All School

October 2, 2014

The Strategic Planning Committee, comprised of representatives from the various MPA constituent groups, has been meeting monthly. It is poised to engage the MPA community more formally through a community-wide survey and constituent-based focus groups. Look for the link to the e-survey in next week’s Panther Post edition, and please complete the survey by October 18. We hope every MPA family will respond to the survey so we can consider the most robust information as we craft our Strategic Plan.

Focus groups representing various MPA constituencies will also meet to permit in-depth discussions about MPA today and in the future. If you are willing to be considered to participate in a parents, staff, faculty or alumni focus group, please contact MPA Board Co-Chair Nan Etzwiler at nancy@etzwiler.com by October 10, 2014. Be sure to indicate the focus group in which you hope to participate. The Strategic Planning Committee leaders will select for each focus group 10-15 persons from among those expressing interest.

Focus groups members, meetings dates and times will be announced prior to the MEA weekend. Board, Parents Association, the MPA Alumni Association and others will also meet. Students in grades 6-12 who are interested in being considered for the student focus group should contact their division directors by no later than October 10. We invite you to join us in this journey to offer your vision and input.

September 24, 2014

High-pressure fundraising campaigns that guilt you into giving? There’s no joy in that. And at MPA, we’re all about the joy. Our joyful approach to learning — combined with a rigorous curriculum and exceptional faculty — sets us apart from other college preparatory schools. Here, students achieve long-term success without burning out or taking themselves too seriously.

This fall, we’re mounting a seven-week joy-raising campaign to celebrate our school, come together as a community, and invest in our institution. The festivities kick off with a free event for parents on Thursday, Oct. 9, 4-6 p.m. at Hillcrest Golf Club, with complimentary childcare at Panther Club until 6:30 p.m. It’ll be a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere where you can relax with other parents, enter drawings for special MPA merchandise, and hear from Dr. Bill Hudson, Development Director LaTasha St. Arnault, and Fall Campaign Chair Jennifer Gatti.

To RSVP, email community@moundsparkacademy.org or call the RSVP line at 651-748-5534

Your gifts provide essential support to MPA, such as funding the financial aid program, providing support for new academic initiatives, updates to our facilities, our athletic programs, and the arts — every gift to MPA demonstrates a commitment to our school. It closes the gap between tuition income and the actual cost of creating an outstanding, personalized education. It sends a powerful signal that MPA is something wonderful and important.

And all joy counts, in all amounts. We are humbled by the continued generosity of our community, and we appreciate that giving is very individual. Every donation is voluntary, welcomed and valued. Every financial contribution helps ensure that an MPA education is attainable and accessible to families across the Twin Cities, and also provides a tax-deductible way to support our school.

We hope to see you at our joyful campaign kickoff on the 9^th! Please mark your calendar for this all-joy, no-pressure event. If you have any questions, please reach out to LaTasha or Jenn.

September 11, 2014

2014 Homecoming Schedule Friday, September 19th
4:30 PM – Academy Football vs. Minnehaha Academy — SPA Randolph Campus

Saturday, September 20th
8:30-10:30 AM – Free Coffee & Breakfast Treats – North Entrance Lobby
9 AM – Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament – Lansing Sports Center (LSC)
9 AM – Girls Varsity Tennis Tournament – MPA Tennis Courts
9 AM–12 PM MPA Spirit Store Open – Located in Science Wing off North Entrance Lobby
9:45–10:30 AM – Fun Run Obstacle Course
• PreK – Grade 4 aged students – all MPA, alumni, & employee children encouraged to participate
• Registration – 9:45 AM – North Entrance Lobby
• Event – 10:00 AM – McKeown Track
10:15 AM – Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament – Round 2 – LSC
10:30 AM–11:15 PM – Activities and Games for Families
• Face Painting, Bean Bag Tournament, Bouncy House, Spirit Hair, Ring Toss & more
10:30–1PM – Bouncy House / Inflatable Games
10:30 AM– 2 PM – MPA Alumni Concessions
• Food available at North Entrance Lobby and Athletic Fields
• Hot Dogs, Brats, Burgers, Nachos, Popcorn, Candy, Water, Soda
11 AM – Girls Varsity Soccer vs. St. Paul Harding – MPA Stadium
11:30 AM – Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament – Round 3 – LSC
12 PM – Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Cretin-Derham Hall – MPA Tennis Courts
1 PM –  Boys JV Soccer vs. St. Paul Harding – MPA Upper Field
1 PM –  Boys Varsity Soccer vs. St. Paul Harding – MPA Stadium
1 PM – Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament – Round 4
2:30 PM – Girls Varsity Volleyball Tournament – Championship – LSC
8–11 PM –  (US Only) Homecoming Dance – Black Box

April 16, 2014

A message from Summer Programs Director Kirsten Mulraney:

Dear Families,

I am pleased to inform you that Mounds Park Academy’s Summer Program has been approved to participate in a grant program through the Office of Higher Education in the state of Minnesota.

The Summer Academic Enrichment Program will provide stipends on a first-come, first-served basis, to cover all or a portion of the direct cost to the student for attending Summer@MPA during the summer of 2014.

To qualify for this grant, students must:

• Provide me with documentation to verify that the student’s family qualifies for free or reduced lunch per the guidelines.
• Students in grades 7-11 will also need to provide documentation that the student has earned at least an overall C average or its equivalent for the most recently recorded academic term (semester/quarter/ trimester) or have earned at least a C average or its equivalent for the most recently recorded academic term in the academic subject area  of the camp or classes.

Students must apply for a stipend covering the cost of enrichment at Summer@MPA from the Office of Higher Education directly through me (Kirsten Mulraney). I must enter student’s information on a secure website. Click Here for a list of information I need in order to complete each student’s application. If you choose, you can either make an appointment to sit with me while I apply for your student online, or you can send me your student’s information via email, or in a document delivered to me. All information will be disposed of in a secure way once the application is completed.

If you are interested in applying for this grant, please contact me as soon as possible. Funds are limited. Once you are approved, I will notify you and you can register your child for the classes of his/herchoice.

If you wish to check out the website explaining the grant, you can do so by clicking here.

Please contact me with questions.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Mulraney
Extended Day and Summer Program Director
Mounds Park Academy
651.748.5571

April 16, 2014

From US Science teacher Mitch Thomsen: The Ramsey-Washington County Watershed District is committed to improving the water quality of the lakes, ponds and streams in the two county area. The construction of rainwater gardens throughout the area is crucial in achieving this goal. These gardens capture runoff water that would otherwise rush into rain sewers, lakes and streams without any chance of being cleansed. The Mounds Park Academy community has been heaving involved in this effort since the 1990’s beginning with our work at Ames Lake. The award-winning MPA rainwater garden is a large example of those efforts. The MPA rainwater gardens captures water that runs off the roof and the parking lots. This allows the land to absorb and cleanse the water before it reaches our pond and then travels on to Lake Phalen. The result is a more stable pond level, a cleaner pond and much cleaner water that leaves our property on its way to Lake Phalen. The seedlings that are being set will be used this summer for rainwater gardens at Keller Golf course, Redeeming Love Church and our own MPA rainwater gardens. Students in the Biology and Environmental Education classes at MPA will be involved in these planting projects.