Meet Nicholas Dugas ’11

Nicholas Dugas '11Meet 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

class of 2019 grads gabby law and Julia portis at MPA talks 2018Are 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!

middle school students cheering at the senior walkSend 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

lower school student arriving at mpaby 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


Lunch And Learn: Social Media And Digital Wellness

two students online togetherErin Walsh is a parent, speaker, educator, and writer. She has worked with communities across the country who want to better understand child and adolescent development and cut through conflicting information about kids and technology. She is fiercely committed to bringing an equity lens and asset-based approach to our understanding of, and response to, youth and media. Her signature down-to-earth approach and sense of humor helps families and educators engage in complicated topics and leave feeling capable and motivated.

Erin will be speaking with MPA parents on Friday, May 22 from 12-1 PM about social media, balance, and parenting in the present moment. Her presentation will last about 30 minutes and then parents will have time to talk and share until the end of the lunch hour.

A special thank you to our Parent’s Association for providing this great opportunity for education and community!


Spread The Joy Of Reading During The Virtual Book Festival

upper school student reading at a pairing assemblyWe are having so much fun participating in the annual MPA Book Festival virtually! From story time on Zoom, to sharing our favorite stories, and even connecting in real-time live on Facebook, we are inspired by the creativity and dedication that all of you have shown in support of the Virtual Book Festival. This beloved tradition provides our MPA community with opportunities to participate in reading activities, purchase great books, and support our local booksellers. The MPA Library will use the donations from the booksellers to purchase books for teachers, for the classrooms, and the Library. It’s so important in our MPA community to support one another and our extended community–that’s why this year the MPA Library will also donate books to Breakthrough to support their summer literature program. Let’s help spread the joy of reading!

As in years past, you may purchase books from Valley Bookseller and Usborne Books. Since our event is online this year, you have the ability to purchase any books available through their distributors—bonus! You can even purchase a gift certificate for a teacher—double bonus!

If you have any questions, please contact Erin Dimopoulous, Parents Association Book Festival chair, at erin.dimopoulos@gmail.com.


Submit Your Photos To The MPA Yearbook

students writing in each others yearbooksA note from the MPA Yearbook Staff

We hope your families are well and thriving as much as possible in the midst of challenging circumstances. The end of the year is approaching and we are looking forward to celebrating with as much “normalcy” as possible. We are excited to put together our traditional slideshow, but the yearbook staff needs your help to capture the craziness of this spring!

Please email the Yearbook Staff photos of your child participating in virtual school or activities related to life during “Stay at Home Minnesota.” Any submissions are greatly appreciated! Stay tuned for information regarding yearbook distribution and the assembly plans!


Mental Health Awareness Month Activities With MPA

Student paintingMay is Mental Health Awareness Month! Ms. Cooper, Middle & Upper School Counselor, shared that mental health is “the quality of one’s social, psychological and emotional well-being. It directly impacts every aspect of our life, including how we think, feel, behave, and connect with others. Everyone has mental health. When our mental health is good, we have the flexibility to cope with life’s challenges.”

Throughout the month of May, we will be exploring various parts mental health by participating in a new activity each day. The activities include Mindfulness Mondays, gratitude journaling, introducing healthy routines, art projects, and more. There will also be mental health lunch talks hosted via Zoom on different topics each week.

Reach out to Ms. Cooper at acooper@moundsparkacademy.org for the full monthly calendar and Zoom links!


Makerspace Mondays Are Back

Makerspace Mondays are back by popular demand! Join Ms. Koen for virtual Makerspace Mondays, every Monday from 3:30-4:15 PM. Use this information to log into the meeting via Zoom.art project

Meeting ID: 996-5197-0166

Password: make


Parents Association Book Festival Goes Virtual

lower school student reading in the MPA libraryFind all of the details you need for the Virtual Parents Association Book Festival here!

A Message From The Parents Association

The MPA Book Festival is a beloved tradition and the Parents Association is looking forward to making it possible virtually!

The annual Book Festival provides our MPA community with opportunities to participate in reading activities, purchase great books, and support our local booksellers. The MPA Library will use the donations from the booksellers to purchase books for teachers, for the classrooms, and the Library. It’s so important in our MPA community to support one another and our extended community. That’s why this year the MPA Library will also donate books to Breakthrough to support their summer literature program. Let’s help spread the joy of reading!

As in years past, you may purchase books from Valley Bookseller and Usborne Books. Since our event is online this year, you have the ability to purchase any books available through their distributors—bonus! You can even purchase a gift certificate for a teacher—double bonus!

If you have any questions, please contact Erin Dimopoulous, Parents Association Book Festival chair, at erin.dimopoulos@gmail.com.

valley bookseller logoValley Bookseller Online Ordering Information

Please use this link to Valley Bookseller with information exclusively for MPA.

Valley Bookseller will donate back to us 10% of all sales! Orders must include “MPA” in the notes section when placing the order so they can track those orders for the donation. Books will be shipped via the USPS: Priority Mail costs $7 and arrives in just 2-3 days after books arrive in their store. Media Mail is only $4 and will take 5-7 days.

Usborne books logoUsborne Books Online Ordering Information

Please use this link to Usborne Books with information exclusively for MPA.

Usborne Books will donate back to us 50% of all sales! Books will be shipped from the Usborne warehouse. The cost of shipping is $6 up to $75, then 8% of the order after that.

Book Festival Special Events
In addition to the opportunity to shop for and purchase books 24/7, we have something fun scheduled each day of the week for MPA families and students alike …

Monday, May 11
12 PM: Facebook Live with Usborne Books watch >
6:30 PM: Lower School Story Time led by Middle School students (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)

Tuesday, May 12
11:30 AM: Lower School Story Time led by Middle School students (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)
Facebook feature of Valley Bookseller read >

Wednesday, May 13
12 PM: Facebook Live with Breakthrough watch >
6:30 PM: Lower School Story Time led by Middle School students (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)

Thursday, May 14
11:30 AM: Lower School Story Time led by Middle School students (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)
3:30 PM: Carly Ciarrocchi Presentation (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)
Be engaged by Carly Ciarrocchi, a performer, writer/creator, producer and musician. Her mission is to invite audiences of all ages and collaborators of all kinds to play, investigate, and bounce. Her work is grounded in joy, curiosity, and resilience.
6:30 PM: Lower School Story Time led by Middle School students (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)

Friday, May 15
1 PM: Lower School Get Caught Reading Event (please see Sunday’s email to join via Zoom)
Lower School students will gather for a Zoom meeting from 1-1:30 PM. We will put students in breakout rooms to share the book they are reading. Next, students will curl up and read. We ask parents to take a photo of their child reading and submit it to communications@moundsparkacademy.org and we will create a collage.

Wednesday, May 27
7 PM: Virtual Book Club
Upper School students and Panther parents from all divisions are invited to leave your screens for a bit, travel to France as World War II wanes, and meet two of the most courageous and endearing characters in literature. Join us to read the novel “All the Light We cannot See” by Anthony Doerr in the recently launched a book club for all Upper Schoolers and now extended to a parent edition. Get your copy of the book during the Book Festival and join us for lively discussion on May 27. Student discussions will be at 2 PM and parent discussions will be at 7 PM. Join our Schoology group for more information and other reading suggestions. Access code: K7T6-DD2D-5FWJH

breakthrough student readingSupporting Our Community
MPA’s Library is thrilled to be partnering with local nonprofit Breakthrough Twin Cities for this year’s Book Festival! This partnership will support Breakthrough students by providing books for their summer literature experience. Breakthrough Twin Cities offers a six-year college access program to highly motivated, yet under-resourced students and families in the Twin Cities. With a campus housed at MPA and several MPA Alumni teaching fellows, we are proud to work closely with BTC to help provide books to their students. Learn more at breakthroughtwincities.org.

If you have any questions about this year’s Virtual Book Festival, please contact Erin Dimopoulous, Parents Association Book Festival chair, at erin.dimopoulos@gmail.com.