All School Archives

April 11, 2019

Due to the weather conditions predicted throughout today, and the current road conditions, school is cancelled today, April 11. This includes all activities, practices, and events including the Lower School Art and Music Show that has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 16.

This is not a decision we take lightly. We have been in close communication with our bus company, First Student, and we have been monitoring the conditions closely. We believe it is in the best interest of the entire community that we not have school today.

Please stay safe and warm. We look forward to seeing you on campus Friday!

Parents Association Open House & Upcoming Events

April 10, 2019

We invite the MPA community to attend the MPA Parents Association Open House on Friday, April 19 from 8-9 AM in the Porter Conference Room. Come enjoy coffee and a light breakfast as we discuss our accomplishments this past year and plans for the upcoming school year. Please attend as we would love to get your feedback and ideas. If you are interested in taking on a PA Board or Event Chair position for next year, come to the Open House for more information or contact Kim Jakway at thejakways@gmail.com. We would love to see you and really appreciate your help! Read More

MPA Is Seeking Host Families

April 10, 2019

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 several international students for the 2019-20 school year.

Our new students this year are finding great success, experiencing near-daily “firsts,” and loving their MPA journey. Between the adults in their school and home lives, our 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, some logistical questions 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:

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.

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.

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.

ARRIVAL

New-to-MPA students are being asked to arrive over the weekend of August 17-18, 2019.
New students will have New International Student Orientation on August 20-23.
Returning MPA students will probably arrive on/near August 26, preparing for the first day of school on August 28.

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, 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 Sarah McFarland, International Student Program Coordinator and Advanced Language & Culture Teacher, at smcfarland@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-777-2555.

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

Today Brings The Annual Alumni Challenge!

April 9, 2019

Today, April 9, 2019, we are challenging you, our alumni and parents of alumni, to show your support for MPA by raising $75,000 and making a difference in both of these critical ways:

Your gift to the MPA Fund covers the gap between tuition and other revenue and the daily operational needs of our school. These gifts provide the foundation for continued support of our outstanding faculty, curriculum, and students. Help to give the gift of an MPA education to more students today.
Your gift to Together, We Dream includes four specific projects that cannot be supported through annual giving or operations. We need your help to improve our facilities and grow our school’s endowment to support the future of MPA.

We are asking you to give for now, through an annual gift to the MPA Fund, and to give for the future, in support of Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA. One gift in can help us to accomplish these two important goals. This is an important year in the life of our school and we call on our alumni and parents of alumni to help our students’ dreams come true.

Every gift matters, in any amount—your participation is so important to the future of our school and very much appreciated. Thank you for your support of the Mounds Park Academy students of today and of tomorrow! click here to make a gift >

And follow along on the Alumni Association Facebook page for progress updates throughout the day!

Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement, at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5532 with any questions or to discuss your gift.

MPA Speech Wins Section 4A

April 7, 2019

The MPA Speech Team won the MSHSL Section 4A Speech Tournament on Friday, April 5 with more than double the points of the second place team. Congratulations to our Panthers and their incredible coaches!

Finalists and state qualifiers are:

Beldaja Jama – 1st place in DISCUSSION (going to the MSHSL State Tournament)
Kaija Kunze-Hoeg – 3rd place in DRAMA (going to the MSHSL State Tournament)
Chloe McClusky – 4th place in DRAMA
Hana Miller – 5th place in DRAMA
Ryan Ghose and Livia Wooldridge – 1st place in DUO (going to the MSHSL State Tournament)
Carly Peacock and Tyler Schelle – 3rd place in DUO (going to the MSHSL State Tournament)
Garrett Hollihan – 1st place in EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING (going to the MSHSL State Tournament)
Read More

MPArors Advance To World Championship

April 4, 2019

This past weekend the Robotics Team, MPArors, competed in the MN FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Regional Robotics Competition! The team placed second overall out of 60 teams, and will be moving onto the FIRST Championship in Detroit at the end of April, where there will be teams participating from all over the world.

They had a wonderful group of fans who stayed throughout the day to watch, among which was Sarah McFarland, MPA parent and international student program coordinator. “There were so may wonderful things to see and experience such as watching the team learn and grow from their mistakes, seeing the students in action working together toward a common goals, hearing the pride in mentors’ voices and seeing the sparkle in their eyes,” she shared.

Some MPA alumni and founding team members were also in attendance, cheering on the MPArors and offering their support. Among the MPA alumni present was Sirid Kellermann ’88. Sirid was a FIRST FRC Judge Advisor, whose job it is to coordinate the 30-judge team and ensure they are able to do their jobs successfully. “The MPArors truly reflected the ‘gracious professionalism’ spirit of FIRST Robotics,” said Sirid, “FIRST is about so much more than building a quality robot that performs well in competition. It’s also about the agile problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration with other teams for the benefit of all. The MPArors can be proud of being a well-rounded team that checks all of these boxes. I encourage them to build on their success and strive even higher in the coming years—I’ll be there cheering them on again next spring!”

Congrats, MPArors! The MPA community and Coach Shapiro are so proud of you!

Gifts From All Ages

April 4, 2019

Two second grade students, Isaac and Thomas, were recently inspired to raise money to donate to Together, We Dream: The Campaign For MPA.

Thomas proudly brought in his hard-earned $10 donation because he is so excited about the improvements to our school and wanted to be a part of them. He said, “At the groundbreaking, I heard you were trying to raise $5 million. After I went home and thought about it, I decided I had ten dollars that I needed to donate to the construction.”

Isaac’s mother, Michelle, shared that during spring break, Isaac collected trash throughout his neighborhood in exchange for a little bit of money from her. She said, “He really wanted to contribute to the current campaign having seen his classmate Thomas do the same thing with his pocket money.”

When one gift inspires another, big dreams can come true. Thank you, Thomas and Isaac!

Invite A Friend To Be Curious With Us!

April 3, 2019

Do you have a friend, colleague, or neighbor who would love MPA? Invite them to MPA’s Early Childhood Curiosity Day on April 26! It will be a fun morning with activities that include a singalong, a story walk, play time in the Makerspace, and much more.

Our Early Childhood Curiosity Day is a very special event is for families who are interested in MPA’s PreK or kindergarten program. Visitors will join us as we explore curiosity and literacy in conjunction with the release of the latest Curious George seek-and-find book. At MPA, we learn by doing and this event is no exception. Activities will include a story walk, singalong, and seek-and-find fun in addition to diving into Curious George’s most recent story.

For more information and RSVP, see moundsparkacademy.org/visit, email admission@moundsparkacademy.org, or call 651-748-5577. Come be curious with us!

Math League Finishes Second In State

March 14, 2019

$MPA Math League$ Congratulations to the MPA Math League for finishing second in the state in Class A in the state tournament! Minnesota Valley Lutheran finished in first place and Breck finished in third place.

“I am really proud of how our team performed at the state tournament,” comments Coach Ethier. “Everyone on the team contributed to their second place finish, and everyone contributed to their success during the season.”

Coach Ethier also shares that it wasn’t too many years ago that they had trouble fielding a team of eight to compete at the meets, and that this year they had 11 different students who were part of the scoring team in at least one meet, and 18 students who came to most of their meets. “It’s been great to see the growth of our Math League program over the years,” says Ethier.

Juliana Wu, a senior and co-captain of the team, shares similar feelings. “This is the highlight of my senior year,” she said, “It was the first time in four years we went to state. Our team is awesome this year; we work really hard and all share an interest and a passion for math.”

Congratulations Math League and Coach Ethier!

March 14, 2019

Registration is open for Summer Panther Sport Camps!

Basketball lovers, join Jacob Schwartz ’09, MPA alum and Head Varsity Basketball Coach, as he and the assistant coaches emphasize shooting, ball handling, and fundamentals! Mounds Park Academy’s Panther Summer Basketball is excited to offer our annual Panther Basketball Camp. With more than 50 campers attending last year, we are expecting another tremendous camp. This camp is open to MPA and non-MPA students alike, who are entering grades 4-9 in Fall 2019. MPA students are encouraged to invite a friend! Read More