Upper School Archives

An MPA Education In A Rapidly Changing World

September 19, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

This summer, I attended a meeting of independent school heads at Stanford University and spent a few days in the San Francisco Bay Area. My custom has been to visit with alumni when I travel and I had the opportunity to connect with David Siegel ’04. David is a techie, philosopher, and creative thinker. Blending his love of technology with a sensitivity to human flourishing, he is driven to understand how technology affects people. He recently launched his own start-up, Glide, which enables users to create an app that turns Google spreadsheets into beautiful, easy-to-use apps, without code.

During his years at MPA, David gravitated mostly toward Spanish, film, writing, and critical thinking. When I asked him what class or experience at MPA he attributes to his success, without hesitation he said, “photography class.” Through photography he learned perspective, empathy, problem-solving, and iteration, all necessary for innovation. When asked for his advice to MPA students he said, “Develop your own theories about problems that interest you, seek out people working on those problems, and explain your ideas to them. View professional challenges as opportunities for creative thinking and devise your own solutions to these problems, rather than succumbing to pressure to behave uniformly.” Read More

Hands-On Opportunities In The Makerspace

September 18, 2019

There are so many opportunities to get creative in the MPA Makerspace this year! We hope to see you bringing your ideas to life at the gatherings and events below.

Fiber Friends will meet every Friday from 11 AM-12:30 PM. This group of knitters, crocheters, seamstresses, and textile gurus is open to all faculty, staff, parents, alum, grandparents, and students. Beginners are always welcome! Upper and Middle School students may come in during their lunch and recess time.

Makerspace Mondays are open for Middle and Upper School students. They may use the Makerspace on Mondays for projects from 3-5 PM. There will be a clipboard to sign-in. If Middle School students are not picked up by 5 PM, they will go to Panther Club.

University of St. Thomas STEM Lunch Discussions occur once a month. Engineering students from UST will be on campus to share their inspiring stories and chat with students about careers in STEM related fields. Faculty and staff are invited to join in the discussion as well. The students will be on campus during the lunch hour on the following dates: October 10, November 7, December 5, February 13, March 5, April 2, and May 7.

Lower School STEAM club will begin in January and meet after school on Thursdays. We will have a winter and spring session. Registration will come out at the end of November.

MPA Maker Fest 2020 will take place on February 22 from 1-4 PM! This free, community event is the perfect place and time to showcase a project or hobby you are passionate about. All are welcome to host a table or attend. Last year we had students of all ages, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, and grandparents participate.

If you have items that you would like to donate or upcycle to the Makerspace, please drop them by anytime! We appreciate all objects to tinker with. There will be a bin outside the Makerspace for donated supplies. Please put your name on the donation or fill out a donation slip (located on the bin) and give it to the Development Office. Please do not donate any items that have been in contact with tree nuts, peanuts, or dairy.

Together, We Can Finish Strong By October 1

September 18, 2019

Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA is helping our school accomplish a number of key priorities. We’ve already witnessed the impact of our community’s generosity in our beautiful new Family Commons, and we will soon in our new library.

An additional key priority for the school is securing our future through a strong endowment. A strong endowment ensures our programs continue to be of the highest quality. It allows us to make an MPA education more accessible to more families. Your gift in support of our school’s endowment will leave a lasting impact in the following ways:

greater access to an MPA education through financial assistance;
enhanced classroom experiences for students through professional development opportunities for our faculty and staff; and
supported learning beyond the classroom through experiential education, travel, and enhanced curricular opportunities.

Homecoming 2019: Dream. Play. Share.

September 12, 2019

Come dream, play, and share with us at Homecoming 2019! Students will be celebrating on campus the week of September 23. Families, please join us for the annual Homecoming Pep Rally at 2:20 PM on Friday, September 27 in the Lansing Sports Center.

Saturday, September 28 features a day full of Homecoming activities on and off campus for every member of the community! Check out the full week’s schedule of events in the Homecoming brochure mailed to your home or follow this link.

Sign up to volunteer at MPA’s Homecoming 2019! We need your support to make this exciting event succeed. This fun-filled celebration has so many activities going on including fun runs, inflatables, lawn games, athletic competitions, alumni events, and much more. This incredible weekend for every member of our community would not be possible without the generosity of volunteers who give of their time on Saturday, September 28. If you have an hour or two to spare, volunteering is a great way to get involved with the event and MPA! Click here to sign up. Read More

Seeing The Library Of Our Dreams Come True

September 12, 2019

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of MPA families and supporters, Together, We Dream: The Campaign For MPA is making a big impact in our new commons, cafeteria, and kitchen and will very soon in our brand new library. Construction is progressing on schedule and we hope to unveil some sneak peeks soon of this beautiful new space.

On Tuesday, Conan Young, the construction supervisor who has overseen our projects with A&P Construction, got out his measuring tape during Ms. Lage’s reading circle to make sure there will be plenty of space for classes to circle up and hear a great book in the new Lower School library area. There will be many special features including flexible seating, quiet study spaces, collaborative areas, and a beautiful fireside seating area for students and groups to gather. Ms. Lage, MPA’s librarian shares, “The new space is being designed with many of the crucial 21st century skills in mind–critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration–that will enable students to co-create new knowledge, not simply be passive consumers of existing information.” Read More

The Impact Of Microexpressions

September 11, 2019

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I know I am not the only parent who can say that the ride to school with my daughter can make or break my day. A quarrel over the most insignificant matter, a scowl, or a roll of the eyes can send my mood in a downward spiral. Although others warned me, I never realized the degree to which my outlook on life is influenced by my children. On the flip side, the joy, smiles, high fives, and hugs from incoming students at the south entrance in the morning easily lift my spirits.

This phenomenon made sense when I happened upon an NPR story this summer about emotional contagion and how microexpressions influence moods. Microexpressions are fleeting, involuntary expressions of feelings that last a fraction of a second. For some time, science has observed how animals tend to mimic the physical movements of one another. We now know that such automimicry extends to emotions as well. After years of research, Elaine Hatfield and Dick Rapson, researchers at the University of Hawaii, have demonstrated that microexpressions can actually produce the corresponding emotion inside of us. Read More

MPA Parent Food Allergy Aware Training

September 11, 2019

The number of children with food allergies continues to rise. This fact and the desire to best serve and protect our students with food allergies, prompted MPA to make a commitment to becoming an Allergy Aware School. Please join us for the MPA Parent Food Allergy Aware Training on Monday, September 23, from 6:30-7:30 PM in the Recital Hall.

This important and informative session will be led by Kelly Ayd, RN, BSN, PHN for Non-Public Schools, Adventure Connection and Next Step Programs and District 622 Nurse Supervisor. Kelly will be answering questions as well as guiding families through our expanded food allergy policy, how to read food labels, and safe food alternatives for commonly-used foods that contain peanuts or tree nuts.

Childcare will be provided for children ages 3.5 and older. Please RSVP for childcare only to communications@moundsparkacademy.org–no additional RSVP is needed.

Science Shows You Can’t Go Wrong With A Song

September 11, 2019

Music And The Brain
Music isn’t just something that’s good for your brain—it practically is your brain. Studying music is intrinsically tied to better hearing, speech, memory, reasoning, and emotional development. It lifts mood, builds community, and strengthens confidence. Music matters for long-term physical and psychological wellbeing, and to preserve brain health as we age. In terms of academic success, music education is directly connected to overall student achievement and personal growth, and it plays an essential role in Mounds Park Academy’s whole child, progressive, college preparatory curriculum, PreK through grade 12.

Building Social, Intellectual Capacity
According to recent research conducted by neuroscientists at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, early education in music was shown to accelerate brain development in young children, especially in the parts of the brain that manage sound, language, speech perception, and reading skills. As described by neuropsychologist Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster, “music reaches parts of the brain that other things can’t … it’s a strong cognitive stimulus that grows the brain in a way that nothing else does, and the evidence that musical training enhances things like working memory and language is very robust.” Read More

A Message From Mike Velin ’06, Alumni Association Chair

September 10, 2019

by Mike Velin ’06, MPA Alumni Association Board Chair

As I write to you, I’m cherishing my own fond memories of Mr. Meacock and I’m sure many of you still remember your time in his classroom. It is in the spirit of those early MPA founding teachers and leaders that the MPA Alumni Association Board is kicking off a busy year of activities and opportunities for alumni to engage with current students, former classmates, and events on campus.

We have much to be grateful for from our MPA educational experience. It means so much to me to be able to stay engaged with MPA and to give back to current students. I’d like to encourage you to consider getting involved in a way that is meaningful for you. One way that will make a big impact is by joining this year’s cohort of MPA mentors for current seniors. We are in need of more volunteers to ensure every senior has a mentor. Help us to have another successful year of the mentorship program. Read More

Remembering Mr. Meacock

September 10, 2019

It is with great sadness that we share some very sad news from our MPA family. Mr. Richard Meacock, retired Upper School faculty and founding faculty member, has passed away after a long illness.

Mr. Meacock was a beloved faculty member at MPA since the school opened in 1982 and he will be greatly missed. His legacy will live on within these walls as we will forever be an inclusive, welcoming community because of his work. He impacted thousands of students, both academically and personally. Our alumni think clearer, love deeper, and laugh more for knowing him. Those gifts he gave will never be lost. Read More