Upper School Archives

April 30, 2018

Middle and Upper School world language teacher

How many years have you been at MPA? 14 years

What do you love about MPA?
Everything! I love the MPA community.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
By providing them with multiple opportunities in school as well as out of school. i-Term in the Middle School, is a great example.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
What a I truly love about MPA is having all grades PreK-12 on one campus. We all benefit from seeing all age levels on any given day.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
This is a great school! Students want to learn and be successful. They are kind and supportive of each other and make great connections with students, teachers, and the community at large.

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
To be thinkers, doers and to have the confidence to go out there and make change in the world.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MPA experience?
As an educator, I am constantly being pushed intellectually. I appreciate the support and opportunities to do so, be it through conferences, lectures, classes, traveling, etc.

Upper School Parents Association Meeting Tomorrow

April 26, 2018

Tomorrow, April 27, from 8-9:30 AM is the Quarter Four Upper School Parents Association Meeting! Please note meeting is being held in the Porter Conference Room (PCR).

Parents of incoming 2018-19 freshmen are encouraged to attend for a glimpse into Upper School at MPA! This meeting will cover a welcome to incoming freshmen parents, an overview of the Upper School Fine Arts Programs at MPA by Faculty of the Fine Arts Department, Quarter Four calendar events, and an all-call for the 2018-2019 MPA Parents Association Upper School Division Lead.

Tell Your Friends About Lunch At MPA!

April 26, 2018

Our next upcoming admission event is Lunch at MPA on Tuesday, May 15, starting at 11:30 AM! Invite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or anyone you know who shares your educational values. We can’t wait to meet them!

Guests are invited to campus during a regular school day to meet school administrators over a casual meal and tour the campus to see our students and teachers in action.

Kindly extend our invitation for lunch and have your friends 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.

Sweet Moments From Grandparents Day

April 26, 2018

We had a wonderful time hosting everyone on campus for the first annual Upper School Grandparents And Special Friends Day! This day developed into an event specially designed for the Upper School division, where all of our visitors experienced a unique glimpse inside our older students’ life at MPA! We had grandparents and friends across all of the Upper School, in classes from Spanish to history and more.

Enjoy these sweet moments and thank you to all who visited and helped establish a new wonderful tradition! See all of the photos here!

Enhancing Play Spaces For All

April 26, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

At the dinner table, we have a tradition of sharing our day with one another. Among other topics and questions, we often ask the kids, “What did you like best about your day?” Inevitably, the response is one of three possibilities: phy ed class, lunch, or recess. Obviously, we hope it’s about a riveting discussion about a novel or an exciting discovery during a science experiment. However, as an educator, I am okay with their response. Physical activity, free play, unstructured time, and nutrition are all necessary aspects of a student’s life, no matter the age. This is also true for adults!

In a few weeks, we will gather at the historic JX in Stillwater for our annual Spring Auction. It is our only school-wide community builder solely for the grown-ups in our community and our only fundraising event of the year. The newly opened JX is a beautiful setting with wonderful views and plenty of space for socializing and joy-raising. We will have many items in the silent auction, fun games of chance, and some unique experiences in the live auction. As is our custom, we will end the auction with an opportunity to fund a specific need of the school.

Through this Fund A Need portion of the evening, together over the past several years we’ve raised more than $300,000 to enhance the educational experience of our students. Past projects include the Digital Fabrication Studio (an early iteration of the Makerspace), Virtual Classroom, extensive bathroom renovations, sound, lighting, and seating replacement in the Blackbox Theatre.

Two Golds For MPA At State Speech

April 22, 2018

Mounds Park Academy led all schools with two gold medals at the Class A State Speech Tournament, April 21 at Apple Valley High School. Eleven schools followed with one gold apiece. Pranay Somayajula defended his gold in Extemporaneous Speaking and Sarah Ley placed first in Great Speeches. Overall, MPA placed second in the team standings out of 186 schools that competed in Class A speech this year.

All told, MPA had seven medalists:

Pranay Somayajula – Champion – Extemporaneous Speaking
Sarah Ley – Champion – Great Speeches
Emmett Haak – 2nd Place – Great Speeches
Misk Khalif – 5th place – Serious Interpretation of Poetry
Garrett Hollihan – 6th place – Extemporaneous Speaking
Rayaan Ahmed – 7th place – Discussion
Charlie Galicich – 7th place – Humorous Interpretation

MPA now has 37 Speech Champions in its history. That’s the fifth most among all Minnesota schools, regardless of class. Its 164 total medals are second among Class A schools.

Upper School Parents Association Meeting

April 19, 2018

The date for the Quarter Four Upper School Parents Association Meeting is Friday, April 27, from 8-9:30 AM. Please note the date change!

Parents of incoming 2018-19 freshmen are encouraged to attend for a glimpse into Upper School at MPA! Keep an eye out for the next two issues of Panther Post for more details. An agenda will be sent to parents of students in grades 8-12 prior to the meeting. Parents will additionally get an overview of the Fine Arts programs in Upper School from faculty guests, take a look at the remaining Upper School events scheduled for the year, and discuss the opportunity of a new MPA Parents Association Upper School Division Lead.

Upper School Grandparents Day is Next Week!

April 19, 2018

We are very excited to bring Grandparents and Special Friends Day to the Upper School! This special MPA tradition has grown into an event specially designed for the Upper School division, and we are happy and proud to host all of your grandparents and special friends on Wednesday. Visitors will receive a unique glimpse inside our older students’ life at MPA!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Gallery Entrance
9 AM-12:20 PM
Full Agenda here!

If your Upper School student’s Grandparent or Special Friend is able to attend, kindly register them online, email GPDayRSVP@moundsparkacademy.org, or call 651-748-5530. Include your name, your student’s name(s), and the Grandparent or Special Friend’s name(s). Please register by April 20.

Any questions may be directed to Susan Robertson, Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Manager, at srobertson@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5531.

Enhancing Play Spaces For All

April 19, 2018

We are excited to announce this year’s Spring Auction Fund A Need! Through our community’s generous support, we will significantly enhance the spaces where our students play and rejuvenate, PreK-12. Our goal is to raise $75,000.

With new equipment on the playground specifically designed for students PreK-8, and more comfortable and extensive seating for Upper School students in the Benz Courtyard, our students will benefit from these improved spaces each and every day. Rooted in the knowledge that young people thrive cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically when they have plenty of time and space to move and play, this Fund A Need will enhance MPA’s ability to deliver on its mission and nurture the whole child.

A Special Surprise For CHAMP Kids

April 19, 2018

Wednesday’s Lower School CHAMP assembly included a warm reading of “The Hugging Tree” by Mr. Wilson, time to brainstorm ideas about resilience as a division, and a complete surprise unveiling of the newest Peace Garden additions! Upper School student Connor McFarland engraved stumps from tees found fallen with every CHAMP trait to enhance the MPA Peace Garden. Bela Larsen and Jaeden McFarland will be putting the finishing touches on them just in time for spring weather!

Enjoy all of the photos of the CHAMP assembly and surprise unveiling here!