All School Archives

November 1, 2016

Dear MPA Community,

I am writing to share some bittersweet news. After 40 incredible years in education, Joe Kordosky, our athletic director, will be retiring at the end of this school year. As you are all aware, Kordo is a genuine legend at MPA and he will be deeply missed by students, parents, alumni, coaches, faculty, and staff. This, his final year, will be his 28th as MPA’s athletic director. “I don’t know that much has really changed here at MPA in my time. It’s always been about the kids and my role has always been to provide them with the best possible athletics experience,” he shared.

That’s exactly what Kordo has done. He built our school’s athletics program from the ground up, ultimately leading MPA to nine state team championships and 18 state individual championships. His vision helped the Lansing Center become a reality. He worked tirelessly to secure the absolute best coaches for our students and place MPA in the right conferences at the right times.

“I will never forget the day MPA was finally accepted into its first conference. I made the announcement at lunch and the news received a standing ovation. It was such a special moment in the history of our school as it helped further establish our legitimacy,” he said.

From Dr. Hudson: Show Me Your Budget and I’ll Tell You About Your Mission

October 27, 2016

Growing up, we had next door neighbors with two boys who were the same age as my brother and me. As you might imagine, there was a lot of back and forth between the two houses and our families were very close. During our middle school years, our neighbors finished their basement, installing a TV room, a game room with a pool table, and a workout room. I remember asking my parents, “When are we going to finish our basement?!” “We have no plans to do so,” replied my father. When I pressed him further, he simply said that we have different priorities. We never did renovate the basement and we didn’t always have the newest cars or the latest gadgets. We did, however, receive a gift that has paid dividends for a lifetime—an independent school education.

From Dr. Hudson: My Time Away

October 13, 2016

You may have noticed my absence from my post at the South Entrance during drop-off this week. As I’ve often shared before, this time is probably the best part of my day and I love connecting with students and parents each morning. I work hard to reserve that time in my calendar and there isn’t much that keeps me away. This week, however, I had to miss my morning visits with the MPA community in order to spend four days serving on a visiting team for accreditation at the Marshall School in Duluth.

Like Marshall, Mounds Park Academy is a member of the Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS). The purpose of ISACS is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high achievements, social responsibility, and independence of governance, programs and policies. This goal is achieved through a rigorous accreditation process, targeted professional development programs, and focused support services.

Parents Association News

October 6, 2016

MS Parent Education Event
Please join us on Friday October 14 from 8-9 AM in the PCR for our first Middle School Parent Education Event, “Topics in 21st Century Education.” We will discuss non-cognitive skills development, including ideas for parents to help foster these traits in their children and provide time for Q&A and sharing. Anyone interested is welcome to attend! There will be no charge after 7.55 AM for Panther Club during this event.

Save the Date – Diwali Mela
The Parents Association would like to invite all MPA friends and families to our Diwali Mela, Wednesday, October 26 at 3:10 PM. Diwali means the spreading of light and Mela means to gather or meet. During our Hindu festival of lights we will give thanks for health, wealth, and peace, by participating in a variety of traditions. You won’t want to miss this FREE opportunity to get a Henna design, create your very own Diya and play Tambola! Have you ever wondered why women in India wear a red dot on their forehead? You’ll learn the answer to this question and much more about Indian culture while immersing yourself in authentic food, music and crafts.
Details
Wednesday October 26, 3:10 – 4:30 PM
Cafeteria | No cost to participate | An adult must accompany all Lower School students.
Why celebrate Diwali? This year, the Parents Association has launched a new effort to bring more awareness by honoring cultural celebrations of our rich community. The Parents Association would like to ask for help from the MPA community to host our Diwali Mela! Volunteers are needed throughout the celebration at various stations to assist guests. You don’t need to have Diwali experience to volunteer but a willingness to have fun is requested! Click on the following link to volunteer for this unique celebration: www.moundsparkacademy.org/diwali.

Please note: Upper School students, you may earn service hours by volunteering at this community-building event.

From Dr. Hudson: What Problem Do You Want To Solve?

October 5, 2016

“Instead of asking children what they want to be when they grow up, we should instead ask them what problem do they want to solve,” said Jaime Casap, chief educational evangelist at Google. According to Casap, most jobs of the future haven’t been defined yet. Instead of preparing students to enter today’s workforce, we should foster a mindset that empowers students for success in a rapidly dynamic, global society.

Author Ken Bain, in his book, “What the Best College Students Do” draws a distinction between “strategic” learners and “deep” learners. Strategic learners are driven by external rewards, such as grades and honors. They often have superficial understanding of their disciplines and are rarely able to transfer that learning. Conversely, according to Bain, deep learners are driven by their own curiosity and sense of wonder. They conceive of their own education as a great adventure. They are reflective, self-directed, and autonomous. They are resilient and embrace failure. They see themselves as part of a broader learning community, and they find perspective, support, and inspiration from that community. In the long term, they are more successful—and happier.

From Dr. Hudson: Makerspace Coming to MPA

September 22, 2016

I am incredibly thrilled to announce that Mounds Park Academy has received an anonymous donation of $500,000 to build a makerspace. A makerspace is a hands-on, creative center for students to design, experiment, build, and invent as they deeply engage in art, science, engineering, and tinkering. This very generous gift is a key element in making our MPA vision of 21st century learning a reality! It’s also a reminder that all philanthropic gifts, both big and small allow MPA to continue to grow, to transform, and above all, they truly make a difference in the lives of our students.

An advisory committee comprised of teachers, administrators, parents, and outside experts is currently being formed to work closely with the architects and builders. You are invited to be a part of the process by participating in a listening session on Thursday, October 6 from 3:30-5:00 PM in the Porter Conference Room. If you are unable to attend the session and you have ideas you’d like to share, please feel free to email them to me directly.

Cultural Celebrations at MPA

September 15, 2016

Known as the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, the MPA Parents Association is honoring Eid Al-Adha by collecting household items for refugee families for the month of September. Muslims often celebrate this holiday by giving to community members in need.

Our partner in this effort is the International Institute of Minnesota, an organization placing more than 100 refugee families in Minnesota. Upon arrival these families receive only a small grant ($900) to start their new life in America. Imagine trying to find a place to live, transportation, cover basic necessities and medical needs—and get your kids enrolled in school—with that amount of money.

Homecoming Athletics Preview

September 15, 2016

Fall sports’ finest athletes and favorite teams will be on full display for Homecoming. Here are the not-to-miss matchups …

Wolfpack Football vs. New Life Academy
Friday, September 23, 7 PM
Park High School, Cottage Grove
Coming off an undefeated regular season in 2015, the SMB Wolfpack, a cooperative team of MPA, SPA, Blake, and Minnehaha Academy look to make it two victories in a row over New Life Academy. They haven’t given up a single point this season. MPA players include senior defensive back Charlie Kramer (#88), sophomore wide receiver Will Kramer (#30), and junior offensive lineman Takele Thompson-Nelson (#75).

Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament
Saturday, September 24, 9 AM, 10:15 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM
Lansing Sports Center
With a 3-2 record, including a win over rival SPA, volleyball is off to a great start. Sophomore star Maia Kelly, named to the IMAC All Conference team last year, leads the Panthers, but watch for up and coming seventh grader Kaija Kunze-Hoeg to contribute as well.
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A Message from Dr. Hudson: Our Community

September 15, 2016

“I think I’ve learned more at MPA since school began than I ever did at my old school,” said my daughter Ari, who just started as a fifth grader. You better believe I tuned in quickly and listened deeply, both as a parent and as the head of school. “Tell me more,” I said, trying to mask my eagerness. For the next 40 minutes, as we battled traffic on our way home, Ari went on to share with me her observations after three weeks at MPA. As I listened as the head of school, I became more and more proud of our teachers and staff. As a parent, I became more and more convinced that we made the right choice in choosing MPA.

It has been said that students won’t care what teachers know until they know that they care. Ari’s teachers have taken the time to know her personally, to see her strengths, and have begun intentionally building a unique relationship with her. In turn, her motivation has increased and she has become more invested in her own education. Ari has found a home at MPA.

But strong, personal relationships are not reserved only for teachers and students at MPA—they are a hallmark of our parent community as well. It is not uncommon for parents to become friends in their own right, independent of their children (imagine that!). I recently attended a Spring Auction Great Gathering and reveled in the camaraderie among parents throughout the evening. It was clear to me that parents find a home at MPA as well.

Dream Big. Do Right.

September 8, 2016

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words in trying to describe something very important to you? Several years ago, Mounds Park Academy launched a strategic planning process in order to chart a path forward over the next five years. A committee was formed with representation from various MPA constituent groups, including parents, alumni, students, trustees, staff, and teachers. During our work, the committee quite often returned to a very simple but profound challenge: How do we articulate the very essence of what makes MPA such a special and unique school? So many of us know the answer in our hearts but fumble at the “right way” to describe MPA.

In response to that challenge, we partnered with Friends & Neighbors in early 2016, a nationally known yet locally based, strategic creative agency to conduct comprehensive market research. The objectives of the study were to understand the attitudes and motivations of prospective families related to education, increase our understanding of the decision-making process for school enrollment, and to help all of us put into words the “why” of MPA. This was a very exhaustive and in-depth project grounded in a great deal of both qualitative and quantitative research.

Based on what we learned the refreshed MPA brand has been defined. Our brand is an authentic expression of MPA’s true story. In the words of the father of advertising, David Ogilvy, “the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.” Our identity. Our unique story. Our heart and our soul.