All School

January 22, 2026

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school

Lately I’ve felt, as I suspect many of you have, a heavier, quieter kind of worry. Over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I took time to reflect on peace, equality, and the lessons my parents taught me about service: that small acts of kindness truly change lives. Hearing our youngest students at their Lower School assembly speak about Ruby Bridges and ways to practice kindness and fairness gave me chills and renewed my hope. I then had the good fortune of walking through the Upper School Commons, where I could see some Upper School students helping one another and connecting across grades, along with their teachers, which makes it very evident to me how our daily choices to connect create belonging.

This week, a group of MPA students, faculty, staff, caregivers, and administrators attended the Pollyanna National Conference: Building Stronger and Kinder Communities. The original plan was to hold the conference in Minneapolis, but organizers pivoted to virtual at the last minute. Though not the same, seeing over 40 schools from across the nation gather and focus on communities offered the encouragement so many of us have been looking for. The conference reminded me why MPA’s commitment to community and deepening relationships matters.

I want to take a moment to offer a few takeaways from two keynote speakers from the conference.

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January 8, 2026

from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school

Though we have only been back in school for nearly one week, it seems like winter break was a long time ago. Much has happened in our world since the start of 2026. It is difficult for me to personally reconcile between the joy I felt at times over break with the heaviness of events and stress that continues to surround us. Until recent years, I was accustomed to winter breaks and New Year’s events reaping more joy and peace. However, I have also learned that even through difficult times, it is essential to appreciate those moments of joy, for they should not be forgotten, and instead be held onto.

My relatively newfound appreciation for the unpredictability of winter break has also spread its way into how I look at New Year’s resolutions. For as long as I can remember, every winter season commercial and marketing material reminds me to think of resolutions that fit the motto, “New Year. New You!” Several years ago, I abandoned that idea of creating a new me. The anxiety and self-induced pressure to set goals on something usually bigger than I would ever actually attain typically led me to feel a sense of failure. Instead, I now follow a different motto, “New Year, a continued growing version of me.” And based on some current articles and websites, it looks like I may not be alone. A recent article in Edutopia.org was titled, “New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t Do it!” On Heart.org, the author recommended making healthy resolutions modest and manageable. Finally, on lefbrainbuddha.com, the article “A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions” focused on intentions, process, and alternatives to approaching resolutions. Read More