Upper School Archives

October 8, 2020

Since the spring, we have been hard at work planning and refining to welcome students back to campus. As we have shared all along, we know that while there is no such thing at zero risk while the pandemic continues to impact to so many, one thing has become very clear over the previous seven weeks of school: our layered approach of protective and preventative measures is working.

Thanks to our community’s diligence, we have had zero instances of community spread on campus. Some community members have been impacted by this terrible virus outside of the school hours. During the month of September, four MPA community members contracted the virus due to outside exposure to it. Our planning allowed our teams to quickly mobilize, work with the Minnesota Department of Health, and move through our 49-point flow chart that guides our contact tracing.

As a school, we are committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of our community and appreciate your partnership in addressing rumors or concerns head on. It is also important to reiterate again that if you or your family has been exposed as a close contact to a case of COVID-19 connected to the school, you will hear from us immediately. This is our deep and sincere commitment to you. Read More

Girls Tennis Scores Upset Win in Section 4A Tournament

October 8, 2020

Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Tennis Team for upsetting the #4 seed Southwest Christian High School in the opening round of the Section 4A tournament. The girls won in a thrilling 4-3 victory. Check out the recap from Coach Slachta.

We had an exciting, entertaining and intense match against a strong and higher seeded team from Southwest Christian. Freya Rahm (#1 singles), Gabbi Magistad/Maggie Fritsch (#1 doubles) and Alina Ramirez/Mariana V. (3rd doubles) all put up hard fought battles in their respective positions but were denied a victory leaving Team MPA down 0-3.

With 4 remaining positions out on the court Team MPA needed to go four for four to secure a win. Meera Jain came up big at #4 singles with a convincing win (6-2, 6-3, by far her best effort of the season!) to make the team score 1-3. Meanwhile the dynamic duo of Soumya Raman/Nellie L. (#2 doubles) were in a heated battle and prevailed with a 6-2, 7-6 victory. Read More

More Opportunities To Connect With The Parents Association

October 8, 2020

Parents Connect Wednesday Mornings
The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun!

Wednesday, October 21 will be a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet in the Lower School Parking lot and head out, rain or shine. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us. Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

Apple Picking
An apple picking outing to beautiful Aamodt’s Farm in Stillwater is in the works! We’ll wear masks, plus any MPA gear (lanyards would be perfect) you have, and stay physically distant and safe. Stay tuned for more details.

Two MPA Students Receive National Merit Commendation

October 5, 2020

Congratulations to MPA seniors Sean Davis and Josiah Grabanski! Sean and Josiah’s performance each earned a National Merit Competition Letter of Commendation. Commended Students place among the top 50,000 PSAT scorers of all 1.6 million students from 22,000 schools across the country who entered the 2020 competition. And as Minnesota has one of the highest minimum qualifying scores in the nation, Commendation status is a considerable accomplishment. MPA is so proud of you both!

A Virtual Visit From Secretary Of State Steve Simon

October 1, 2020

The MPA Upper School Election Club was thrilled to host Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon for a virtual discussion on voting, and for our students who are not yet old enough to vote, ways to get involved and safely participate. They also discussed unexpected obstacles faced during the unprecedented pandemic election.

Nearly 50 students tuned in on Zoom from home or from the big screen in the Upper School Commons. They came prepared with a variety of questions for Secretary Simon, such as what his office has done to encourage voter turnout. They learned that the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State recently worked to double the number of languages translated for voter education pieces, and they are currently working to find local poll workers for the upcoming election. Thirty thousand poll workers are needed for the election, and those as young as 16 are able to apply, be trained, and work to see democracy in action firsthand at the polls.

Thank you, Secretary Simon, for virtually visiting and having such an invigorating discussion on a topic our students are passionate about.

Growing In Unexpected Ways

October 1, 2020

by Ishika Muppidi, MPA senior

Ishika spent her summer with Breakthrough Twin Cities (BTC), a local organization closely partnered with MPA. Breakthrough is a challenging academic enrichment program for highly motivated, under-resourced students, where all the teachers are high school and college students.

I chose to get involved with Breakthrough for a number of reasons, one being that I had heard of it from a variety of different people. I thought it would be a good way for me to see what being a teacher felt like, as that’s always been something I’ve been interested in. I’ve had such good experiences at MPA with my teachers and I wanted to be able to give similar experiences and support to other students. When I was in Mexico, my options were limited because I wasn’t fluent in Spanish, so I couldn’t really join any programs that allowed me to help younger students, and I often just ended up helping my peers. I had a lot of fun, but when I came back and heard of Breakthrough, it was an opportunity for me to do what I hadn’t been able to do before. I’ve always loved helping people, even with the smallest of things, and Breakthrough allows me to do that with those who really need it. Read More

Fostering Essential, Independent Thinkers

October 1, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I recently stepped into a third-grade classroom and taught a lesson on fractured fairy tales. Students were learning about the essential elements of good writing—the setting of the story, the plot, and point of view. By placing the traditional fairy tale of the “Three Little Pigs” in the context of the culture and geography of the Southwest, students critically analyzed the text and discussed the writer’s choices. By asking questions such as the significance of a house made of tumbleweed instead of straw, saguaro instead of sticks, or an adobe house instead of a brick house, they also were learning the important skill of critical thinking.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve written on two particular weighty issues: antiracism and civil discourse. What is common to both topics is critical thinking. The work of dismantling racism depends on the ability to think critically about what laws, cultural norms, and policies perpetuate racism. Likewise, critical thinking is fundamental to civil discourse by insisting that ideas, opinions, and beliefs are both intellectually grounded and evidence-based. Read More

Important MSHSL Update & Winter Sports Registration

October 1, 2020

Mounds Park Academy Winter Sports Registration is now live on the Athletic website. The Minnesota State High School League approved this morning that winter sports are a go for 2020-2021. Winter sports will be reduced to 70% of a normal season, 2 meets/games per week. Programs may change due to health and safety recommendations. If you have any questions please let contact the athletics office.

Start dates:
Alpine and Nordic Skiing: November 30
Boys Basketball: November 23
Boys Hockey: November 23
Girls Basketball: December 7

Schedules for each program will be reconfigured to meet the MSHSL requirements. Click here to register >

The Minnesota State High School League voted down tournament play past Sections in all Fall sports. There will be no State tournaments for the Fall season.

Connect With Parents On Wednesday Mornings

September 24, 2020

The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun!

Wednesday, September 30: Join us for a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet in the Lower School Parking lot and head out, rain or shine. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us.

Wednesday, October 7: We’ll meet at the Farmer’s Market at Aldrich Arena at 8:15 AM. Feel free to send your favorite Farmer’s Market recipes to Kim Jakway beforehand. She’ll bring copies for everyone. The market is mostly cash, although some stalls take credit cards.

Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

No Neighborhood Coffee This Year
Due to COVID and the difficulties of social distancing at a café, the MPA Parents Association has cancelled neighborhood coffee for this year. See you next year!

Show Your Appreciation With The PA

September 24, 2020

The MPA faculty and staff have been working double-time to keep our kids learning, connected, and safe. We want to express our appreciation in a way that honors everyone’s safety and doesn’t burden the folks we are trying to appreciate. Please sign-up here to make a thank you card for members of MPA’s faculty and staff!

You can create a card in real life and scan it, or create a virtual one. Either way, you will then send it as a PDF to Raphael Coffey at raphaelcoffey@gmail.com on or before October 11. We will print them out (one-sided, in color, on 8.5×11 cardstock), fold them once like a typical greeting card, put them in envelopes, and deliver them with a small token of appreciation from the Parents Association.

Every person plays a role in our children’s education. Please consider thanking some of the folks that we, as parents and family of students, may not come into contact with as often as our kid’s classroom teachers. We can show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate them despite our constraints!