Show Your MPA Pride At Spirit Night
February 1, 2018
Bring your Panther pride and cheer on MPA on Friday, February 9 as we take on IMAC rival St. Paul Academy for Spirit Night! Students, alumni, and families from all divisions are encouraged to pack the Lansing Sports Center for an evening of basketball and school spirit! The C and JV teams play at 4:15 PM, followed by the girls varsity at 6 PM, and boys varsity at 7:30 PM. Go Panthers!
MPA Girls Nordic Ski Champions
February 1, 2018
MPA Nordic Ski is on fire! The boys team set a school record this season, and now the girls are taking home the 2017-2018 IMAC Conference Championship for the third year in a row over Blake, Breck, Heritage/Providence, and Minnehaha Academy. Middle School student Margo N. took third place at the Nordic Championship at Elm Creek and to help the team win the championship! Go Panthers!
IMAC Athletes Of The Month At MPA
February 1, 2018
Three MPA student athletes have been named Independent Metro Athletic Conference Athletes of the Month so far this year!
October was a strong month for MPA’s athletes. Senior Declan Dahlberg was recognized for cross country. During his season, he finished in second place in the State Cross Country meet, wrote his own column in MileSplit MN, received Academic All State Honors, and signed with the University of Minnesota’s Track and Field and Cross Country Teams.
Additionally in October, MPA junior Maia Kelly was named Athlete of the Month for her accomplishments in volleyball. Maia has been named the “Semper Fidelis Player of the Match” three times, was part of the MPA record-breaking volleyball team this year, and was named on the Independent Metro All-Conference list. She is currently playing on the MPA Girls Varsity Basketball Team.
January 24, 2018
The academic emphasis on only reading, writing, and arithmetic is long gone; the emphasis today is broader and more nuanced than these foundational skills encompass. Some schools, including Mounds Park Academy, are even broadening the skills identified in the “21st Century Skills” movement, commonly known as “the 4 Cs” or critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, to include two additional Cs: culture and connectivity.
At MPA, we welcome the increased focus on these critical skills, because, as a progressive and independent school, we’ve been emphasizing them since our beginning in 1982. This was long before the 21st Century was in our public consciousness. We have known for 36 years that these skills are critical for students to become engaged, thoughtful, and informed global citizens who are able to use their deep content knowledge to make a difference in their communities, in our country, and in the world.
We asked six MPA faculty members from across our community to share how they develop the 6 Cs in their students:
Thoughts on Critical Thinking from Jason Schwalen, Upper School English
In the English Department at MPA, we are creating students who are not simply critical thinkers, but informed thinkers who are willing to use those critical thinking skills to confront and solve the problems our culture has carried throughout history…attaining justice, equality, equity, and inclusivity begins with education.
In order to move our culture in a positive direction, our students need to be informed readers, critical thinkers, and skilled writers, and we build these skills by analyzing authors and artists who have attempted to document and improve our culture. Examining these authorial perspectives—and writing about them—helps create a foundation that equips our students to assess, analyze, and tackle the challenges that accompany trying to change the world. Read More
January 11, 2018
Mounds Park Academy Upper School students Ben Yoch and Ian Beauchane are using the local Super Bowl and Vikings hype to make a difference in the community. The two are currently participating in the NFL Super Kids-Super Sharing project, partnering with the NFL and Vikings to help underfunded schools and they need your help.
“Knowing that some kids won’t be able to pursue their passions because they don’t have the proper equipment is heartbreaking to us,” Ben said. “We know that we cannot help every kid, but if we can help even a few kids’ dreams happen, it will all be worth it.”
This program takes place in Super Bowl host cities, collecting hundreds of thousands of books and pieces of sports equipment along the way. Ben and Ian are collecting donations of books, sports equipment, school supplies, and games from the MPA community to give low-income schools and other organizations that benefit local children in need. Cell phones can also be donated, as a resource for STEM education in underprivileged classrooms. Their drive ends January 18, so there is still time left to donate items to help Ben and Ian make a difference! Please bring the items to the Upper School office. Thank you!
Living Lives of Health and Wholeness
January 11, 2018
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
Today, Middle School students met in mixed-grade level groups to explore the character trait of perseverance, a core pillar of our Middle School Character Education Program. Each group collaborated to complete two separate challenges related to fostering perseverance and then processed their experience with their teachers. Learning from failure, working together, developing skills such as persistence and tenacity were all a part of the lesson, but in the spirit of MPA, there was also a lot of joyful learning taking place.
Character education is but one part of an overall Mounds Park Academy wellness program. The MPA Strategic Plan, Momentum 2020, has as its first goal, “Empower students to live, learn, and thrive in the 21st century globalized society.” Academic and career success are important and MPA provides students a rigorous and relevant curriculum. But as a school committed to educating the whole child, we also understand that in order to reach one’s full potential, students must also have the knowledge and skills necessary live lives of health and wholeness.
Mental illness and anxiety among young people are on the rise. For instance, by the age of 18, 15-25 percent of adolescents will have experienced a major depressive episode. We also know that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 15-34. A recent New York Times article quoted research from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA that found the percentage of college freshmen reporting feeling overwhelmed rose from 18 percent in 1985 to 29 percent in 2010 and surged to 41 percent last year. These facts paint a grave picture—one that illustrates clearly how critical our work is in this area.
January 4, 2018
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
Just before break, the Washington Post reported that seven words were being banned from official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget at the Centers for Disease Control including “evidence-based” and “science-based.” The national conversation around “fake news” and questions about the veracity of climate change have placed science and science education at center stage. In addition, the steady drumbeat calling for more STEM education has ignited a passionate discourse about science education, particularly within a liberal arts education. In the midst of this often-polarizing discussion, I have repeatedly seen evidence that MPA does science ‘right’ by focusing on applied learning, critical thinking, and a grounding in fostering students to become citizen scientists.
The MPA science curriculum is founded on the principles of active and inquiry-based learning as first developed when the school was in its infancy. Our phenomenal science teachers continue to provide rich, thoughtful, experiences and opportunities for experimental design, while at the same time giving students the background and content they need to succeed in college and beyond. MPA students are encouraged to think critically about science by using their successes and failures in the lab as learning opportunities. What worked? What didn’t? How could it have been improved? Did it prove anything? These questions are best answered through learning by doing.
December 27, 2017
Upper School
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
We wanted a place that would develop them as whole people. We wanted a healthy balance of arts, foreign language, athletics, and, of course academics, but we wanted them to discuss and analyze topics, rather than just choose from four options on a test. Most importantly, it needed to be a place they could develop the confidence they needed to try anything.
How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at Mounds Park Academy?
Where I went to school, kids were pegged—smart kids, athletic kids, artsy kids—but at MPA there are no boundaries or limitations. That’s a beautiful thing. And, teachers lead by example at MPA without even articulating the expectation. The expectation clearly is that you will all take care of each other.
What would you tell another parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
I didn’t expect the academic rigor to be as great, but when I look at the depth of their studies and their level of understanding, I am truly impressed. What’s unique is that it is not to the point that they are stressed out. Expectations are high, but their teachers truly want them to do well in all areas and to live balanced lives. Read More
December 14, 2017
Upper School student Cloris Lin established MPA’s Design Club this year as a creative outlet beyond the classroom. The Makerspace became home to the club, hosting their meetings officiated by Ms. Koen. The meetings, which take place every Monday during lunch and after school, begin with one simple question: “What do you want to make?”
The freedom of Design Club reflects the flow of ideas that Upper School students at MPA are encouraged to enact on and embrace. It did not take long for students to find interest in MPA’s new club. After just two meetings, it has grown to eight members, ranging from freshmen to seniors who all began with a complete orientation of the Makerspace. Read More
December 7, 2017
The MPA Upper School Debate team competed at the State Debate Tournament last weekend, placing third overall! The varsity team of Pranay Somayajula and Meg Wilkening were semifinalists, losing on an extremely close decision. As a senior, Pranay was both proud and nostalgic as the tournament came to a close.
“I’m really proud of Meg and myself for getting as far as we did. Competing at state was definitely a little bittersweet for me, as it was my last high school debate tournament and debate has meant a lot to me over the last four years,” he said.
Though he’ll be graduating from MPA this spring, he is anticipating a lot of success for the team he is leaving and knows that they’re ready to learn more and conquer new challenges next year.
“The competition was definitely tough, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen MPA compete at the State Tournament with more determination than we did this past weekend, and that’s been reflected throughout the season. I was really happy to see my debate career at MPA end so well,” Pranay said. “I’m also especially proud of our younger debaters who are easily the most dedicated and successful group of novices I’ve ever seen. After what I saw this weekend, I’m confident MPA debate is in a great spot for next year and years to come.” Read More