Middle School Archives

MPA Debate Receives 16 Awards In Rochester

October 14, 2019

The MPA Debate Team headed to Rochester Mayo High School for its second tournament of the year. This week, sixteen students received awards!

In the Novice Division, the teams of Manoli Mastrogiorgis and Cullen Moore, Lucy Schweiger and Nicholas Larson, and Lily Gasterland-Gustafsson and Zara Nayak all won awards for having winning records in a field of 80 teams. In Junior Varsity, Charlotte Bergh and Ruby Schweiger, Fiona Blank and Anna Gaudio, and Ben Lash and Beldaja Jama won awards for their winning records, while Salmah Elmasry and Rohit Iyer took second out of 39 teams. In Varsity, Quincy Lewis and Emma Cohen had a 3-1 record and were eighth out of 27 teams. A big congratulations to all of them and go Panthers!

Meet Joan and Kevin Frankel!

October 12, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
We love the small class sizes and the individual attention our children get from their teachers. Because of the small class sizes, the teachers really get to know our kids’ strengths and weaknesses and focus on improvement. We also love the fact that our kids are encouraged to participate in arts and athletics and not solely focus on academics. We believe this is important for a well rounded education.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
At MPA, our children have been encouraged to try new activities they might not have tried if they were at a bigger school. The block schedule in Upper School has also allowed our daughter to take many more electives. This diversity in activities and classes allows them to realize the joy of learning something they may have never thought they could do. Read More

Enriching Our Lives, Starting With One Monday At A Time

October 10, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Although Mondays can often be tough, attending the Lower School Monday Morning Meeting is a great start for my week. This past Monday was no exception. As I walked into the new Family Commons, I was greeted by the music of Trombone Shorty and the entire Lower School dancing and practicing their body percussion moves for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. It was pure joy and much more effective in waking me up than the third or fourth cup of coffee I was drinking. It had the same effect on other adults in the building as many poked their heads into the Commons as they walked by, leaving with big smiles on their faces. There is something about music that can transform our mood and lift our spirits instantly.

In an era when many schools are cutting their music programs in favor of more time for STEM-related classes, you may wonder why MPA places so much emphasis on music. In Lower School, students have approximately 90 minutes of music class a week. All Middle School students have year-long music or choir, are required play an instrument, and have either band or orchestra. Upper School students are required to have three credits in the fine arts, which includes instrumental and vocal music.

The Athletic Brain

October 10, 2019

How School Sports Lift The Mind, Build Skills And Improve Mental Health

Health trends in the U.S. have turned particularly grim in recent years. According to the America’s Health Rankings 2018 Annual Report, obesity continues to rise and is a direct link to heart disease and cancer, which are contributing to the growth in premature death rates. Suicide has increased 16 percent since 2012, and more Americans are reporting poor mental health for 14 or more days in a month. The connection between physical and mental health is more evident than ever—and, supports a compelling case for encouraging students to incorporate athletics with academics throughout their school career.

Sports as a Catalyst For Mental, Physical Development

Research published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” outlines how school sports improve overall health and well being, highlighting that “sport provides an equilibrium between group demands and individual demands, between aggressive behaviors and self-control. It fosters a sense of belonging to a group, and teaches coping with both victory and defeat.” Read More

Grandparents And Special Friends Day Is October 16!

October 10, 2019

Lower and Middle School Grandparents and Special Friends Day will be held on Wednesday, October 16. If parents plan on attending with their child please RSVP by emailing GPDayRSVP@moundsparkacademy.org or calling 651-748-5530. Please include your name and the student name(s) that you will be visiting. Please wear your parent badge. We can’t wait to see everyone on campus for this special event.

9 AM
Registration, coffee, morning treats
Family Commons
9:50-10:30 AM
Kindergarten-6th grade music performance
PreK-8th grade, Nicholson Center
10:40-11:30 AM
Classroom time with your student
11:30 AM
Dismissal

MPA Swimming Success At The Tri-County Meet

October 9, 2019

The MPA swim team had a fantastic meet this week! The Panthers won seven of the 11 total events at the Tri-County Meet.

Highlights include eighth grader Grace O. taking first in the 100 backstroke race, ninth grader Lola Del Río Chavez winning the 500 free, junior Annie Kramer bringing home the win with the medley relay, and ninth grader Annabelle Vale winning the 50 free! Let’s go, Panthers!

Spread The Word About The MPA Preview

October 9, 2019

Invite a friend to join us and experience the joy at MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Preview! Held on Sunday, November 3 at 2 PM, this event will be a structured program that will allow prospective students and parents to get a sense of what makes MPA an exceptional place to learn and grow.

Our visitors will rotate among several lessons taught by expert faculty. These will be hands-on, experiential lessons that are abbreviated versions of the original, modified to be appropriate for all ages. Between lessons, they will be guided by student and parent ambassadors so that you have an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art facilities.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!

Raising Kind Children

October 3, 2019

by Renee Wright, Lower School director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

I have many fond memories from childhood and a deep respect for my parents for teaching me important lifelong values and lessons. Kindness was a cherished virtue for my family, and many conversations in our home centered on being a kind, caring, and compassionate person. While my parents and grandparents modeled kindness and compassion, I can recall a time as a youngster when I struggled to apply their teachings in a real-life situation. Neighborhood children were teasing and making fun of a young boy. Being a shy and somewhat introverted child, I watched and chose not to say anything or otherwise intervene. Later, that bothered me. When I finally spoke to my parents about what was happening, they coached me to stand up for this boy and show him the kindness he deserved. I took their advice and the next time I witnessed unkindness toward him I told the neighborhood children to stop their behavior and bravely told the boy I wanted to be his friend. I can still see the smile that spread across his face when he heard my words. I believe I made a difference for that little boy. I am sure you can recall similar situations growing up. My parents’ teachings and my reflections on childhood have led to my strong commitment as an educator to teach students to be kind, caring, and compassionate. In my opinion, learning kindness is as important as mastering timetables. Read More

A Very Special Bring A Friend Day Experience

October 3, 2019

Has a friend ever asked, “What makes MPA so special?” Or perhaps you know a family who is “SO MPA?” Bring A Friend To MPA Day is a wonderful way to have their children experience firsthand what it is like to be student at Mounds Park Academy. Read on for fifth graders Nathan M. and Marcell S-C’s Bring A Friend To MPA Day experience! Marcell enrolled after having attended last year’s Bring A Friend To MPA Day.

Nathan, what made you want to bring Marcell for Bring A Friend To MPA Day?
I wanted to hang out with Marcell and show him my school. We’ve been friends since second grade. Before this year when Marcell wasn’t at MPA, I wished he could have been going here.

Marcell, how did going to Bring A Friend To MPA Day help you make your decision to come to MPA?
Because Nathan went there, I knew about MPA and knew it was a good school, but then Bring A Friend Day was when I saw that MPA was really different than the other schools I used to go to. Probably the combination of meeting the teachers and meeting the other kids on Bring A Friend Day made me want to come to school at MPA with Nathan. Read More

Save The Date For The MPA Blood Drive

October 3, 2019

The MPA Blood Drive is coming up 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! You may sign-up by going online to www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Mounds Park Academy. Read More