Save The Date For The Spring Auction
January 10, 2019
The biggest event of the year, Spring Auction 2019–Once Upon a Time, will be on May 11, 2019 at the Vadnais Heights Commons. Become a sponsor and get early access to the Silent Auction, Great Gatherings, and the special Pre-Party all while supporting MPA! You can also help by donating auction items–see our wish list below to get inspiration or just stop by the Development Office in Lower School.
January 9, 2019
Calling all makers, creatives, tinkerers, inventors, and crafters! Registration is now open to be a part of the second annual MPA Maker Fest.
See our community’s hard work come to life on Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 PM. Anyone is welcome to attend as a spectator (no RSVP necessary) or host a display table (sign up here)!
Participants can sign up either individually or with a group to host a display table. Participation is open to everyone in our community—students, parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and more. This is the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” something that you have created and share your accomplishments. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.
December 19, 2018
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
In December 2018 I successfully completed my Ph.D. in biomedical sciences (neuroscience specialization).
How did you get there? Where did you attend college? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield in 2006 with a psychology major and media studies concentration. That summer I attended the Denver Publishing Institute then accepted a position in textbook publishing in Seattle for two years. I became very interested in the science books I was representing, and subsequently moved back to Minnesota to pursue a career in the health care industry. I worked as a medical scribe in the emergency department while taking pre-med courses back at my alma mater (St. Olaf College). I spent two years in a middle management scribe position, helping to start- and manage new emergency department scribe programs nation-wide, then returned to my coursework. I took a research class one summer and fell in love with it. In 2013, a mentor at St. Olaf received an e-mail from my now former advisor stating she had an opening for a graduate student in her lab. I got in touch with her, her work was very similar to the research I was doing at the time, and I was quickly accepted into the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences in the Graduate School at the University of South Dakota/Sanford School of Medicine. Read More
December 14, 2018
What do you love about MPA?
MPA is one big group of people, striving for the same goal: to make this world a better place. All of us come from different backgrounds, different families, and different religions yet we all work together to help one another. I believe the soul of MPA is embedded within the students, teachers, and administration. The reason I love MPA is because the people.
How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
MPA constantly reminds us that while we are fortunate enough to receive a wonderful education, we have to constantly check ourselves. We are developing as a society, and I believe MPA students are on the front lines of this. We stand up for what we believe, we do what we preach, and most of all we listen to our peers. MPA gives us the motivation and ability to do what we want. Read More
College Counseling at MPA: Andrew Guiang ’08 Shares
December 4, 2018
MPA’s college counseling process is driven by careful consideration of each student’s unique set of interests, priorities, and aspirations, balanced with an understanding of the current college admission landscape. MPA alumni Andrew Guiang ’08 shares the most valuable part of the college search process at MPA and how it prepared him for his future. Read the Q&A with Andrew below and more about college counseling at MPA here!
Q: What was the most valuable part of the college search process at MPA? What did you appreciate about MPA’s approach?
A: I liked that, at MPA, it’s cool to be smart, and that fact makes applying to college that much easier. I also like that MPA has a good mix of people who stay local or go away for college, which makes the application process less stressful, since there’s no pressure to choose one region over another. Read More
November 29, 2018
The generosity of the Mounds Park Academy community is truly amazing. During the five weeks of our annual Fall Campaign you showed why MPA matters to you by contributing nearly $300,000 to the MPA Fund, including over $130,000 on Give to the Max Day. The Give to the Max Day Lip Sync Battle, now an established tradition celebrating our fabulous community, was so much fun! Click here to revisit this year’s performance one more time.
The MPA Fund is the lifeblood of our fundraising, supporting the school’s mission and the educators who bring it to life. Through these efforts, our community came together to financially support the next generation of MPA students. So many gifts were given by alumni, current parents, faculty, and staff, in support of our school that is making such an incredible impact in the lives of our students.
And, congratulations to the kindergarten, first grade, second grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade classes for hitting the 70 percent participation mark and winning a party for your students! Lower School classes will receive a party with Mr. Sheehan and the Middle School classes will receive a pizza and games party. Details to follow!
November 19, 2018
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I’m a professor and chair of the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I’m an anger researcher and just recently did a TEDx talk called “The Upside of Anger.”
How did you get there? Where did you attend college? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I went to the University of St. Thomas for undergrad and studied psychology. I earned my master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi in counseling psychology. After a year as a visiting professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, I got a job as an assistant professor here at UW-Green Bay.
How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
There were a lot of little things that I learned at MPA that set me up for success (writing skills, public speaking, etc.), but honestly, what I’m most thankful for are the teachers who continued to believe in me even when I was difficult. I was not a great student and there were many times teachers could have given up on me. I am very thankful for those teachers who supported me and continue to support me. Read More
November 15, 2018
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
If you have logged into Facebook or checked your email today, you are well aware that today is Give to the Max Day. Across the state of Minnesota, this day is a celebration of the power of philanthropy to change lives. For MPA, today marks a celebration of our generous donors who are so very dedicated to our students and who believe in making an impact on our school community.
The mission of Mounds Park Academy is vibrant and powerful, delivered by talented and caring teachers, and is having a tremendous impact on the lives of our students each day. Impact means to have a strong effect on someone or something. You share in that impact by the value you place on learning, the investment you are making in the education of your children, and your commitment and support of Mounds Park Academy. Read More
November 15, 2018
Happy Give To The Max Day! As of noon, MPA families have raised an incredible $48,565. If we reach $75,000, a generous family will give a bonus gift of $25,000 to get us to the goal of $100,000 today! Incredible!
As Dr. Hudson shared in his email on Tuesday, “Our young people desperately need an extended family, like the one MPA provides, to provide a safe, nurturing environment in which to thrive. And, our world desperately needs engaged, educated, ethical, and empowered citizens who are committed to improving our world. I contribute to the MPA Fund to make this happen and, if you haven’t already, I humbly ask you to join me.” Follow along on Facebook as MPA’s community shares why MPA matters to each of them! Read More
Your Gifts Make Athletics Possible
November 13, 2018
This article is the fifth and final in a series called “The Fall Campaign Stories of Impact: Five Weeks, Five Stories, Five Reasons to Give.”
“Healthy mind, healthy body” is an ancient educational theme that celebrates the integration of academics and athletics. MPA has been at the forefront of cultivating student athletes, with an emphasis on achievement and leadership that extends from the classroom to the courts, fields, and stadiums where our Panthers compete.
“MPA’s no-cut philosophy means that we welcome all students and place them appropriately,” explains Dan Haase, MPA athletic director. “Every student who wants to participate is encouraged to take part and then matched to a team that reflects their current skill level. Unlike other schools, we don’t restrict the number of students who can join a team. For example, many schools might limit a basketball team to 12 players. If we have 16 students who want to play basketball, we include them all and work with them to progressively build their skills, whether they’re starting from a novice level or come in with an advanced level of performance.”
With competitive sports beginning in fifth grade at MPA, students have a long runway to grow as athletes. “We ensure that each level of play is developmentally appropriate, and that students are gaining the life skills that sports can uniquely provide,” says Haase. “We engage students early and provide flexibility so they can pursue multiple extracurricular activities. We want them to be well rounded, and to pursue the arts as well as athletics.”
That big picture approach to sports has cultivated high levels of participation and success. With more than 20 Upper School teams, 10 team state championships, and 20 individual state championships, our athletes transform their gifts and talents into everlasting accomplishments.
“Ultimately, our athletics program is student-centered,” says Haase. “We are continuously assessing the opportunities, gauging our students’ interests, and encouraging students to get involved and stay involved throughout their time at MPA.”
Because of philanthropy at MPA, our students develop physically, socially, and introspectively through athletics. Consider making a donation to the MPA Fund during the Fall Campaign by visiting moundsparkacademy.org/donate or contacting Susan Robertson, Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Manager, at 651-748-5531. Together, we will raise $300,000 to bridge the gap between tuition and the total cost of educating a student at MPA.