{"id":29779,"date":"2026-02-10T14:41:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T20:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/?p=29779"},"modified":"2026-02-24T19:50:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T01:50:22","slug":"little-moments-shaping-our-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/2026\/02\/10\/little-moments-shaping-our-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Moments Shaping Our Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive alignright wp-image-29784 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/nclhx5yj.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/54469787158_a42e7866bc_o-200x300-1.png\" alt=\"Upper School and lower school student watering plants\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At Mounds Park Academy, education isn\u2019t defined only by milestones or standout achievements. It\u2019s shaped in the everyday moments\u2014small, often quiet experiences that\u00a0influence how students grow, learn, and see themselves.<\/p>\n<p>These moments happen in classrooms, hallways, rehearsals, and conversations: perseverance through uncertainty, curiosity sparked by a thoughtful question, shared laughter that deepens a sense of belonging. They may pass quickly, but their impact lasts.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we\u2019re pausing to celebrate those moments. The ones that don\u2019t always make headlines but matter deeply over time. Together, they reflect MPA\u2019s commitment to nurturing the whole student\u2014encouraging confidence, curiosity, connection, and thoughtful engagement with the world.<\/p>\n<h2>Recognizing Those Little Moments<\/h2>\n<p>We asked faculty, staff, and students to share some everyday moments with us. Here are just a few that we\u2019re pausing to recognize across the Mounds Park Academy campus:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cFourth graders are going above and beyond in music class with Ms. Gallick as they learn the melody of Hedwig\u2019s Theme from Harry Potter on the glockenspiel for the Lower School Music and Art Show. Many have figured out the piece by ear\u2014demonstrating curiosity, confidence, and a growing musicianship\u2014and are being led by an exceptional music teacher.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI am in Constitutional Law this semester with Mr. Vergin, and because the class is small, we\u2019re able to have thoughtful discussions about landmark Supreme Court cases. Daily readings from a college-level Constitutional Law textbook prepare me for class and give me a preview of what we\u2019ll be discussing. Last week, the class split up to brief five cases, with two people assigned to each. I worked on <em>Sherbert v. Verner<\/em>, a case involving the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, and I really enjoyed the research and writing\u2014it helped me develop a more complex understanding. When we came back together, we discussed all of the cases as if we were Justices on the Supreme Court. I loved exploring free exercise and expression, and it was especially interesting and insightful to talk about something that resonates with current events.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cMaddie is an amazing leader of the Middle School Gymnastics Club. She is supportive and encouraging, meets each participant at their level, and values every attempt. She comes prepared with thoughtful session plans and shows compassionate leadership with a no-nonsense understanding of what her clubmates can accomplish\u2014enabling them to try new skills (and sometimes succeed, too). All amazing things!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI am so impressed with how the new kids on the speech team go from not even understanding their category to competing in big tournaments alongside seasoned competitors. Their willingness to jump into the deep end reflects both the confidence MPA has given them and the impact of stellar coaching. Some of these kids literally win\u2014so it\u2019s not exactly quiet\u2014but the work and dedication that lead to those moments are almost invisible.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cSophia and Rosalie have been hugely supportive, expressively friendly, and wonderfully inclusive peers to a new student. From smiling faces and open arms when she approaches them to kind words and easygoing camaraderie, their kindness did not go unnoticed. The fact that they helped a new student acclimate and feel a sense of belonging in her first few days will have ripple effects for a long time. Love it!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cKeegan and Conlin are showing courage, vulnerability, and perseverance as they work through a difficult, multi-step English assignment. Both are firmly taking the reins of their TED Talk projects\u2014working in a focused manner, seeking additional one-on-one help, asking clarifying questions, double-checking their work, and taking a genuine interest in their topics. I\u2019m so proud of them and look forward to some AMAZING speeches!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThe Middle School FTC robotics team (Gentoo) competed in two competitions this year. Because MPA is a smaller school, students transition to the high school FRC team in ninth grade, so this year we expanded FTC into sixth grade to keep students engaged in the program longer. As a result, much of the team was made up of sixth graders who worked incredibly hard planning, building, and coding their robot. At the first competition, technical difficulties kept the team from placing as high as they hoped, but they turned that experience into a learning moment\u2014identifying issues, making adjustments, and improving along the way. At their second competition, they went head-to-head with high school teams and placed ninth out of 25. I am very proud of their perseverance and the dedicated support of our mentors. Even though the competitions are over, we will continue to meet, plan for next year, and come back better than ever!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-29790 size-full alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/nclhx5yj.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/54811233261_32ea3a8ccc_o-400x267-1.png\" alt=\"Middle schooler and kindergarten drawing with chalk\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/><\/strong>What These Moments Mean<\/h2>\n<p>Taken together, these moments tell a powerful story about life at Mounds Park Academy. They show students stepping beyond their comfort zones, lifting one another up, and discovering what they\u2019re capable of. From music rooms and classrooms to robotics labs and collaborative spaces across campus, these quiet wins reflect a culture where effort is valued, curiosity is encouraged, and relationships matter.<\/p>\n<p>These moments are not isolated. They grow out of thoughtful teaching, compassionate leadership, and a community that believes students thrive when they feel known, supported, and challenged. Over time, they build confidence, resilience, and joy in learning\u2014and they stay with students long after the school day ends.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you to our students, educators, coaches, and peers who make these quiet wins possible each day\u2014and to our families for entrusting us with their children and partnering with us in their growth. When we pause to notice and celebrate these moments, we affirm that the small moments matter\u2014and together, they shape each student\u2019s journey at Mounds Park Academy.<\/p>\n<p>Do you have a little moment to share? If so, email <strong><a href=\"mailto:communications@moundsparkacademy.org\">communications@moundsparkacademy.org<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Mounds Park Academy, education isn\u2019t defined only by milestones or standout achievements. It\u2019s shaped in the everyday moments\u2014small, often quiet experiences that\u00a0influence how students grow, learn, and see themselves. These moments happen in classrooms, hallways, rehearsals, and conversations: perseverance through uncertainty, curiosity sparked by a thoughtful question, shared laughter that deepens a sense of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":29781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,26,24,29,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admission","category-blog","category-featured-posts","category-homepage","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29779","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\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29779"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29889,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29779\/revisions\/29889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}