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Upper School Division News December 15, 2022

December 15, 2022

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Last Wednesday afternoon, there was a mad rush in the Upper School Commons. An unaware onlooker may have thought that free pizza or ice cream was being distributed. Instead, it was upper school students getting their nametags and locations for the first MPA Pairing Assembly in more than two years. A Pairing Assembly is where students, often from different divisions, are paired with one another to participate in an activity. The first Pairing Assembly this year aligned with the school-wide Book Festival and was a reading assembly. The goal of the assembly was to have students get to know someone they may not usually spend time with and to read an age/developmentally-appropriate book together. There are many benefits to establishing mentor/mentee relationships like this. According to Youth.gov, “the supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term and contribute to a host of benefits for both the mentor and mentee.” Read More

Parents Association News & Events December 15, 2022

December 15, 2022

Thank You!
A big thank you to everyone who made this year’s Book Festival a success. We raised over $3500 for the library, donated over 100 books to teacher classroom libraries, and enjoyed a week of celebrating reading. It would not have happened without the generous support of MPA families, as well as the time and energy of our volunteers. We appreciate you all!

Success
Another successful year wrapping gifts for MPA Faculty and Staff. Parent volunteers turned out to share community and work together to wrap 221 gifts brought in by 20 MPA staff members. It was a real team effort but we got it done. A special thank you to all our parent volunteers who joined us in the PCR.

Help Plan Middle School Snow Tubing in 2023
Snow Tubing is coming back! This super fun all MS event is in the works. We’re looking for volunteers to plan the event. Planning meetings will start after Winter Break. To get involved, email info@moundsparkacademy.org. Save the date, Thursday, February 16. Read More

Parents Association News & Events December 8, 2022

December 8, 2022

Holiday Gift Wrapping Event
Monday, December 12, 2022
Join the Parents Association for this beloved and festive holiday event in the Porter Conference Room (PCR). MPA faculty and staff bring in their unwrapped gifts. We wrap, decorate, and return them. MPA faculty and staff are truly grateful for this gift of time. And the atmosphere really gets everyone in the holiday spirit. Sign up for one hour or as many as you would like. Time slots at the end of the day may also be used for clean-up and gift delivery. The PA supplies all wrapping materials however, donations of gift wrapping, ribbon, and bows are greatly appreciated. Send questions to Tara at tmattrn@aol.com or cell 201-563-4622.

There are still plenty of time slots available. Sign up here.

MPA Book Festival Is Happening!
Support the Joy of Reading at MPA. The annual MPA Book Festival is here, just in time for Winter Break reading or holiday gifts! There’s still time to visit the Book Festival in-person or online.

Ways To Support MPA’s Book Festival

Visit the Gallery to purchase new books and gift cards. During the week of the Book Festival, Usborne will be selling books in the Gallery, and Valley Bookseller gift cards will be available for purchase. A portion of the profits generated from those sales will be donated to our library.
Help build a teacher’s classroom library. We will have the books our teachers requested for their classroom libraries available for purchase in the Gallery. Check or cashless payment only. You can hand-deliver the books you select, or we can deliver them for you. Download the list here.
Visit the Used Book Sale. Lower School used books will be sold in the Lower School Atrium at drop off and pick up. Middle School and Upper School used books will be sold during lunch and recess outside the Family Commons. We have an excellent selection of books for all ages. All proceeds raised from the Used Book Sale benefit the library.

Alumni Holiday Shopping Guide

December 8, 2022

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping. The Alumni Association Board developed this for graduated MPA students to share their business/products to be featured in an Alumni Holiday Shopping Guide!

Monday—Hippy Feet
Why buy Hanes when you can buy Hippy Feet?! @hippyfeetsocks, co-founded by Sam Harper ‘12, are sure to be a hit this holiday season. These fun patterned socks, clothing and accessories are sure to be the perfect stocking stuffer. Plus, Hippy Feet is a socially responsible sock company on a mission to help homeless youth. 50% of company profits are donated to support non-profit organizations that are working to help young people in need. Learn more at www.hippyfeet.com

Tuesday—Pas de Deux Dance Studio
‘Plie’ your way into 2023 with Pas de Deux Dance Studio, owned by Zachari Wetz ‘99! Give the gift of dance lessons this season! Offering ballet classes for ages 3 through adult. @pasdedeuxdancestudio’s mission is to develop a love of dance in a supportive and family-friendly environment. Convenient to most areas of the Twin Cities- contact the studio to purchase a gift certificate or sign up for classes. Learn more at www.pasdedeuxdance.com

Wednesday—Pryes Brewing
Keep your eye on the Pryes… @PryesBrewing that is! Owned by Alan Flinn ‘93, Pryes Brewing Company is serving up award-winning craft beers and wood-fired pizza in their riverside taproom just north of downtown Minneapolis. A great place to hang with friends or give the gift of a few crowlers!! Pryes’ riverside beer garden, taproom, and pizza restaurant open daily at 11 AM. Learn more at www.prysebrewing.com Read More

Welcome to MPA, Suman Pahadi!

December 7, 2022

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Financial Analyst

From what school/organization are you coming?
I was last designated as a Senior Financial Analyst and Auditor for a CPA firm, K.M.U. & Associates, Chartered Accountants in Nepal.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I am a professional accountant from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK. I also have a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University, UK, with first-class honors, and a strategically minded financial analyst with 6+ years of proven success in budgeting, financial reporting (IFRS/ GAAP), financial analysis and modeling, financial projection, taxation, audit, investment projects evaluation, data analysis & visualization, and compliance. I always seek to make a difference in the workplace with strong leadership and management skills.

I have worked in the following sectors:

CPA firm specializing in consulting and audits
Investment Management and Consulting firm
Insurance Company

Currently, I am pursuing MBA in Accounting from Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
School is very similar to religious places where education and knowledge are spread. Even though coming from a profit-making industry, I have always dreamed of working for such a place where I could contribute to the betterment of the community and society. School is where children are lightened through knowledge, which will give more knowledge to this world. So I feel proud to be part of the MPA team, constantly trying to make individuals, the community, and finally, the world a better place to live.

The next thing I like interesting about MPA is the supportive management continuously working as a team. I know the importance of a team, and the organization’s success is only possible when every individual works together to meet the common goal.

What’s your big dream?
I am very proud of myself for where I am right now. My biggest dream is to give something positive to society, and I have always tried to do the same. I also want to see happiness in my parent’s eyes and spread the same message to this world. Dreams and happiness are not always about the material things possessed. It’s also about mental peace, happiness and giving something back to society.

What are you (and your family, if you so choose) passionate about?
Professionally, I am passionate about new ideas and technologies in the market. Being a financial analyst is challenging, and I understand that it requires me to understand current economic trends and new approaches. So, I am always professionally ready to learn new approaches, ideas and technologies in the area of financial analysis.

I am a social and outgoing person who always loves to keep physically and mentally fit. So, I try my best to go to the gym for physical fitness and meditate to keep myself calm and focused on mental fitness. Being physically and mentally fit has always helped me throughout stressful situations. Besides this, I also love to hike, travel and cook.

MPA Debate Team’s Strongest Performance Yet

December 6, 2022

from Katie Murr, head coach

Congratulations to the MPA debate team on a great performance at the Classic State Debate Festival. 46 students represented the school, and Mounds Park Academy received the second-place team sweepstakes award. This award is based on the top two performances across each of the three divisions of competition – novice, junior varsity, and varsity. It’s a testament to the depth of the team.

We call the tournament the Classic Debate Championships in novice and junior varsity. In the novice division, the team of Mina Kim and Rosie Bergh advanced to the octafinal round, and the team of Salma Egal and Soren Winikoff advanced to the quarterfinal round. In the junior varsity division, the team of Molly Vergin and Meiran Carlson advanced to the octafinal round, and the teams of Paul Fertig and Amal Sastry, Zainab Lodhi and Max O’Connor, and Maggie Banks and Rowan Mulrooney advanced to the quarterfinal round. The team of Annika Binstadt and Zoya Nayak advanced all the way to the semifinal round.

The varsity division is called the Minnesota State High School League Classic Debate State Festival, as the MSHSL sponsors the awards for this event. Before we get to the team results, we want to applaud four debaters who were recognized with all-state debate honors for their excellence over the entire season: Frances Martin, Zaara Nayak, Akshay Somayajula, and Ben Murr. In the team competition, MPA had a strong performance. The teams of Kensi Binstadt and Audrey Jakway, Ian Frankel and Trevor Lien, and Ben Murr and Akshay Somayajula all advanced to the quarterfinal round, while the team of Frances Martin and Zaara Nayak made it all the way to the semifinal round. This is one of the strongest collective performances by the varsity team in MPA history.

A special thank you to all the alums who judged and coached for the team this season. In particular, Elli Carlson deserves special recognition. She has given back to MPA more than the school could ever have given to her. This season, she helped to coach over 80 students through the rigors of debate, teaching about research, speaking, and writing. We are so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of her care and commitment.

Lower School Division News December 1, 2022

December 1, 2022

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

The winter weather has set in, and it is an absolute joy to have the students sledding on the hills at recess. Please remember to send your child(ren) to school with snow pants, hats, mittens, and scarves, and consider keeping an extra set on hand in their lockers for any kind of weather. Minnesota is known as a state of “weather whiplash,” where temperatures can rise or plummet in ranges of 40 degrees or more in 24 hours. Also, as we enter the month when many “festivals of lights” are celebrated, we hope to educate about and honor the many spirited traditions. Speaking of traditions, we have the annual MPA Book Festival happening next week, and thank the parent association and librarian Nancy Lage for their collaboration and planning efforts.

ISACS Parent Education Series–JOIN US TONIGHT!
Parents and families, we hope you will join other independent school parents for one of several evening sessions led by an exceptional and highly regarded team of experts to help you support your children in all areas of their development. We look forward to learning right along with you! The next upcoming webinar is:

Gift of Failure
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Jessica Lahey, Educator & Author

From ISACS: Modern parenting has become defined by an unprecedented level of overprotectiveness. We all know parents who rush to school to deliver forgotten assignments, challenge teachers on disappointing report cards, mastermind their children’s friendships or interfere on the playing field. According to bestselling author, Jessica Lahey, “overparenting” has the potential to both ruin children’s confidence and undermine their education. By letting go and allowing children to learn how to solve problems on their own, we give them the tools to grow up to be self-reliant, confident, and successful adults. That’s the Gift of Failure. Jessica reminds us that teachers, and others who work with children, also teach responsibility, organization, manners, restraint, and foresight—important life skills that shape stronger futures. Lahey champions failure as a crucial element of long-term success while providing indispensable advice to parents for handling homework, report cards, social dynamics, competitive sports, and more. All are invited. The recording of this webinar will be available until January 31, 2023.

Registration is free, but pre-registration is required! Please register here to attend from the comfort of your home! Read More

Middle School Division News December 1, 2022

December 1, 2022

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

As we find ourselves in the cold, snowy, wintery weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break, it’s important to help your student focus on consistency with their habits related to completing work, getting enough sleep, eating good and healthy food, and finding quality downtime (screen-free is always a good idea!). Because this time of year can be hectic and challenging for adults, and because we know young people regulate (emotionally, socially, and psychologically) with the grown-ups around them, it is important that we offer calm, consistent, and caring support for them and take care of ourselves, too. One of my favorite podcasts takes a new approach to self-care and compassion and its relation to how we care for others…rather than the age-old wisdom to “put your oxygen mask on first,” she suggests filling our own cup so much that it overflows, and it is from that overflow that we give to those who depend on us and need us to be ever more present in their days.

Fill your cups so that they overflow … what a great goal for December!

YOU’RE INVITED! SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE, TALENT, AND YOURSELF with our division!
Many of you have reached out looking for ways to reconnect with the community after two long years apart, and we have a great idea we think you’ll love! We’re looking to begin a new initiative in the Middle School—A Parent Showcase! Several parents have offered to share their time, talents, hobbies, professions, and interests with our middle school students via a short presentation given during afternoon advisory time. These showcases would happen on B-days from 2:20-3 PM once or twice a month, depending on the volume of presenters and grade-level match. If this interests you, please fill out this form, and we will contact you to schedule your showcase!

We look forward to learning more about you and growing our community!

Gift of Failure
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Jessica Lahey, Educator & Author

Registration is free, but pre-registration is required! Please register here to attend from the comfort of your home! Register here.

Middle School Transition Conversations–Share with those you know!
I’ll be offering two additional meetings for rising Middle School families to learn more about Middle School at MPA, to ask questions, and share in the excitement and wonder of this next important phase in students’ educational journey. Please mark your calendar for Thursday, December 8, 3:30 PM, and/or Tuesday, December 13, 8:15 AM. We will have coffee and hot tea and some light refreshments available. No need to RSVP, just join us if you can! Read More

Upper School Division News December 1, 2022

December 1, 2022

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

One of the quintessential experiences of being a high school student is attending school dances. Recent research shows that high schoolers can spend up to nine hours a day connected to digital media, including social apps and streaming services (“Higher Ed Dive”). School dances, however, provide an outlet for in-person social interaction and development. In my more than a quarter of a century of attending school-sponsored dances, I have witnessed an increase in school spirit and positive social interactions in the weeks preceding and following dances.

At MPA, we hold four dances per year (Homecoming, Semi-Formal, SnoDaze, and Prom), and this coming Saturday evening, the Semi-Formal Dance will be held at Prestwick Golf Club. If history is any indication (and ticket sales have been strong), more than 75% of the Upper School student population will dress up and attend. Our students’ approach to dances is very different than what is experienced at other schools. There is no pressure applied to attend with a date. More often than not, students attend with their friend groups. For dances like the Semi-Formal, students often meet for dinner beforehand and arrive with beaming smiles “fashionably late” (yet before the 9:30 PM arrival deadline). Another thing that sets MPA dances apart from what I have experienced in other environments is that the students actually dance (aka a cluster of students bouncing in harmony). Read More

MPA Board Of Trustees Seeking Nominations

December 1, 2022

MPA’s Board of Trustees collaborates with the Head of School to guide the school’s strategic direction, to protect its mission, to support the school’s development efforts and to safeguard the school’s financial stability.

Nominations for Trustees
We are pleased to share that the Governance Committee of the Board is launching its annual process to identify potential trustees.

If you, or someone you know, could be a strong contributor to the MPA Board of Trustees, please provide the name of your nominee and a short description of their experience and background, directly to Cherie Honan, executive assistant to the head of school, at chonan@moundsparkacademy.org.

In addition to strong leadership skills, nominees will bring a broad diversity of experience and backgrounds, and a passion to advance the mission of MPA. Areas of desired professional experience include: finance, accounting, investment, banking, business, communications, construction, education, law, governance, scientific training, the arts, IT, human resources, strategic planning, development, marketing, and community service, among others.

Trustees serve up to two three-year terms, participating in MPA Board meetings five to six times a year, in addition to participating in monthly standing committees.

The Governance committee will evaluate all nominees and reach out to shortlisted candidates for further information and interview. Candidates recommended by the Governance Committee will be presented to the full Board at its May 2023 meeting, and approved trustees will begin their first three-year term as of July 2023. Onboarding and training is provided to all trustees.

For more information on the Board and its working committees, please see the Board page on the MPA website.