All School Archives

December 4, 2016

The Parents Association is once again giftwraps wrapping faculty and staff holiday gifts as a gesture of appreciation. This event is back by popular demand and we’re expecting the elves to be very busy indeed! There are two ways to help:

Donate supplies! Place donations of wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, ribbon, and tape in the bin outside the Parents Association room anytime between now and December 9.
Come wrap! On Monday, December 12 from 8 AM–3:30 PM in the Porter Conference Room parent volunteers will wrap the faculty and staff’s holiday gifts. Snacks and lunch will be provided. Sign-up for one or more shifts here. Use the code “currentparent” if you need to create an account on the Bulletin Board.

Please contact Christine Larson, Parents Association Co-President, via email if you have any questions.

Cultural Celebration: Feliz Navidad Luncheon

December 4, 2016

The Parents Association would like to extend a warm invitation to all MPA friends and family to join us for a Cultural Celebration. Celebrate with your student during their normal lunch hour on Wednesday, December 14 and enjoy Christmas in Mexico. You will dine on traditional lunch fare including pollo guisado (chicken stew), Mexican street corn salad, roast pavo (turkey), tamale pie, and arroz con leche (rice and milk dessert). There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP with your name, student name, and grade. We hope to see many families for this Parents Association Cultural Celebration!

Parent Education Opportunity

December 4, 2016

Parents are invited to attend a live webinar called Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood on Wednesday, December 7 from 3–4 PM in the Porter Conference Room. Celebrated author and psychologist, Dr. Lisa Damour, will explain the seven developmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups and will help adults form happier, healthier relationships with the teenagers in their care. This webinar is for parents and all who work with girls ages 10–19 and is a joint offering through our accrediting agency, Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS). No registration is required.

Pancake Breakfast and Middle School Art Reception

December 4, 2016

The Board of Trustees would like to pppancakesarthead invite you to the Annual Pancake Breakfast and Middle School Art Reception on Wednesday, December 7 from 7:30–8:30 AM! Enjoy a community breakfast while celebrating MPA’s 35-year history in the Cafeteria, then move 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.

Winter Break Extension

December 4, 2016

MPA’s winter break begins on Monday, December 19 and will now extend through Monday, January 2, with classes resuming on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. January 2 is considered a National Holiday, and after careful consideration and review, we have decided to extend winter break to honor that. Panther Club and Den will be available and registration information will be distributed by the Lower and Middle School offices.

Head’s Message: With the Right Fit in Mind

December 1, 2016

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

With my son Mateo, it’s all about the right fit. There is nothing more challenging than taking him clothes shopping. Clothes cannot be too tight or too scratchy, and must feel good. I’ve given up trying to get him to wear anything other than Under Armour shirts and pants. You won’t find any nice family portraits in our home with color coordinated, matching outfits!

Selecting a college is similar to clothes shopping with Mateo. The approach of MPA’s college planning process is to find the right fit for each student, which reflects our commitment to provide a highly personalized approach and individualized attention. The right fit comes also as a result of research and self-reflection, the intellectual ambition of students with what the college or university offers.

We take pride in our approach to finding schools that align with the interests, priorities, passions, and aspirations of our students. Some MPA students choose Ivy League or comparably selective schools. But this is because of their own search process and initiative, not as a result of MPA pushing students so that the list “looks good” in marketing materials. It is not uncommon for some independent schools to measure their success by the number of students attending high-profile schools, but not MPA. Read More

Hour of Code

November 28, 2016

MPA students and parents, please join us after school on Thursday, December 15 to participate in an Hour of Code. Hour of Code is a grassroots, international movement that aims for tens of millions of students to try an hour of coding using Code.org tutorials during Computer Science Education Week.

MPA’s Hour of Code event celebrates the logic, creativity, and problem solving skills that are reinforced with coding. With tutorials focused on Java Script, Scratch, and more, there will be lessons available for all ages and skill levels, including parents.

WHAT: Hour of Code
WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
WHERE: Meet in the cafeteria
WHAT TO BRING: Personal earbuds/headphones, after school snack (if desired), excitement to learn!
WHAT IS PROVIDED: Computer/tablet, coding tutorials
QUESTIONS? Contact Nicole Koen, Academic Technology Coordinator at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE IN ADVANCE.

Note: students do not need a parent/guardian to participate, but if not accompanied by one, will need to be picked up by 4:45 PM. Any Lower or Middle School student not picked up by 4:45 p.m. will go to Panther Club/Den and associated charges will be assessed.

We hope you will be able to join us!

Head’s Message: Gratitude and Joy

November 17, 2016

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Like many of you, I’ve spent a good amount of time lately thinking about gratitude. As Thanksgiving approaches, we naturally contemplate the goodness in our lives. Such reflection takes us outside of ourselves to acknowledge the experiences, events, and people in our lives that bring us joy.

There is a large, and rapidly growing, body of research demonstrating that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. In the “How of Happiness,” researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky defines happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”

Cookie Platters for the Holidays

November 10, 2016

Are you entertaining over the holidays, but don’t have Picture with Cookies time to prepare treats for your guests? Now through December 1, order a platter of four dozen delicious homemade cookies and candies from Rose Wick via email. The price is $40 per platter and all checks can be made payable to MPA. Orders will be ready for pick-up on Friday, December 9 in the Business Office. What a sweet way to support MPA!

Parents Association News

November 10, 2016

The next Cultural Celebration is Christmas, which will be celebrated during our students’ lunch hours. Also, Lower School classes are creating winter-themed ornaments for the Governor’s Residence Ornament project. The ornaments will be displayed in the Lower School office until November 21, then moved to the Governor’s Residence. Public tours of the Residence will be available on December 6 and 20 from 11 AM–1 PM, and December 13 from 5–7 PM. No reservations are required, and tours are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please join us for the Upper School Parents Association Meeting on Friday, November 11, 8:30–9:30 AM in the Porter Conference Room. The agenda includes an update on the makerspace, strategies and tips for surviving high school pressures, discussion on raising caring, respectful, and ethical children, and Upper School second quarter calendar. Coffee and breakfast treats will be served. We are also requesting feedback to see if there’s interest in duplicating the quarterly Upper School Parent Parents Association meetings in an evening format. Email Elizabeth Esch if you would like to attend an evening meeting.

Please contact Christine Larson or Amanda Campbell via email to learn more about the Parents Association and opportunities available.