All School Archives

March 9, 2020

Thank you for stopping by to see our new spaces, Rex Hendrickson ’11, Peter Hendrickson, Laura Sewell, and Gloria Sewell! We love having alumni and their families visit campus. It is very special seeing them connect with their former teachers (who still recognize them!) and experience the updates that have happened since their graduation.

Campus improvements in the last year thanks to the Together, We Dream capital campaign have been especially impactful. Stop by to see our new Family Commons where students and employees gather for events and meals, which is located in the former Kreischer Gym! You can see the reclaimed gym wood floor, beautiful study group rooms, and our new teaching kitchen. In addition, the former cafeteria is now the Martin Lenz Harrison Library. Don’t miss out on your chance to see these incredible changes for yourself. Contact alumni@moundsparkacademy.org to set up a tour.

MPA Alumni Left Their Mark!

March 5, 2020

The MPA Alumni Day of Giving on March 3, 2020 was dedicated for alumni to show their continuous Panther Pride and support for MPA students, faculty, and staff. MPA alumni and parents of alumni rallied together yesterday to raise an incredible $40,692 in support of students and teachers! A total of 106 alumni and parents of alumni made a gift, and the Classes of 1991 and 2004 tied with 20% class participation. Their gifts ensure students can receive:

Scholarships and Financial Assistance: MPA prides itself on its diverse and inclusive community. Help us to ensure that Panthers from all backgrounds can benefit from a life-changing education. Your gift will support the more than $2 million in financial assistance MPA provides to families each year.
Programmatic Enhancements: Thanks to the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace, experiential learning opportunities, a robust performing and visual arts program, and no-cut athletics, MPA offers a whole-child education for an ever-changing world. Your gift will help us to continue to provide top-notch educational opportunities across these important academic content areas.

Join Us For Book Festival!

March 5, 2020

Save the date and spread the joy of reading! The MPA Book Festival is April 20-22 and is open to all students and families. Book Festival Family Night will be held April 22, 3-6 PM. Come join us for an evening of crafts, activities, dinner, and of course an opportunity for book buying! Our theme is “MPA ComicCon.” What that means is that in addition to having a wide variety and assortment of books for sale, we will also have a specific focus on Graphic Novels and Comics. Did you know that a Graphic Novel won the Newberry Awards for the 2020 for the first time ever? And we chose our theme way back in 2019!

Contact Erin Dimopoulos at erindimopoulos@gmail.com to get involved! We are looking for volunteers to help with crafts, activities and decor.

Limited Auction Golden Tickets And Sponsorships!

March 3, 2020

Don’t miss out on your chance to purchase a Golden Ticket, Sponsorship, and tickets to the 2020 MPA Spring Auction: Light Up the Night! The event is right around the corner! Just 13 Golden Tickets remain, Host Sponsorship packages are SOLD OUT, and only two Community Sponsorship packages remain. Join your friends and fellow MPA parents in support of the school. Hurry before Spring Break to secure your spot today.

In case you missed it, the Spring Auction is MPA’s biggest fundraising event of the year, and raises nearly $200,000 to support students, teachers, and special projects. Your ticket or sponsorship includes parking on the night of the event, a hosted bar, appetizers and a plated dinner, and a wonderful night out with like-minded friends. Learn more about this year’s Fund a Need renovation project on our event website. Read More

Alumni, March 3 Is The Day To Leave Your Mark!

March 3, 2020

by Mike Velin ’06, MPA Alumni Association Chairperson

A 6 AM email from me may have seemed a little early, but it’s never too early to begin an important day of giving in support of MPA students, faculty, and staff. Today, I hope you’ll join me and other alumni and Parents of Alumni from our generous community to ensure MPA students and teachers today have the resources they need. Your gift will support:

Scholarships and Financial Assistance: Did you know MPA provides over $2 million each year to families who dream of an MPA education, but can’t afford the price tag? Your gift can make sure every promising student can benefit from a top-notch education, regardless of their ability to pay.
Programmatic Enhancements: An MPA education is the magic that happens inside the classroom, and in the clubs, sports, teams, and enrichment activities before, during, and after the school day. Make sure that students don’t miss out on what makes MPA truly great: the arts, athletics, music, student groups, and enhanced learning through innovative classroom experiences and the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace.

MPArors At Great Northern Regional Competition

February 28, 2020

While the MPArors robotics team knew their robot was a work in progress when they headed north, the challenges multiplied in four practice matches. The bumpers had to be redone, which usually takes weeks. The shooter didn’t shoot in one match. The buttons on the controller didn’t respond in one match. The robot didn’t drive straight in one match. A collision shattered the acrylic “indexer,” which moves the fuel cells (squishy balls) into the shooter. Some motors ran in different directions in different matches.

But in every tricky situation, the students in the pit crew–with the invaluable help of mentors and coaches–got to work without complaint and dealt with the hardware and software problems one by one. After the scheduled practice matches, the team was able to participate in one more. It was the last unscheduled match of the day, before the field was closed. The MPArors were able to be part of a triple climb at the end of this match, which may have been the only time it happened today! In the photo above, you can see all three blue robots hanging (MPA is team 3926). The team kept working the problems after that match, and by the time we left the pit area around 8 PM, all the causes of the above problems had been addressed. Read More

Important Coronavirus Update

February 27, 2020

As the world continues to monitor the Coronavirus and its impact on the lives of many, so too does MPA’s leadership. The safety of the entire community is always at the forefront of our minds.

To that end, students have been strongly discouraged from traveling to regions most susceptible to infection. If a student or other community member decides to travel to a country that has been identified with a warning or alert, they will need to follow the protocols of the Minnesota Department of Health, and the World Health Organization prior to returning to campus. We will work in close partnership with any impacted family while we follow the recommendations of those organizations.

At this time, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Health, the risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 is low, including for people in Minnesota schools. In the unlikely event that more significant school-related measures need to be implemented, MPA is well positioned with the educational technology necessary to facilitate communication and learning. Again, we will be following the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health.

In your daily life, please take great care to prevent the spread of all diseases: use good hand washing practices, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and do not travel or come to school or work while sick. On campus, we are working diligently to implement the additional recommended cleaning protocols.

We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and plan to communicate again next week as new information becomes available. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your division director or email communications@moundsparkacademy.org.

Tell Us Who To Invite To Upper School Grandparents Day

February 26, 2020

Invite your Upper School student’s Grandparent or Special Friend for a day at MPA on Wednesday, April 22!

Grandparents and Special Friends Day has grown to include an event designed especially for Upper School! Visitors will receive a unique glimpse inside our older students’ life at MPA.

If you would like your child’s Grandparent or Special Friend to receive an invitation in the mail to attend, let us know by sharing their contact information through this form by March 6, 2020. Doing so does not register them for the event, but rather lets us know who you would like us to invite. Read More

Invite A Friend To Our Next Lunch At MPA

February 26, 2020

Invite a friend to join us for Lunch at MPA on Wednesday, March 4 from 11:30 AM-1 PM! This admission event during a regular school day allows prospective families to meet school leaders, parents, and students over a casual meal and tour the campus to see our students and teachers in action.

Friends can RSVP for lunch at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP!

MPA Quiz Bowl At League Playoffs

February 21, 2020

The 11th grade Quiz Bowl team competed in the League Playoffs at Burnsville High School and placed fifth overall! The players were Isak Dai, Ryan Ghose, Hana Miller, Ellen Vergin, and Tanner Gasteazoro. Isak Dai placed third individually in their division. Separately, ninth grader Anthony Troullier placed fourth individually in their division. Nice work, Panthers!