February 10, 2022
from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School Director
Together We Tube!
The Middle School Parents’ Association and I are beyond thrilled to share with you the details of our upcoming tubing adventure at Badlands Snow Park. This event on Friday, February 25, reimagined from our previously known Middle School Café, is an epic opportunity for you to join us – for us to be together! This is an event for the entire Middle School community for an afternoon of fun, food, and fellowship. Please read details at the end of this issue of News & Notes and make plans to attend.
NOTE: If your family elects not to participate and you do not wish for your student to tube, you will need to plan to pick-up your student from school no later than 1 PM on the day of the event. Middle School teachers, staff, and school personnel are all attending the event!
iTERM 2022–Update
Currently, iTERM 2022 is still “on” and planning for field trips, community outings, guest speakers, and awesome experiences is underway. We continue to monitor all things on the COVID front and will adjust as needed. Your student’s iTERM leaders will begin sharing details of their week, outings to look forward to, and invitations to participate/volunteer as driver, participant, cook, or fun-loving participant!
Grade 5 Music Share–Thursday, February 17 @ 2:20 PM, Recital Hall
The new date for the awesome music share event is Thursday, February 17. We will welcome parents and guests to the performance from 2:20-3 PM.
Our amazing Grade 5 musicians are thrilled to share all their musical talents with you in our annual fifth grade music share. We will showcase the band, orchestra, and choir/drumming ensembles. Music has been such a gift this year and our students are so excited to perform for you. This concert will be their first of many in the years to come. We would love your attendance but understand that the timing may be difficult for some families. We will offer a livestreaming option that will be sent in an email to you with a link and code before the concert starts.
Upcoming Music Events:
- 5-12 Band Concert: May 19
- 5-12 Orchestra Concert: May 12
- 5-8 Vocal Concert: May 5
If you have questions, please feel free to reach to one of our amazing music teachers!
NOTE: Per our new health and safety measures, guests are welcome on campus while masked. Please enter through Door 1 or Door 7 and sign-in. We also ask that you remain mindful about monitoring COVID symptoms and if you, or guests, are experiencing any symptoms of illness, that you forego the on-campus performance and view from the livestream.
We Go Together Like PB & J (allergen free, of course)!
By now, you have likely read the communication from Dr. Hudson outlining ways in which we are rolling back some of our COVID protocols beginning next week. The significance of this, at this time, is not lost on me as it was almost two years ago (to the date) that we begin planning for a shift in all the ways we were doing “school” with the imminence of a new virus on the world stage. I could not be more excited to be returning to a more “normal” way of being together–on many fronts.
This week, we began by inviting our Grade 5 students to the Family Commons for the first time this year to eat with our Grade 8 leaders. They have enjoyed choosing new seating (the booths are always a hit!), getting to know our lunch lines, and revisiting the serving bars for a second helping of what they love. I have loved being able to see their faces – what beautiful, bright, and amazing young people they are!
Tomorrow, Thursday, we will welcome our Grade 6 students and add them to the mix. We are working on acclimating to having more bodies in the space, orienting ourselves to the timeline and flow of Middle School lunch, and getting the opportunity to sit in multi-grade friend groups! On Monday, we will be back together for the first time as we add Grade 7, as a full and energetic Middle School, for lunch.
In all cultures of the world, sharing a meal is a time of camaraderie, celebration, and friendship. MPA is no different and the act of sharing lunch together, in the same space, is a powerful symbol of our resilience, community, and care for one another. I can think of no better day to bring us all back together…Monday, after all, is Valentine’s Day!
Important Changes: Arrival & Dismissal
In addition to our lunchroom changes, please read here (again) the revised arrival and dismissal procedures for Middle School students:
- Morning Arrival
We began using DOOR 4 for arrival as part of our health and safety protocols to maintain the separation between divisions. While it is certainly an acceptable entrance, it is not ideal as it requires additional staffing, and we are returning to prior practice of welcoming Middle School students at the Lower and Upper school entrances (Door 1 and Door 7, respectively). While we realize that traffic can be an issue, we encourage your family to find a drop-off time and location that meets your needs.
If you decide that you would still like to use the middle school driveway lane to avoid traffic lines, your student will need to walk to either Door 1 or Door 7 to enter the building. Please note, again, Door 4 will not be unlocked/staffed for entry in the mornings. Both entrances, Lower and Upper school, will be available for entry at 7:15 AM by using the call button outside and staffed.
- Afternoon Dismissal
Like arrival, your Middle School student is welcome to select the exit door that works for them and your family at the end of the day. For dismissal only, we will continue to allow students to exit at DOOR 4 to assist with traffic flow and efficient dismissal timing. We recognize that many families have activities, sports, or other obligations that they must get to.
Please be mindful of students crossing the street, entering cars, and moving around campus in the afternoon. We ask that you drive slowly through the lower lot, refrain from using your cell phone, and avoid “leap-frogging” other cars, in all lanes of arrival and dismissal.
President’s Day Weekend
Please note that students are not in school on Friday, February 18 or Monday, February 21 in observance of Teacher Professional Development Day and in observance of President’s Day.
Re-enrollment @ MPA
All MPA families have been issued re-enrollment contracts for the 2022-2023 school year! Please check your email and note the deadline to re-enroll is Tuesday, February 22. After this date, we begin to make decisions regarding new applicants and space is limited in most grades. If you have questions, concerns, or issues you’d like to discuss, please reach out to me. We look forward to welcoming you to another great year in 2022-2023!
AND…as promised: TOGETHER WE TUBE DETAILS, INSTRUCTIONS, and THINGS TO DO!
- Who: All Middle School students and their families are invited by the Parents’ Association
- What: Snow Tubing Community Event
- When: Friday, February 25, 2:30-5:30 PM (buses depart @ 1:45 PM from campus)
- Where: Badlands Snow Park (772 Kinney Road Hudson, WI 54016)
- What to bring: Outside winter gear is a must (no scarfs), a helmet if you’d like, and a credit card if you’ll want dinner
Middle School students will be bussed from Mounds Park Academy for arrival at the snow park by 2:30 PM. Dinner is arranged by us! The Vikings Table food truck will be available for you to purchase, with a credit card, dinner for your student and family. If you’re not comfortable sending a credit card with your Middle School student, you can pre-purchase a Meal or Snack Pack. Your student will need to be picked up between 5-5:30 PM at the Badlands Snow Park. If you cannot meet your student at the snow park, there will be a bus returning to Mounds Park Academy where your student must be picked up at 5:30 PM. You must indicate your need to have your student ride the returning bus or plan to pick them up at the snow park!
Event Registration
All Middle School students and guests must register for this event so we can plan accordingly. Please click here to register your MS student and guests no later than Monday, February 21. Students and families choosing not to participate will need to be picked up at Mounds Park Academy by 1 PM for early release. You must register your student’s transportation plans as well. Registration for the event is assumption of liability/risk–there is no separate release form required.
You can register at the link above or by returning the form to the Middle School office!
Additional Guests
All family members are welcome and encouraged to attend! The Parents’ Association is sponsoring the cost of Middle School students to tube. Family members, grown-ups, and sibling guests are welcome to tube from 2:30-5:30 PM for an additional cost of $15 per guest.
- Please pay for your additional tubers:
- By Venmo to @Christine-Larson-31 (picture is our family dog). Be sure to write your family name and student grade(s) in your submission.
- OR send cash/check written out to Christine Larson, PA MS Division Co-Lead with your student to the MS office, be sure to write your family name and student grade(s).
- Please register your additional guests no later than Monday, February 21.
Dinner Plans
The Minnesota Vikings food truck will offer the Tailgate Menu with delicious dinner options. Norseman Bacon Cheeseburger (beef), Loring Turkey Burger (turkey), Uptown Beyond Burger (vegetarian), Chicken tenders, Cheese curds, Kettle Chips, Cookies, and Beverages (Pepsi products and water). You can expect to pay approximately $15 for a full meal–more for extras! The food truck only accepts Credit Cards and they DO NOT accept cash. Click here to learn more about the Vikings Table and their amazing community support efforts.
Your dinner payment options are:
- If you would like to pre-purchase food for your student or guests, you can purchase one of the following:
- $15 Prepaid Meal: includes choice of cheese curds or chicken fingers or burger (beef, turkey or vegetarian) AND chips, cookie and a drink.
- $5 Prepaid Snack Pack: cookie OR chips and a drink.
- Please pay for your prepaid food:
- By Venmo to @Christine-Larson-31 (picture is our family dog). Be sure to write your family name and student grade(s) in your submission.
- Or send cash/check written out to Christine Larson, Parent Association Middle School Division Co-Lead with your student to the Middle School office at school, be sure to write your family name and student grade(s) on the form.
- Please pay for your prepaid food no later than Monday, February 21. The food truck will only be able to accept credit cards the day of our event.
Volunteer Options
We appreciate your interest in helping and need adult volunteers to keep our kids safe on the hills. Click here link to sign-up for an hour shift during our totally tubular event.
Community Service And Awareness—Food Drive
As an effort to increase awareness about food insecurities and serve those in our local community, we are sponsoring a food drive in our advisories as part of our community event! The advisory with the most food items donated (non-perishable items, of course!) will earn a special reward! Please send food items with your student from now until the event date!
If you have any questions at all, or need assistance, please reach out to Christine Larson, Parents’ Association extraordinaire! Her email is chrisandmatt@hotmail.com.
That’s all for now…mark those calendars and we’ll see you at the Snow Park!
Important Dates
- February 10 WINTER CONFERENCES, 3:30-7 PM, by ZOOM
- February 17 Music Share, Grade 5, 2:20-3 PM, Recital Hall
- February 25 Middle School Snow Tubing, 2:30-5:30 PM*
*If not participating, student must be picked up by 1:00 PM - February 28-March 4 iTERM 2022
- March 7-18 MPA Spring Break
- March 21 Classes Resume
