Middle School Archives

October 30, 2019

On Wednesday, November 6 at 9:45 AM, MPA will test its Emergency Alert System. MPA uses this system throughout the year to alert families of school closures and, in rare cases, emergencies on campus. You should receive an email, a phone call, and a text message at the time of the test, provided MPA has the most current contact information for you in the database.

If you would like to update any of your contact information, please contact your division assistant as soon as possible:

Lower School: Becky Tesdahl at btesdahl@moundsparkacademy.org
Middle School: Jolynn Lassonde at jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org
Upper School: Dianne Peterson at dpeterson@moundsparkacademy.org

Bring A Friend To MPA!

October 24, 2019

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! Has a friend or co-worker ever asked, “What is MPA really like?” On Friday, November 15, 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 8.

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. Read More

Making MPA Opportunities Possible

October 24, 2019

By Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Several weeks ago, I had a very excited but sleepy passenger in my car. My daughter Ari had just returned from three days and two nights with her eighth grade classmates at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, Minnesota and I peppered her with questions on our ride home. Between yawns, she shared stories of what she had learned about her classmates and herself. Through a combination of outdoor adventures and activities, Ari enjoyed opportunities to deepen her relationship with the natural world, with her classmates, and with herself.

Opportunities are what Mounds Park Academy is all about. In the classroom, on the stage and playing field, in the Makerspace, and soon, in our new library, MPA students benefit each day from incredible opportunities to push the limits of their learning, uncover their passions, discover their voice, and build the self-confidence necessary to face whatever life may bring. Now, more than ever, our world demands informed, passionate, thoughtful, and well-educated citizens. Building a better future for our students and for our world is dependent on a rigorous education as well as meaningful experiences and opportunities. Read More

MPA Student Uses A Dollar For Change

October 24, 2019

Last year, when he was assigned the seventh grade “Dollar Project,” MPA student Jay G. knew where he wanted to take action right away–he already had an idea of how to give back to his community and solve a problem that affected his neighborhood.

“For the past several years, I have noticed that there are lots of kids having to walk through snow to get to school or to their bus stop,” he wrote on his GoFundMe page. “So when my teacher gave me a dollar to make an impact in the world, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity.”

Jay met with local government staff and discussed Ramsey County’s long-term plan to fix and resurface Rice Street in Roseville. His plan included a pathway on the Roseville side of Rice Street.

“All the money raised from this project will go to the City of Roseville towards helping to pave a safe sidewalk on Rice Street,” Jay said. “Nobody should ever have to walk through the cold snow to get to a bus stop on one of the busiest streets in Roseville.”

This past week, Jay went to the Roseville City Council meeting and presented the money he raised to Mayor Roe, and Jay’s dollar project was right at the top of their agenda. The $364 that Jay ended up raising will go toward the future pathway. We are so proud of Jay and his passion to dream big and do right!

Boys Soccer Wraps Up Season With IMAC Recognitions

October 23, 2019

Both the MPA Boys Varsity and Junior Varsity Teams had new coaches this year. Coach Denver Johnson coached Varsity and Coach Phillip Neblich coached JV. Varsity ended their season with six wins and 10 losses, while JV had seven wins and just two losses.

Reflecting on the season, Coach Johnson noted, “We are a young team with talented players, led by captains Luke Zscheile, Nathan Harvanko, and Jerusalem Thao. The season started off rough, with the team playing a couple of top teams in the state. Despite the losses, we maintained a positive mind set and a never quit attitude.” Read More

The Documentary “Angst” Comes To MPA

October 23, 2019

Mounds Park Academy invites the MPA and broader community to a showing of the documentary “Angst” and an open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring two screenings of this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.

Wednesday, November 6, 6:30-8 PM
Nicholson Center | students 10+ welcome
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Mounds Park Academy
2051 Larpenteur Avenue, Saint Paul
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com

Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal that Mounds Park Academy wholeheartedly supports: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources, and tools available to address the condition.

We hope you will join us! And thank you in advance for helping spread this invitation throughout your community!

If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Ph.D., MPA Middle School director, at jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5598.

Donate At The MPA Blood Drive

October 23, 2019

The MPA Blood Drive is on October 24! The MPA first grade class and Upper School Student Council are joining together again to host this year’s blood drive for a joint community service project. Please take note of the date and begin thinking about how you can contribute to our event. We are asking for an hour of your time to donate blood on Thursday, October 24. And if you know that you are unable to give blood, please be sure to ask as many friends or relatives as you can to take your place! If you have not yet already, you may register to donate by going online to www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Mounds Park Academy.

Giving blood is simple and easy, and it will save lives. You can touch the lives of people you have never met by giving blood for patients needing transfusions for emergency surgeries, or treatment of illnesses such as Leukemia and other cancers. There is no substitute for human blood–it cannot be manufactured, and much of today’s medical care depends on having a steady supply of blood provided by healthy volunteer donors. Each time you give blood, you can help a few patients in need with your plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. Most people who are in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and are at least 17 years of age are eligible to give blood every 56 days. If you have questions about your eligibility to donate please call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767). Read More

Students Give, Get, And Grow Through Community Involvement

October 22, 2019

The world starts small when you’re a kid. In a relative bubble of family, friends, and school, it can be challenging for children to think beyond their own backyard, or to reflect on how they can support or contribute to a community that’s different from their own. Cultivating a service mindset in students early is a powerful key to unlocking a larger world view, while also preparing them for college and creating distinction in their educational experience.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common project published a groundbreaking study focused on inspiring community service as part of the college admissions process. The researchers advocate for how service can help students focus on meaningful ethical and intellectual engagement, while creating a platform for long-term success. The study emphasizes that, through their volunteerism, students should be encouraged to:

engage in meaningful, sustained community service that is authentically chosen, consistent, and well-structured, and that provides opportunity for reflection both individually and with peers and adults;
take collective action that tackles community challenges;
have authentic experiences that focus on “doing with” not “doing for”; and
engage in service that develops gratitude and a sense of responsibility for the future.

Meet Hana Miller ’21!

October 15, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
At MPA you are not taught what to think, you are taught how. The teachers at MPA recognize the importance of creating people who can think for themselves, not just repeat a string of facts about the Civil War. You are encouraged to ask questions, to challenge ideas, and to think differently. At MPA you are not only accepted for who you are, but you are supported and encouraged to be an individual, not just a grade.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
MPA inspires students to not only fight for what they believe in, but to actively work to better it. Just this morning, the Kindergarten class came up to the high school to ask us to protest with them because they had learned about how pollution was affecting marine life. Read More

Travel 12,000 Miles At Culture Day!

October 14, 2019

Join Us For Culture Day At MPA! On October 23, 3-6:30 PM, travel 12,000 miles in one evening! Enjoy Peruvian, Armenian, and Korean-pop dances while sipping masala chai and munching on mini quiche. Try your hand at American graffiti art or relax to beautiful instrumental music while getting a henna tattoo.

You don’t want to miss this hands-on experience! Sign-up for a cooking demonstration in our new kitchen:
Learn how to make Gata–an Armenian sweet bread, 3:30-4 PM
Learn how to make Idli’s–savory Indian rice and lentil cakes, 4:30-5 PM

The kitchen can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, so please sign-up in advance by emailing seema_anwar@hotmail.com

Food and drink tickets ($1 each) will be sold at the event. Try drinks and delicacies from around the world, have fun making crafts, enjoy the cultural entertainment and fashion show, and learn about our world–bonus points if you can identify all the flags decorating the hallway!

Help make all this possible by signing up here.

Parents of alumni and alumni, we would love to have you on campus for Culture Day at MPA as well! Join us to experience the brand new commons, cafeteria, and kitchen on campus in an experiential, fun, and delicious way!