Thank You For Your Generosity

students cheering at give to the max day assemblyThe Thanksgiving season is a traditional time to recognize and appreciate all that is good in one’s life. At Mounds Park Academy, we are thankful for the continued generosity of our community. This year’s annual five-week Joyful Learning, Joyful Giving Fall Campaign grew like an ocean wave with its peak on Give to the Max Day! Of the nearly $300,000 in gifts throughout the campaign, 43 percent was contributed on that day alone! Incredible! Thank you!

This year’s Give to the Max Day also included the Lip Sync Battle! In its third year, the event is now an established tradition celebrating our fabulous community! Click here to revisit this year’s fun one more time!


Happy Give To The Max Day!

Upper school studentsAs of noon, MPA families have raised an incredible $41,028. If we reach $75,000, a generous family will give a bonus gift of $25,000 to get us to the goal of $100,000 today! Incredible!As of noon, MPA families have raised an incredible $41,028. If we reach $75,000, a generous family will give a bonus gift of $25,000 to get us to the goal of $100,000 today! Incredible!

In celebration of such generosity on Give to the Max Day, please join us for a Lip Sync Assembly this afternoon in the Lansing Sports Center at 2:20 PM featuring performances from across all divisions. You won’t want to miss the fabul ous line up of faculty and students.

As Dr. Hudson shared in his Head’s Message, “I give out of gratitude, in thanksgiving for the transformational experience my daughter, and your children, are receiving. I give because parenting is tough and I need and appreciate all the help I can get. I give as a manifestation of hope.” Follow along on Facebook as MPA’s faculty and staff share why they give to MPA each hour!

Please join Dr. Hudson, faculty, and staff, and make a gift…

If you have any questions about making a gift, please contact Matt Magers, Director of Development at 651-748-5532 or via email .


“Screenagers” Viewing And Discussion

Screenagers promoHow much time does your child spend looking at screens? On average, children spend six and a half hours a day on screens, and that’s not including in the classroom or while doing homework. Do you think violent video games desensitize people to violence? Have you experienced people using screens to avoid face-to-face interactions? Does your child ever make comments online that he or she wouldn’t make in person? These are all questions that every parent struggles with and MPA would like to help better equip you to navigate this important issue.

We had so many members of our community join us for a viewing of Screenagers, followed by energetic and intriguing discussion. For those who were not able to attend, we will be hosting an additional viewing on campus on January 9 from 8-10 AM in the Recital Hall. Please join us!


Join Us For Lunch At MPA

Lower School students together on the playgroundPlease join us for lunch here at MPA! Join us on Tuesday, December 12 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM for our next Admission Event, Lunch at MPA!

This will include a casual lunch with students and administrators, as well as a tour of campus to see students and teachers in action during a regular school day. We look forward to getting to know everyone!

Kindly RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org.


MPA Pancake Breakfast

MPA Pancake BreakfastSave the date for the annual Pancake Breakfast! On Wednesday, December 6 from 7-8 AM in the Cafeteria, come celebrate MPA’s 36-year history with us while enjoying a community breakfast served by the Board of Trustees. There will be homemade pancakes fresh from the griddle, a variety of delicious toppings, savory sides, coffee, and juice!

Afterwards, you’re additionally invited into the Gallery to view beautiful artwork created by MPA Middle School students. Please contact Laurie Foss, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, via email or at 651-748-5522 with any questions.

 


Love Your Melon & MPA

Girls in Love Your Melon hatsMPA alum Zach Quinn ’11 co-founded Love Your Melon and is making an incredible difference in the lives of children and families battling cancer. He is one of many dreamers and doers who have passed through the halls of MPA.

If you weren’t able to get your MPA-branded Love Your Melon hat at Homecoming, no fear! A shop will be popping up on Tuesday, November 21!

  • Lansing Lobby, 7:30-8 AM
  • South Entrance. 2-3:30 PM

Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted. Pom hats are $45 and the others are $30. Proceeds go directly to Love Your Melon’s non-profit partners.


Dreaming Big At The CHAMP Assembly

img-responsiveThe theme of the Lower School CHAMP assembly Wednesday was “Be brave and dream big.” This represents the new CHAMP character trait, courage, reminding students of how much their dreams matter and to stay true to who they are, think big, take risks, and be courageous in all of their endeavors.

Students designed posters that served as self-reflections. They started with an outline of their faces, and sketched in portraits of unique hairstyles, sleeping eyes, and whatever they were dreaming up at the moment. These illustrations are an emblematic way to show what kind of dreamer they are, including responses such as World Dreamer, Outside-The-Box Dreamer, Silly Dreamer, and Independent Dreamer. The posters will soon decorate the Lower School hallway.

Click here for more photos of our dreamers!


Give To The Max Day

E club planting treesMark your calendars for Give to the Max Day on November 16 and the end of the Fall Campaign on November 17. If we reach our goal of $75,000 that day, a generous MPA family will contribute an additional $25,000, bringing our grand total to $100,00!

Also, please join us for a Lip Sync Battle on Give to the Max Day in the Lansing Sports Center at 2:20 PM featuring performances from faculty and staff across all divisions. Check out a recap of last year’s event to get you excited!

To make a gift …
  • Pledge now and donate later! Make a pledge by simply emailing Matt Magers, Director of Development, at mmagers@moundsparkacademy.org.
  • Click here to give online today or on Give to the Max Day!
  • Visit the Development Office anytime or on Give to the Max Day. We accept cash, check, or credit cards and are open daily from 8 AM–4 PM.
If you have any questions about making a gift, please contact the Development Team, at 651-748-5532 or via email.


“Peter Pan” Across Disciplines

students sewing together crocodile costumeThis isn’t your traditional Peter Pan! Twenty-seven Middle School actors and more than 20 students working backstage have been dedicating their time in and outside of school to concentrate on even the smallest details of costume design, set construction, and more. The sold-out production is bringing the community together in creative, challenging, and hands-on ways.

Weeks ago, before anyone knew all the words to “Neverland,” Upper School students started working with Middle School students on costumes for the cast. The kind of imagination possible through this mentorship shows the strengths of our PreK-12 community.

“Our costume crew grew from five to nine people in basically a day, and a few of them are younger siblings of my friends, so it’s cool to get to know them better,” said sophomore Solie Svennevig-Brosi. “I’m excited to make an awesome show with them!”

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Declan Dahlberg Signs With U of M

Declan signing letter for University of MinnesotaMounds Park Academy is proud to announce that senior Declan Dahlberg signed with the University of Minnesota’s Track and Field and Cross Country Teams. An exceptional student athlete, Declan was accepted to the University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“I’m extremely excited to start this new chapter of my academic and athletic career next fall, and I’m honored to do it at the University of Minnesota. In the end, the combination of my interactions with Coach Plascencia, the boys on the team, and the school in general made this an easy choice. I’m extremely grateful to my high school coaches, Dan Ethier, Jerry Slater, and Bev Docherty, my parents, and my teammates and friends for helping me get to this point. I could not have achieved any of this without all of their support,” said Declan.

Declan is a two-time state champion (1600m in Track and Cross Country as a junior). He also finished second twice (3200m in Track as a junior and Cross Country as a senior). He is a seven-time state qualifier and seven-time All State Honoree between Track and Cross Country. Remarkably, he was part of both of the two closest finishes in Cross Country State Meet history.

Outside of athletics, Declan is an exceptional student and volunteer. He is an academic All State Recipient with a 3.98 Cumulative GPA, making honor roll every semester of high school. Declan was one of 14 members of the MPA Class of 2018 to be inducted into the National Honor Society on October 12, 2017. His selection was due to his exemplary commitment to service, leadership, character, and academics, tenants of NHS and Mounds Park Academy. He writes the weekly Run, Write, Repeat Blog for running website MileSplit MN.

Interested in pursuing medical school after college, Declan volunteers in the emergency room at St. John’s Hospital and does melanoma research with Professor Timothy Lyden at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls specifically related to the 3D modeling of melanoma tumors.

He is a highly skilled percussionist, pianist, violinist, and choral member, exemplifying the balance between academics, arts, and athletics that students find at Mounds Park Academy.

Click here to see more photos!