2019-20 Financial Assistance Application Open

middle school students in classThe financial assistance re-application for the 2019-20 school year is now open. If you are a current family who plans to request financial assistance for the 2019-20 school year, please submit your application, including supporting documents, by Friday, January 11.

You should have everything you need to complete the application today, given you will use your 2017 tax return to do so. The application can be accessed in your TADS account. Please be sure to select the 2019-20 application year. Click here to re-apply and select Minnesota > Saint Paul > Mounds Park Academy. Read More


Faculty and Staff Appreciation Gift Wrapping

PA Faculty and staff appreciation gift wrappingThe MPA Parents Association is still looking for volunteers to help out with Faculty and Staff Appreciation Gift Wrapping! As a continuation of Faculty and Staff Appreciation during the school year, the MPA Parents Association has a tradition of wrapping gifts for the MPA Faculty and Staff. Come be a part of this joyful experience!

Sign up here to volunteer and wrap gifts for one hour, two hours, or as long as you like! The Parents Association will provide the gift wrapping and all the necessary equipment. We will also provide snacks and drinks–maybe a little holiday music, too! Please contact Tara Matthews-Lafferty at TMattRN@aol.com with any questions.


Important Safety Reminders From MPA

lower school drop offIt is MPA’s responsibility to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children—this is our number one priority. We’d like to share some important traffic safety reminders.. Please share this information with all of the drivers in your home, in addition to others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding

Drive-Thru Lanes
We realize it can be a frustrating time in the morning and afternoon as students unload/reload all of their things for the day and that many drivers are in a hurry to get to work or an evening commitment. We’d like to ask, in the interest of safety, courtesy, and efficiency, that parents refrain from pulling in front of another car or “leap-frogging” to the front. Please do not pull in front of another person who is paused to allow their child to exit (or enter) the car with their belongings. Read More


Launching Spring Auction 2019!

spring auction 2019 once upon a timeWe are excited to announce that MPA’s Spring Auction 2019–Once Upon a Time will be at the Vadnais Heights Commons on Saturday, May 11! Mark your calendars for the biggest event of the year!

Support MPA by donating auction items, becoming a sponsor, or purchasing your tickets now before they sell out! Find all of the details on the auction’s new website. All donations can be dropped off at the Development Office. If you have any questions please contact Susan Robertson, Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Manager, at 651-748-5531 or via email.


MPA Debate At State

MPA debate at stateMPA debate finished its season on December 1 at the State Tournament at South Saint Paul High School. Overall, the team placed third in the tournament ahead of Minnetonka and Stillwater and behind Rochester Mayo and Eastview High Schools!

In the novice division, the team of juniors Katie Goodno and Ben Lash narrowly missed advancing with an excellent 4-1 record. In junior varsity, the team of junior Quincy Lewis and sophomore Luke Zscheile advanced to quarterfinals, the team of sophomore Hana Miller and junior Charles Grimes advanced to semifinals, and the team of sophomores Ellen Vergin and Isak Dai were the champions in a division of 49 teams. Congratulations, Panthers!


Lori Evert And Per Breiehagen Visit MPA

Lori and PerMPA was delighted to welcome Lori Evert and Per Breiehagen, author and artist of “The Wish Books,” to campus! The series has been featured on the New York Times Best Sellers List, and the students were so excited to meet the creators. There are six books, including “The Polar Bear Wish,” “The Reindeer Wish,” and “The Christmas Wish.” All are colorful Nordic tales inspired by courage, friendship, and the spirit of adventure, starring Lori and Per’s daughter, Anja.

The pair read stories to the Lower Schoolers, answered their wonderful questions, and signed their books. Per also visited with an Upper School digital media class to talk about his career as a photographer. His work has appeared in publications by National Geographic, Disney, Audubon, and Rolling Stone.

A warm thank you to Lori and Per for visiting MPA! See all of the photos at mpa.link/thewishbooks!


Purchase Your Tickets For “The Consul”

students create set pieces for the consulTo see the set pieces made my MPA students in “The Consul,” purchase your tickets here!

The Arbeit Opera Theatre was thrilled to collaborate with MPA and our community to put on this opera. Thank you to all of the students and volunteers who helped out! This 1950s-based show deals with issues of immigration and human rights and is intended for audiences of 13 years or older.


Thank You For Your Generosity

2018 lip sync assemblyThe generosity of the Mounds Park Academy community is truly amazing. During the five weeks of our annual Fall Campaign you showed why MPA matters to you by contributing nearly $300,000 to the MPA Fund, including over $130,000 on Give to the Max Day. The Give to the Max Day Lip Sync Battle, now an established tradition celebrating our fabulous community, was so much fun! Click here to revisit this year’s performance one more time.

The MPA Fund is the lifeblood of our fundraising, supporting the school’s mission and the educators who bring it to life. Through these efforts, our community came together to financially support the next generation of MPA students. So many gifts were given by alumni, current parents, faculty, and staff, in support of our school that is making such an incredible impact in the lives of our students.

And, congratulations to the kindergarten, first grade, second grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade classes for hitting the 70 percent participation mark and winning a party for your students! Lower School classes will receive a party with Mr. Sheehan and the Middle School classes will receive a pizza and games party. Details to follow!

 


Parents Association Opportunities & Events

pa gift wrappingJoin the Parents Association for these exciting upcoming volunteer opportunities and community events!

All School:

MPA Faculty and Staff Gift Wrapping

There are still a few slots open to help with Faculty and Staff Appreciation Gift Wrapping! As a continuation of Faculty and Staff Appreciation during the school year, the MPA Parents Association has a tradition of wrapping gifts for the MPA Faculty and Staff. This year, there will be two gift wrapping events. Come be a part of this joyful experience!

Sign up here to volunteer and wrap gifts for one hour, two hours, or as long as you like! The Parents Association will provide the gift wrapping and all the necessary equipment. We will also provide snacks and drinks–maybe a little holiday music, too! Please contact Tara Matthews-Lafferty at TMattRN@aol.com with any questions. Read More


MPA Sophomores Selected For State Honor Choir

Isak and RyanCongratulations to MPA sophomores Isak Dai and Ryan Ghose, who were selected to be members of the ACDA-MN 9-10 State Honor Choir! They will sing in the Mixed Choir under the direction of Bradley Miller from the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Isak and Ryan will prepare their Honor Choir music for a day-long festival in February, culminating with a performance at Central Lutheran Church. Both Isak and Ryan currently sing in the MPA Concert Choir and Madrigals Singers. Best wishes to our musicians!