Upper School Division News

September 3, 2026

from Mark Segal, Upper School director A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I had the bittersweet privilege of dropping our son off for his first year of college. As part of his orientation, I attended Elon University's New Student Convocation, tucked in amongst other parents of the close to 1600 freshman saying our own version of goodbye. I expected the usual welcome remarks. What I heard instead was a set of ideas so aligned with what we hold dear at MPA that I found inching toward the edge of my seat trying to capture the many similarities between our two institutions.

Elon's vice president for student life, Jon Dooley, told the new students a story about a fire in the 1950s that once destroyed the campus' main building. The community rebuilt, not because any one person carried it, but because people showed up for each other. Dr. Dooley’s charge to the incoming class was simple and, I think, timeless, “the cure for loneliness isn't finding people who already agree with you, it's finding people who take the time to actually know you, including the ones who see things differently.” He asked them to put down their phones and be fully present with the people in front of them. 

Then, Elon's president, Dr. Connie Book, added a point I've been carrying with me since last week. She shared that even as students learn new technologies and encounter the latest research in their fields, the things that will matter most honesty, integrity, responsibility, respect, and authentic relationships with the people who teach and mentor them “are exactly the things no amount of artificial intelligence can replicate.” 

In a nutshell, this is what we work so hard to teach our students at MPA, long before they ever set foot on a college campus. The relationships between Upper School students and their teachers, built through conversations, hallway interactions, and simply noticing when they may need a high-five or a gentle nudge, is foundational to we do on a daily basis. Research from “Papers in Education” which pooled 82 studies specifically focused on secondary school students found that, “belonging in schools consistently shows that students who feel genuinely known by the adults around them take more academic risks, recover faster from setbacks, and engage more deeply with their own learning.” This plays out every single year in MPA’s hallways and classrooms, and it is something I hope every new and returning family feels from day one. 

My hope is that this year your student and you will look forward to a school where they are known, not just enrolled. Where a hard moment in a class is met with a teacher who checks in and shows support, not just a grade recorded. And, where the relationships we build together are seen as transformational rather than just transactional.  

Thank you for trusting us with that work and for being such a warm and engaged part of this community. Here's to a wonderful year ahead together. 

Important Notes 

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. 

Class of 2027 reminder: please remember to complete the online form with your student’s name on their graduation diploma. The deadline for this is tomorrow, Friday, September 4. Please reach out to Mark Segal at msegal@moundsparkacademy.org if you have questions.  

As we work to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend, Mounds Park Academy is offering depression screening and suicide prevention training to all MPA ninth and eleventh graders, and new tenth and twelfth grade students on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15 and 16 as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide Program. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help. SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts. Additional information will be shared soon with the families of students involved in this education and screening.  

MPA Homecoming is scheduled for the week of September 21. There will be “wacky” dress-up days, 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, various athletic contests on Saturday, and the annual on campus Homecoming Dance Saturday night. Please don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the wonderful festivities.  

PreK-12 Conferences are right around the corner. They will take place on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2. 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.