All School Archives

April 20, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting Anthony T. as head of school for the day. It was a great experience for both of us. We began by greeting students and parents at the south entrance of the school, which I shared was my favorite part of my day. He sat in on several meetings with senior administrators, toured the campus, and reviewed architectural drawings of the new Makerspace. He even chose the carpeting for the space! We also inspected the new roof and the solar panels. At one point, he asked me directly, “What exactly does a head of school do?” Good question, Anthony!

It is often difficult to describe my role to others. I sometimes equate it to being a superintendent of a public school district. As chief academic officer, it is my responsibility to stay abreast of emerging research on learning and developing curriculum to meet the needs of students. But being the head of school is different than leading a public school district. For example, it can be a unique challenge to lead a school with three divisions under one roof. The academic, social, emotional needs of students, teachers, and parents are very distinct.

An MPA “Lifer” Dedicated to Saving Lives

April 20, 2017

As a Lower School student, some of Stephanie Eyerly-Webb’s ’03 favorite MPA moments were watching Upper School kids showcase their annual science contests, such as egg dropping, “flinking,” and building bridges. “This turned me on to science at an early age, and I looked forward to being able to do those projects myself, once I reached Upper School.” Science and math were some of her favorite subjects, and she credits teachers like Mr. Schwieger, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Shapiro, and Ms. Anderson with energizing her with great ideas and classroom projects.

Student-Teacher Collaboration at the Heart

April 15, 2017

Mounds Park Academy fosters innovative teaching that fuels creative thinking and sparks a passion for learning. Every day MPA teachers are creating active and engaging learning opportunities with real-world implications, emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and deep understanding over rote memorization. Every opportunity is maximized to allow students to explore, create, and express their ideas in ways that build on their inherent motivation and self-direction.

Examples of student-directed learning abound at MPA in small and large ways, from allowing students to choose a topic to demonstrate what they’ve learned to engaging them in designing an entire unit. Our teachers love uncovering new and innovative ways to include students in the learning process, guiding them to take ownership for their academic and intellectual development.

Student-Designed Unit a Resounding Success

After teaching in a large urban school district, Middle School history teacher George Dalbo appreciates the comparative flexibility that MPA offers him; he feels that state standards and testing can limit the flexibility of public school teachers.

Earlier this year Dalbo offered an entirely student-driven unit on South Asia. When he initially considered having the students involved in structuring the unit, Dalbo thought that he would simply host a focus group and those students would present ideas to the class. But every student wanted to be involved.

Get to Know a Kindergartner

April 15, 2017

A Q & A With Maahi, MPA Class of 2029

When did you come to MPA and what was the transition like?

I came to MPA … I’m going to say I did it when I was almost … Umm, I don’t remember. Okay, just before the first part of the year. I came in September. For kindergarten. It felt like fun here. When I was in PreK, I cried. Here I didn’t cry because I thought it was a pretty good place.

If you met someone who was unfamiliar With MPA, what would you tell them about our school?

There are so many fun things to do. We have pajama day and we celebrate really cool things about your birthday and there are so many amazing classes. It’s like a party. Kindergarten is so fun. The teachers are nice and tell you that it’s okay to make an accident. You know, you don’t have to do it perfectly.

What is your favorite MPA memory?

My favorite school memory is going outside and feeling how the weather is. And then I also love staying inside and doing beautiful artwork. And some of my favorite memories are in the Monday Morning Meetings … to find out who won the CHAMP awards. And if Mrs. Wright says a kindergartner, it’s so exciting! Read More

Head’s Message: Be Prepared

April 13, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

One of the reasons I love education is that it is unpredictable. Unpredictability is a given when working with children, especially 480 of them! The unexpected hugs from kindergarteners, a sense of accomplishment radiating on the face of a student after a performance, or helping solve a printing problem for an Upper School student who is running late for class, make work enjoyable and rewarding. On the other hand, surprises can be a challenge, perhaps even threatening, and sometimes require a great deal of acumen and attention to successfully address. Yesterday’s discovery of a case of whooping cough in the Upper School was certainly a surprise (see notice here), but I was proud of our school’s immediate response, relying on the experience of administrators and staff members coupled with an excellent crisis communication plan. Read More

Head’s Message: I’d Like to Give You an Assignment

April 6, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Whether your family traveled or stayed local, I hope you had an enjoyable spring break. It’s been wonderful to see the school come alive again after two weeks of a near-empty building. While breaks are a great time for me to delve into projects that require focused attention, I miss the hustle and bustle of a busy school day. In between work days, I did take some time off to spend with my daughter Ari. Upon the recommendation of friends, we spent one afternoon touring the Mill City Museum on the river in downtown Minneapolis. It has been on my list of things to do in the Twin Cities for some time, but without the urging of friends, we probably wouldn’t have made the visit.

Family and friends can not only play a role in choosing a place to visit or a new restaurant, but they can also be instrumental when choosing a school. While new families come to MPA through a wide variety of channels including online research, community events, direct mail, advertisements, etc. the most important way they come to us is through their personal relationships with you, our current community members. Your friends, neighbors, family members, and colleagues are the people who are most likely to find MPA to be the right fit for their family. This is only natural since you are likely to share similar values related to your children and their education.

“Traveling” to South America This Summer

March 20, 2017

by John Witt, Lower and Middle School Spanish Teacher

I really enjoy expanding my own academic and personal interests with students during summer language classes. I love that I have more time to explore culture more in-depth, so students can experience it through fun and creative perspectives.

This year, I will be “traveling” with Lower School Spanish students to a few major cities of South America on virtual tours! This gives students a chance to use vocabulary that they have learned over the school year. We will also expand our knowledge of other countries through activities and games that share the rich culture of each place.

I am also offering a refresher course for Middle School students that will be conversation-based. I find that in the summer, older students really want a chance to learn more about culture in other countries and practice their conversation skills.

For more information and to register for these or other summer classes or Panther Camp weeks, visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer.

Creating and Exploring Through i-Term

March 20, 2017

One week. No grades. No homework. One incredible experiential class of the student’s choice. It’s i-Term for MPA’s Middle School students and the photos are flooding in. Find them by class here and try not to be jealous! Their experiences have been exceptional!

Where In The World Are These Panthers?

March 20, 2017

Whether your Spring Break takes you across town or around the world, send MPA your photos so our social media followers can try to guess your location. This was a very fun and popular feature last summer and we hope it will be again this Spring Break. Hints and Panther gear more than welcome! No names will be used. Email us at communications@moundsparkacademy.org. Safe travels!

Black Box Theatre Takes Center Stage

March 20, 2017

We are excited to announce that this year’s Spring Auction Fund a Need will allow MPA to transform the Black Box Theatre! This important initiative will support a staple space in our community used by all students for both classroom instruction and theatre performances. Our goal is to raise $100,000. This will allow us to:

modernize our electrical system for safety and practicality based on the theatre’s heavy usage;
reimagine the costume room layout with a room expansion and storage redesign;
replace the current Black Box curtains with a full set of performance and masking curtain options;
elevate our many audience members’ comfort with new seating;
accommodate multiple theatre venue styles with a new, flexible set of seating platforms;
remodel the make-up room with new paint, lights, seating, and cohesive storage concepts and much, much more!

Watch for more information to come about this exciting project and get your tickets to the Spring Auction today!