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Parents Association News & Events February 2, 2023

February 2, 2023

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week
February 2-9
The second Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up fast! Look for opportunities to donate snacks and drinks or to volunteer your time during the week of February 2-9 in the Sign Up Genius. Carts will be placed just inside the LS and US entrances for donated items or they can be brought to the Teaching Kitchen. Evening volunteer opportunities during the LS/MS conference dinners are also available. Questions, please contact Tara Lafferty, TMattRN@aol.com

Show You Love, Volunteer for the Lower School Valentine’s Day Party
February 14, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
We’re delighted to announce the LS Valentine’s Day party is back! This year’s festivities will take place in the Lansing Sports Center. Join us for the day or during your student’s assigned party time. Sign up to volunteer here.

Middle School Snow Tubing in 2023
Thursday, February 16, 2-4:45 PM
Additional guest registration is due February 13. All Middle School students and their families are invited to this year’s snow tubing community event at Badlands Snow Park, 772 Kinney Road Hudson, WI 54016. Outside winter gear is a must (no scarves). Bring a helmet if you’d like and cash for snacks. Read More

MPA Seeking International Student Host Families

January 31, 2023

Do you have room to spare? Space in your heart for another family member? A desire to expand your family’s perspective of the world? MPA is seeking host families for international students for the 2023-24 school year.

Between the adults in their school and home lives, our international students feel supported, nurtured, and loved while living so far from their families. This is vital to their success and the strongest testament to everything our MPA host families and staff do to care for our international students.

We would love it if you and your family considered hosting an international student for next school year. As you and your family consider hosting, here are some topics that may arise. The information below is by no means an exhaustive list, but it may answer some of the initial questions you have and prompt additions ones as well:

Stipend

A 10-month stipend of $9,000 will be directly deposited in equal installments of $900/month on the first of each month for the previous month, September through June.
An early installment of $500 will be deposited on August 1 in preparation of your student’s arrival; the remaining $400 will be deposited on September 1.
The daily stipend rate of $30/day will be taken from and disbursed to host families who are providing respite care for a student, as needed.

Transportation

Host families are responsible for providing transportation to and from school and school-related activities.
Host families are responsible for providing transportation to and from the airport when the student travels.
Host families will work with their student in scheduling rides for social events.

Meals

All international students will receive the MPA school lunch. Host families and students do not need to pack lunches.
Host families are responsible for providing two meals on all weekdays and three meals on all weekend days.

By hosting an international student, you and your family have a unique opportunity to bring the language, culture, and perspective of another country into your home, allowing for a truly rich and genuine intercultural experience. The students will love to share their lives with you while becoming a part of your family, exploring Minnesota, and enjoying MPA student life all at the same time.

We hope you’ll consider opening your hearts and homes to one of our international students. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cory Becker-Kim, International Student Program Coordinator and Advanced Language & Culture Teacher, at cbeckerkim@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5173.

Click here to fill out a Host Family Application, and here for more information. Thank you so much for considering!

The Roadmap That Guides Us

January 26, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “Greatness is not where we stand but in what direction we are moving.” Last week, I shared with you the results of the most recent Net Promoter survey. The Net Promoter is one of many ways MPA seeks parents’ feedback and spurs continuous improvement. MPA is not content to rest on our laurels, and we are always on the move. Our school’s strategic plan, 2024ward, drives us onward and is the roadmap that guides us as we strive for excellence.

Each year at this time, I provide a brief update on the progress we have accomplished as we implement 2024ward in the past year. I will follow up this message with a “State of the School” address at two meetings next week. The first meeting is in person on Monday, January 30, 8:15-9:15 AM in the PCR (Porter Conference Room) in Upper School. The second is a virtual evening meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 7-8 PM. The sessions will be similar, so please choose the one that works best for your schedule. I hope you will join me for one of these important opportunities.

While we do not currently have a formal vision statement, the first priority of 2024ward, “Empower students to live, learn, and thrive in our increasingly complex and globalized society,” stands much like one. In a society marked by so much by rapid change, uncertainty, division, and discord, MPA exists to partner with parents to prepare students to embrace the challenges and opportunities presented to them. And yet, preparing them is not quite enough. Rather, we need to empower them—give them the confidence, agency, resiliency, perseverance, skills, and knowledge to succeed and thrive. Read More

Parents Association News & Events January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

Keeping Up With Our Alumni

January 24, 2023

Allison Leopold ’16: Allison is in her second year of medical school at the University of Minnesota and loves it! She’s planning to pursue a career in addiction medicine and is most excited about her work in harm reduction, health equity, and Medicare for All advocacy. Outside of school, she has been writing/directing a play, singing in a local choir in Minneapolis, dabbling in poetry, tending to houseplants, and rollerblading about town. Allison mentions that she is grateful to be still connected to friends from MPA through traditions like annual gingerbread competitions, Shabbat reading circles, and Friendsgiving celebrations. She looks forward to the continued support from old friends near and far.

Emily Rhodes ’15: After MPA, Emily attended Grinnell College and graduated in 2019 with degrees in History and French. Not long after, she moved to England and completed an MPhil in Early Modern History at the University of Cambridge in 2020. Emily’s Master’s dissertation won the Women’s History Network’s prize for best MA dissertation. She is in the third year of a Ph.D. in early modern history at the University of Cambridge. Currently studying the public and political lives of non-elite women in 17th-century Britain and striving to tell the stories of those often overlooked in history. Emily recently published an academic article exploring how poor women navigated marital breakdowns when they did not have the money to obtain a legal separation. Emily still attributes her love of history to Ms. Conway’s class in Junior year!

We would love to hear what you have been up to since graduating MPA. Please reach out to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org to provide your update.

Building A Path For Success Through Alumni Mentorship

January 24, 2023

After a successful Alumni Meet & Greet event, MPA seniors and alumni mentors submitted their meaningful experiences and connections formed through the MPA Mentorship Program. Community members gathered in the Family Commons and connected based on similar interests, hobbies, career goals, and college choices. See all of the photos from the networking event here!

Pairing curious and inquisitive students with adults that have experience in their field of passion is an invaluable way to provide insight. This especially applies to students seeking to get a more detailed sense of a profession, college, or industry’s nuances. William Tan ’23 explains, “this program really helped me gain new perspectives on the transition between undergrad and medical school. I also picked up many great tips to help me with college. While I have heard more generalized perspectives regarding undergrad in the past, it was nice to hear about a more focused experience regarding the career I want to pursue. Knowing I will be starting this path next year, it was nice to hear a perspective from someone who has already experienced college.” Read More

We Are Listening

January 19, 2023

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and MOST of all, love of what you are doing.” -Pelé

The recent passing of Pelé was felt around the world. He was a remarkable athlete and is partially responsible for the rise in interest and participation in soccer in the United States. He was a role model, politician, businessman, and ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He was also very committed and passionate about what he valued most, including ongoing growth and improvement.

At MPA, like Pelé, we strive for excellence at all times. Our dedicated faculty and staff work extremely hard each and every day, truly know their students, and are passionate about their academic, social, and emotional growth. We celebrate our successes, build upon our strengths, and strive for excellence. We are also willing to face the hard truth when we fail to meet expectations. The Net Promoter Survey, administered last month, is one of the ways we seek to engage parents and listen to their constructive criticism and take note of their commendations.

Approximately 78% of MPA families participated in the survey this year (although the numbers are skewed a bit because families were invited to take it several times if they had students in multiple divisions). According to the Net Promoter methodology, survey respondents are grouped into one of three categories: detractor, passive, or promoter. The breakdown for MPA is as follows:

Fifty-nine parents, or 16% of the survey responses, gave a score between zero and six and are considered “Detractors” or unhappy customers.
Ninety-five parents, or 26% of the survey responses, gave a score of seven or eight and are considered “Passives” or satisfied but unenthusiastic customers.
Two hundred and eight parents, or 57% of the survey responses, gave a score of nine or 10 and are considered “Promoters” or loyal enthusiasts.

Subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters yields the Net Promoter Score, which can range from a low of -100 (if every customer is a Detractor) to a high of 100 (if every customer is a Promoter). The MPA score for 2022 is 41. To put that in context, SurveyMonkey reports an average score of 32 across industries. Read More

Parents Association News & Events January 19, 2023

January 19, 2023

Snowshoe Evening at Seven Vines Vineyard: January 21, 6 PM
Last chance, we have a few tickets left! Enjoy a brisk evening snowshoe walk through Seven Vines Vineyard. Tickets are $55 per person, $110 per couple. The fee includes snowshoe rental (and help putting them on), a drink ticket for a glass of wine or fancy coffee, several rounds of Bingo with prizes, and live music. It is a great evening out! To RSVP, Venmo @Staci-Banks-Hehenberger with the name of the event and number attending in the comment line. Hope you can join in!

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week
February 2-9
The second Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up fast! Look for opportunities to donate snacks and drinks or to volunteer your time during the week of February 2-9 in the Sign Up Genius. Carts will be placed just inside the Lower School and Upper School entrances for donated items or they can be brought to the Teaching Kitchen. Evening volunteer opportunities during the LS/MS conference dinners are also available. Questions, please contact Tara Lafferty, TMattRN@aol.com. Sign Up Here Read More

Reflections From a Transformative Experience

January 18, 2023

MPA Upper School students Alex Appleton, Abdur-Rahman Lodhi, Alex Appleton, Andrea Pugh, and Ema Santibañez represented MPA at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The students attended this transformative gathering in San Antonio, Texas in December. Some members of MPA’s faculty and staff also accompanied the students and participated in intentional professional development concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Regina Santiago, MPA’s kindergarten teacher, shared that “It was amazingly validating and healing to be in a space with so many other folks who understand the unique experience of being an educator of color in predominantly white institutions. It meant a lot to feel support and solidarity for my whole, authentic self. It was also great to spend more time with colleagues and students in other departments and divisions at MPA that I don’t get to spend enough time with because we’re all so busy!”

The workshops and modules that were available for faculty and staff ranged from resources for employees groups of color to general education on the nuances of being an employee in independent schools. Bakari Jackson, MPA’s communications coordinator, attended the event and recounts, “Although I’m not faculty, there were so many relevant workshops for me to learn from. I gained a considerable amount of beneficial tools and insights that are serving me today in my work here. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity. The time I spent and experiences I shared with my coworkers of color provided me with an invaluable sense of community that came back with me to MPA.”

While MPA employees attended their sessions, the students took part in the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). NAIS describes the program as “a multiracial, multicultural gathering of Upper School student leaders from across the U.S. and abroad. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participating students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.”

MPA is proud of the students’ passion for leadership and their dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We continue to look forward to hearing about these students’ experiences and instituting the practices that they learn into our community.

January MPA Preview Sessions Revealed!

January 13, 2023

If you have ever dreamed of a way to experience life at MPA in a day, the PreK-12 Preview is the perfect opportunity to discover why you belong here. You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, January 22 at 2 PM.

This event will provide prospective families with an opportunity to truly discover the type of remarkable hands-on learning that MPA students do each day. You will rotate among several classes taught by our expert faculty. These will be interactive, experiential sessions that are actually abbreviated versions of real MPA lessons, modified to be appropriate for all ages.

LOWER SCHOOL SESSIONS

Ukulele Jam & Puppet Problem Solving
Two of our favorite PreK activities in one! Gather around to learn silly songs strummed on the ukulele while uncovering social-emotional problem-solving skills with puppet friends.

Kindergarten Math Pizzeria
The MPA Math Pizzeria is open for business! In this lesson, the group will read a pop-up book together, then will have a chance to make “pizzas” with math and physical shapes.

A Striking Good Time
Learn and play fun striking activities that will improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time while building confidence in a variety of physical education activities that can also be played at home.

What’s the Matter? Everything! (But nothing a genie can’t fix!)
In Lower School, students learn about the wonders of science through hands-on experiences and a little bit of magic. Can four basic rules really be at the heart of all the color-changing, balloon-inflating, and hand-warming fun? Or is it magic words that make things work? Join us to explore these questions. Children who participate will need to be comfortable wearing protective goggles.

Snowflake Printmaking
After a simple introduction to printmaking techniques for young artists, visitors will create a few prints of fun winter snowflakes to take home!

Makerspace Marble Roll
Ready, set, roll! This beloved fourth grade Makerspace activity requires teamwork, creativity, patience, and enthusiasm. Read More