May 18, 2023
from Jenn Milam, Middle School director
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
- May 22-26: Washington DC, Grade 7 Trip
- May 26: No Classes, Teacher Professional Development Day
- May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
- May 31: Middle School Track and Field Day, 8:15-11:15 AM
- Inventor’s Fair (Grade 5), 2:20-3 PM
- June 2: 5/6 Canoeing Adventure
- 7/8 Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day
- June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
- June 6: Passion Project Showcase, 1 PM
- Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony, 2 PM
- June 7: Last Day of School
- Early Dismissal, 10:15 AM
When you receive this issue of News and Notes, there will be 11 and 1/3 days remaining in our 2023-2024 school year! It’s been an amazing year with lots of growth, lots of fun, and plenty of JOY! I hope you’re enjoying all the performances, opportunities to be with us, and are looking forward to a great summer with your family. When someone told me some time ago, “the days are long, but the years go fast,” I didn’t really grasp that meaning – but boy, were they right! This year has flown by, and as a mom of high schoolers, it feels like each year gets a little faster.
Make sure to slow down, savor the sunshine, be present in that last ball game or performance, take in all the smells, the sounds, the sight of your growing young person—before you know it, they’ll be taller than you, and on their way to their next big adventure!
CLASS of 2029—Washington DC Trip–Early Bird Registration Extended to May 19!
All students currently in sixth grade who wish to travel to Washington DC next year (May 2024) should visit the World Strides website and get registered ASAP! If you register and put down your $49 deposit by Friday, an EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT of $125 will be applied to your trip cost! Payment plans are flexible and available.
Please also refer to the email sent for more details, trip number and informational meeting recording! If you have questions, please reach out to Dr. Jenn Milam (jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org).
NOTE: This is the last extension of the early registration discount—please take advantage and get registered! This trip is meant to be for the entire class, so please consider registering and sending your student on this amazing experience.
Middle School Matters: A Community Book Study
Our next meeting is this evening, Thursday, May 18, 7:30 PM! Please join us, even if you didn’t the first time—there is great discussion, fellowship, and affirming conversation with other parents!
Middle School is a time of rapid changes, new experiences, and sometimes, perplexing encounters in a new world in which we (parents!) did not grow up! In partnership with Ms. Cooper, our school counselor, and Ms. Meras, our new Middle School dean, I am hosting a community book study this spring. We will do a shared reading of “Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond—and How Parents Can Help” by Phyllis L. Fagell.
We invite you to have dinner with your family, put your feet up, pour a drink of something you enjoy, and meet us online, the following dates at 7:30 PM, from the comfort of your living room!
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- Thursday, May 18, 2023: Social Skills / Learning and School
- FINAL SESSION – Thursday, June 1 – LUNCH @ MPA
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We will have guest speakers and experts for each of the sections of the text and will share our own personal journey in raising spirited, well-balanced, resilient, kind, and good humans.
You can purchase the book in any format of your choosing, and in whatever way you’d like. Here are a few options:
Or you can check it out at your local library!
You can also just drop in for a listen, join the conversation, and build community. I am hoping with a later evening gathering time, and the flexibility of ZOOM, that we’ll have the opportunity to connect and grow our community in a way that makes space for the various family and scheduling demands we all juggle.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 332 737 0417
Password: MSMatters!
REMINDER: Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day: Friday, June 2
On Friday, June 2, our seventh and eighth-grade students will perform at Valley Fair. There will be singing, orchestra, and band ensemble performances. We will board buses and depart early in the day, perform and then students will have the opportunity to spend the day at the park, riding rides and having fun!
Transportation is provided for students and parents should plan to send money to the park with their students for lunch/refreshments throughout the day. We will return from Valley Fair in time for a 3 PM dismissal.
If you’d like to join us as parents/family members, please reach out directly to Mr. Skrove and Ms. Lawson.
Canoeing at Taylor’s Falls: Grades 5 and 6, Friday, June 2
All students in grades five and six will be canoeing on Friday, June 2. We will board a bus and spend the day on the water. Students will need to pack a lunch to take along and wear appropriate clothing to get wet!
Parents are welcome to attend, and if you are interested in doing so, please reach out to Ms. Nagle (cnagle@moundsparkacademy.org) to learn more details and share your wish to join!
NOTE: If you wish for your student not to attend, you are welcome to keep them home on this day. All middle school students and teachers will be away on this last Friday of the year.
Library Books Are Due Now
Please make sure that your student has returned any materials borrowed from the library. If your student is not sure if they have materials, please have them stop in and see Ms. Lage. If there are outstanding materials/fees, your students will not receive their yearbook on the last day of school.
Moving Up Ceremony Tuesday, June 6, 2 PM
Please join us for this time-honored tradition in which we celebrate the culmination of Middle School for our fabulous eighth graders and welcome our newest members of Middle School, our rising fifth graders. The program will begin at 2 PM, immediately following the Passion Project Showcase in the Middle School hallways and commons.
We’ll have popsicles for all students on the green just outside the gallery immediately following and it’s a wonderful time to visit with other parents!
Last Day of School!
We will have our annual YEARBOOK ASSEMBLY at 8:15 AM, in the Nicholson Center, on the last day of school. Parents and families are welcome to attend. Immediately following the assembly, students will report to their advisories to pick up their yearbooks (if they ordered one!) and then we hang out in the hallways, listen to music, and have a great big signing party!
It is typical for most classes to gather immediately following the end of our morning activities on the last day of school at an event coordinated by the Parents Association Grade Representatives. Please check your respective Schoology group for details.
NOTE: Dismissal on Wednesday, June 7, is at 10:15 AM. Please be prompt in picking up your student and make plans ahead for this special day!
Be well. Take care of one another. Happy Spring!
