January 16, 2025
from Mark Segal, Upper School director
Mark Your Calendars
- Friday, January 17: End of Quarter 2
- Monday, January 20: No Classes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Tuesday, January 21: No Classes, Grading & Professional Development
- Thursday, January 23: HeadSpace: Meeting Our Educational Promise Through A Competency-Based Approach To Education, 7-8 PM, Virtual Meeting, Check Email For Link
- Friday, January 24: PA Family Trivia Night, 6-8 PM, Family Commons
- Friday, January 24: US Winter Show: “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” 7-9 PM, Black Box
- Saturday, January 25: US Winter Show: “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” 7-9 PM, Black Box
- Sunday, January 26: US Winter Show: “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” 2:30-4:30 PM, Black Box
- Thursday, January 30: US Visual Arts Semester Showcase Reception, 6:30-7:30 PM, Gallery and Rossbach Art Walk
- Thursday, January 30: US Cabaret Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Family Commons
- Friday, January 31: Returning Family Re-Enrollment Agreements Sent
- Friday, January 31: US Senior Performances, 8-9:15 AM, Recital Hall
- Friday, January 31: US Winter Show: “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” 7-9 PM, Black Box
- Saturday, February 1: US Winter Show: “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” 7-9 PM, Black Box
- Tuesday, February 4: Speech Tournament, 3-10 PM
- Wednesday, February 5: US G10 Retreat, Deep Portage Retreat Center
- Thursday, February 6: US G10 Retreat, Deep Portage Retreat Center
As the start of the second semester begins next week (remember we do not have school either Monday or Tuesday), students have a unique opportunity to embrace a fresh start. Their second quarter and first semester classes draw to an end, and this transitional period can be the breadth of fresh air that allows them to reflect on the past and set new goals for the future. Research shows that resetting one’s mindset can lead towards improved academic performance and overall well-being. According to psychologist and author Carol Dweck, “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you live your life.” By resetting and adopting a growth mindset, students can enter the second semester with a renewed determination and a sense of optimism.
There are several benefits of “starting fresh” for the second semester, and one of the primary ones is having the chance to reassess academic goals. Students can evaluate their first-semester performance and identify areas that need more attention during the second semester. A study published last October in the Journal of Educational Psychology suggests that goals setting enhances a student’s motivation and, quite possibly, increases their achievement. By setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART) goals, students can create a clear roadmap to achieve academic success during the third and fourth quarters.
Starting fresh during the second semester can also enhance mental health and resilience. The pressures from the first semester can weigh heavily on students, leading to stress and anxiety. Research from the American Psychological Association states that “by prioritizing mental and physical well-being and adopting healthy habits, students can navigate the challenges of the second half of the school year with greater ease and confidence.”
The MPA Upper School’s quarter on/quarter off approach allows students to start anew with courses that they have already had the first half of during quarters one and two and experience something new during their second-semester elective classes. We are fortunate that this thoughtful decision by Upper School faculty and staff years ago allows students a well-deserved fresh start and reset for the second semester.
See you on campus soon!
Important Information
- The third quarter/second semester begins at 8 AM next Wednesday, January 22, and students will follow a B-day schedule. There are no classes on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Tuesday, January 21, due to a scheduled professional development day.
- PreK-12 MPA Preview: Sunday, January 26, 2025, 12:30-2 PM: Invite a friend to experience MPA! The MPA Preview is the perfect way to share MPA with a friend, neighbor, or family member. If you know someone who is exploring schools or interested in MPA, please share the following information and link to RSVP.MPA Previews are signature PreK-12 events designed to introduce families to the faculty, students, and families who make MPA the exceptional learning community that it is. Visitors will hear from a variety of perspectives, be engaged in conversation with academic leaders, and experience learning the MPA way. These events are for family members of all ages to attend together and will include division-specific time. Families can RSVP here!
Taste Of Ninth Grade: January 26, 2025, 11 AM-12:15 PM
This event includes lunch and the opportunity to learn more about MPA’s ninth-grade program. Students will engage in a hands-on, collaborative activity while parents participate in a Q&A about life in MPA’s Upper School, college counseling, and more. When this event concludes, students and families will then join the PreK-12 Preview event. Families can RSVP here! - The Winter Show class is proud to present five showings of “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” over the next two weeks. The Baskerville family curse haunts the moors of England in the classic murder mystery. Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, unravel a treacherous plot involving the untimely death of Sir Charles Baskerville. This action-packed and comedic murder mystery is appropriate for all ages. Shows will be held in the Black Box Theatre on:
- Friday, January 24: 7 PM
- Saturday, January 25: 7 PM
- Sunday, January 26: 2:30 PM
- Friday, January 31: 7 PM
- Saturday, February 1: 7 PM
- If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be excused early from school, please contact the Upper School administrative assistant, Chanda Williams, at cwilliams@moundsparkacademy.org.
