Middle School Archives

October 25, 2018

Has a friend or co-worker ever asked, “What is MPA really like?” Do you know a family who would be “SO MPA?” Have the parents of your child’s neighborhood friends ever asked, “What makes MPA so special?”

Bring A Friend Day is a fantastic way for those outside our immediate community to experience firsthand who we are and what it is like to be student at Mounds Park Academy! On Friday, November 30, we are inviting students in grades one through nine to bring a friend to MPA for a special day of learning and fun!

The invited friend should be near the same grade as your child and each child may only bring one friend. Space is very limited by grade level. Please have the family of the visiting friend register online at moundsparkacademy.org/bringafriend by Friday, November 23.

On the day of the visit, if possible, please help the visiting family with transportation to/from school. Visiting students are welcome to ride MPA buses, but not District 622 buses. Bus passes may be obtained from the Office of Admission. Visitors and their hosts should check-in together at the South Entrance at 7:45 AM.

Visitors will follow a typical school schedule, attending all of the regular classes with their friend. Teachers will take the time to introduce visitors in each class and help them feel welcome. Lunch will be provided, or the friend may bring a bag lunch. The day ends at 3 PM in cafeteria and does not include after school care or activities.

If you have any questions, Contact Nate Bander, Admission Outreach Coordinator via email at nbander@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5518. Thank you for sharing your love for MPA with friends! We can’t wait to meet them!

Our MPA Moments

October 25, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Every fall, I invite seniors to have lunch with me in small groups of eight to 10. It is a fantastic time to check in with them about how their senior year is going, learn what their plans are for next year, solicit their feedback on my leadership, and thank them for serving as leaders and role models. I also ask them to share their “MPA moment”–the moment, memory, or experience that captures or illustrates the MPA mission to them. I enjoy hearing their stories and it only deepens my love and appreciation for this amazing community.

A common MPA moment I hear often has to do with their experience of a PreK-12 school under one roof. Seniors will talk about what it was like for them to have an Upper School buddy when they were in Lower School or how much they enjoy now the “pairing assemblies,” when as seniors, they are matched with younger students. Their eyes light up with joy as they share the special relationship they have developed.

Fifth Grade Volleyball Playoffs

October 25, 2018

The fifth grade girls volleyball team won their playoff match yesterday! It was a incredible third match, with Maddie D. serving, tied at 13-13. The Panthers came out on top with a 15-13 win! The team plays today at 4:30 PM at Saint Ambrose in Woodbury–come cheer them on! Go Panthers!

Join Us For Halloween At MPA!

October 24, 2018

All parents are welcome to attend the MPA Halloween Parade on Wednesday, October 31! The festivities will begin with warm drinks and treats in the Lower School Atrium, courtesy of the Parents Association, at 2:20 PM. At 2:30 PM, Lower School students, dressed in their costumes, will parade through the student-lined hallways. This is one of MPA’s signature PreK-12 events that has become an honored tradition. Are the younger students or the older students more joyful? It is always hard to tell! Please join us!

And as part of MPA’s efforts to be a more allergy aware school, we are also happy to share the Snack Safely list and a peanut and treenut-free board of ideas on Pinterest to assist you in what to bring to our Halloween festivities!

Flu Season Information From The Nurse

October 24, 2018

from MPA’s school nurse, Julie Koster, and School District 622

Many students and parents/guardians are frequently concerned about when students should stay home or attend school. The following information is intended to help with this decision.

General Guidelines:

If the student:

Has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, the student should stay home for 24 hours after their temperature returns to normal (less than 100 degrees) without fever reducing medication.
Has vomited or has had diarrhea two or more times, the student should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
Has a rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with their healthcare provider before returning to school.

If the student is ill, please keep them home and notify (your division office) daily to report the illness. Please notify the School Nurse, Julie Koster, at jkoster@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5509 if your child has a contagious condition such as chicken pox, strep throat, whooping cough, or influenza.
Read More

Your Gifts Make Elective Opportunities Possible

October 23, 2018

This article is the second in a series called “The Fall Campaign Stories of Impact: Five Weeks, Five Stories, Five Reasons to Give.”

MPA’s Upper School curriculum features a breadth and depth of challenging topics, from Modern United States History and Computer Science, to Literary Analysis and Advanced Argumentation. Can you find the electives in this list? It’s probably not obvious, and that’s by design. At MPA, all courses, both core and elective, are developed around specific academic requirements and developmental goals. Electives play a special role in the mix, reinforcing an interdisciplinary approach to learning that supports the whole student.

“Core and elective classes at MPA have distinct roles, and also have equal billing,” explains Mark Segal, Upper School director. “What’s learned in electives carries over to other courses. For example, the critical thinking and persuasion skills acquired through our elective course in debate translate into the public speaking component of our English courses, and the analytical approach needed in our science program.” Read More

MPA Sailing Qualifies For National Competition

October 11, 2018

Despite frigid, soaking conditions, MPA Sailing is excelling on the water this fall. With a team of three seniors, one sophomore, one freshmen, and one 8th grader, the team has constantly performed at or near the top in every regatta they have competed in, including the Great Oaks Qualifier at Hoover Sailing Center in Ohio. Because of their first place finish there, four members of the team are headed to the Great Oaks Invitational at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans in early November.

High school sailing in Minnesota is considered a club sport and any student in grade seven through 12 may participate, regardless of experience. Together with students from White Bear Public Schools, Mahtomedi Public Schools, and Mounds View Public Schools, Mounds Park Academy practices out of the White Bear Sailing School at the White Bear Yacht Club.

The Purpose of Mounds Park Academy

October 11, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“Do you know the purpose of Mounds Park Academy?” asked Mr. Kevin Breen, chair of our ISACS accreditation visiting team, of several seniors.

“The purpose of the school is to develop the whole child so that we can be fully formed adults,” said the first.

“And when we are more fully formed, we have the self-confidence to respect each other and value inclusivity,” added a friend.

“Yes, so in a way, the most important word in the motto is ‘do,’ as in do things; do right,” said the third. And then, after a pause, he added this: “And our teachers facilitate that. They make it easy to do right. They make volunteerism easy. They make civic engagement easy. They bring opportunities to ‘do right’ right to us.”

The vibrant and powerful mission of Mounds Park Academy, delivered by talented and caring teachers, is having a tremendous impact on the lives of our students each day. You share in that impact by the value you place on learning, the investment you are making in the education of your children, and your commitment to and support of Mounds Park Academy.

Monday will mark the beginning of our fall campaign, “Joyful Learning, Joyful Giving.” For the next five weeks, the MPA community will band together to raise the funds necessary to extend the impact and joy of an MPA education. Culminating with Give To The Max Day and the Faculty and Staff Lip Sync Assembly on November 15, our goal is to raise $300,000 to ensure joyful learning continues at MPA.

One could say that the joy of learning at MPA is dependent upon the joyful giving of parents, alumni, grandparents, friends, and alumni families. Mounds Park Academy, like all independent schools, relies on three principle sources of revenue to support its day-to-day operations: tuition, endowment, and annual gifts made by members of our community. Tuition does not cover the total cost of educating a student at Mounds Park Academy and the gap is bridged by annual giving.

Gifts made to the MPA fund during the “Joyful Learning, Joyful Giving” campaign are used exclusively to fund joyful learning:

Joy from throwing a pot in ceramics class.
Joy from singing the national anthem so beautifully at Homecoming events.
Joy from creating a squishy circuit that powers a light bulb in the Makerspace.
Joy from hard work, training, and teamwork that results in a soccer victory.
Joy from bringing to live a character on stage.
Joy from grasping the nuance of a novel, an aha moment.

The spirit of philanthropy and of joyful giving at Mounds Park Academy is vibrant. I humbly ask you to join me in increasing the impact of the MPA mission. Please know that every gift is valued and participation at whatever level feels right to your family is appreciated. You may also be interested in knowing that 100 percent of faculty and staff gave to the MPA Fund last year and I expect it will be the same again this year. We have the most caring, knowledgeable, talented teachers and staff who make joyful learning and joyful giving possible.

Look for more information in the mail, visit the MPA website, or contact the Development Office to make a gift. With your contribution, you make an impact in the lives of all those who learn, play, create, dream, and do at our school. Your gift directly impacts of the mission of MPA and the lives of our students.

Thank You From The Parents Association!

October 11, 2018

On behalf of the Parents Association, thank you to all of the parents and volunteers who generously donated their time, gift cards, and goodies during Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week. A special thanks to chef Doug Pittman and his staff at Sage for providing a delicious dinner and snacks throughout the week, and to Vern Kissner and the maintenance staff for all of the set-up and extra work they did. The faculty and staff were very appreciative of our efforts to thank them for all they do.

And congratulations to our gift card winners Sarah McFarland, Dan Haase, Craig Dodson, Marc Shapiro, Mark Segal, Jason Schwalen, Angie Gerstner, Nate Bander, Rose Wick, Ashley Goetzke, Susan Roberston, Jake Eibon, Leah Abbe Bloem, Martha Castellanos, Rachel Amundsen, Becky Tesdahl, Michael Vergin, Randy Comfort, Josh Rohricht, Ariel Kitsch, and Pat Reinhardt!

Today’s Lineup Of Panther Games

October 11, 2018

Today is full of Panthers competing in several different sports! We’ve rounded up all of the games for you, but make sure to follow MPA athletics on Twitter and turn on Tweet notifications to receive updates wherever you are! Go Panthers!

Girls Varsity Tennis is competing today at the Section 4A individuals tournament! Good luck to Middle School athletes Khushi J. and Freya R., seniors Julia Portis, Gabby Law, and Sofia Walker, and junior Ceci Driano!

Both Girls and Boys Soccer are playing in the Section 4A tournament today! The girls face St. Paul Harding and the boys take on St. Paul Como. Both games kick off at 5 PM on the road.

It’s Conference Championship Thursday for the Girls and Boys Cross Country runners! The Panthers race at Battle Creek Park starting at 4:30 PM.

Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity Volleyball take on Providence Academy at 4:30 PM and 6 PM. This match has important connotations for the approaching IMAC Championship, with both teams in the top of the the standings!