Upper School Division News

September 17, 2026

from Mark Segal, Upper School director Now in my 31st year in the education field, I have realized that there is a difference between knowing about a student and truly knowing a student. The first comes easily as the information can be gleaned via a transcript, a class schedule, or a team roster. The second takes time, thoughtfulness, and intention. It takes an adult willing to sit across from a teenager, ask a real question, and actually wait (sometimes for an uncomfortably long time) for the answer. This week, members of our Upper School spent two days doing exactly that.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, our ninth, 11th, and new tenth and 12th grade students took part in our annual Signs of Suicide (SOS) screening. The process, done in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin River Falls Department of Counseling and School Psychology, is simple by design: students watched a short informational video, completed a brief mental health screener, and then sat down individually with a trained mental health volunteer to talk through what they were thinking and feeling. None of this is about diagnosing a student or searching for a problem to solve. It is about making sure that every student in that room has at least one more adult who has looked them in the eye this year and asked how they are really doing. We know this is a sensitive topic, and it is entirely okay to have a range of feelings about it. Some feel relief that these conversations are happening, and others may feel discomfort at the idea of their own child being asked such direct questions. Both reactions make sense, and both are welcome here.  

The research on this kind of intentional connection is consistent and compelling. A 2017 meta-analysis published in School Psychology Quarterly found that “school connectedness, the sense that adults and peers at school genuinely care, served as a protective factor against suicidal thoughts and attempts across a wide range of student populations.” A separate 2007 report on the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) administered by the Center for Evaluation, Policy, and Research at Indiana University found that the majority of students agreed they had at least one adult at school who "cares about me and knows me well." That single relationship, researchers suggest, can be a difference-maker for some students. Screenings like SOS do not replace the relationships our advisors, teachers, administrators, and coaches build with students every day, but they add one more deliberate checkpoint, one more chance for a caring adult to notice what a brief hallway conversation might miss. 

I know that none of this work happens in isolation from home. The same openness we ask our mental health volunteers to bring to these conversations is worth bringing to your own dinner table this week. We are not asking that the conversation come with pressure or a checklist, but with genuine curiosity and a willingness to listen. Ask your child what the SOS video covered, or simply ask how their week has been, and let the silence sit for a moment before they answer. Knowing our students is not a task any one program can complete on its own. It is, however, a practice we build together, one honest conversation at a time. 

I look forward to seeing you on campus soon. 

Important Notes 

Attendance: If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please reach out to Chanda Williams, Upper School administrative assistant, at 651-777-2555 or cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org. 

Homecoming Is Coming Soon: MPA Homecoming is scheduled for next week. There will be “wacky” dress-up days:

• Tuesday: Character Day
• Wednesday: House Day (students should wear their house colors)
• Thursday: Throw-back Day
• Friday: Homecoming t-shirt (or sports gear, if you are on a team)

There will also be an all-school Homecoming assembly (Friday afternoon), an Upper School flag football tournament, and a special free BBQ for Upper School students on Friday evening. On Saturday, there will be various athletic contests, and the annual on-campus Homecoming Dance from 8-11 PM. Please don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the wonderful festivities. 

Save The Dates For Conferences: PreK-12 Conferences are right around the corner. They will take place on Thursday, October 1, from 10-7 PM, and Friday, October 2, from 8-5 PM. New this year and based on family feedback, regular classes will not be held on either day to allow families a greater opportunity to meet with their students’ teachers. More information will be shared soon regarding signing up for conferences. For those new to the community, Upper School students participate in their conferences and are required to attend. 

A Look Ahead 

• Friday, September 18: US Senior Retreat, 8 AM-4:30 PM 
• Friday, September 18: US Senior Retreat Dinner, 4:30-6 PM, Family Commons 
• Monday, September 21: No Classes, Campus Closed, Yom Kippur 
• Tuesday, September 22-Saturday, September 26: Homecoming Week 
• Tuesday, September 22: Maker Event – Cosplay Day 1, 6:30-8:30 PM, Makerspace 
• Wednesday, September 23: CITL Distinguished Speaker Series: Sturdy Parenting and Technology: Practice Strategies to Manage This Age of Parenting, 12-1 PM, Virtual 
• Wednesday, September 23: Maker Event – Cosplay Day 2, 6:30-8:30 PM, Makerspace 
• Thursday, September 24: US Robotics Information Night, 6-8 PM, Family Commons 
• Friday, September 25: US Senior Performance, 8-9:15 AM, Recital Hall 
• Friday, September 25: PreK-12 Homecoming Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center 
• Friday, September 25: US Panther Bowl and Homecoming BBQ, 5-7:30 PM, Varsity Field 
• Friday, September 25: Hall of Fame Dinner, 5:45-7:30 PM, Family Commons 
• Saturday, September 26: Homecoming 
• Saturday, September 26: US Homecoming Dance, 8-11 PM 
• Wednesday, September 30: School Photo Retakes & Senior Sillies 
• Wednesday, September 30: US G12 College Money Method Financial Aid Webinar, 12-1 PM, Virtual 
• Thursday, October 1: No Classes, PreK-12 Conferences 
• Thursday, October 1: US G12 In-House ACT or SAT, 8 AM-12 PM 
• Thursday, October 1: PreK-12 Conferences, 10 AM-7 PM 
• Friday, October 2: No Classes, PreK-12 Conferences 
• Friday, October 2: US G11 PSAT Exam, 8 AM-12 PM 
• Friday, October 2: US G10 Mock PSAT, 8 AM-12 PM 
• Friday, October 2: PreK-12 Conferences, 8 AM-5 PM 
• Sunday, October 4: US G11-12 Twin Cities Partnership College Fair, 1-3 PM 
• Monday, October 5-Friday, October 9: Banned Book Week 
• Monday, October 5: Let Freedom Read Day, 9-9:30 AM 
• Monday, October 5: US Mandatory Quebec Trip Meeting, 5:30-6:30 PM, Room 159 
• Tuesday, October 6: US Quarterly Coffee, 8-9:30 AM, PCR 
• Wednesday, October 7: US Cum Laude Induction Ceremony, 7:30-8 AM, Recital Hall 
• Thursday, October 8: All School PA Meeting, 8-9 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library 
• Thursday, October 8: MPA Vaccination Clinic, 2:45-4:30 PM, Gallery