Middle School Archives

Thank You For A Joyful MPA Book Festival!

May 28, 2020

The annual MPA Parents Association Book Festival has left us with many awesome books to carry us through the summer, along with proceeds for our library to purchase new books to benefit our library, teachers, and greater community! It was so wonderful to see Valley Book Seller, Usborne Books, and Breakthrough Twin Cities highlighted on our social media platforms, and all the great responses from our community.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the Book Festival a success! First, we want to thank all of you who purchased books, for being flexible and willing to try something new this year, and for supporting the Breakthrough summer literature program. Without you, there would be no Book Festival! We want to thank the parent volunteers, as they are key to helping our MPA community put on so many well-loved traditions. We want to thank Nancy Lage, as well as many teachers and administrators, for the time they spent brainstorming wonderful ways to engage our community in reading activities throughout the Book Festival. Finally, both Valley Book Seller and Usborne Books also send a big thank you to our community for supporting their small businesses during this hard time. We don’t know what next year will bring, but we will be excited to offer our Book Festival anytime, anywhere, anyway! Read More

Ashley Cooper Named 2020 Outstanding Cooperating Professional

May 28, 2020

Ashley Cooper, MPA Middle and Upper School Counselor, was recently awarded the UW-River Falls 2020 Outstanding Cooperating Professional! Over the past three years, MPA and UW-River Falls’ School Psychology Program have worked together to conduct depression and suicide screenings for our Middle and Upper School students.

The unique partnership allows MPA to deliver high-quality programming that reaches over 150 students each year while providing invaluable, real-life experience to graduate-level mental health practitioners. MPA is incredibly fortunate to collaborate with such a compassionate, knowledgeable, and professional group of people each year.

“Through our work together,” Ms. Cooper shares, “we have been able to highlight and strengthen our school culture in so many ways. I’m incredibly proud that there are dozens of UWRF graduates working at schools all over the state who know of and have a firsthand experience with Mounds Park Academy, and that MPA has gained a positive reputation in the community for how we are addressing student mental health.”

Class of 2020 Commencement

May 21, 2020

MPA is pleased to share that we will be holding an on campus, in-person, outdoor Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on June 6 at 6 PM with appropriate safety measures in place. We will meet and exceed the April 10, 2020 Minnesota Department of Health guidelines on faith-based services in parking lots and the May 8, 2020 State of Minnesota graduation/commencement celebration guidance. By gathering feedback from seniors and their families, we learned that they have a strong desire to gather as a class one last time, albeit in a modified way, and we are happy to be able to honor their requests. MPA has rented a portable stage and the event will be held in the south parking lot, with all attendees remaining in their cars until it is time for the senior to walk across the stage and accept his or her diploma. Sound will be broadcasted to attendees through radio. We ask that only the Class of 2020 and their immediate families attend—to accommodate others, the full Commencement will be recorded and made available to the entire community via Facebook Live. A taskforce of students, faculty, staff, and administrators has been working hard to make it a very special event and we are excited to celebrate the class!

End Of Year Contactless Materials Pick-up

May 21, 2020

As the school year draws to a close in virtually, it is time to begin thinking about how you will return MPA materials to school for inventory and preparation for next year and how your student will receive any projects, work, or remaining personal items that remain at school from before our launch of Virtual School. Yearbooks will also be distributed at this time for those who ordered them. On Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, we will conduct contactless materials pick-up and return at MPA. See below for your family’s pick-up date and time slot.

Last names beginning with A-F: Thursday, June 11, 9 AM-12 PM
Last names beginning with G-N: Thursday, June 11, 1-5 PM
Last names beginning with O-T: Friday, June 12, 9 AM-12 PM
Last names beginning with U-Z: Friday, June 12, 1-5 PM

In preparation and to help families know what needs to be returned, each division is conducting an inventory of materials distributed to students with teachers and staff. This can include, but may not be limited to, textbooks, classroom reading books, library books, winter sports uniforms, and technology equipment (computers, chargers, laptop sleeves, etc.). We ask that you begin, with your student, an inventory of your own at home and begin gathering items that you know will need to be returned to MPA, as well.

Please watch your division communications for more information about the process and details. In the meantime, please save the dates and times above!

Thanking Our Impactful Retirees

May 21, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Many years ago I had my first opportunity to speak at a national conference. The meeting was held in Baltimore and I found out that my favorite high school teacher, Br. Jim, lived nearby and was going to be in attendance. I was able to track down his email address and wrote to him, sharing that he was my favorite teacher and the reason I decided to become a teacher. I also asked if he would like to get together for lunch while I was in town. Br. Jim was principal of my high school and had stepped into teaching a ninth grade class at the last minute. He was an amazing storyteller had a way of teaching that made each student feel that he was talking directly and personally to them. Br. Jim was gentle, kind, and brilliant, too. He never talked down to us and found ways to bring all of us along, inspiring us to higher levels of critical thinking. After that year, he moved on to a new job and a new city yet I never forgot him.

Br. Jim accepted my invitation and we met for lunch. As he entered the restaurant, it was clear he didn’t know who I was. Sheepishly, he admitted as much and said he had been trying for weeks to remember me, even pulling out an old yearbook to jog his memory. He said he was embarrassed and began to apologize profusely. I stopped him and that I was not at all offended. To me, what was important was not that he would remember me—it was that I remembered him. He had hundreds if not thousands of students over his career. But for me, there was only one Br. Jim.

All teachers aspire to having such an impact on our students. Of course, teachers strive to be their best, to employ the very best pedagogy, techniques and strategies, and excel in their respective academic area. However, and more importantly, they strive to touch the hearts of their students. Teaching as a career is much more than a job or a transaction between employer and employee. It is transformational. I can safely say that our retirees this year have been transformational in the lives of their students and in the history of the school. Read More

Eighth Grader Izzy E. Selected For USA Swimming Camp

May 20, 2020

Eighth grader Izzy E. has been selected to participate in the Central Zone Diversity Select Swimming Camp sponsored by USA Swimming. Each spring, USA Swimming invites 48 athletes from underrepresented populations to participate in a three-day camp program which includes pool training, motivational and educational sessions, and team-building activities. Selection is based on times swum at USA Swimming sanctioned events. Congratulations Izzy!

Meet Nicholas Dugas ’11

May 19, 2020

Meet 2019-20 Alumni Association Board member Nicholas Dugas ’11!

Nicholas Dugas ’11 joined the MPA Alumni Association Board because of the role MPA had in his personal growth and development. “Many of my best traits and skills had their seeds planted while I was a student at MPA, and I look back upon my time there fondly. I joined the Board because I want to give back to a place that gave me a lot, and help guide the school in such a way that the experience I had continues to be available to others,” he said.

Nicholas joined the MPA community when he was in fourth grade. His favorite memories stem from being on the speech team–hanging out in Ms. Kunze’s room workshopping, rehearsing, and preparing pieces for Saturday tournaments. He notes that one of the highlights was winning State in his respective category one year. Read More

MPA Talks Goes Virtual

May 19, 2020

Are you interested in sharing your story with the MPA Community? MPA Talks is an opportunity to come together, gain perspective and be inspired. We are looking for alumni who will join fellow community members to share impactful stories virtually for our community. If you are interested in speaking for the event or would like to recommend a speaker please contact the Development Office at alumni@moundsparkacademy.org.

Share Your Love For The Class of 2020!

May 15, 2020

Send us your clips to be part of the Senior Walk, a beloved MPA tradition! The Senior Walk is going virtual this year, and whether you are a senior in the walk or a proud Panther cheering them on, you can participate!

To join in, send us clips of your family cheering on and celebrating the seniors! Take a look at last year’s Senior Walk video for some inspiration. If recording with a phone, make sure to record horizontal. Change your settings to record at the highest resolution. On iPhone, go to settings > camera > record video > 4k and highest frames per second (fps) possible. Your clip should be 5-10 seconds long.

The Senior Walk video will be released on May 29, when it was originally scheduled to be held. Email your clip to communications@moundsparkacademy.org by Tuesday, May 19. If your video is too large to email, please upload it to this shared folder. We’re so excited to combine these clips with others to create this memento for the Class of 2020!

Here’s Where We’re Going

May 14, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” -Yogi Berra

With more frequency as of late, I’ve been asked: What does the future hold for the next school year? With so much uncertainty about the pandemic, it is difficult to give a clear answer. However, while there is much we don’t know, I can say that MPA will be prepared for any eventuality. I think what humorist and baseball great Yogi Berra meant in the quote above was that without a plan, you are never going to make progress. As we look to next year, I want to assure you that we indeed have a plan.

Uncertainty about the future can make planning feel daunting. However, envisioning various possibilities can help us prepare for the worst—and best—scenarios and everything in-between. Our board of trustees, working together with the administrative team, has been actively engaged in scenario planning considering the macroeconomic indicators and trends in order to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities. We are also preparing a number of contingency plans for the start of the new school year that first and foremost prioritizes the health and safety of our community. We know that we must always be nimble, agile, and communicate clearly. Read More