October 13, 2022
from Jenn Milam, Middle School director
Well into week seven of school, we are nearing the end of quarter one. This is a notable benchmark in our school year as it means we’ve mostly settled into our routines and relationships and are cruising along well and happy. Please try to check in with your students and ensure they are doing their best, completing assignments on time, and aren’t falling behind. One of our core values in Middle School is that we focus on the learning journey, not just the outcome – and while this is always true, we use the end of quarters as benchmarks to check-in on progress, reflect, and chart a path forward. So, these next couple of weeks will help us to know how to improve and refocus for the next quarter.
If your student is having issues completing homework, feeling lost, or needs support, please help them communicate that with their teachers. Teaching self-advocacy is a primary goal at MPA, and we all stand ready and willing to assist where needed!
NOTE: The end of the quarter is Friday, October 28. Any assignments, assessments, or projects that are due in quarter one that have not been submitted by that date will not be assessed during this quarter. Deadlines help us all to stay organized and limit overwhelm.
iTERM Forms Are Due Friday
Parents were emailed iTERM details and a link to the iTERM 2023 online brochure late last week and posted to Schoology groups this week. iTERM Course Selection forms are due to the office, by email or in hard copy, by Friday, October 14, 3 PM.
You can review the iTERM booklet here
If your student is selecting an international travel opportunity, it is imperative that we have this information by the end of the day on Friday. There are no late additions to the trips after Friday, as we will work with travel agencies to plan and reserve spots beginning on Monday morning.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day + Early Dismissal Next Wednesday
Next Wednesday, October 19, is Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Space is limited and if your student plans to have guests, they must RSVP to attend!
Additionally, this is an EARLY RELEASE DAY. Dismissal is at 11:30 AM. We will have regular bussing in the morning, but not in the afternoon. Please plan to pick your student up from school at 11:30 AM. There will be no STUDY HALL on this day!
Halloween @ MPA
As we look forward to celebrating Halloween at MPA together, it is important that we adhere to our MPA community expectations and guidelines regarding costumes, discourse, and representation. Halloween can be a magical time for imagination, playfulness, and connection. Middle School students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Friday, October 28.
The following are guidelines for Halloween costumes at MPA:
Weapons or items that are made in the likeness to represent weapons, are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to, guns, swords, pitchforks, knives, pocketknives, and/or spears.
Masks that completely cover a student’s face and head are not allowed. A student needs to be able to be recognized at school, participate in classes throughout the day, and not have their identity obscured by their costume.
Symbols, words, or other representations that are currently, or have been historically used to trigger and/or discount others’ identities are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to symbols of white supremacy, gang affiliation, racial or ethnic tokenism, homophobia or transphobia, and ableism.
Middle School costumes must also adhere to the dress code expectations that all “personal body parts” are covered, regardless of a student’s gender identity or gender presentation.
#IAmNotACostume: A Note about Cultural Appropriation
As our young people begin selecting costumes, it is important that we are sensitive to issues of cultural appropriation. “Cultural Appropriation is the act of taking significant elements (symbols, dress, words, practices, etc.) from a culture that is not your own and removing all original context or meaning, usually with the goal of using these elements for entertainment, marketing, or exploitation.” (http://www.lspirg.org/costumes) When selecting a costume for Halloween, I would ask that you engage your student in a conversation about the purpose of their costume (Is it just for fun? Or is there an underlying message behind it?), ask them to consider if anyone may take offense to their costume and the representation it suggests (Is it possible that others may view the costume as a mockery of a particular culture? Does the costume seek to make a token of traditional cultural symbols not held by your family culture?) and encourage them to reflect upon the way that their costume may be experienced by those around them, thus seeking to build empathy and critical thinking – two values we hold dear here at MPA.
We want Halloween to be a fun, imaginative, and magical celebration of the fall season in a way that not only values the childhood experience but, so too, those cultures, (re)presentations, symbols, and traditions deeply held and honored by each of us in our unique lived experiences.
For more information on cultural appropriate and Halloween costumes, you might find some of these links helpful:
Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group
NPR/MPR News
Halloween Fun
The 5/6 Student Council has been busy planning for the annual Halloween Carnival. The carnival is for grade five and six students and is held immediately after school on Friday, October 28, from 3:15-4:45PM. The cost to attend the event is $20. Your students may bring their money to the office or on the day of the event. The fee covers pizza, snacks, drinks, and goodies.
If you would like to donate items, snacks, or perhaps volunteer (limited volunteers are invited), please email Jess Powell, Student Council faculty advisor, at jpowell@moundsparkacademy.org.
The 7/8 Fall Dance is also being held on Friday, October 28, from 7-9PM. The cost of entry into the dance is $10 which includes food and drink tickets. Pizza, sodas, and a variety of snacks are available at the dance.
Dress for the Weather!
As the weather turns cooler, it’s important that your student dresses to go outside for recess. Unless it is raining or –11 degrees or colder, all Middle School students are expected to go outside at recess. Time outside, in the fresh air and sunshine, is great for mental health and well-being, especially in the colder months and the activity is important for growing bodies and brains!
Please take some time to sort through mittens, gloves, hats, headbands, and coats as the leaves start to turn and the cooler weather is upon us—it’ll be snowing before we all know it! It’s cool to be warm!
Parent Connection Opportunities—Coming Soon
I am looking forward to some more informal conversations and connections with you now that the big events for the start of the year are nearly behind us. Please join me if you are able at the following coffees.
Tuesday, October 25 8:15-9:15 AM (Family Commons)
Wednesday, November 2 8:15-9:15 AM (Family Commons)
In addition to these opportunities, I’ll also be hosting a Middle School Transition meeting for rising fifth grade parents (those currently in fourth grade) on Thursday, November 10. This conversation will also be at 8:15 AM. Stay tuned for an additional evening session announcement!
There is no need to RSVP, just show up and come ready to chat! If you have specific questions or topics you’d like addressed, you’re welcome to send those to me ahead of time!
You’re invited to share your thoughts!
As we have officially and successfully wrapped up all our overnight trips for the fall, I’d like to invite you to submit your feedback via the PARENT FEEDBACK FORM!
Developmental Hurdles and October
It’s not uncommon at this time of year for the “newness” or “honeymoon” of the school year to have worn off. In addition to the long and busy weeks, the weather is turning colder and, while we are Minnesotans and accustomed to the cold and dark days of winter, it’s still a shock to our systems that crave daylight, warmth, and activity. It usually results in a perfect storm of squirrely behavior, impulsivity, short tempers, sadness, and social challenges.
It is not unusual that there is unkind and uncharacteristic behavior, and confrontations and conflicts. I also know it can be difficult to hear at home various happenings of the day that are unsettling, especially if you are only hearing a part of the story. Please know, that as a small school, there are often very few things that happen of which we are not aware. If you have questions, concerns, wonderings, or would like more information, I encourage you to reach out to me. As a leader, it is my job and privilege to help young people work through conflict. At MPA we work diligently to meet each student, and each situation, with clarity, an eye toward restorative and responsive development, all while ensuring that young people are safe, healthy, and happy.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead and are looking forward to our MEA Break as much as we are! What a glorious time it is to live in Minnesota!
Be well and take care of one another.
Important Dates Ahead
- October 14: iTERM Course Selection Deadline!
- October 19: GPSF Day (morning), 11:30 AM early dismissal — NO STUDY HALL
- October 20-21: Fall Break – NO CLASSES
- October 28: HALLOWEEN at MPA, LAST DAY of Q1! NO STUDY HALL
- 5/6 Halloween Carnival (3:30-4:45 PM)
- 7/8 Dance (7-9 PM)
- October 31: GRADING DAY – NO CLASSES
- November 4: ISACS Conference – NO CLASSES
