Upper School Archives

Panthers Take Third And Fifth At IMAC Championships

May 30, 2019

The Panthers traveled to Providence Academy on a warm Thursday afternoon for the IMAC championships. Noteworthy performances on the girls side include eighth grader Zoe M. placing fourth in the 100m dash in 13.39 and adding a fifth place finish in the 200m in 28.02. Eighth grader Greta M. (Gentry Academy) finished fifth in the 200m in 28.10 and fourth in the 400m in a personal best 1:02.28. In the 800m, senior Sofia Walker ran a near personal best 2:26.18 to place second and sophomore Izzy Quam ran a season best 2:33.63 to finish sixth. Eighth grader Emily B. ran two personal bests in the hurdles races, placing sixth in 19.13 in the 100m hurdles and recording another personal best of 55.12 in the 300 hurdles. In the field events, Zoe M. placed fifth in the long jump with a personal best jump of 15.8.75, now third all time in MPA history. 15.8.75 gets Zoe on the state honor roll in the long jump! Junior Catherine Moore placed fourth in the discus throw with a near personal best of 80.9.

In the 4x100m, junior Catherine Moore, ninth grader Ella Fruchterman, and eighth graders Greta M. (Gentry) and Zoe M. place second in a season best time of 53.00, moving up to sole possession of fourth place all time at MPA. In the 4x800m, seniors Gabby Law and Sofia Walker, sophomore Izzy Quam and eighth grader Margo N. were conference champions! They ran a season best 10:21.54, earning a spot on the state honor roll and moving up to fifth place all time at MPA with the fastest time since 2002. Read More

Your New Parents Association Executive Board!

May 29, 2019

Thank you to those of you who voted for your new Parents Association Executive Board. The following slate was approved and will begin leading the Parents Association and serving the MPA community on July 1, 2019: Kim Jakway, president; Seema Anwar and Barry Madore, co-presidents-elect; Meredith Forgosh, secretary; Yuki Miyokawa, treasurer; Russ Purdy, Upper School division lead; Susan Knapp, Middle School division lead; Sally Richie and Andrea Dodson, Lower School co-division leads.

In addition, a special thanks to Tara Lafferty who is stepping down as Middle School lead but will continue to be involved in Parents Association events. Tara has dedicated many volunteer hours and her amazing contributions are much appreciated!

Quiz Bowl Excels At Nationals

May 29, 2019

Congratulations to the Upper School Quiz Bowl team for finishing with a record of 5-5 at Nationals last weekend! They were one win away from making playoffs. Sophomore Isak Dai finished 68th out of more than 1600 players, earning a Rising Star Award. Congratulations, Quiz Bowl!

Volunteer With MPA This Summer!

May 29, 2019

The Offices of Admission and Marketing/Communication are looking forward to MPA’s presence at many fabulous summer events, starting this weekend! These events provide us with an opportunity to raise awareness of MPA in the community and share what a wonderful school it is.

We are looking for volunteers (families, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and students) to join us in this effort! This is a great way to connect with people you might not get to otherwise and share your love for MPA. Your children are more than welcome to accompany you and this is a great way for Upper School students to earn service hours. Read More

Class of 2019: Ling DeBellis, Saint Paul

May 29, 2019

As the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA?
I started MPA in PreK in 2005! This was MPA’s first PreK class. I was really shy back then, and had faced isolation at a PreK before MPA, so I was pretty nervous on the first day of school. Lorraine Anderson, the former MPA PreK teacher, was amazingly kind and nurturing; it didn’t take long for me to come out of my shell!

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
I chose Rice University in Houston, TX because it just felt like home. The people were so authentic and welcoming. Our campus tour was incredibly accessible (I am a wheelchair user, and have had terrible experiences at other colleges). I ate lunch with the best, nerdiest students ever, and instantly felt a connection. I was clearly surrounded by supportive, engaging peers and brilliant professors! And, of course, Houston weather is my kind of vibe. I ended up applying Early Decision because I knew I’d be heartbroken if I didn’t get in. A bonus is that Rice is neighbors to the world’s largest medical complex (really!) — fingers crossed for plenty of research gigs! Read More

Class of 2019: José Varela Castillo, Woodbury

May 28, 2019

As the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA?
I came to MPA in ninth grade. MPA has been a great fit and I’ve really enjoyed my time here.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
I chose Tulane because I wanted to be in a place that was warm and close to home. Also, I wanted to be in a five-year architecture program, and Tulane was my favorite school in the south that offered it. I also was looking for a medium size school, but one that still had lots of school spirit and D1 athletics. Tulane also allows me to double or switch majors because admission is not school specific giving me more options if architecture is not the path I ultimately want to take.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?
I am really looking forward to taking more art classes and doing more hands-on projects. I am also looking forward to more independence and the ability to have more control over my schedule. College will also give me the opportunity to find out what I really want in life and discover new paths. I am excited to meet new people who have had different life experiences than I have. Studying abroad is another thing that I am excited for, since I love to travel and like living in different countries. Read More

Class of 2019: Lance Go, Woodbury

May 24, 2019

As the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA?
I came to MPA in ninth grade. I originally went to St. Ambrose of Woodbury from K-8 before MPA, and I distinctly remember being the only person from St. Ambrose to transfer to MPA in my class. Since I decided to enroll at MPA, I have never looked back.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
Northwestern University has been somewhere I have wanted to go since I was very young. Northwestern is in the unique position of offering many more options than a traditional liberal arts college while still maintaining a smaller feel than a big university. Although I will be an engineering student, I will still have the option of taking many classes outside of my major. The combination of having a wide selection of courses and the flexibility to try things outside of what I am studying easily made Northwestern my top choice.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?
As much as I love the great state of Minnesota, I am very excited to see what other cities have to offer! I am always up for trying new things, and Evanston and Chicago will be a nice change of scenery. As someone who does not yet know what kind of engineering is best for me, I’m also excited to further explore a variety of engineering disciplines and the STEM field as a whole. Read More

Learning The Legacy Of Lawrence Riley

May 23, 2019

Sophomore Salmah Elmasry and Upper School history teacher Katie Murr are one of 15 student-teacher pairs from across the country to be accepted this year to the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute. The Institute is an intensive, all expenses paid program that will give Salmah and Ms. Murr the opportunity to study D-Day and the Operation Overlord Campaign of 1944. They are participating in an online course this spring, and then will travel to Washington D.C. and France to complete archival research and learn from experts. The program will culminate with Salmah writing a lengthy biography of and delivering a eulogy for a Minnesota soldier buried at the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer in France.

This soldier is Lawrence—or “Larry”—Riley, and he has a connection to the MPA community. Upper School English teacher David Loo introduced Salmah and Ms. Murr to his wife’s uncle, Bob Riley, who is Larry’s son. Bob’s father was killed as a paratrooper in WWII, and he grew up knowing very little about who his father was, how he died, the regiment he served in, or anything related to his military service. After months of rigorous research, Salmah and Ms. Murr were able to piece together Larry’s story, and they met with Bob on campus this week to share with him what they discovered.

Salmah and Ms. Murr learned that Larry was from Minneapolis, lived in a house with his parents and eight siblings, and attended DeLaSalle High School. After finding photos and obtaining records from DeLaSalle, it was clear that Larry was a remarkably talented athlete. “He played football throughout his high school career, and he earned letters in his junior and senior years,” shared Salmah during the conversation.

“He had this high school education, but it was a struggle, and right at the moment he seemed to be getting back on his feet he secured a job at the Twin Cities Ordinance Plant … The war clearly took over in terms of where he went to get a job and what he was going to do,” says Ms. Murr. Due to his age at the time of the war and having three children, Larry was likely not going to be drafted, so he volunteered instead. He enlisted as a paratrooper. Paratroopers were paid an extra $50 a month, and there were a lot of men who tried to join the airborne for that reason.

Celebrating MPA Spirit

May 22, 2019

The Spirit Committee gathered yesterday to celebrate the contributions of long-time members, and senior parents, Kathy Bourne and Kathi Peterson. After many years of dedication to the Spirit Committee they bid a fond farewell with their seniors and leave MPA Athletics stronger than ever. Mounds Park Academy would like to sincerely thank them for their many hours of volunteer service and incredible contributions through the years.

We would love for you be a part of the 2019-20 MPA Spirit Committee. Please email Dawn Zimmerman at dzimmerman@moundsparkacademy.org in the athletic office if you are interested or would like more information. Read More

Deepening Our Global Connections

May 22, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Planes, trains, and automobiles—and even a boat. I write this message while flying over the northern Pacific Ocean on my way back from a one-week trip to China. It was a fantastic experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people and delighted in the wonderful culture and cuisine. Together with several other heads of school from the Midwest, I visited a number of schools in Nanjing, Beijing, and Guangzhou to learn more about the Chinese educational system.

The Chinese educational system is very different than ours in a number of ways. The National College Entrance Examination, Gaokao, is required for college entrance and the score dictates a future path for each student. There is tremendous pressure to earn a high score and get into a top college. Teaching is focused on preparing students for the exam, particularly in math and science, leaving much less time for other subjects or critical thinking. Curriculum is limited, and Chinese pedagogy is very teacher-centered. There is far less attention paid to student engagement and agency. Read More