September 20, 2018
There is only one more week until Homecoming, and the joy begins at the starting line of the Homecoming Fun Run on Saturday, September 29! The MPA Cross Country team is hosting a 200M run at 8:30 AM. It’s the perfect opportunity for our younger students to participate in the festivities and run with the Panthers! Immediately following the 200M Fun Run, we are hosting a 2-mile race that is open to the entire community. All run participants will receive a limited edition aluminum MPA water bottle, energizing snacks, and plenty of water!
The Upper School Student Council also designed t-shirts for all our 9th through 12th graders! The Lower and Middle Schoolers will get specially designed t-shirts next week in their classrooms/Advisories. We hope our entire student body will wear their t-shirts in celebration next Friday for our Homecoming Pep Rally! Everyone is invited so please join us at 2:20 PM on Friday, September 28 in the Lansing Center.
Rain or shine, we will celebrate our community with a full day of events. Come to campus to catch up with friends, cheer on our Panther athletes, race against other Panthers in our Fun Runs, jump in a bouncy house, get your picture taken, or play lawn games. This year we’ll be featuring the Panther Beanbag Toss, the game Kubb, and Frisbee Golf. And don’t forget to cool off with a Jonny Pop after you’re done playing and cheering! We hope to see you all there! Click here for the full schedule of events. We still have opportunities available to volunteer at Homecoming 2018, too! You can be a part of making this event special by volunteering your time during the day. Email Ilse Larsen at ilarsen@moundsparkacademy.org with any questions and sign up to volunteer here!
Parents are all too familiar with navigating the stress of everyday life. From getting children ready for the day and out the door in the morning, to helping with homework at night and everything in between, there is a lot to manage. As a parent, it can be easy to forget that even the youngest people in our lives can become overwhelmed and stressed. In our fast-paced world, learning to cope with challenging situations is just as important as learning how to read and write. Research has shown that mindfulness programs can help students of all ages learn to deal with everyday stress. More schools across the country are integrating mindfulness into their curricula to teach students to be present and better able to identify how they’re feeling in order to manage their stress.
MPA Talks is an annual, meaningful, and fascinating event that is completely unique to MPA. Featuring presentations by some of our community’s most intriguing members on inspiring and relevant topics, everyone is invited to come, listen, ask questions, and leave with new lengths of knowledge. Held in the fall and in the evening this year, dinner will be provided.
The best part of the MPA experience is our staff and faculty! Let’s thank them!
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
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!
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!
We all belong here! All families PreK-12 should save the date to come and celebrate MPA Homecoming 2018 on Saturday, September 29!