All School Archives

June 14, 2023

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Third-grade teacher

From what school/organization are you coming?
Edina Public Schools and Mounds Park Academy

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in theater in 2015. After working as a full-time stage manager in Minneapolis, I came back to MPA as a building substitute teacher and PreK teaching assistant. In 2019, I completed my Master’s Degree in elementary education from the University of St. Thomas and started working as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in the Edina Public Schools.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA teaches the whole child and truly helps each student grow and find their unique passions and interests.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
As an alumna, it is an incredible experience to be back working at the school that helped me flourish as a student. I hope that as a Lower School teacher I will be able to spark the same joy of learning in my future students.

What’s your big dream?
My big dream is to one day be an elementary school principal.

What are you passionate about?
I have many passions, but recently I have been spending a lot of time paddle boarding, camping at Minnesota State Parks, and checking off my summer reading list!

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I love to run triathlons. This summer, I will be completing my fifth one!

Celebrating Panther Tennis, Track & Field State Results

June 12, 2023

Congratulations to all of the Panther athletes who competed in the Minnesota State High School League State Tournaments in tennis and track and field last week!

In the State tennis tournament, Evan Fraser placed second in the Class A Singles Individual Tournament. Aarti Prochnow and Garret Webb placed fourth in the Class A Doubles Tournament.

At the State track and field meet, Zoe Mulvihill placed 16th in the preliminary race of the 400M dash, running 1:04.19. The MPA 4x200M team of Zoe Mulvihill, Nora Pederson, Delaney Cunnington and Kensi Binstadt placed 10th in the preliminary race, running 1:48.33. Griffin Jones placed 12th in the preliminary race of the 400M dash, running 52.14. Nicholas Larson placed 10th in the 1600M, running 4:27.17. Eddie Snider placed eighth in the 3200M, running 9:47.44.

What a fantastic finish to their spring seasons! Go Panthers!

Independent Research Shapes Global Citizens

June 7, 2023

Eighth grade students in Mr. Milam’s class showcased their talent for STEM through challenging yet fulfilling independent research projects. Students were empowered to select any STEM-related topic and dedicate approximately 15 hours to focused research. These Middle School scientists were also required to connect and communicate with an expert in their chosen field, allowing students to glean profound insights and information about their topic from another person. Josephine M. explained, “I studied preservation in archaeology for four weeks. I learned about some of the most famous artifacts and places ever found, like King Tutankhamun’s tomb and the Dead Sea Scrolls. These historic artifacts greatly impacted our knowledge of what happened thousands of years ago, and they all have extremely interesting preservation stories. In my display, you may also learn about the expert I contacted who gave me information about her job in Zimbabwe.”

From Zoom meetings with specialists around the world to collaborations with local professionals, the students explored their passions in a truly global context. These encounters have not only enriched students’ understanding of the subject matter but have also exposed them to diverse perspectives and global collaboration. Mr. Milam expressed, “The most notable thing about this round of projects is the quality of experts.” Read More

Optimism In Education

June 1, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

As the 2022-2023 school year draws to a close, we find ourselves in that liminal moment where memory and hope intersect. American folk artist, Grandma Moses, called this intersection a “strange thing.” Memory and hope are two perspectives that both exist and are available in the present moment. Memory allows us to look back to recall the events, experiences, and emotions in the past. Hope is directed toward the future with an enthusiastic anticipation of what is to come. While memory is grounded in the present and the past, hope reaches beyond the present and propels us toward the future.

Over the last nine months, we celebrated the loss of teeth; uniforms that fit so well in September that now rise above the ankle; students who stumbled and stammered in front of a crowd now speaking confidently; the screech of a violin bow that now sings beautifully; and seniors who recall the pain and trauma of adolescence in their senior speeches that have been transcended by a newfound sense of self and resiliency. I could go on and on.

Those of us who work in schools forever live in a liminal moment that not only speaks of the growth and development of our students but also of ourselves. Middle School English teacher Maddy Wolfe captures this so beautifully in an article recently published by the National Association of Independent Schools on their Independent Ideas blog. She writes, “When adults share which teachers impacted their lives, we don’t stop and think about it the other way around, too. Students leave marks on teachers’ lives, as well. In many ways, this student embodied the reason why I became an educator: to watch a student’s growth over the course of nine months, when the only thing you can do is marvel at what young adolescents are capable of.” Read More

Lower School Division News June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

from Ann Jurewicz, Lower School director

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

June 2: Colianni’s Grade 3 and both Grade 4 drama performances
June 5: Grade 1 drama performances
June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
June 6: Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony, 2 PM
June 7: Last Day of School—Early Dismissal, 10:15 AM

It was wonderful to see so many families at our Lower School Field Day yesterday enjoying the activities and embracing the heat! The students had a fabulous time and tremendous thanks go out to our parent volunteers along with the members of our PE department: Tim Sheehan, Sean Ryther, Jess Powell, Chris Hopkins, and Mike Scinto.

Drama Performances Are On! Break A Leg!
It was a joy to watch Mr. Klein’s grade 3 class perform in our black box theater on Wednesday for classmates, parents, siblings, and other family members. Performances continue on Friday for Ms. Ruane’s grade 3 and both grade 4 classes. Monday we will have grade 1 performances. A big thanks to Ms. Heather Mastel for all of her guidance in these theatrical endeavors! Read More

Middle School Division News June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

from Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Important Dates And Upcoming Events

June 2: 5/6 Canoeing Adventure
- 7/8 Valley Fair Performance and Fun Day
June 3: MPA Commencement 2023
June 5: Grade 8 Independent Research Showcase
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

As of your reading of this Panther Post, we have just 3 and a 1/3 days of school remaining! It’s been a JOY-FULL year with lots of growth, awesome adventure, and so much of which to be proud. When I asked Middle School teachers to share some of their highlights from this year, they shared…

FUTURE CITIES, TEAM VAXA, wins Minnesota state competition and advances to nationals in WASHINGTON, DC!
Shared time in DC with our MPA Alums!
Beckett and Kalyx’s limbo competition, where they both were able to clear two feet, four inches!
Sixth grade wrote amazing historical plays about civil war spies for next year’s class!
Seventh graders loved writing poetry outside in the sunshine!
Each class learned a lot about themselves and others on their class trips!
Social Change Club and those passionate about Turkey/Syrian earthquake relief raised $1000 for their cause with the help of the sixth graders service project for Valentine’s Day!
The seventh graders had a great enthusiasm for reading The Giver!
Roller-skating was a blast and iTERM was epic!
French 1 and French 1B had a lovely picnic with the fourth graders
Seventh graders really took their CO2 dragsters to the next level of physics awesomeness!
The most Middle School clubs, EVER, being run 100% by students!
Fifth graders successfully navigated their first year of Middle School with joy and lots of heart!

And finally, the Middle School team and I set as our goal for this year to BRING THE JOY! And we did it – we even spent one of our professional development days at Four Season Curling, where we learned to curl and had a fierce battle to win! We were intentional in our care for ourselves and for others, and I’m proud of our division and how we experienced this year together whole heartedly!

Thank you for your love, your partnership, support and care! Let’s make next year our best yet! Read More

Upper School Division News June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

Looking Ahead

June 2: World Language Final Exams, During World Language Classes
- MANDATORY Choir Rehearsal, 10-11 AM, Nicholson Center
- Class of 2023 MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal, 11 AM-12:30 PM, Nicholson Center
- Class of 2024 MANDATORY Honor Guard Rehearsal, 11:45 AM-12:30 PM, Nicholson Center
June 3: Commencement, 6:00 PM, Nicholson Center
June 5: English Final Exams, 8:45-10:15 AM, Locations TBD
June 5: Math Final Exams, 12-1 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, 12-1 PM, Locations TBD
June 7: Last Day of School
June 7: Yearbook Assembly, 8:15 AM, Nicholson Center
June 7: Dismissal, 10:15 AM

One of the most challenging things an educator does is say goodbye to their students at the end of the school year. They spend the year building relationships based on trust and shared experiences only to have them come to an end early each June. There are some educators who believe that they have become experts at striking the right balance between attachment and detachment. Meaning that when the time comes for them to say goodbye they can do it with relative ease. I am unable to do that, especially with those students who are on the cusp of graduation. I have found that toward the end of each May, when stress, fatigue, and emotion is running high, I focus on the positive interactions and experiences with students. Although this practice eases the inevitable, I still get sad thinking about not having those students as part of the day-to-day community. It was refreshing to have the seniors back on campus yesterday as they hosted Service-Con and shared their senior service projects with the MPA community.

Over the past several years the Class of 2023 has spent more time with each other than anyone else in their lives, and next year they will be spread across North America and Europe attending new schools, meeting new people, and building new relationships. This will be a significant adjustment for all of us. Gemma Cheney, a senior clinical psychologist and a visiting lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, says that “students who are securely attached and have grown up with caring teachers in their lives, turn up in the classroom and school building ready to engage and learn.” I have been fortunate to see this with seven graduating classes, and believe whole-heartedly that this is the case at MPA. Read More

Parents Association News & Events June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

All-School St. Paul Saints Game!
Sunday, July 30, 2:07 PM at CHS Field
Join us for a midsummer Saints game! Reconnect with school friends and enjoy America’s favorite pastime. You’ll see the St. Paul Saints vs. the Toledo Mud Hens at CHS Field. This is an all-school event. Tickets cost $16 for students and $17 for adults. Tickets can be picked up at Will Call before the game under the name “MPA Panthers.” We’ll be seated together in section 115.

Watch your email for this information from your grade reps. For more info, email Christine Larson at clarsonPA@moundsparkacademy.org or Molly Oliver at molly.oliver1@gmail.com.

Buy your tickets here:
Adults $17
Students $16

Dr. Hudson’s Summer Book Club
Thursday, August 3 at 6 PM
In the mood for some summer reading? Join fellow MPA book-lovers for a lively discussion of the magical book, The “House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune. “An enchanting story, masterfully told, “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.”

An MPA family has offered to host Book Club at their home on White Bear Lake, and the PA will be purchasing books for those who would like to take part. Please let us know if you plan on attending the book club and whether or not you would like a copy of the book provided to you through this Google form. We will arrange book pick-up and share the address via email once the books arrive. Questions, contact Staci at sbhehe42@icloud.com. Read More

Kao Kalia Yang Shares Her Story Of Hope

June 1, 2023

World-renowned author Kao Kalia Yang treated the junior class and Lower School students to readings from her books and shared words of wisdom during a visit on May 30. After two years of Zoom visits with the junior class, Yang was able to visit campus in person for an inspirational morning that expanded to include most of the Lower School.

The junior class read her memoir “The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir” this spring, which tells the story of the ramifications of the Vietnam War on the Hmong people and the Yang family’s journey to settle in Minnesota via a refugee camp in Thailand. While Yang writes beautifully of the challenge and triumphs in her immigrant experience, the chance to hear her read from the memoir deepened the experience and added dimension to the work. After Yang read, she took questions from the juniors and formed response packed with wisdom and poetry. The juniors eagerly shared their admiration with her as she signed their books. The intimate 75 minutes was a highlight for the year and a meaningful way to punctuate the American Studies course.

An author of four children’s picture books as well, Yang also met with the Lower School children in two separate sessions. She shared her autobiographical book, “From the Tops of the Trees” about her life as a Hmong refugee child, born in the Ban Vinai Camp in Thailand. The students were inspired by her story of hope and resilience. Fourth graders created thoughtful questions in advance to share with Ms. Yang. It was an amazing experience for the children.

The Bold Innovation Fund provided the support for this important opportunity.

Welcome To MPA, Ursula Hargens!

May 31, 2023

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Upper School Ceramics Teacher

From what school/organization are you coming?
I have been an artist and educator for over twenty years, teaching at colleges, universities, and community art centers. I also led an advanced ceramic certificate program that I co-founded with Northern Clay Center in 2014.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I earned an MFA in ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and an MA in Art and Art Education from Columbia University Teachers College. I also spent a transformational year in Nova Scotia, studying with the renowned teacher Walter Ostrom. As a teaching artist, I divide my time between creating work for sales and commissions and teaching ceramics in a wide variety of settings. My artistic output is broad, and I make large-scale tile installations as well as wheel-thrown, functional pots for the kitchen.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA is unique in its visible commitment to the arts. I am excited to be stepping into Ms. Buck’s clogs and inheriting such a strong and vibrant ceramics program. I also look forward to working alongside teachers who are deeply invested in building a positive community and focused on creating challenging and meaningful experiences for students.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I want to help students strengthen their understanding of materials, experiment and take risks, gain confidence in the process of making, and see projects through to completion. I feel this is an essential part of a well-balanced education and is increasingly important in a digital world. This kind of creative problem-solving will serve students regardless of where they end up in their careers. I am also interested in building connections with other content areas. For example, ceramics naturally ties into chemistry, art history, material science, and literature, and I look forward to exploring some of these links in the classroom.

What’s your big dream?
In every aspect of my life—whether teaching, making, or personal time—I want to bring value to the community, work in collaboration with others, learn something new, and enjoy the process.

What are you (and your family, if you so choose) passionate about?
My family and I like spending time in the outdoors, hiking, canoeing, and Nordic skiing. I also love gardening and am often watering and moving plants in my yard!

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I have been a vegetarian for 36 years. My baked tofu was a hotly traded commodity at school lunchtime for both of my kids.