All School Archives

September 7, 2017

Welcome back to another school year at MPA! Believe it or not, Conference week is fast approaching, September 25-28, 2017. One longstanding tradition at MPA is to provide nourishment for the 100+ faculty and staff during this week. Our faculty and staff spend extra hours at school during this week and one way to help support them is to provide food all day long. (Dinners on Tuesday and Thursday nights that week are provided by the Parents Association directly).

Contributions from families are essential! Please consider signing up for any item(s) you would like to contribute. We will be using Sign Up Genius this year. Please click here to sign up >

Items may be dropped off in the Parents Association Room in the Cafeteria on the designated day between 7:30 AM and 8 AM, or at your convenience. There is a refrigerator for perishable items. Please leave a note on any items left in the Parents Association room.

Contact Tara Matthews-Lafferty or Mary Messner with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support of MPA faculty and staff.

Ideas for a Learning-Rich Summer

June 8, 2017

By Dr. Bill Hudson, Mounds Park Academy Head of School

Summer was made for students. That might sound counterintuitive for the head of an independent PreK–12 school to say, but please hear me out.

Consider the words that best describe the students who call MPA home: freethinkers, free spirits, risk takers, right makers. Dreamers and doers. Throughout the school year, we promote these qualities across our academic and extracurricular activities. We create days that are filled with wonder so that students emerge from each year even more joyful, confident, and creative than they were in the fall.

Then summer comes. Extra time, a slower pace, and beautiful weather, all set the perfect stage for MPA students, and all children, to continue developing those qualities on their own and with their families.

Full Circle

June 1, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

My grandmother used to say that everything comes full circle, that in one way or another, we end up where we began. As we mark the end of the school year, we celebrate the ways in which the academic careers of our graduating seniors have come full circle.

This past week was the seniors’ last at MPA. They celebrated in a number of ways, including a fun senior “prank.” (I must share with you that MPA is the only school I know of where the seniors work with the administration in advance to plan their prank.) Upper School teachers served them waffles for breakfast and I treated them to Chipotle for lunch. For me, the lunch comes full circle from last fall when I met with them in groups of 10 over lunch and asked them to share with me their college dreams. Having come full circle, they received offers of admission from 113 different colleges and universities in 31 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada. Next fall they plan to matriculate to 33 different schools in 14 states.

Advice For Their Kindergarten Friends

May 26, 2017

We asked several members of the Class of 2017 what advice they have for the members of the Class of 2029, current kindergartners. Here are a few of their thoughts …

“Being fair and passionate never goes out of style. Don’t lose sight of what you want to do. Sometimes your kindergarten passion is your lifelong passion. Don’t abandon it too soon.”
–Jack Gangestad

“I would advise the Class of 2029 to be grateful for the opportunities at MPA and to be appreciative of the time they have here, since it goes fast!”
–Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin

Rigor with Purpose in Engineering & Design

May 26, 2017

Upper School students in Engineering & Design were recently set free to ask two very important questions that get at the heart of science and the core of engineering: What is your need and how can I help? Students were then able to produce real solutions in 3-D.

Marc Shapiro, a Mounds Park Academy science faculty member and MPA’s FIRST Robotics coach, developed this project, which had two goals: to introduce students to 3-D printing and provide a useful device to an MPA faculty or staff member.

To determine genuine needs, Shapiro surveyed faculty and staff via email about what problems they had with their respective workspaces or how they wanted to enhance their classrooms. He compiled a list that he gave his students to review. For some teachers, those old-school rubber door stops just weren’t working; others wanted chairs that didn’t wobble. Each student ranked the projects according to interest, then Shapiro made the matches and let the students take it from there.

Finding The Right Kindergarten

May 26, 2017

by Renee Wright, Mounds Park Academy Lower School Director

What makes a strong kindergarten program? How do you know what will be a good fit for your child? Should you find a program that stresses academics, play, or one that promotes both? Is a public neighborhood school the right choice or a private one with small classes?

There is no one right answer, and every family needs to base the decision on what works best for its individual circumstances and family values. Given our experience at Mounds Park Academy, a private PreK–12 school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, we believe that strong kindergarten programs are places where the following occur: Read More

Honoring MPA’s Luminares

May 25, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I am notorious for having eyeglasses covered with fingerprints and smudges. I don’t always take the time to slow down and clean them on a regular basis. My mother would often exclaim, with equal parts resignation and frustration, “It’s a wonder you can see anything with those glasses!” She tells me the same thing about the windows in our house, admonishing me for letting them get so dingy. Mothers are always right, of course, and when I do clean them, I really do see and appreciate the difference, seeing the world anew, with a degree of clarity.

Let’s Talk About Digital Citizenship

May 18, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

In the battle with my children over the internet, the Circle has become my favorite tool and their nemesis. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a device that connects to the home Wi-Fi and enables parents to set limits on what children are accessing online, when they can access it, and for how long. It allows us to monitor and filter what and how Mateo and Ari are using the internet. It drives the kids crazy, but gives us parents a modicum of relief in the never-ending, always contentious, struggle over screen time and technology.

The advancement of technology has made navigating childhood and adolescence increasingly complex, not only for students but for their parents as well. In particular, social media and online safety have been of particular concern. Although the research on the effects of internet use on adolescent social development is inconclusive, educators are working to better understand social interactions through technology in the larger context of adolescent development so they can help students grow into healthy and happy adults.

Head’s Message: Differentiated and Personalized Learning at MPA

May 11, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Several years ago, a battle was waging between parents in the form of bumper stickers. For every “My Child is on the Honor Roll at Lakeside Elementary,” there was one that read, “All Children are Honored at Creekside Elementary.” The bumper stickers were symptomatic of an overall conversation about how to meet the needs of all learners. The problem, in my opinion, was that the conversation focused on only one dimension of education, the intellect. There is more to education than ability.

While I don’t see as many of those bumper stickers as I once did, educators have yet to find the appropriate way to frame the conversation that is inclusive of all learners, on both ends of the spectrum. Special education programs have been mainstream for many years. In recent years, many school districts have created discreet gifted and talented programs. Together with comprehensive programs, these offerings segment learners in order to meet their needs.

Head’s Message: Coming Together

May 4, 2017

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending our school’s production of Pippin. I am impressed on so many levels with the accomplishments of our students. The singing was phenomenal, the music was beautiful, and the acting and staging was excellent. I was also struck by the diversity of the cast and crew. Students from across all three grade levels, peer groups, and interests were represented. It was an “MPA Moment” that captured the mission of our school.