Upper School Archives

October 23, 2019

Mounds Park Academy invites the MPA and broader community to a showing of the documentary “Angst” and an open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring two screenings of this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.

Wednesday, November 6, 6:30-8 PM
Nicholson Center | students 10+ welcome
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Mounds Park Academy
2051 Larpenteur Avenue, Saint Paul
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com

Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal that Mounds Park Academy wholeheartedly supports: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources, and tools available to address the condition.

We hope you will join us! And thank you in advance for helping spread this invitation throughout your community!

If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Ph.D., MPA Middle School director, at jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5598.

Donate At The MPA Blood Drive

October 23, 2019

The MPA Blood Drive is on October 24! The MPA first grade class and Upper School Student Council are joining together again to host this year’s blood drive for a joint community service project. Please take note of the date and begin thinking about how you can contribute to our event. We are asking for an hour of your time to donate blood on Thursday, October 24. And if you know that you are unable to give blood, please be sure to ask as many friends or relatives as you can to take your place! If you have not yet already, you may register to donate by going online to www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Mounds Park Academy.

Giving blood is simple and easy, and it will save lives. You can touch the lives of people you have never met by giving blood for patients needing transfusions for emergency surgeries, or treatment of illnesses such as Leukemia and other cancers. There is no substitute for human blood–it cannot be manufactured, and much of today’s medical care depends on having a steady supply of blood provided by healthy volunteer donors. Each time you give blood, you can help a few patients in need with your plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. Most people who are in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and are at least 17 years of age are eligible to give blood every 56 days. If you have questions about your eligibility to donate please call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767). Read More

Students Give, Get, And Grow Through Community Involvement

October 22, 2019

The world starts small when you’re a kid. In a relative bubble of family, friends, and school, it can be challenging for children to think beyond their own backyard, or to reflect on how they can support or contribute to a community that’s different from their own. Cultivating a service mindset in students early is a powerful key to unlocking a larger world view, while also preparing them for college and creating distinction in their educational experience.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common project published a groundbreaking study focused on inspiring community service as part of the college admissions process. The researchers advocate for how service can help students focus on meaningful ethical and intellectual engagement, while creating a platform for long-term success. The study emphasizes that, through their volunteerism, students should be encouraged to:

engage in meaningful, sustained community service that is authentically chosen, consistent, and well-structured, and that provides opportunity for reflection both individually and with peers and adults;
take collective action that tackles community challenges;
have authentic experiences that focus on “doing with” not “doing for”; and
engage in service that develops gratitude and a sense of responsibility for the future.

Meet Hana Miller ’21!

October 15, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
At MPA you are not taught what to think, you are taught how. The teachers at MPA recognize the importance of creating people who can think for themselves, not just repeat a string of facts about the Civil War. You are encouraged to ask questions, to challenge ideas, and to think differently. At MPA you are not only accepted for who you are, but you are supported and encouraged to be an individual, not just a grade.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
MPA inspires students to not only fight for what they believe in, but to actively work to better it. Just this morning, the Kindergarten class came up to the high school to ask us to protest with them because they had learned about how pollution was affecting marine life. Read More

Travel 12,000 Miles At Culture Day!

October 14, 2019

Join Us For Culture Day At MPA! On October 23, 3-6:30 PM, travel 12,000 miles in one evening! Enjoy Peruvian, Armenian, and Korean-pop dances while sipping masala chai and munching on mini quiche. Try your hand at American graffiti art or relax to beautiful instrumental music while getting a henna tattoo.

You don’t want to miss this hands-on experience! Sign-up for a cooking demonstration in our new kitchen:
Learn how to make Gata–an Armenian sweet bread, 3:30-4 PM
Learn how to make Idli’s–savory Indian rice and lentil cakes, 4:30-5 PM

The kitchen can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, so please sign-up in advance by emailing seema_anwar@hotmail.com

Food and drink tickets ($1 each) will be sold at the event. Try drinks and delicacies from around the world, have fun making crafts, enjoy the cultural entertainment and fashion show, and learn about our world–bonus points if you can identify all the flags decorating the hallway!

Help make all this possible by signing up here.

Parents of alumni and alumni, we would love to have you on campus for Culture Day at MPA as well! Join us to experience the brand new commons, cafeteria, and kitchen on campus in an experiential, fun, and delicious way!

MPA Debate Receives 16 Awards In Rochester

October 14, 2019

The MPA Debate Team headed to Rochester Mayo High School for its second tournament of the year. This week, sixteen students received awards!

In the Novice Division, the teams of Manoli Mastrogiorgis and Cullen Moore, Lucy Schweiger and Nicholas Larson, and Lily Gasterland-Gustafsson and Zara Nayak all won awards for having winning records in a field of 80 teams. In Junior Varsity, Charlotte Bergh and Ruby Schweiger, Fiona Blank and Anna Gaudio, and Ben Lash and Beldaja Jama won awards for their winning records, while Salmah Elmasry and Rohit Iyer took second out of 39 teams. In Varsity, Quincy Lewis and Emma Cohen had a 3-1 record and were eighth out of 27 teams. A big congratulations to all of them and go Panthers!

Meet Joan and Kevin Frankel!

October 12, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
We love the small class sizes and the individual attention our children get from their teachers. Because of the small class sizes, the teachers really get to know our kids’ strengths and weaknesses and focus on improvement. We also love the fact that our kids are encouraged to participate in arts and athletics and not solely focus on academics. We believe this is important for a well rounded education.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
At MPA, our children have been encouraged to try new activities they might not have tried if they were at a bigger school. The block schedule in Upper School has also allowed our daughter to take many more electives. This diversity in activities and classes allows them to realize the joy of learning something they may have never thought they could do. Read More

Enriching Our Lives, Starting With One Monday At A Time

October 10, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Although Mondays can often be tough, attending the Lower School Monday Morning Meeting is a great start for my week. This past Monday was no exception. As I walked into the new Family Commons, I was greeted by the music of Trombone Shorty and the entire Lower School dancing and practicing their body percussion moves for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. It was pure joy and much more effective in waking me up than the third or fourth cup of coffee I was drinking. It had the same effect on other adults in the building as many poked their heads into the Commons as they walked by, leaving with big smiles on their faces. There is something about music that can transform our mood and lift our spirits instantly.

In an era when many schools are cutting their music programs in favor of more time for STEM-related classes, you may wonder why MPA places so much emphasis on music. In Lower School, students have approximately 90 minutes of music class a week. All Middle School students have year-long music or choir, are required play an instrument, and have either band or orchestra. Upper School students are required to have three credits in the fine arts, which includes instrumental and vocal music.

The Athletic Brain

October 10, 2019

How School Sports Lift The Mind, Build Skills And Improve Mental Health

Health trends in the U.S. have turned particularly grim in recent years. According to the America’s Health Rankings 2018 Annual Report, obesity continues to rise and is a direct link to heart disease and cancer, which are contributing to the growth in premature death rates. Suicide has increased 16 percent since 2012, and more Americans are reporting poor mental health for 14 or more days in a month. The connection between physical and mental health is more evident than ever—and, supports a compelling case for encouraging students to incorporate athletics with academics throughout their school career.

Sports as a Catalyst For Mental, Physical Development

Research published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” outlines how school sports improve overall health and well being, highlighting that “sport provides an equilibrium between group demands and individual demands, between aggressive behaviors and self-control. It fosters a sense of belonging to a group, and teaches coping with both victory and defeat.” Read More

MPA Swimming Success At The Tri-County Meet

October 9, 2019

The MPA swim team had a fantastic meet this week! The Panthers won seven of the 11 total events at the Tri-County Meet.

Highlights include eighth grader Grace O. taking first in the 100 backstroke race, ninth grader Lola Del Río Chavez winning the 500 free, junior Annie Kramer bringing home the win with the medley relay, and ninth grader Annabelle Vale winning the 50 free! Let’s go, Panthers!