{"id":26771,"date":"2024-10-10T13:45:52","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T18:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/?p=26771"},"modified":"2024-10-10T16:34:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T21:34:55","slug":"upper-school-division-news-october-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/2024\/10\/10\/upper-school-division-news-october-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Upper School Division News October 10, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26780 alignright img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/nclhx5yj.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/USDivisionNewswp.png\" alt=\"US Division News\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/>from Mark Segal, Upper School director\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark Your Calendars<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Friday, October 11: No Classes, All School Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM<\/li>\n<li>Monday, October 14: No Classes, Indigenous Peoples Day<\/li>\n<li>Tuesday, October 15: Election 2024 Through Civil Discourse: A Sample Lesson for MS\/US Parents, 6-7 PM, PCR, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=WhF0RhAElEGqKJ0Oc6hq2P6vuiGCQeZCh2rjRj3X64FUQzdFTldSWjVDMjJVU0dCTTBPTkxaUElETy4u&amp;route=shorturl\">register here &gt;<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Wednesday, October 16: US G12 No Classes<\/li>\n<li>Wednesday, October 16: US G10\/11 Pre-ACT &amp; Mock ACT Practice Tests, 8 AM-12 PM (Early Dismissal)<\/li>\n<li>Wednesday, October 16: US G9 Special Programming, 8 AM-3 PM, Off-Campus<\/li>\n<li>Wednesday, October 16: US G10\/11 Early Dismissal<\/li>\n<li>Thursday, October 17-Friday, October 18: No Classes, Fall Break<\/li>\n<li>Thursday, October 24: LS\/US Blood Drive, 12-6 PM, Gallery<\/li>\n<li>Friday, October 25: G1-9 Bring a Friend to MPA Day, 8 AM-3 PM<\/li>\n<li>Friday, October 25: US Senior Retreat, 8 AM-5 PM, Camp St. Croix<\/li>\n<li>Friday, October 25: US Senior Retreat Dinner, 5-7 PM, US Commons<\/li>\n<li>Wednesday, October 30: US Instrument Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Nicholson Center<\/li>\n<li>Thursday, October 31: End of Quarter 1<\/li>\n<li>Friday, November 1: No Classes, Grading Day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 2001, I returned to my alma mater to serve as the assistant director of the middle school. For me, my middle school experience was one that I would have much rather forgotten. I was \u201cthat kid.\u201d The one who was often moved to the front row from the back of the room as I was busy serving as the class clown and disrupting the learning of myself and others. My relationship with my teachers was, to say the least, strained and my parents and I could have been on a first-name basis with my school administrator. It was extremely ironic that for my first school administrative role, I served on the other side of the figurative and literal desk.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, my parents, teachers, and administrators worked in partnership to support me. A similar partnership is also available and strong at MPA. Parent\/teacher conferences play a pivotal role in fostering effective communication and collaboration between educators and parents, forming an important relationship in a student\u2019s educational journey. According to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kidshealth.org\/\">KidsHeath.org<\/a><\/strong>, \u201cConferences help students reach their full potential by providing a space for open dialog, collaboration, and support.\u201d They also provide a dedicated space for parents to gain insight into their child\u2019s academic progress, social development, and progress within the school environment. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>MPA requires conferences to not only involve parents and teachers but asks that the students both attend and facilitate the conversation. According to a December 2022 article on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/\">Edutopia.org<\/a><\/strong>, \u201callowing students to lead the conference process gives them autonomy, helps build trust with their teacher, and deepens the capacity for students to advocate for themselves, a necessary skill that they will carry with them in the future.\u201d Through direct interaction with the students and teachers, parents can better understand the teacher\u2019s class expectations and their child\u2019s strengths and areas of growth. This valuable conversation helps create a more holistic approach to education and strengthens the partnership between school and home.<\/p>\n<p>Providing an opportunity for open lines of communication between parents, students, and teachers allows for early identification and resolution of potential concerns and ensures that challenges are addressed promptly. Ultimately, the importance of parent\/student\/teacher conferences lies in their ability to establish a collaborative and supportive environment that prioritizes the best interest of the student.<\/p>\n<p>I can confirm that during my time as a middle and upper school administrator I have worked with students who, like me, needed to find their way in school. Thankfully, Mounds Park Academy provides opportunities like parent\/student\/teacher conferences for families and teachers to meet and determine ways to best support students along their educational journey.<\/p>\n<p>I look forward to seeing you on campus tonight and tomorrow during conferences and hearing about your parent\/student\/teacher conference experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, October 23, 2-3 PM: Students &amp; Screens Parent-School Community Discussion, \u201cThe Anxious Generation\u201d by Jonathan Haidt<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Social media is ubiquitous in the lives of our young adolescents, and they are in front of screens of all kinds throughout the day. This has impacted them\u2014and all of us\u2014in many ways. While there are some obvious benefits to social media and other modern technologies, research shows an increase in depression and anxiety, and a decline in focus, attention, and face-to-face interaction.<\/p>\n<p>Parents, please join us on Wednesday, October 23, from 2-3 PM in the Recital Hall to engage in discussion on these topics anchored by the text \u201cThe Anxious Generation\u201d by Jonathan Haidt. The discussion will be led by Jay Dean, upper school assistant director; Paul Errickson, middle school director; and Michael Moran, director of academic technology. If you are interested in joining this community discussion, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.office.com\/Pages\/ResponsePage.aspx?id=WhF0RhAElEGqKJ0Oc6hq2Dqq_ZZQJYBBiwS120C0oo1UNUJRS0FSQjFDSUxUWldNQTQyNkRPRkQ0TC4u\">please RSVP using this form<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please reach out to Upper School administrative assistant, Chanda Williams, on <strong><a href=\"mailto:cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org\">cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bring a Friend to MPA Day (First Through Ninth Grades): <\/strong>Bring a Friend Day is coming up on October 25! MPA students in first through ninth grade are invited to bring a friend to experience firsthand what it is like to be a student at MPA. The friend must be in the same grade or within one grade above or below the MPA student. Each child may bring one friend. Space is very limited by grade level! The family of the visiting friend needs to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/admission\/bring-a-friend-to-mpa-day.cfm\">register online<\/a><\/strong> by October 18.<\/li>\n<li>Get ready for the annual First Grade and Upper School Student Council Blood Drive! The Lower and Upper School members are again joining together to host this year\u2019s blood drive for a joint community service project. This event is scheduled for Thursday, October 24, and will take place in the MPA Gallery (next to the Nicholson Center). Please note that 16-year-olds need an official signed parental consent form (available in the Upper School Office) and must sign up for the drive with Ms. Johnson (<strong><a href=\"mailto:ejohnson@moundsparkacademy.org\">ejohnson@moundsparkacademy.org<\/a><\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>from Mark Segal, Upper School director\u00a0 Mark Your Calendars Friday, October 11: No Classes, All School Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM Monday, October 14: No Classes, Indigenous Peoples Day Tuesday, October 15: Election 2024 Through Civil Discourse: A Sample Lesson for MS\/US Parents, 6-7 PM, PCR, register here &gt; Wednesday, October 16: US G12 No Classes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":26774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,28,24,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-school","category-current-families","category-featured-posts","category-upper-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26808,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26771\/revisions\/26808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}