{"id":30421,"date":"2026-06-23T14:16:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/?p=30421"},"modified":"2026-06-23T14:33:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:33:43","slug":"expansion-accreditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/2026\/06\/23\/expansion-accreditation\/","title":{"rendered":"MPA Announces Early Childhood Expansion & Accreditation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Accreditationfrom Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my first year as head of school, few moments have brought me more joy than sharing this news with you.<\/p>\n

I am delighted to announce two significant milestones for Mounds Park Academy’s Early Childhood program\u2014milestones that reflect years of dedication, thoughtful leadership, exceptional teaching, and the trust families continue to place in our school.<\/p>\n

MPA has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC),<\/strong> the nation’s leading accrediting body for early childhood education. MPA is the only PreK-12 school in the state\u2014and the only independent school in Minnesota\u2014to hold NAEYC accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience from a child’s very first days on campus.<\/p>\n

In addition, beginning in the 2027-28 school year, we will expand our Early Childhood program to include two dedicated classrooms<\/strong>: a Preschool classroom for our youngest learners beginning at age three and a PreKindergarten classroom designed specifically for children in their final year before kindergarten.<\/p>\n

Together, these accomplishments represent an exciting new chapter for MPA and a powerful affirmation of the exceptional work happening every day in our Early Childhood program.<\/p>\n

NAEYC accreditation is widely regarded as the gold standard in early childhood education. The process requires schools to demonstrate excellence across every aspect of the program, including curriculum, teaching practices, family partnerships, health and safety, assessment, leadership, and continuous improvement.<\/p>\n

While accreditation is certainly an achievement worth celebrating, what makes me most proud is what it represents. It affirms what so many MPA families already know: our Early Childhood program is extraordinary. Since the program\u2019s inception in 2005, our youngest learners have benefited from a joyful, nurturing environment that encourages curiosity, creativity, independence, and confidence. They are known, loved, challenged, and inspired by educators who understand that the earliest years of a child’s educational journey matter deeply. The relationships formed during these foundational years create a sense of belonging that often lasts throughout a student’s time at MPA and beyond.<\/p>\n

\"PreK\u201cThis recognition reflects the incredible work our teachers do every day,\u201d said Jennifer Jasinski, PreK program and admission manager. \u201cEvery day, we have the privilege of witnessing the wonder, curiosity, and growth that define the early childhood years. Our team is deeply committed to creating meaningful learning experiences that honor childhood while building the foundation for future academic, social, and emotional success. The accreditation process gave us the opportunity to reflect on our practices, celebrate our strengths, and continue striving for excellence on behalf of every child and family we serve. And, the addition of dedicated Preschool and PreKindergarten classrooms allows us to build on that foundation and create even more opportunities for children to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

There has been a growing interest in MPA’s Early Childhood offerings, particularly in the past 10 years. More families than ever are seeking an educational experience that combines the warmth and wonder of early childhood with the resources, expertise, and opportunities of a PreK-12 independent school. As a result, we have had to create a wait pool made up of wonderful students and families who we would love to welcome to the school.<\/p>\n

In response to that demand and as part of our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible experience for children and families, we will move from a single mixed-age classroom to two classrooms beginning next year. This structure will allow us to further tailor learning experiences to each stage of development, deepen peer connections, and provide even greater opportunities for growth, exploration, and school readiness. As we build the program, we anticipate welcoming up to 12 students in the Preschool classroom and up to 20 students in the PreKindergarten classroom while maintaining the same low student-to-teacher ratio that families expect at MPA.<\/p>\n

This expansion allows us to build upon the exceptional work already happening within the program. It creates new opportunities to deepen our commitment to developmentally appropriate practices, a hallmark of NAEYC-accredited programs. By doing so, we honor each child’s milestones and ensure that every child continues to receive an experience thoughtfully designed for their unique stage of learning and growth.<\/p>\n

\"PreKI want to extend my deepest gratitude to Jennifer Jasinski and our entire Early Childhood faculty. Their expertise, passion, and unwavering commitment to children have made these accomplishments possible. They have built a program that families trust, children love, and the broader educational community now recognizes for its excellence.<\/p>\n

I am equally grateful to the many current and former families who have entrusted us with their children’s earliest school experiences and who continue to champion the program within our broader community. Your partnership, support, and advocacy have helped shape this program into what it is today.<\/p>\n

As we look ahead, these milestones reinforce something we have long known: a remarkable educational journey begins long before kindergarten. At MPA, we are proud to provide that beginning.<\/p>\n

Please join me in celebrating our Early Childhood team and this exciting next chapter for our school!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school In my first year as head of school, few moments have brought me more joy than sharing this news with you. I am delighted to announce two significant milestones for Mounds Park Academy’s Early Childhood program\u2014milestones that reflect years of dedication, thoughtful leadership, exceptional teaching, and the trust […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":30444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,8,19,28,24,29,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admission","category-all-school","category-alumni","category-current-families","category-featured-posts","category-homepage","category-lower-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30421","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\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30421"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30445,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30421\/revisions\/30445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}