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Upper School Division News May 4, 2023

May 4, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Looking Ahead

  • May 5: New Family Panther Party, 4-5:30 PM
  • May 6: Grade 10-12 Prom, 8-11 PM, St. Croix River Boat
  • May 11: Middle and Upper School Orchestra Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 17: Middle and Upper School Band Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 19: Class of 2023 Last Day of Classes
  • May 24: Upper School Vocal Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 25: Senior Performances, 10-11:30 AM, Recital Hall
  • May 25: Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus
  • May 25: Upper School Awards Assembly, 1:45-3 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 25: MPA Retirement Gathering, 4-6:30 PM, Family Commons
  • May 26: No Classes, Professional Development
  • May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
  • May 30: Upper School Service-Con, 1-4 PM, MPA Indoor Track
  • May 31: Class of 2023 Senior Dinner, 6:30 PM, Off Campus
  • June 1: World Language Final Exams, During World Language Classes
  • June 2: World Language Final Exams, During World Language Classes
  • June 2: Class of 2023 MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal, 11 AM-12:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • June 3: Commencement, 6 PM, Nicholson Center
  • June 5: English Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM, Locations TBD
  • June 5: Math Final Exams, 12:00-1 PM, Locations TBD
  • June 6: End of Quarter 4/Semester 2
  • June 6: Social Studies Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM, Locations TBD
  • June 6: Science Final Exams, 12:00-1 PM, Locations TBD
  • June 7: Last Day of School
  • June 7: Yearbook Assembly, 8:15 AM, Nicholson Center
  • June 7: Dismissal, 10:15 AM

We are quickly approaching a fun and exciting time for 10th-12th grade students and their families as the MPA Prom is scheduled to be held this Saturday evening on a St. Croix River cruise. I find myself reflecting on the possibility of Upper School students being placed into situations where they may have to make difficult decisions and it is important that we work collaboratively to do all that we can to make it a happy and safe time for our students. Nothing is more valuable to a teenager than their friends, and nothing is more valuable to parents than the safety of their children. Unfortunately, these two don’t always interact well with one another. Statistically, prom night has been one of the most dangerous nights in a high school student’s life. Each year, we lose far too many teenagers to motor vehicle accidents, with an increase in alcohol and drug-related traffic fatalities on prom weekend. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for young adults between the ages of 15-19, and the reality is that many of those deaths are caused by teenage impaired or distracted driving. Sometimes, even the best kids encounter situations where alcohol and drug use occur, and our children could find themselves in an environment with unexpected expectations and consequences. As an upper school parent, you have the opportunity and responsibility to help ensure the safety of your children and others by helping them make the right choices.

There is no doubt that alcohol and drug usage is common risk-taking behavior during adolescence, and MPA students are no exception. Often this behavior happens, at home or school, right under our supervision. It is important that adults send a clear and consistent message that any illegal use of drugs or alcohol is forbidden. It is important to remember that it is illegal to provide alcohol to those under the age of 21, even at a supervised party at your own home.  It is also important to know that if you choose to host a party where you serve alcohol to those under the age of 21, you can be held liable if one of your guests drinks alcohol and harms themselves or others by driving under the influence.  Even if you are not actively providing alcohol to under-age drinkers, it is a dangerous choice to allow for teen drinking parties in your home. Read More

Parents Association News & Events May 4, 2023

May 4, 2023

Panther Party
Friday, May 5, 3:45-5:45 PM
Volunteer at the Panther Party, Friday, May 5, 3:45-5:45 PM. Interested in taking some time to welcome newly admitted families to MPA? We need your help. The Panther Party is looking for folks to welcome new families, answer questions, and socialize. Please sign up here, under the first item: Parent Volunteers to Welcome and socialize with new families in the Family Commons.

Staff Appreciation
Tuesday, May 9 in the Teaching Kitchen
Join the Parents Association for the final Staff Appreciation event of the school year! We will be making fruit cups and handing out fudge samples to all teachers and staff for National Teachers Appreciation Day! All supplies will be provided by the Parents Association.

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here.

Thank You!
Thank you to all who helped make Cultural Diversity Day possible. Chef Chris Pula and his staff, Roy Timm and the Custodial team, Bakari Jackson, Lauren Hernandez, and Natalie Waters Seum in Communication, Keith Braafladt in the Makerspace, Cherie Honan, Mark Segal, Lamar Shingles, Samantha Sanchez, Marisue Gleason, Yamini Kimmerle, Kristine Petersen, Cory Becker-Kim and parent volunteers: Ishmael and Moira Duverneau- Salifu, Samah Fahmy, Annie Kouri, My Nhia Vang, Staci Banks, Reema and Shama Anwar, Ryan Klein, Karlyn Peterson, Mindy Ruane, Briana Rist, Adi Risner, Vonda Schertz, Tara Lafferty, Sue Knapp, and students: Soumya Raman, Pahwa Yang, Yuhan Zou, Annika Dahiya, Peter Clementson, Zaara Nayak, Zoya Nayak, and Koichi Tatsumuru for a beautiful piano performance. A special shout out to Daphne and Zayna Norman in fifth grade and Silvia Ruane in second grade for helping clean up the Makerspace. Read More

The Greatness Of A Community

April 27, 2023

from Natalie Waters Seum, director of admission and communication

Editor’s Note: Periodically, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from one of MPA’s administrators. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

I’ve spent this year encouraging new families to join this incredible school community while I’m uniquely positioned at the very end. With a lifer in the Class of 2023, I’ve had the privilege of being an MPA parent for 13 years. I’ve noticed this year that new families come to us with gratitude and anticipation for what lies ahead, and senior parents depart feeling the same way. For both, it’s a unique and very challenging mix of peace and worry. Of joy and sadness. Of gratitude and fear.

I know the community is anxiously awaiting the arrival of these new families. Interest continues to be at an all-time high and on pace with last year. So far in this admission season, we have enrolled 86 new young people and are working toward a goal of nearly 120. I’ll share some interesting facts with you about this year’s incoming families:

  • Nearly half of our new students are joining us in PreK or kindergarten. Strong Lower School enrollment is a foundational element for MPA’s future.
  • They come to us from nearly 55 US zip codes and four countries. MPA continues attracting many relocating families looking for an entirely new place to call home. Interest from international families is rebounding after the COVID-19 decline.
  • Thirty percent of our grades are already full, including PreK, K, 4, and 7; others are very close to being at capacity. We pay close attention to class size to adhere to the established caps. As heartbreaking as it is to wait pool a student, it is essential to our mission.

If your interest is piqued and you would like to help welcome these new families to MPA, please volunteer to help at the Panther Party on Friday, May 5, from 4-5:30 PM. It will be a short, high-energy event, and I guarantee you will leave campus in a good mood! We need additional current families to mingle with new families in the Family Commons. You can You can sign-up here.

In addition, the Office of Development and Community Engagement is seeking buddy families to be paired with new families in grades 1-12. The role of a buddy family is to help the student and family acclimate, get connected, and feel great on the first day at a new school. If you are interested, please reach out to Angie Gerstner, development coordinator, at agerstner@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5539.

The Parents Association will begin recruiting grade representatives and board members very soon. Watch for that opportunity. It is an incredibly important and rewarding way to not only get engaged yourself but help engage other families—particularly our new ones. For more information, please contact co-presidents Staci Banks and Christine Larson at sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org and clarsonPA@moundsparkacademy.org.

Or, if your interest is piqued about the other end of the journey and you would like to help bid farewell to the Class of 2023, don’t miss the Senior Walk on Thursday, May 25, at 1 PM. Seniors will don their caps and gowns and parade through the PreK-11 community. It is a beloved tradition and this will be our 7th annual. Bring your tissues!

As Coretta Scott King said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” I humbly ask each family to do what they can to welcome our new families and bid farewell to the Class of 2023. Particularly at inflection points like this, there is great gratitude for the MPA community’s support.

Parents Association News & Events April 27, 2023

April 27, 2023

Panther Party
Friday, May 5, 3:45-5:45 PM
Volunteer at the Panther Party, Friday, May 5, 3:45-5:45 PM. Interested in taking some time to welcome newly admitted families to MPA? We need your help. The Panther Party is looking for folks to welcome new families, answer questions, and socialize. Please sign up here, under the first item: Parent Volunteers to Welcome and socialize with new families in the Family Commons.

Staff Appreciation
Tuesday, May 9 in the Teaching Kitchen
Join the Parents Association for the final Staff Appreciation event of the school year! We will be making fruit cups and handing out fudge samples to all teachers and staff for National Teachers Appreciation Day! All supplies will be provided by the Parents Association.

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here.

Join Next Year’s PA Board
The Parents Association is looking for a few board members for the 2023-24 school year. Please consider getting involved. It’s a great way to meet people and contribute to enriching your child’s education. Our mission is to enrich the MPA experience through community building, continuing traditions, supporting faculty and staff, and acting as a resource for all families. It’s fun, and time commitments can be minimal.

If you’re interested in getting involved or have questions, please contact Staci Banks Herberger (sbhehe42@icloud.com).

Host Family Volunteers Needed—Referral Bonus Available!

April 24, 2023

We are so fortunate to welcome international students from around the world to MPA through our International Student Program. As the global pandemic ends, interest in studying at MPA through this program is rising steadily! With new interest comes the need for additional host families to care for these exceptional students.

A $10,000 per student stipend is paid to host families to cover the cost of room, board, and transportation from August to June. Typically, families host for at least one full year and sometimes for a student’s entire MPA experience. As you warmly welcome this student into your home, you will gain a first-hand understanding of another culture, a lifelong relationship with your students, and so much more.

If you are interested …
Contact Cory Becker-Kim, international student program coordinator, at international@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5541. Get started on the host family application form here.

If you know someone outside our community who is interested …
Please share mpa.link/host with them. When they reach out, share your name, and become an approved host family, you will receive a $200 referral bonus in the form of a Visa gift card.

Thank you in advance for your interest and/or for recommending this opportunity to your friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Bisa Butler Inspires Applied Painting Students

April 21, 2023

Upper School Applied Painting Class paints a piano together every year, as part of an in-depth collaborative project in conjunction with the local non-profit, Keys 4/4 Kids.

This—MPA’s 11th collaborative painted piano—references work by fabric artist Bisa Butler.

Butler is known for quilted portraiture of influential people. The composition on the piano combines multiple of Butler’s quilts, showcasing her portraits of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone. Butler’s husband is a DJ who created a playlist of songs that correspond with her quilts. We enjoyed listening to his playlist in class, along with Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, too.

During the process, students learned a lineage of artists who work(ed) with fiber or on fiber, including Faith Ringgold, Sam Gilliam, Anne Labovitz, Diane Itter, Kehinde Wiley, William Morris, and Miriam Shapiro. While working collaboratively in shifts on the piano, students also designed their own original paintings that are inspired by fabric, incorporate fabric, or are painted on fabric.

The painted piano, along with the related individual paintings done by the same students, will soon be on display in the main hallway outside of the band room. The piano will eventually be placed somewhere in the metro area for the public to enjoy, as part of the Keys 4/4 Kids Pianos on Parade program.

The Power Of Joy

April 20, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Editor’s Note: Periodically, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from one of MPA’s administrators. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

In late March of 2016, I vividly remember visiting Mounds Park Academy for the first time. The warm welcome I received from the community was unlike anything that I ever experienced. Very quickly it was clear that the MPA mission was alive, well, and integrated into all aspects of daily life on campus. One aspect, however, stood out more than the other five—the joy of learning. There was a certain joie de vivre felt as soon as I walked through the Lansing Center doors.

Joy is a transformational emotion that can have profound effects on our lives. A feeling of great happiness and pleasure, joy has the ability to uplift our spirits and energize us. The power of joy lies in its ability to shift our mindset from one that is fixed to one that is more open and growth-centric. Joy has a contagious quality and when we share it with others a ripple effect of positivity and happiness occurs. This is witnessed daily at MPA. Read More

Lower School Division News April 20, 2023

April 20, 2023

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

  • April 21: A Night of Pure Imagination Spring Auction, 6:30 PM, Intercontinental Hotel, St. Paul Riverfront
  • April 26: PA Cultural Diversity Day, 3-7 PM, Family Commons and Peacock Teaching Kitchen
  • April 28: No Classes, Professional Development
  • May 1-5: Lower School Sports Week
  • May 4: Middle School Family Dinner and Rising Grade Level Meetings, Grades 4-8
  • May 25: Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus, Spirit Wear Day PreK-12
  • May 25: MPA Retirement Gathering, 4-6:30 PM, Family Commons
  • May 26: No Classes, Professional Development
  • May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
  • June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
  • June 7: Last Day of School, Early Dismissal 10:15 AM

As the daylight continues to grow longer and the days stay consistently warmer, we look forward to the many celebrations of spring and the close of the school year. We are delighted to be taking field trips again—grades three and four had a wonderful time at Orchestra Hall and grade three prepares to visit the MIA to view indigenous works of art as they learn about native cultures in the United States.

Social-Emotional Learning Camps for Boys and Girls This Summer
A group of talented counselors who work with students is offering SEL camps this summer for students in grades one through eight. Students will enjoy activities surrounding teamwork, social skills, conflict resolution, leadership, and building self-confidence. For more information and the link to register, please see the flyers.

Read More

Middle School Division News April 20, 2023

April 20, 2023

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events 

  • April 21: A Night of Pure Imagination Spring Auction, 6:30 PM, Intercontinental Hotel, St. Paul Riverfront
  • April 26: PA Cultural Diversity Day, 3-7 PM, Family Commons and Peacock Teaching Kitchen
  • April 26: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • April 28: No Classes, Professional Development
  • April 28: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 4: Middle School Family Dinner, 5 PM
    • Rising Grade Level Meetings, Grades 4-8, 6 PM
    • Middle School Vocal Concern, 7 PM
  • May 11: Middle and Upper School Orchestra Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 17: Middle and Upper School Band Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 22-26: Washington DC, Grade 7 Trip
  • May 25: Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus, Spirit Wear Day PreK-12
  • May 25: MPA Retirement Gathering, 4-6:30 PM, Family Commons
  • May 26: No Classes, Professional Development
  • May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
  • June 2: 5/6 Canoeing Adventure
    • 7/8 Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day
  • June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
  • June 6 Passion Project Showcase, 1 PM
    • Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony, 2 PM
  • June 7: Last Day of School, Early Dismissal 10:15 AM

Save The Date: Middle School Family Dinner, Grade Level Transition Meetings, and Choir Performance
A longstanding tradition, we will welcome our rising Middle School families to dinner with Middle School on Thursday, May 4, followed by transition meetings, and an all-Middle School Vocal Performance. This is a great night to learn about what to expect and look forward to in the 2023-2024 academic year, meet some of the teachers and advisors, and enjoy a great show! We usually begin around 5:15 PM, with meetings at 6PM, and performance at 7 PM!

More details are forthcoming, but you’ll not want to miss this!

Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day: Friday, June 2
On Friday, June 2, our seventh and eighth grade students will perform at Valley Fair. There will be singing, orchestra, and band ensemble performances. We will board buses and depart early in the day, perform and then students will have the opportunity to spend the day at the park, riding rides and having fun!

The cost per student is $25 and students should also plan to bring money for lunch/drinks. You can send the $25 to school as cash/check (made out to MPA). More information will be coming home from Mr. Skrove (Band Director) and Ms. Lawson (Orchestra Director) this week and next. Read More

Upper School Division News April 20, 2023

April 20, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

  • April 21: A Night of Pure Imagination Spring Auction, 6:30 PM, Intercontinental Hotel, St. Paul Riverfront
  • April 26: PA Cultural Diversity Day, 3-7 PM, Family Commons and Peacock Teaching Kitchen
  • April 26: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • April 28: No Classes, Professional Development
  • April 28: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, 7-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 6: Grade 10-12 Prom, 8-11 PM, St. Croix River Boat
  • May 11: Middle and Upper School Orchestra Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 17: Middle and Upper School Band Concert, 7-8:30 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 19: Class of 2023 Last Day of Classes
  • May 24: Upper School Vocal Concert, 7:30-9 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 25: Senior Performances, 10-11:30 AM, Recital Hall
  • May 25: Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus, Spirit Wear Day PreK-12
  • May 25: Upper School Awards Assembly, 1:45-3 PM, Nicholson Center
  • May 25: MPA Retirement Gathering, 4-6:30 PM, Family Commons
  • May 26: No Classes, Professional Development
  • May 29: No Classes, Memorial Day
  • June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
  • June 7: Last Day of School, Early Dismissal 10:15 AM

Over the past 25+ years I have come to realize that the sprint toward the end of the school year is starting earlier and earlier. This year is no different. As you see in the Looking Ahead section of this post, there are a tremendous number of gatherings, activities, and events scheduled between now and the end of the year. I am excited to join you in celebrating student accomplishments as we make our way toward graduation, final exams, and the very special annual yearbook assembly.

Thank you, in advance, for all you do, as parents, friends, and supporters of each MPA Upper School student to work in partnership so they can experience the greatest amount of success. Read More