Middle School Archives

November 3, 2022

Dear MPA Community,

Do you have a desire to expand your family’s perspective of the world? A room to spare? Space in your heart for another family member? MPA is seeking a host family for a new Upper School international students for the second half of the 2022-23 school year and beyond.

As you and your family consider hosting, please review the MPA Host Family Recruitment Flyer and Host Family Application.

STIPEND

A monthly stipend will be directly deposited in installments of $900/month on the first of each month for the previous month, January through June. January and June will be prorated.

TRANSPORTATION

Host families are responsible for providing transportation to and from school and school-related activities.
Host families will work with their student in scheduling rides for social events.

MEALS

All international students will receive the MPA school lunch. Host families and students do not need to pack lunches.
Host families are responsible for providing two meals on all weekdays and three meals on all weekend days.

We hope you’ll consider opening your hearts and homes to one of our international students! Give it some thought, and if interested, please reach out to me for additional information and/or to begin the process of becoming a host family. I would love to have a conversation with you!

Thank you so much for considering,

Cory Becker-Kim
International Student Program Coordinator
Advanced Language and Culture Teacher
cbeckerkim@moundsparkacademy.org

Prioritizing Safety

October 27, 2022

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Like many of you, the first indication of a security issue was the generalized alert I received on my cell phone yesterday morning. MPA did not receive any advance notification or information. The school is fortunate to have a very constructive relationship with the Maplewood Police Department and I was caught off guard by the notification on my cell phone. Fortuitously, MPA has a very detailed and comprehensive emergency preparedness and crisis plan and we have drilled enough times that emergency response is instinctive. We are able to quickly implement a safety and security plan with the information we have available that is also flexible so that we can adapt to an evolving crisis.

Aside from the situation on Tuesday, we had an actual medical lockdown at the end of Grandparents and Special Friends Day on October 19 and a full lockdown drill on Monday, October 17. We are required by the State of Minnesota to hold five lockdown drills each school year. Research by our own current parent, James Densley, professor, author, co-founder of The Violence Project and a national authority on mass shootings, demonstrates that despite the high-profile nature of school shootings, schools remain one of the safest places. Knowing how to respond during a crisis helps everyone stay calm, understand their role, and act as safely and efficiently as possible. Again, balance is essential between being prepared and causing anxiety about something unlikely to occur. Read More

Middle School Division News October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

HALLOWEEN @ MPA

As we look forward to celebrating Halloween at MPA together, it is important that we adhere to our MPA community expectations and guidelines regarding costumes, discourse, and representation. Halloween can be a magical time for imagination, playfulness, and connection. Middle School students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Friday, October 28.

The following are guidelines for Halloween costumes at MPA:

Weapons or items that are made in the likeness to represent weapons, are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to, guns, swords, pitchforks, knives, pocketknives, and/or spears.
Masks that completely cover a student’s face and head are not allowed. A student needs to be able to be recognized at school, participate in classes throughout the day, and not have their identity obscured by their costume.
Symbols, words, or other representations that are currently, or have been historically used to trigger and/or discount others’ identities are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to symbols of white supremacy, gang affiliation, racial or ethnic tokenism, homophobia or transphobia, and ableism.
Middle School costumes must also adhere to the dress code expectations that all “personal body parts” are covered, regardless of a student’s gender identity or gender presentation. 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

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

Middle School Division News October 13, 2022

October 13, 2022

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Well into week seven of school, we are nearing the end of quarter one. This is a notable benchmark in our school year as it means we’ve mostly settled into our routines and relationships and are cruising along well and happy. Please try to check in with your students and ensure they are doing their best, completing assignments on time, and aren’t falling behind. One of our core values in Middle School is that we focus on the learning journey, not just the outcome – and while this is always true, we use the end of quarters as benchmarks to check-in on progress, reflect, and chart a path forward. So, these next couple of weeks will help us to know how to improve and refocus for the next quarter.

If your student is having issues completing homework, feeling lost, or needs support, please help them communicate that with their teachers. Teaching self-advocacy is a primary goal at MPA, and we all stand ready and willing to assist where needed!

NOTE: The end of the quarter is Friday, October 28. Any assignments, assessments, or projects that are due in quarter one that have not been submitted by that date will not be assessed during this quarter. Deadlines help us all to stay organized and limit overwhelm.

iTERM Forms Are Due Friday

Parents were emailed iTERM details and a link to the iTERM 2023 online brochure late last week and posted to Schoology groups this week. iTERM Course Selection forms are due to the office, by email or in hard copy, by Friday, October 14, 3 PM.

You can review the iTERM booklet here

If your student is selecting an international travel opportunity, it is imperative that we have this information by the end of the day on Friday. There are no late additions to the trips after Friday, as we will work with travel agencies to plan and reserve spots beginning on Monday morning. 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