Alumni Archives

Rejoining The Community: Alumni Back At MPA

November 13, 2020

Rejoining The Community: Record Number of MPA Alumni Back on Campus as Employees

A record seven MPA alumni, from the class of 1998 all the way to the class of 2019, are working at MPA in the 2020-21 school year. Each has found joy in returning to MPA and rejoining the community that helped shape them into who they are today. Read their stories below!

Maddy Wolfe ’12, Middle School English Teacher

I never imagined working at MPA, although I do remember thinking that it would be a place I would enjoy working. Teaching was something that was in the back of my mind for a while, and because I enjoyed my time as a student at MPA so much, working here felt like a dream.

Not only that, but the adjustment has been seamless, mainly because my colleagues are so amazing! Their kindness, warmth, and willingness to help and collaborate banished any possible awkwardness. It’s even better that I’m familiar with the school culture, community, and values, and so those automatically fuel how I want to conduct my classroom and what I want to instill in my students.

Elizabeth Flinsch ’98, Visual Art Teacher

I never envisioned I’d be working at MPA when I was a student. While my MPA teachers had a huge impact on me, I didn’t think I was going to be an educator back then.

It has been so rewarding getting to know some of those who taught me as fellow professionals. Lisa Buck was a hero and mentor of mine since graduating and now we work together. How cool is that?
One amazing moment was during our accredidation review a couple years ago. Bob Cooke, who had been my history teacher and champion in Upper School, was on the visiting review team. He walked into my classroom of eighth graders and beamed with pride. We both started crying – a little awkward, but amazing for things to come full circle! I have also spend my fair share of time reminiscing over lunch about softball games long past with Mr. McGaha and Mr. Scinto.

My students are often surprised to hear that I went to MPA. I enjoy telling them stories about the teachers they have now who I had back then. Read More

Plan The Work, Work The Plan

November 12, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I benefitted from the guidance of a mentor whose mantra was, “plan the work, work the plan”. The constant drumbeat under his leadership helped me develop an appreciation for strategic thinking and long-range planning. Along the way I learned the necessity of looking ahead and the discipline required to achieve progress. Without an end in mind, as Alice learned from the Cheshire Cat, any road will suffice.

Mounds Park Academy has a long history of strategic planning designed to advance the mission of the school and to meet the emerging needs of students in an evolving and increasingly globalized society. Setting the vision of the school and establishing strategic direction are among the most important responsibilities of the MPA Board of Trustees. Our most recent plan, Momentum 2020, guided the MPA community through the last five years and came to an end last May. Momentum 2020 has been instrumental in setting forth a direction and providing strategic priorities that led to the incredible success and growth we’ve enjoyed over the last five years. Read More

Thanks For Kicking Off The Fall Campaign With Us!

November 12, 2020

Thank you to our generous community for joining us on Monday for our virtual 2020 You Give Fall Campaign Kick-Off. Thanks to our community’s participation and giving, we were successful in reaching our goals to receive a $10,000 challenge gift in support of the school! The Fall Campaign will culminate in next week’s Give to the Max Day, so be on the look-out for ways to give, participate, and help us during this important time.

When you make a gift, you ensure our students, faculty, and staff have the tools, resources, and support they need for today and tomorrow, especially during these challenging times. Tuition only covers 82% of the cost of an MPA education. Your gift will bridge this gap and help us to maintain our unique learning environment, top-notch facilities and resources, and small class sizes. Every gift of every size makes an impact. Your participation is what counts. By everyone doing what they can, we all can benefit and thrive.

Make A Gift

Meet Simone LaBonté ’06

November 9, 2020

Simone LaBonté ’06 is in her sixth year as the Director of Person Centered Practices at New Directions Inc. Under her leadership, New Directions Inc. partnered with local organization Woodbury Thrives to construct a community garden at a New Directions Inc. residential home in Woodbury, creating a resource for the home’s residents and the greater community.

Tell us more about your community garden project and your work with New Directions. How did the garden come to be?

I work for New Directions Inc., a small company that helps people with developmental disabilities lead fulfilling lives. People with disabilities are often isolated or segregated from their neighbors. The community garden is one of the ways New Directions is trying to change that and create connections with the local community.

Three of the men that New Directions serves and I partnered with Woodbury Thrives, a community building organization, and applied for a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant through Washington County. They ultimately funded the first year of a community garden project in the pre-Covid era (spring of 2019). The garden was hosted by the three guys–it was built and planted in their yard. We invited neighbors to a community get-together by going door to door to introduce ourselves and our idea. We also hung flyers and handwritten notes on people’s doorknobs. Read More

The Baldwin Family Gives Hope

November 9, 2020

During the Fall Campaign, we are excited to share stories from our community about the impact the school has made on their children and their family. Heidi and Ryan Baldwin, two of our Lower School parents have seen the belonging their girls Audrey and Anna have experienced since joining MPA.

How did your family come to MPA?
We came to MPA because our older daughter Anna was at a different school for her PreK years, and it was not the right fit for us. She was experiencing some bullying and we did not feel supported in the response from the school to keep her safe and protected. At that point, we started the search to look for a new school for our family. When we visited MPA, it felt like home. When we met with teachers, administration, and the staff, we knew it was the right fit for us and that proves to still be correct today. MPA works so well because of its mission, vision, culture and values. These aren’t things we just say, they’re things that everyone at our school stands behind, lives, and breathes. Read More

You Give Joy

November 5, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Life these days seems a little like standing in a dinghy in rough seas, not knowing when the storm will be over. It has been difficult for many of us to get our sea legs, to find our balance. Over the last eight months, I have often felt tossed about in my own little boat, alone and at the mercy of factors outside of my control. The responsibility of reimagining and reopening school safely in the midst of a pandemic at times seemed crushing. Finding balance felt illusive.

And yet each day I spend in the midst of this amazing community is pure joy and offers a renewed sense of purpose. Yesterday was a perfect example. Lower School students gathered virtually for the second time this year to further explore their CHAMP (Character Happens At Mounds Park) character trait for the year, “perseverance”. The theme was brought to life through the delightful new book, “I Promise”, written by LeBron James, and was read to students by the book’s illustrator. The assembly ended with a special chant led by Lower School music teacher Mari Espeland, followed by students making an “I Promise” pledge to persevere through adversity. I was inspired by the students and a specific line from the book, “Get right back up and let my magic shine.” Read More

Help Us Kick Off The Fall Campaign

October 29, 2020

The MPA Fall Campaign Committee invites you for a fun virtual kick-off event on Monday, November 9 from 7-7:30 PM. Hear a state of the school update from Dr. Hudson, listen to great student speakers, help us meet a special giving challenge, and celebrate the success to the start of the school year with other MPA families. The whole family is invited to attend to learn more, join in singing our school song, and if 50% of our community joins the call, we have a special challenge donation we will be eligible to receive from a generous donor of $10,000! Join us to learn more about this year’s You Give Fall Campaign, how your family can join in, and help us to build community virtually until we can all be together again safely in person. Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement with any questions at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org. Join via Zoom >

Garseng Wong ’11 Shares His Knowledge On MPA Talks

October 20, 2020

Our Virtual MPA Talks last month featured Garseng Wong, an MPA Class of 2011 alum and a passionate mental health advocate. He is currently a resident psychiatrist at NYU and hopes to specialize in child-adolescent psychiatry, focusing his work with queer youth and young adults. In his MPA Talk, he discussed mental health, skills and ideas for maintaining it, and how to address the stigma around it. Watch Garseng’s full MPA Talk here.

We are looking for additional MPA Alumni who want to share their passions and stories with the MPA Community. Contact alumni@moundsparkacademy.org if you are interested.

Meet Alumni and Current Parents Victoria Simmonds ’01 and Sam Brown ’94!

October 2, 2020

One of the greatest things about MPA approaching its 40th birthday is the number of alumni choosing MPA for their own children. Nate Bander ’09 spoke with two alums, who each brought their families to MPA in the fall of 2020, on why they chose to come home. Meet Victoria Simmonds ’01, and Sam Brown ’94!

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally and how did you get there? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?

Victoria Simmonds ’01: I was immersed in the world of real estate as a child. My mother was a residential broker, and my father was a commercial developer. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a liberal arts degree, I knew pretty quickly that my future career would involve real estate in some form. Fast forward to now and I am an agent with Edina Realty. I am thankful, every day, to have found a career that I love, and I’m honored by each client who trusts me to help them navigate one of the most important transactions of their lives. The relationships that develop along the way are icing on the cake. Read More

Fostering Essential, Independent Thinkers

October 1, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I recently stepped into a third-grade classroom and taught a lesson on fractured fairy tales. Students were learning about the essential elements of good writing—the setting of the story, the plot, and point of view. By placing the traditional fairy tale of the “Three Little Pigs” in the context of the culture and geography of the Southwest, students critically analyzed the text and discussed the writer’s choices. By asking questions such as the significance of a house made of tumbleweed instead of straw, saguaro instead of sticks, or an adobe house instead of a brick house, they also were learning the important skill of critical thinking.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve written on two particular weighty issues: antiracism and civil discourse. What is common to both topics is critical thinking. The work of dismantling racism depends on the ability to think critically about what laws, cultural norms, and policies perpetuate racism. Likewise, critical thinking is fundamental to civil discourse by insisting that ideas, opinions, and beliefs are both intellectually grounded and evidence-based. Read More