August 13, 2020
MPA recognizes every community member holds a dual wish of continuing the high-quality educational opportunities families have come to know and expect, while also maintaining health, safety, and wellness for themselves and others. Our symptom and case response protocols are designed with these shared values and goals at the center of our approach. Some families have asked specific questions about what will happen if someone develops symptoms, tests positive, or is potentially exposed on campus. Like so many parts of this pandemic, there is not a one-size-fits all solution for each case. Through our team of medical advisors and the MPA Community Advisory Group, we have developed a detailed and multi-pronged approach to symptom response, contact tracing, and confirmed cases. We will deploy a swift, personal, and private response that is taken through our 49-point COVID-19 response flow chart, which helps our contact tracing and response team to effectively manage each step along the way. Our team will also partner and work hand-in-hand with the Minnesota Department of Health and other local officials should the need arise.
If a student is on campus and begins to experience COVID-19 symptoms they will be treated with compassion, empathy, and the care that every student has come to know at MPA. Students experiencing symptoms in the middle of the school day will be personally accompanied into our waiting room isolation spaces on campus. This trained staff member or school administrator will remain with the student throughout the symptom response process. The goal of this response is to minimize contacts between the individual experiencing the symptoms, while exhibiting compassion and maintaining a calm and supportive environment. We do not want students to feel any stigma or worry about reporting when they are feeling unwell or experiencing COVID-identified symptoms. Read More
We’re delighted to welcome Cory Becker-Kim to the MPA faculty and staff to fill the role of international student program coordinator as Sarah McFarland transitions to teaching English in our Middle School.
MPA seventh graders Teagan O. and Ida L. have been working together this summer to bring a virtual awareness to different problems that are impacting the environment. They are on a mission to generate change, and are currently building a website to mobilize others. With this platform, they plan to use their voices, connect with others, and make a positive impact on our community and world.
We recognize there are many details related to starting school this year that MPA families need to attend to.To help you stay organized, we are providing this handy checklist to ensure that you don’t miss any of the essential action items.
Just as they were this spring, Town Hall meetings will be used as an important way for our community to connect, learn, and get their questions answered, both PreK-12 and by division. The information shared in these Town Hall meetings will support the written communication being shared regularly. Recordings will be distributed afterward should you not be able to attend!
As the new school year approaches, the MPA Upper School Student Council launched their first issue of their new monthly newsletter! Named “The StudCo Scoop,” it will be sent out to all Upper School students and faculty on the last Friday of each month and will include updates on school-wide activities. “Learning to navigate this new learning environment will require diligent communication, and that is what we hope to accomplish with this publication,” they said.
The MPA Alumni Mentorship Program completed its second year full of meaningful connections and a successful networking event to conclude the year. The program is designed to enhance personal and professional development experiences for our senior class students, while also providing alumni with an opportunity to reconnect to MPA and share their own experiences and knowledge with the next generation of graduates.
It is hard to believe that we are more than half-way through the summer and only five weeks away from being back on campus for the start of the 2020-21 school year. As we look ahead, it is very important that we are all aware of the measures and protocols that have been put in place on campus to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate risk for our MPA community. To that end, our annual Back to School evening will take a new form this year and we will be holding a number of in-person, small group meetings on campus for Upper School students.
It was a long week in the gardens on campus, as our volunteer restoration crew discovered them flooded after heavy rainstorms. Covered in half a foot of water, they weren’t sure what could be done to recover the young seedlings and careful work that had been put in over the past few weeks. Luckily, several heroes came to the rescue. Ms. Johnson and Ms. P had encouraging words of support for the garden crew. Chef Doug helped with moving the excess mulch, raising spirits, and refocusing energy into the garden work. Facilities team members Andy and Josh were also essential in draining the flood with a silk net technique.
Please join us every Friday on