Upper School Archives

Five Things To Know About MPA From Holland Brown

December 22, 2025

Mounds Park Academy gives Holland the space to grow her interests while pushing her academically. Keep reading for the five things she thinks you should know about the MPA.

1. Our athletic programs are a great way to make friends.

This was my second year as part of the Upper School volleyball program, and I have met some of my closest friends at MPA through the program. Playing sports is such a great way to meet people in different grades and make new friends, especially because it is a smaller community.

2. The teachers are helpful and supportive.

Transitioning into Upper School can seem intimidating academically, but all the teachers are super helpful. If you need extra help with an assignment or understanding a concept, they are always willing and happy to help you.

3. MPA is a PreK-12 school with leadership opportunities.

Being a PreK-12 school is one of my favorite things about MPA. There are a ton of opportunities to connect with other grades throughout the year. It is always so fun being able to support the lower grades in things like pairing assemblies. I am with a second-grade reading buddy, and I love being able to build a connection with her. Read More

Join Us For The MPA Preview On January 22

December 19, 2025

The final PreK-12 Preview of the school year will take place on Thursday, January 22, from 5-7 PM, and we warmly invite you to join us on campus.

This evening event offers a unique opportunity to experience Mounds Park Academy outside the traditional school day. Guests will enjoy a guided tour of campus, connect with faculty, staff, and students, and explore interactive experiences throughout the building that reflect our academic program, student life, and community culture. A light meal will be provided, allowing families to settle in, ask questions, and enjoy a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

Seeing MPA in the evening offers a different perspective on our school—one that highlights the energy, warmth, and sense of belonging that define our community. Whether you are just beginning to explore independent school options or deepening your understanding of MPA, this Preview is designed to help you envision what life as a Panther could look like for your family.

RSVP today to discover why Mounds Park Academy is the #2-ranked private school in Minnesota.

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Upper School Division News December 18, 2025

December 18, 2025

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

As Upper School students and the MPA community head into winter break, the importance of keeping the mind active cannot be overstated. Breaks are an important and sought-after time to rest and recharge, but they can also lead to a loss of academic momentum if the brain goes entirely unused (like how a muscle atrophies when not in use). One simple and effective way to stay intellectually engaged is to follow the advice a prior school administrator regularly shared before long breaks: read for pleasure.

Reading keeps the brain active while still feeling restorative. It strengthens creativity and critical thinking skills, which are vital not only for academic success but also for lifelong learning. Reading for leisure also allows students to explore new ideas, cultures, and perspectives, broadening their understanding of the world beyond the classroom. Whether through novels, short stories, essays, or nonfiction, reading invites us to step into different experiences and develop empathy by seeing the world through the eyes of others.

In addition to these cognitive and emotional benefits, reading for pleasure naturally supports vocabulary growth and stronger writing skills. Exposure to diverse voices, styles, and structures enhances students’ own communication abilities in ways that feel organic rather than instructional.

Each year, well-respected educator, former principal, and educational consultant Kim Marshall shares a thoughtfully curated list of “best books,” drawing on recommendations from “the School Library Journal.” The list includes a wide range of genres and reading levels, ensuring there is something to spark interest for every reader. Families and students can access the list here. Read More

NEW! MPA Ski & Snowboard Club

December 18, 2025

We are very excited to announce MPA’s Ski & Snowboard Club for grades seven through 12 at Afton Alps! If 15 students—who don’t already have season passes—sign up, we will be eligible for Ski Club discount tickets. If we can hit our goal, lift tickets will be $39 and rentals will be $37. Click here to sign up!

We plan to go every other Friday, after school. Students and families will need to provide their own transportation. Permission forms are available for anyone who would like to coordinate a carpool.

Waivers and rental forms must be completed in advance. Please fill out these forms and either send them to Sean Andrews at sandrews@moundsparkacademy.org or drop them off in the tech office on campus.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Sean Andrews at sandrews@moundsparkacademy.org!

Join Us For MPA Family Open Gym!

December 18, 2025

We are excited to welcome back the MPA Family Open Gym—a long-standing tradition returning for the first time since before the pandemic! Please join us on January 11, January 18, January 25, and February 8 from 1-3 PM in the Lansing Sports Center for one or more of the open gyms. Click here to register!

Important Notes:

Arrive between 1-1:15 PM at Door 7 on the north end of campus. Doors will be locked outside of the arrival window, and fobs will not work.
Please wear your MPA nametag or bring an ID to check in and receive a name tag.
Supervision will not be provided. Upper School students may attend on their own, but Lower and Middle School students must attend and remain with a parent or guardian.
More concession stand volunteers are needed. Sign up here!

We look forward to gathering together for an afternoon of fun and community. We hope to see you there!

Congrats, SAGE Dining Team!

December 17, 2025

The MPA SAGE dining team has earned FARECheck Silver certification through FARE-approved Serve It Safely training, a nationally recognized mark of excellence in food allergy awareness and safety.

FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the leading nonprofit dedicated to food allergy education and advocacy, carefully reviewed and validated the training completed by our team. This certification confirms that MPA’s dining practices meet best-in-class standards for allergen safety and food service compliance!

This achievement reflects more than just a completed training—it speaks to the kitchen team’s daily dedication to creating a safe, welcoming, and exceptional dining experience for every student, faculty member, and staff member, especially those navigating food allergies. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to our community each day. Congratulations to our MPA dining team!

MPA Robotics Teams Inspire Future Innovators

December 17, 2025

From Lower School to Upper School: A Week of Code

MPA’s school-wide, week-long participation in Hour of Code was a tremendous success! Throughout the week, students across all grade levels explored computer science through a variety of interactive platforms—building characters, games, and puzzles while learning the fundamentals of coding. Hour of Code is an international initiative that aims to make computer science accessible to all learners and to spark curiosity about the ways technology shapes our world. For some Lower School students especially, this was their first opportunity to experience coding.

Robotics Teams Showcased Robots In Action

Adding to the excitement, the MPA Robotics Team hosted the first-ever Lower School Robotics Assembly. Initially founded in 2011 by former MPA teacher and Makerspace coordinator Ms. Nicole Koen. In 2014, Mr. Marc Shapiro, Upper School Physics teacher, became the coach. His leadership and student involvement have grown steadily over the past 15 years to include both Middle and Upper School teams. Each season, students collaborate with mentors to design, build, and program a robot to meet a unique set of challenges before competing with and against teams from other schools.
During the assembly, both teams showcased their robots in action, much to the delight of the Lower School audience. Using game pieces and designs from previous competitions, they demonstrated precision, creativity, and teamwork in motion.

Each team is made up of subgroups that focus on design, programming, building, and operations, and students devote many hours each week during the six-week build season preparing for competition. Their dedication, innovation, and collaborative spirit exemplify MPA’s mission to combine creativity, problem-solving, and purpose in learning.

The Middle School team, the Gentoos, competes in the FIRST Tech Challenge, designing a robot that must fit into an 18×18-inch box.
The Upper School team, the MPArors, competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition, designing, programming, and building a robot weighing roughly 115 pounds.

At MPA, curiosity and innovation begin early. From coding in the Lower School to advanced robotics in the Upper School, students are encouraged to dream big, think boldly, and bring their ideas to life.

Follow the MPArors to see their progress and upcoming events:

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Then & Now: Connections To The Past And Present

December 15, 2025

From George Mills ’04

It’s hard to believe we’ve already made it to December 2025—and that winter has arrived overnight in all its cold, snowy glory. The first snowfall has always felt magical to me, and it recently brought back a memory from my eighth-grade year.

I remember being dropped off by my dad along a sidewalk that no longer exists, walking through the atrium with the blue glass—back when it was still an entrance—and being greeted by the sound of a girls’ quintet singing. It was such an uplifting way to start the day.

That small moment made me reflect on how much MPA has changed… and how much has stayed wonderfully the same. After spending several years away and now returning as both an alum and a parent, I find myself noticing the pieces of MPA that still feel familiar. For example, there’s a vase Ms. Petersen uses that I immediately recognized from Ms. Buck’s ceramics studio—now occasionally brightening the Lower School hallway.

So much life happens in these hallways, even in the small in-between moments we don’t always think about. Just the other day, I was waiting outside the band room for my kindergartner to finish a piano lesson when Marisue Gleason walked by. We ended up chatting right there in the “T” at the end of the main hallway—you know the one. It was not only fun to reminisce about being her Spanish II student back in 2001, but also to reconnect in a spot that has hardly changed at all.

MPA is full of these quiet threads that weave our past with our present—little tributes and familiar touches mixed in with all the ways the school continues to grow. If you haven’t been back in a while, I hope you’ll stop by for a visit. Take a self-guided tour or walk with one of our wonderful colleagues in admissions or development, and see what memories stir for you.

Advancing Learning For All

December 11, 2025

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school

As we approach winter break, our school days feel especially full of both celebration and meaningful learning. This time of year is filled with performances, competitions, culminating academic projects, and the excitement of new seasons for athletics and clubs. Students, faculty, and staff are working hard to finish strong before winter break, while many families navigate an active calendar of events and begin planning for the weeks ahead. Amid this energy, I find it equally important to pause and reflect on the ways our community continues to learn, grow, and support one another.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the inaugural Community-Wide Parents Association Meeting. With parents, caregivers, faculty, and staff from all three divisions gathered, the meeting was a beautiful reminder of the strength of our community. It also provided an opportunity to recognize the Parents Association board, their incredible efforts, and the many volunteers whose time and care have brought so many joyful moments to life since the start of the school year. Read More

Congrats, MPA Debate Team!

December 8, 2025

Congratulations to the MPA debate team on a fantastic performance at the Classic State Debate Festival. Fifty students represented the school and debated about the benefits and drawbacks of the U.S. military commitment to South Korea. Their countless hours of research, thinking, and practice contributed to numerous successes across the three divisions of competition—novice, junior varsity, and varsity and to the team finishing third in the sweepstakes competition.

We call the tournament the Classic Debate Championships in novice and junior varsity. In the novice division, the team of Maahi Bhalla and Alice Van Keerbergen advanced to the quarterfinal round. In the junior varsity division, the teams of Truman Wilgocki and Soren Winikoff and Drew Buhr and Harper Short advanced to the octafinal round. The team of Kelvyn Boddipalli and Nico Bergh advanced to the quarterfinal round.

The varsity division is called the Minnesota State High School League Classic Debate State Festival, as the MSHSL sponsors the awards for this event. Three teams had standout performances. The team of Yusuf Ali and Liam Kimmerle narrowly missed advancing to the elimination rounds and finished tenth. The team of Josh Murr and Lucille Mayer advanced to the semifinal round of competition, losing on a narrow 2-1 decision. Finally, the team of Ash Klann and Mina Kim advanced to the final round of the tournament, finishing as runners-up in a very close round. Read More