It could be as simple as this morning, with a few snow flakes coming down, and seeing them one by one land on our black truck, absolutely amazingly perfect. Or it could be sitting in the garden listening to the hum drum of the bugs in the middle of summer, and having a butterfly come and land on me and stay there for half an hour or so, or chatting with a tame blue jay!

What do you enjoy making?

I started by trying to paint butterflies on rocks, having read about the village members in Mexico selling rocks to tourists, to try and raise awareness of the Monarch butterfly. I donated the money that I raised to the Monarch lab at the U of M, and branched out by painting a swallowtail, caterpillars, hearts, you name it! I recently did a project for an MPA staff member, painting rocks and sayings, which was such an amazing thoughtful gift from the staff member to friends. Read More

Volunteer At These Parents Association Events

January 23, 2019

Last week the Gallery became New York City with the help of many, many volunteers. We want to thank everyone who volunteered, whether you donated drinks/snacks, decor, time, or ideas and hard work on the planning committees. It was so wonderful to see the entire Middle School joyfully sharing the same space! An additional thank you to Vern and his facilities staff for helping with heavy lifting and keeping our space clean, as well as Chef Doug and his kitchen staff for providing additional food, NYC style. A special thank you to MPA parent Melissa Johnson and her son Oliver (MPA class of ‘18) for helping to create our vision of NYC, from Central Park to the Food Truck to Bill’s Bodega. It truly made the Gallery a special place last week. We hope everyone had a great time. A huge thank you to Susan Knapp and Tara Lafferty too! It took lots of planning and hard work to put it all together. Kudos to both! Read More

Updated Open Gym Schedule

January 17, 2019

kids playing basketball in the lansing center

The Lansing Sports Center will once again be open most Saturday mornings this winter for MPA families and their friends. Please see below for an updated schedule of open gym dates and times.

If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about our school, this would be a great opportunity to welcome them to campus!

Saturday, January 19: 8-10:30 AM
Saturday, January 26: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 2: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 9: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 23: 9 AM-12 PM

You are welcome to come and use the track, sports center and fitness center. If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Office at 651-748-5630.

Realizing Our Resolutions

January 10, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Happy new year! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful winter break spending time with family and loved ones. I appreciated a few days off plus several days of quiet, uninterrupted time in the office. The building can be eerily quiet when school is not in session and I miss the time with students and the laughter and smiles in the hallways.

I watched a lot of football over the break and was inundated with commercials promoting weight loss programs and fitness centers, all capitalizing on the new year and the resolutions many make. I made my own resolution to run more, after spending the last year recovering from a serious injury. It also wouldn’t hurt for me to lose a few pounds or so! A quick poll taken of our students today resulted in the following resolutions:

January 9, 2019

Calling all makers, creatives, tinkerers, inventors, and crafters! Registration is now open to be a part of the second annual MPA Maker Fest.

See our community’s hard work come to life on Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 PM. Anyone is welcome to attend as a spectator (no RSVP necessary) or host a display table (sign up here)!

Participants can sign up either individually or with a group to host a display table. Participation is open to everyone in our community—students, parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and more. This is the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” something that you have created and share your accomplishments. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

Invite A Friend To MPA’s January Admission Events

January 9, 2019

Invite a friend to visit and get to know MPA! We are hosting two wonderful admission events in January–the Middle and Upper School Preview and Pajamarama!

On Sunday, January 27 at 1 PM, prospective Middle and Upper students and their families are invited to campus to preview MPA! This is a fantastic opportunity to explore our school and help participants get to know MPA.

On Thursday, January 31 from 5-7:30 PM, is Pajamarama! This beloved event at MPA welcomes prospective Lower School families to campus for an unforgettable evening of games, music, community, and pure joy! Take a closer look at the joy of Pajamarama with MPA Orchestra Director Leah Abbe Bloem’s insight and experience.

Meet Isaac ’29

January 9, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
My favorite part of MPA is playing with friends, especially in phy. ed. class. Mr. Sheehan is my teacher and he is always nice. He’s just a fun person. I also love math because I use my whole brain and I work together with my friends.

How do you dream big and do right at MPA?
Dream big and do right means being nice to my friends. I make sure to give (my best friend) a hug every morning when I see him, and he gives me a hug.

What would you tell a friend considering MPA?
MPA is a very fun place because you have everything you need. You have friends, you have a really good hot lunch, you have a big playground, you have lots of books in the library. The library is a place I really like because I love books, especially books about football. I also really like Ms. Espeland’s music class and Ms. Mastel’s drama class. I really can’t pick which of those I like best because I like them both so much.

Fostering Curiosity Through The Joy Of Learning

January 9, 2019

Learning is a lifelong process that starts the minute we’re born. Babies come into the world and immediately start learning about their surroundings. They’re innately curious and find joy in learning about the simplest things.

At Mounds Park Academy, we want our students to always remain that curious and excited about learning. One of the primary goals for teachers is to create an environment that encourages innovative, creative thinking and allows students to experience the joy of learning firsthand. Most educators agree that when children love to learn, they build resilience, patience, curiosity, and communication skills.