All School Archives

July 20, 2020

PreK Students
Students and their parents will have the opportunity to meet on-campus individually with Ms. LaChapelle. The PreK student will see the PreK room, learn more about our PreK program, and have a mini-session about safety protocols. There will be time set aside to play too! This will help students feel more comfortable and ready for the transition to school. You will receive information about signing up for a time that works for your family from Ms. LaChapelle. Families should bring school supplies to their meeting and students do not need to wear their uniforms.

Kindergarten Students
Students and their parents will have the opportunity to meet on-campus in small groups with Ms. Petersen. The session will start outside with parents and students together following physically distancing protocols. Then students only will move indoors with Ms. Petersen to see the classroom, learn more about kindergarten, and have a mini-session about safety protocols. Students will return to their parents outside after the classroom session for a fun outdoor activity. These sessions will take place on August 24 and 25 according to the schedule below. Kindergartners do not need to wear their uniforms and should bring their school supplies. Read More

Middle School Back To School Days

July 20, 2020

As we have reimagined our return to school events to ensure all can be on campus safely, we are excited to welcome Middle School students to campus for Back to School Days where we will get to know each other, our new campus health and safety procedures, attend laptop orientation, and learn about all of the new processes and practices that are part of our MPA student experience. We’re also going to have some fun—so we ask that students dress comfortably and ready for outside play! These are student-only events.

The dates offered below are listed by advisors and grade levels. Our Middle School advisory program is an important part of each day. This year, even more than before, each small group of students, led by a faculty member, will be like a small family! It will be an encouraging, supportive, and collaborative group for students and getting a great and positive start to the new school year. However, we recognize that with our summer winding down, your family may be unavailable at the scheduled time. If your student(s) are unable to attend their assigned advisory day, please let us know, and we will work to either have students attend with another group (with their grade level) or ask you to attend one of the make-up sessions. Advisory assignments were sent to families via email. Read More

Upper School Back To School Days

July 20, 2020

It is hard to believe that we are more than half-way through the summer and only five weeks away from being back on campus for the start of the 2020-21 school year. As we look ahead, it is very important that we are all aware of the measures and protocols that have been put in place on campus to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate risk for our MPA community. To that end, our annual Back to School evening will take a new form this year and we will be holding a number of in-person, small group meetings on campus for Upper School students.

Required for all grade 9 and 10 students and highly recommended for grade 11 and 12 students, these student-only meetings will provide an opportunity for students to connect and re-connect with each other. Each meeting will focus on the established expectations and protocols we will follow as an upper school and MPA community. Facilitated by Upper School faculty, administration, and student Peer Leaders, students will learn about the staggered arrival and dismissal protocols, locate their first quarter and first semester classrooms, and determine the best routes to each given the newly established one-way hallways and stairwells. There will also be time set aside for questions and answers as this will be new for all of us. Lastly, there will be some good-natured fun worked into each gathering as this is an important aspect of our MPA community. Read More

Exciting Garden Progress: Tomatoes, Butterflies, And More!

July 15, 2020

It was a long week in the gardens on campus, as our volunteer restoration crew discovered them flooded after heavy rainstorms. Covered in half a foot of water, they weren’t sure what could be done to recover the young seedlings and careful work that had been put in over the past few weeks. Luckily, several heroes came to the rescue. Ms. Johnson and Ms. P had encouraging words of support for the garden crew. Chef Doug helped with moving the excess mulch, raising spirits, and refocusing energy into the garden work. Facilities team members Andy and Josh were also essential in draining the flood with a silk net technique.

Since the flood, the garden has received ten bags of river rock to help drainage, six large rocks around the downspout near Ms. Stinsons’ classroom to help stem the flow of water, and native Northern Iris and Liatris near the library. The plants have been rescued from the flooded area and weeded by Chef Doug. Dill and carrot seedlings have started to emerge, and cherry tomatoes are beginning to develop. The garden is also welcoming many dragonflies, swallowtails, monarch butterflies, and baby toads!

Coming up next, the volunteers plan to plant two birch trees, place more plants and seeds, study the effect of the silk net and rock drainage, and continue weeding. They are also looking into more hardscaping for the pathway in order to make sure the gardens are accessible to all.

Virtual Freethinker Fridays

July 13, 2020

Please join us every Friday on MPA’s Facebook page or MPA’s YouTube channel for live, casual conversations about topics that matter with a variety of MPA community members.

June 19 Freethinker Friday: Middle School Stuff watch the recording >
June 25 Freethinker Friday: Setting The Foundation In Lower School watch the recording >
July 10 Freethinker Friday: Racial Justice and Inclusion watch the recording >
July 17 Freethinker Friday: Thriving, Not Just Surviving Through Virtual Learning
July 24 Freethinker Friday: Balancing Academics, Arts & Athletics
July 31 Freethinker Friday: Rigor With Purpose

No RSVP is necessary. We look forward to seeing you live!

Join Us For Nap Chats With MPA

July 6, 2020

Nap Chats are casual conversations over nap time around life for Lower School children and parents. Each discussion hosts a topic expert to answer your questions and offer a helpful perspective. Join us from anywhere virtually via Zoom!

Thursday, July 9, 1-1:30 PM
All About PreK For Newbie Moms
When should I enroll my child in PreK? Should they go every day or just a few? How do I know if my child is ready? PreK is a big transition time in your family’s life. Tune in during naptime to chat with a long time, passionate PreK teacher and dive into the details of what to expect!

Thursday, July 16, 1-1:30 PM
Are We Ready For Kindergarten?
How do I know if my child is ready for kindergarten? What if my child has a summer birthday? What’s the right balance between playtime and learning time at this age? Tune in during naptime to chat with a beloved kindergarten teacher with more than 30 years of experience.

Thursday, July 23, 1-1:30 PM
The Not-So-Fun Lessons Children Need To Thrive
My daughter is being teased and I want to fix it—what do I do? My son failed his test—how do I respond? My child forgot his instrument at home—do I bring it to school? Tune in during naptime to chat with Dr. Jules Nolan on the difficult yet essential lessons young people need to experience in order to learn, grow, and thrive.

Tips To Prepare For Fall 2020 From Dr. Nolan

July 6, 2020

by Dr. Jules Nolan, Mounds Park Academy school psychologist

The oft-cited advice to “put your own mask on before assisting others” is taking on new meaning during COVID-19. How we take care of ourselves influences how smoothly our kids adjust to new habits and routines. They are able to sense our emotional state (co-regulation) and when we are relaxed and confident, they are better able to feel the same way. As we head into fall 2020, we need to be positive with our kids, even if we feel a bit uncertain. The next year and a half will be bumpy, but together we can manage it and develop new talents and skills that will serve us throughout our lives. The Mounds Park Academy team is working hard to make the upcoming school year a safe and positive experience for our entire community.

Given our current reality, we need to prepare differently for the upcoming academic year than we typically do. Here are some tips: Read More

MPA Community Members Are Rehabilitating Campus Gardens

June 22, 2020

After the completion of the new Martin Lenz Harrison Library at MPA, current MPA parent Michelle Mick had a vision for a beautiful Panther Garden in the adjacent outdoor space. Thanks to the help of Samantha Forgosh Class of ‘22 and Jaeden McFarland Class of ‘19, it is well on its way to achieving this vision. These volunteers and many others are helping to remove sod, prepare the ground, and create beautiful sanctuary gardens with sustainable wildflowers and plants, as well as vegetable and produce gardens which will be used in the MPA kitchen next year.

Jaeden, Samantha, Chef Doug, and MPA parent volunteers Tim and Michelle Mick continue to be hard at work volunteering to rehabilitate several outdoor spaces on MPA’s campus, already having cut and removed all the sod of the 120 by 40 foot-area, rototilled the entire space, and continue to remove the weeds and rake.

At first glance, the soil underneath was unusually sandy and barren. But after Tim rototilled the soil, which means using a tool that breaks up and tills the dirt, plenty of healthy worms and lots of other interesting bugs popped out! They found the area just beyond the library soaked after a night of rain, which Michelle was able to help drain by adding rocks.

This week, new mulch will be delivered, and the group will be moving it (while socially distant) from the drop off zone in front of Lower School to the new gardens. We are so grateful to have volunteers in our community making these gardens happen! A special thank you to Jaeden, Samantha, Doug, Tim and Michelle Mick, and all who continue to volunteer!

MPA Students Named NASA Scientists For A Day

June 16, 2020

Congratulations to rising MPA ninth graders Gigi and Bryan! The two students were named the NASA Scientist For A Day 2019-20 Winners for Grades 7-8 on the topic of Miranda.

“Humans are driven to explore. To question. To wonder. Wishing to further our understanding of the universe beyond Earth. So that someday, the impossible might just become possible,” Gigi and Bryan wrote in their final submission. “Miranda, the fifth largest moon of Uranus. Some would refer to it as the Frankenstein moon. Many speculations have been made about how the moon came to be. But we don’t truly know for sure. With a variety of textures, grooves, craters, and fractures coating its surface, you cannot help but ask, ‘How were those created? Would it be the same on the other side of Miranda? Or would it be different?’ We won’t know unless we look deeper. This unusual discovery is something worth learning more about.” Read the rest of their report on NASA’s website here!

Students Continue The Conversation

June 15, 2020

The MPA Upper School Social Consciousness and Racial Justice & Equity Clubs are continuing their conversations throughout the summer.

Students (and faculty) involved in the clubs are partaking in a summer book club, where they we will be reading “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi. They are also setting club goals for the next few months, and are making individual efforts to research and address topics like, “What are viable non-policing methods for security at school dances? Are mental health professionals an available resource for substance abuse concerns at school functions? Are school resource officers funded by the state?”

SCC and RJEC will also continue to share recommended resources for allies with all of their Upper School peers throughout the summer, such as podcasts, films, articles, and updates on our community actions and initiatives.