Special Events Archives

A Give To The Max Day Message From Dr. Brogdon

November 20, 2025

What an incredible week it has been! On behalf of MPA, I am grateful for the overwhelming participation and generosity of our community. From the Twin Cities to around the world, so many current and past families, alumni, and community members have demonstrated their commitment to MPA by participating in this year’s annual giving campaign. MPA’s strength and ability to dream big and do right come from the unwavering support provided to our students, faculty, staff, and program. Thank you!

Today’s Lip Sync Battle brought our student, parent, and staffulty community together through music, laughter, and joy. What a beautiful way to celebrate MPA, together! Congratulations to all our participants on a job well done! Like every day, today is a great day to be a Mounds Park Academy Panther!

The day is not over! So far, we have raised $270,967, but we are still asking for your help for the final push to $400,000. We have already unlocked $40,000 in matching funds. Let’s keep the progress going! Join me in shaping tomorrow at MPA!

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School Spirit Is Everywhere

September 25, 2025

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school

On Monday morning, I made my usual right turn from Beebe Road onto the school grounds. Seeing “We. Are. MPA.,” not only brought a smile to my face but also evoked an incredible sense of school pride. I must admit, I was caught by surprise. As a new member of the MPA community, it’s a magical experience to feel school spirit. In so many ways it felt like I was arriving home.

I do not take school spirit for granted. It doesn’t magically appear. Rather, school spirit is the energy that grows from the pride, traditions, and shared experiences left in the form of memories and artifacts from years past, and the voices and actions of those who currently move throughout the campus.

I frequently turn to my Responsive Classroom training and seek to define experiences and goals by asking: What does it look like, sound like, and feel like?

This week, school spirit looks like our students wearing themed clothing and hallways decorated with streamers and colorful posters throughout the building. School spirit sounds like our teams clapping and cheering for our Lower and Middle School students during arrival and standing in the hallway, eagerly planning for an upcoming debate tournament. School spirit feels like the surge of warmth that fills my cheeks with joy when I see students across divisions learning a school chant or reading books—together. And it’s not exclusively created by our students. I see it in the ways our faculty and staff create spaces that foster curiosity. I hear it when a family member says “I love you” to their student at the classroom door. I feel it when someone takes a minute to share with me a special moment they had learning from their colleague. Read More

A Special Thank You From Dr. Hudson!

April 10, 2025

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

“From the depths of my heart, thank you for the extraordinary outpouring of love and support at Friday’s Gala. It was a beautiful and unforgettable evening—one that I will cherish always.

I am especially grateful to everyone who contributed to the Hudson Fund for Resilient Students. Your generosity will have a lasting impact, helping MPA students navigate unexpected challenges and continue to thrive in every way.

As I move through these final months as head of school, I look forward to connecting with many of you. Though my chapter in this role is coming to a close, please know that MPA will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2025 MPA Spring Auction: Gala of Gratitude an extraordinary success. Because of our community’s deep generosity, we raised more than $870,000 in support of MPA, including an incredible $164,565 for the MPA Fund and over $707,000 for this year’s Fund A Need, The Hudson Fund for Resilient Students. Click here to help further support the Hudson Fund!

A Leadership Transition Update

April 3, 2025

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

As we enter the final stretch of the school year, I want to take a moment to share an update on the leadership transition and the exciting road ahead for Mounds Park Academy. As many of you know, this will be my final year serving as head of school at MPA. It is a bittersweet season—filled with reflection, gratitude, and anticipation for what’s to come. Serving this community has been the greatest privilege of my professional life, and I remain deeply invested in ensuring a smooth, thoughtful, and mission-aligned transition.

Over the past several months, I have been working closely with Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, who was appointed by the Board of Trustees to serve as the next head of school, effective July 1, 2025. Having the opportunity to partner with her during this full year of transition has been a true gift. It is rare in independent schools to have this kind of intentional, overlapping leadership—and we are using it fully to MPA’s advantage.

It was good to see so many of you at the Coffee & Conversation events with Dr. Brogdon and me. For those of you who were able to attend, I hope that you saw the synergy and warmth between the two of us. You may have also viewed a video of the two of us discussing leadership and the transition. If you haven’t, please click here. Know that an additional two videos will be released very soon. My hope is to alleviate whatever anxiety the community might feel about the transition. Read More

Coming Together With Kindness, Generosity, And Community

March 6, 2025

from Ashley Goetzke, director of development and community engagement

Editor’s Note: Periodically, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from members of the administrative team. We hope you will enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

When I started at Mounds Park Academy, it was the week of the 2016 MPA Spring Auction: Night at the Museum. I was immediately immersed in the energy and excitement of this incredible event. The development office buzzed with anticipation, but more than anything, I felt a profound sense of togetherness, the kind that defines MPA.

Experiencing my first Spring Auction was unlike anything I had been part of before. I was thrown into the whirlwind of planning, met incredible people, and saw firsthand what makes MPA so special. That night, I went home to my husband, Matt, and told him, “This is where I want to be.” That feeling of warmth, generosity, and joy has stayed with me ever since.

For me, the Spring Auction is, above all, about community. It is an evening where parents, alumni, employees, grandparents, and friends come together in celebration and support of our students and the future of MPA. It is a night filled with laughter, generosity, and the shared love we all have for this school. Read More

Golden Tickets Available Now—Get Yours Before They Are Gone!

March 4, 2025

The Gala of Gratitude is just around the corner, and we are excited to announce that Golden Tickets are now available. With only 100 Golden Tickets available at $150 each, you have the chance to win any live auction item of your choice, from an unforgettable Bali getaway to an exclusive private chef experience in your home. Read More

A Message From Alumni Board Member George Mills ’04

March 3, 2025

I hope this message finds you well and continuing to make a meaningful impact in the world! As you may know, each spring, MPA hosts its signature fundraising event—the annual Spring Auction. However, this year’s celebration will be unlike any other.

This year, we come together for a truly special occasion: the 2025 Spring Auction: Gala of Gratitude, an evening dedicated not only to supporting MPA but also to honoring the incredible legacy of Dr. Bill Hudson as he bids farewell as head of school. This will be his final auction, marking the culmination of his years of leadership, his dedication to education, and the profound impact he has made on our community.

In recognition of Dr. Hudson’s commitment to MPA and its students, we are proud to introduce The Hudson Fund for Resilient Students. This newly established endowment will provide crucial support to students facing unforeseen challenges, ensuring they have the resources they need to thrive no matter what obstacles arise. This year’s Fund A Need portion of the auction will be dedicated to growing this vital fund—an opportunity for all of us to contribute to Dr. Hudson’s enduring legacy.

Announcing The Hudson Fund

January 16, 2025

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

As I prepare to step away from my role as head of school at Mounds Park Academy at the end of this school year, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey this community has taken together. It has been my deepest honor to serve this extraordinary school, to walk alongside students, faculty, and families who inspire me every day with their strength, compassion, and determination.

When the Board of Trustees kindly asked how they might celebrate my tenure, my thoughts turned not to recognition but to the students who represent the heart of MPA’s mission. It is in their stories—of resilience, courage, and triumph over adversity—that I have found my greatest
fulfillment. Warren Buffet once said, “Tell me who your heroes are, and I’ll tell you how you’re going to turn out.” Truly, students are my heroes, and I am incredibly grateful that the board knew me well enough to establish and work with me to initiate the Hudson Fund for Resilient Students.

This endowed fund embodies our shared commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of the challenges they face, has the opportunity to thrive at MPA. Whether overcoming personal, academic, or socio-economic barriers, these students exemplify the values we hold dear: perseverance, dedication, and the belief that education has the power to transform lives. Read More

Preparing Students For A New Workplace

October 3, 2024

There’s a current TikTok trend that involves high school teachers reading emails that they’ve received from their students out loud. They often start with “Hey,” or “Whatsup,” if they contain a salutation. And let’s just say that rarely do they close with a “Thank you.”

While perhaps entertaining, this trend illustrates a disheartening disparity in how young people are being prepared for the workplace of the future. Rapidly changing trends and expectations shape how progressive independent schools like Mounds Park Academy equip students with essential workplace skills for life beyond the four walls of a classroom.

The trend popped into the head of admission and communications director Natalie Waters Seum recently, when she was chatting a newer MPA student. They were talking about how she might navigate the academic bumps in the road that will inevitably come in a rigorous college-prep school. Natalie encouraged her to reach out to her teacher for clarification and support and asked her if she knew how to do that well. While it shouldn’t have been, her response was pleasantly surprising. She retold with great detail what she had learned during the “How To Write An Email To A Teacher” lesson in Mr. Dean’s ninth-grade seminar class. The lesson covers topics such as formal letter structure, salutations, tone, attachments, and more. Notably, the lesson also teaches MPA students to share the solutions they’ve already tried—helping encourage them to take responsibility for their own academic journeys. This lesson is one of the hundreds of ways that MPA intentionally prepares MPA students for a new workplace daily. Read More

End of the Year Milestones at MPA

May 30, 2024

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

You may have heard that I turned 60 last Friday. To my surprise, I was serenaded by the fourth grade in the morning and again in the afternoon by all those gathered for the Senior Awards Ceremony. It was a memorable day, to be sure. I am still coming to terms with turning 60, mostly because I think of myself in my late 40s. As a milestone, however, it reminds me to approach this phase of my life in gratitude for a life well lived and for the many more opportunities ahead of me.

In Roman times, every mile was marked by a stone along roadways with a number that signified the number of miles coming or going from Rome. Today, a milestone signifies a momentous life event or accomplishment, such as a birthday, marriage, graduation, or retirement. Like the days of old, these events mark our journey through life and are a way to measure growth, literally or figuratively. Milestones serve as reminders to pause and reflect and celebrate what matters most in our lives.

There are many milestones at MPA this time of year. In just over a week, we will celebrate the high school graduation of 61 remarkable young adults. We will hold a Moving Up Ceremony to mark the matriculation of the fourth grade to Middle School and the eighth grade to Upper School. Tonight, we will celebrate the careers of dedicated educators Scott Wilson and Kristy Petrich. Read More