August 22, 2012
Dear Lower and Middle School
Families,
Welcome to the 2012-2013
school year! We are excited to see your
children bringing the hallways of Mounds Park Academy back to life next week.
As you return to MPA, you will notice some changes in the Lower and Middle
Schools. I’ve detailed those changes below, but please let us know if you have
any questions that I haven’t answered. I look forward to seeing you soon!
South Entrance
The South Entrance will be
locked for security reasons, with the exception of these timeframes when there
will be someone monitoring visitors: 7:45-9 a.m., 12-1 p.m., and 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Visitors who come to the South Entrance at other times may press the buzzer at
the entry and will be buzzed in by either the PreK-8 Office or the Business
Office. The PreK-8 Office assistant will check in visitors and distribute
visitor badges. You may also enter through the North Entrance, which will be
unlocked and monitored during the day and during evening and weekend events. The former South Reception Office has
been redecorated with donated furniture to serve as a Visitor Lounge for
Admission Office guests.
PreK-8 Office
The office space that was
formerly the Lower School Office (first door on the right inside the South
Entrance) is now the PreK-8 Office. Lower and Middle School families with
questions should visit this office first. Marina
Dale is now the PreK-8 Assistant Director. She will support PreK-8 Director
Tony Reimers. Her office is located in the PreK-8 Office area. Ann Caspar is now the PreK-8 Assistant
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:45 a.m.-4 p.m. and Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 7:45-11:45 a.m. She is located in the PreK-8 Office (formerly
the Lower School Office). Ann will also have responsibility for the South
Entrance buzzer when the doors are locked.
Kathy Young has PreK-8
Assistant duties on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and as a back up
for Ann Caspar. She will also have responsibility at those times for the South
Entrance buzzer when the doors are locked. Please
note: If LS and MS students need to make a phone call, they should come to the
PreK-8 Office to do so.
Middle School Office Area
PreK-8 Director Tony Reimers is now located in the
Middle School Office area across from the Cafeteria doors. Renee Wright is now part time Director of Professional
Development. Her office is located in the Middle School Office area. She will continue as a 50% third grade
teacher as well, sharing the classroom with Dan Haase. Upper School Assistant
Director Randy Comfort has added
responsibilities as 7/8 Dean. His office is located in the Upper School Office
area.
New Faces
We have two new teachers in
the Lower School this year. Debbie
LaChapelle joins MPA as a Kindergarten teacher this year. Debbie has more
than 20 years of teaching experience and was most recently a long-term sub in
first grade at MPA last spring. Liz Wanzek is the new Lower School French
teacher, bringing 8 years of French teaching experience to MPA.
Again, welcome to the new
school year at MPA!
Best regards,
Mike Downs
Head of School
