All School

MPA Speech Team Wins Section Title

April 10, 2025

The MPA speech team poses together with the section title. Our MPA speech team is state-bound! Congratulations to the Section 4A champs and reigning state champions. The team title was powered by a complete effort that saw 20 students earn a berth to the state meet:

  • Warner Reid and Hazel Reid: First place, Duo
  • Paul Fertig: First place, Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Mari Minear: First place, Great Speeches
  • Kelvyn Boddipalli: First place, Humorous Interpretation
  • Oslo Norcross: First place, Informative Speaking
  • Ash Klann: First place, Original Oratory
  • Alyona Vietrova: First place, Poetry
  • Lucy Mayer: First place, Prose
  • Amila Avdic: Second place, Discussion
  • Guy Schwieger and Nico Bergh: Second place, Duo
  • Amal Sastry: Second place, Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Rowan Mulrooney: Second place, Great Speeches
  • Zainab Lodhi: Second place, Informative
  • Nabila Artan: Second place, Oratory
  • LuaClaire Robert: Second place, Poetry
  • Andrea Pugh: Second place, Prose
  • Sidd Sastry: Third place, Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Mina Kim: Third place, Great Speeches

Congratulations are also in order for coach Tanner Sunderman, who was awarded Central MN NSDA Coach of the Year! Tanner has been forwarded to the national level for consideration.

The MPA speech team is now preparing for another title defense in what would be their third consecutive state championship. The Panthers will get that chance on Friday, April 25, when they head to Shakopee High School for the Class A state tournament. Good luck, Panthers! We can’t wait to see how you’ll do.

Join Us For Family Allyship For LGBTQ+ School Community Members

April 9, 2025

Lower School students celebrating. Mark your calendars for an interactive workshop on Wednesday, May 14, from 6-8 PM in the Family Commons that will provide MPA parents and staff with the tools and language they need to be supportive allies to transgender and nonbinary community members at MPA! This event is being hosted by MPA’s Rainbow Club and Gender Inclusive Schools. Please RSVP here!

Together, we will practice responses to challenging questions on LGBTQ+ topics and explore ways to communicate affirmation and celebration of LGBTQ+ community members visibly. Basic definitions for LGBTQ+ terms will be provided along with age-appropriate resources to facilitate positive and accurate discussions with your family about gender identity and sexual orientation at home. Read More

Welcome Back To MPA, Michelle Korbel ’10!

April 7, 2025

Michelle Korbel, MPA's new director of human resources. Welcome to MPA, Michelle Korbel! Ms. Korbel will hold the position of director of human resources, and we are excited to introduce her to the community. 

From what school/organization are you coming?
I worked most recently for ArchKey Parsons Electric.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have my BA degree in Psychology from the College of Saint Benedict. After college, I spent a year volunteering with Americorps, helping individuals with barriers to employment find work. I’ve been doing HR for ten years now in banking, healthcare, and construction. Very excited to bring my HR experience to MPA.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA is a special community that I feel so lucky to have been a part of growing up. I graduated in 2010 and went to school at MPA from kindergarten to 12th grade. I built amazing relationships with friends, faculty, and staff during my years as a student. When I heard about the opening, I jumped on it. I’m really looking forward to re-establishing old relationships, building new ones, and working together to enrich the employment experience at MPA.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA and its students?
My goal is to enrich and enhance the employment experience at MPA by providing meaningful and valuable resources to, collaborating with, and supporting MPA employees. This will, in turn, help and empower employees to focus on their students, knowing they have an advocate in HR ready to listen and support them.
Read More

MPA’s 2025 Athena Award Winner

April 3, 2025

GymnasticsCongratulations to Delaney Cunnington ’25, MPA’s 2025 Athena Award Winner!

This program honors outstanding female high school senior student-athletes based on excellence in individual athletics or participation and accomplishments in team sports. Delaney was a member of soccer, gymnastics, and track and field during her time as a Panther.

During her time competing for MPA, she has racked up numerous accolades, including a state title on the uneven bars in 2024, among others.

Congratulations again, Delaney! The selection for the award was warranted, and we can’t wait to see what you do this track season.

MPA Gentoo Robotics Team Secures $2,000 Grant, Seeks New Members

April 3, 2025

MPA Gentoo Robotics team secures $2,000 grant.Exciting news from the Gentoo Robotics Team! We’re thrilled to announce that our Middle School FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team has received a $2,000 Sponsorship Grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. This generous funding will help support team registration, event fees, and the purchase of new parts to enhance our robot’s capabilities, but we also rely on donations from our community to get new parts and join more events.

Founded in 2023 as a way to expand STEM opportunities for Middle School students and build a feeder team for our more experienced high school FRC team, Gentoo has already participated in three competitions over the past two years. These events have provided invaluable learning experiences, allowing team members to make continuous improvements to their robot after each competition.

The Gentoo team is organized into specialized sub-teams: Code, Build, Strategy, and Operations. Students start by learning essential build skills, like using power tools, prototyping, and constructing basic structures, before moving into specialized roles. This structure gives students the chance to develop specific skills while contributing to the team’s overall success. Our high school FRC team members provide mentorship, creating a supportive community where Middle Schoolers can explore engineering challenges they wouldn’t otherwise experience. Read More

Parents Association News And Events April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

A Lower School student reads a story to his parents. The MPA Parents Association invites you to Cultural Celebration Day on Wednesday, April 9 from 3:15-5:30 PM in the Family Commons! Engage with community members who will be sharing their cultural heritage. Enjoy sweet and savory rice dishes from around the world, an international tea bar, and experience beautiful music and dance performances!

Go home with some cool body art from an expert henna artist, try your hand at global crafts, learn how to make masala chai (spiced tea from India), and chat with community members who will have booths set up to share their culture and/or offer samples of their cuisine.

Feel the spirit and joy of African culture with Fatawu Sayibu at our West African Drum and Dance Workshop! All are welcome to learn basic djembe drumming techniques as well as simple movements rooted in African daily life and experience. Learn the steps to Bhangra, a traditional Punjabi folk dance that has become a global and cultural phenomenon.

Food and drink tickets ($1 each) will be sold at the event. Zabiha, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options are available.

Interested in volunteering on the day of the event? Sign up here!

Check out the calendar for other MPA PA activities in April, including Division Quarterly Coffees!

A Leadership Transition Update

April 3, 2025

Still image of Dr. Brogdon and Dr. Hudson transition video. from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

As we enter the final stretch of the school year, I want to take a moment to share an update on the leadership transition and the exciting road ahead for Mounds Park Academy. As many of you know, this will be my final year serving as head of school at MPA. It is a bittersweet season—filled with reflection, gratitude, and anticipation for what’s to come. Serving this community has been the greatest privilege of my professional life, and I remain deeply invested in ensuring a smooth, thoughtful, and mission-aligned transition.

Over the past several months, I have been working closely with Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, who was appointed by the Board of Trustees to serve as the next head of school, effective July 1, 2025. Having the opportunity to partner with her during this full year of transition has been a true gift. It is rare in independent schools to have this kind of intentional, overlapping leadership—and we are using it fully to MPA’s advantage.

It was good to see so many of you at the Coffee & Conversation events with Dr. Brogdon and me. For those of you who were able to attend, I hope that you saw the synergy and warmth between the two of us. You may have also viewed a video of the two of us discussing leadership and the transition. If you haven’t, please click here. Know that an additional two videos will be released very soon. My hope is to alleviate whatever anxiety the community might feel about the transition. Read More

Parents Association News And Events March 27, 2025

March 27, 2025

Upper School students cheering.Call For Hosts And To Join Us: We have several hosts from within our MPA community for our cultural/country tables, and we want more representation! Please sign up here to host an informational table (or half table) on the day of the event. Let’s fill the hall with as many countries and cultures to celebrate as possible. You make it happen!

Not sure what it means to host a table or how to do it? Contact Seema, at seema_anwar@hotmail.com, and she will support you!

If you haven’t already, please save the date to join our school community on April 9, from 3:15-5:30 PM for an evening of food, music, crafts, and more. Let’s come together as a community to make this a fun, educational, and inclusive event! We hope to see you there!

Check out the calendar for other MPA PA activities in April, including Division Quarterly Coffees!

Lower School Division News March 27, 2025

March 27, 2025

A Lower School student listening to the speaker.from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director 

Mark Your Calendars

  • Friday, March 28: LS G1 Troll Stories, 8-9 AM, G1 Classrooms
  • Friday, March 28: LS Express Yourself Friday
  • Monday, March 31: No Classes, Eid al-Fitr
  • Tuesday, April 1: Coffee & Conversation With The Heads, 7:45-8:45 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
  • Wednesday, April 2: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-8:45 AM, Family Commons
  • Friday, April 4: End of Quarter 3
  • Monday, April 7: Coffee with the Candidate for Lower School Parents, 8-9 AM, Gallery
  • Tuesday, April 8: Coffee with the Candidate for Lower School Parents, 8-9 AM, Gallery
  • Wednesday, April 9: Coffee with the Candidate for Lower School Parents, 8-9 AM, Gallery
  • Wednesday, April 9: LS G3/4 Field Trip, 9-11:30 AM, Orchestra Hall
  • Wednesday, April 9: PA Cultural Celebration Day, 3-6 PM, Family Commons
  • Thursday, April 10: HeadSpace: Personalized Pathways Through Universal Design For Learning, 7-8 PM, Virtual Meeting
  • Monday, April 14: No Classes, Professional Development
  • Wednesday, April 16: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-8:45 AM, Family Commons
  • Wednesday, April 16: LS Duty-Free Lunch with Parent Volunteers, 11:40 AM-12:40 PM, Playground & Family Commons

Spring is certainly in the air in the Lower School! The children have started another fun week at school with lots of smiles and enthusiasm. Thank you for your support of the second-grade Birthday Bag project! It was a great success! Here are some upcoming dates, events, and reminders:

Express Yourself Friday: March 28
It has been so fabulous to see our students expressing their passions, interests, and amazing personalities on the last Friday of each month! Our next Express Yourself Friday will take place tomorrow, March 28.

Fourth Grade Neighborhood House Food Drive: March 25-April 4
The fourth-grade students are finishing up the book, “Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate.” This story, about a young refugee boy from Africa who relocates to Minnesota, is the catalyst that inspired this food drive to collect items for Neighborhood House in St. Paul. Lower School students and their families are asked to donate items between March 25 and April 4. A flyer from Neighborhood House with a wish list of suggested items has been uploaded to Schoology. This is not an exhaustive list. Personal care items and other foods are also appreciated. Please keep MPA’s food allergy policy in mind when purchasing items. Last year, we collected over 1,200 pounds of food and goods. Let’s see what we can do together this year! Read More

Middle School Division News March 27, 2025

March 27, 2025

Middle School students examining i-Term showcases.from Paul Errickson, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars 

  • Monday, March 31: No Classes, Eid al-Fitr
  • Tuesday, April 1: Coffee & Conversation With The Heads, 7:45-8:45 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
  • Wednesday, April 2: MS G5 Science Fair, 2:30-3 PM, Family Commons
  • Friday, April 4: End of Quarter 3
  • Monday, April 7: MS/US Students & Screens Parent Meeting, 1:45-3 PM, Recital Hall
  • Wednesday, April 9: MS G7/8 Affinity Group Meeting, 2:30-3 PM, Panther Center
  • Wednesday, April 9: PA Cultural Celebration Day, 3-6 PM, Family Commons
  • Thursday, April 10: HeadSpace: Personalized Pathways Through Universal Design For Learning, 7-8 PM, Virtual Meeting
  • Monday, April 14: No Classes, Professional Development
  • Wednesday, April 16: MS G7/8 Affinity Group Meeting, 2:30-3 PM, Panther Center

Springtime brings with it change and renewed growth. It can be one of the most exciting and hectic times as we work to wrap everything up by the end of the school year and reflect on the growth and achievements of our year of learning together. Having spent time earlier in my teaching career at a school on the coast of Maine, I often share with students the example of how lobsters grow.

Lobsters need first to feel a bit of discomfort—they become uncomfortable in their own shell—to trigger the need for growth. And that growth requires them to shed their shell, going through a time of vulnerability and change as they grow a new, larger, and more comfortable shell. As he shared in this video, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski explains that it is the stimulus of discomfort that is needed for the lobster to grow. In times of stress, we often see a great deal of growth if we navigate this adversity the right way.

Looking ahead, we have many, many opportunities for growth (and potential discomfort) for our Middle School students. Next week brings the end of our third quarter, and I know that students and teachers are working to finish the quarter strong! In April and May, we have book battles and science fairs, concerts and musicals, MAP testing, and field days fast approaching. Please keep a close eye on our calendar here in Panther Post and communications through your child’s Schoology account for updates and information on all that we have going on. Read More