Blog Archives

Class of 2020: Jordan Akers

May 19, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came originally in PreK, but left for seventh and eighth grade. I returned in ninth upon realizing the MPA experience is unique and unparalleled.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

I chose Yale University because I wanted to study at a place with elements of both a small liberal arts college and a large research university. Additionally, the opportunities in my areas of study (environmental studies and music) are stellar compared to many of the other schools to which I applied. Located in New Haven, I was also extremely attracted to Yale’s proximity to New York City (a simple train ride away!). Read More

Class of 2020: Jerusalem Thao

May 15, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came to MPA in 10th grade.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

My cousin previously attended St. Olaf, and it really caught my eye. I also liked the fact that it’s a small school where there are smaller class sizes.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?

I am mostly excited for the people and connections I will make in college.

Here’s Where We’re Going

May 14, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” -Yogi Berra

With more frequency as of late, I’ve been asked: What does the future hold for the next school year? With so much uncertainty about the pandemic, it is difficult to give a clear answer. However, while there is much we don’t know, I can say that MPA will be prepared for any eventuality. I think what humorist and baseball great Yogi Berra meant in the quote above was that without a plan, you are never going to make progress. As we look to next year, I want to assure you that we indeed have a plan.

Uncertainty about the future can make planning feel daunting. However, envisioning various possibilities can help us prepare for the worst—and best—scenarios and everything in-between. Our board of trustees, working together with the administrative team, has been actively engaged in scenario planning considering the macroeconomic indicators and trends in order to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities. We are also preparing a number of contingency plans for the start of the new school year that first and foremost prioritizes the health and safety of our community. We know that we must always be nimble, agile, and communicate clearly. Read More

Class of 2020: Katie Goodno

May 14, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came to MPA in fourth grade, which was the same year my sister Abby started in sixth grade, and two years after my sister Sara started at MPA in sixth grade also. When I shadowed in third grade, I didn’t want the day to be over because I loved the school and the people so much, which is why my parents and I made the easy decision to transfer to MPA.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

I had no intention of going to college in Texas at all, in fact, I told my parents it was just a waste of time to visit Baylor. During spring break in my sophomore year, we were in Waco, so my mom told me I should visit Baylor. As soon as I got the tour of the campus I started envisioning myself there, and I loved it. In my senior year, I had forgotten about Baylor and didn’t really see a future there, until I visited again, and fell in love with it again. The thing that was most appealing to me was all the opportunities there were for me there and all the choices I had for majors and classes. I also am very excited about all the traditions there are and sports games! The thing that attracted me the most about Baylor was how welcoming and kind the community is. I’m very excited to join that community in the fall! Read More

Class of 2020: Txuj Ci Yang

May 11, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came to MPA in 9th grade.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

I came to choose St. Catherine’s due to an overnight I attended in the fall! I was looking for a college with a supportive academic environment just like MPA. Upon my overnight at St. Kate’s, I experienced just that. The prospective students and the current students there were absolutely amazing. We clicked instantly. I was able to see how the current students interacted with each other and how much fun they had while still helping each other with their work. I also encountered dozens of amazing individuals who shared the same passion for learning and had wished for everyone around them to succeed!

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?

I am most excited about branching out and meeting new people with different insights! I am not much of a talker, but I adore listening to people’s stories. I believe that they reveal their beliefs and dreams. Being able to listen to new people passionately talk about what they hold dearly to them inspires me daily to work harder in order to aid them in their path to success. Read More

Nick Gardner ’15 Debuts Kernza® Perennial Grain

May 11, 2020

Nick Gardner ’15 is one of just three employees at Perennial Pantry, a small startup, but he is helping to bring about big changes to the world of sustainable agriculture.

On May 4, Perennial Pantry debuted Kernza® Perennial Grain, a grain in the wheat family. Kernza is a perennial, which means it can be left in the field for several years without needing the annual tilling that damages topsoil and leads to erosion and nutrient losses. Kernza develops deep root systems that help sequester carbon, filter water, and keep continuous living cover on the land, creating a habitat for pollinators, song-birds, and wildlife. Kernza is designed to be climate positive, meaning that growing it doesn’t just have a net zero carbon footprint, but actually fights climate change by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Nick has been heavily involved in the Kernza project. He has conducted product research, done mathematical modeling, written web content, and edited promotional videos. He also built a grain separator and dehuller himself (with the help of his dad’s shop) using open source plans and his own design work, saving the startup tens of thousands of dollars.

“I’ve been doing a lot of dehulling, cleaning, and milling tests,” he says, noting that grain distributors like Perennial Pantry can be a forgotten part of the supply chain. “Processing grain and flour takes a lot of work! It’s hard enough with something like barley or wheat, but Kernza is so new, and it’s been bred with ecosystem services and taste in mind, not uniformity.”

Nick is also involved in baking research and familiarizing himself with Kernza in order to communicate most effectively with chefs, bakers and brewers. “I love working at Perennial Pantry–every day is something new. One day I’m fine-tuning settings on our processing equipment or doing research to develop best practices. The next day, I’m communicating the amazing potential of perennial agriculture to journalists, consumers, friends, or just about anyone I can reach. I have a lot fun.”

Perennial Pantry has partnered with nationally known organizations including the Land Institute in Kansas and the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative to launch Kernza. They are bringing necessary agricultural products to consumers in a just manner while also communicating the impact that perennials can have on sustainable and climate positive supply chains in agriculture.

Nick earned a double major in Environmental Justice and Mathematics at Williams College and is thankful that much of what he’s doing has roots in what he learned at MPA, and in college. His work with Perennial Pantry combines his lifelong interest in environmental sciences with a passion for doing right. “MPA encouraged excellence in a lot of things. Of course I loved math and science, but what I learned in social studies and fine arts comes into play on a daily basis too.”

“One day I’m choosing a color palette for a new advertisement, and the next I’m using mathematical modeling to predict the carbon impact that 1 million acres of Kernza could have over time,” Nick says. “I’ve felt very thankful for my work ethic and the diversity of my education. And it began at MPA.”

Learn more Nick’s work with Kernza at the Perennial Pantry website and on YouTube!

Together We Will Make It To The Finish Line

May 7, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

One of the ways I am navigating this challenging crisis has been to start running again. Some of you may know that I took a bad fall while on a run two and a half years ago and broke bones in both my ankle and my foot. It’s been a long road to recovery as I’ve dealt with both physical and mental trauma. For some time, I have been mentally preparing myself to start running again but until recently, I lacked the resolve. Several weeks ago, after a particularly long day, I reached a breaking point. So I ran. I needed to reassure myself that I can overcome anything, that pain does indeed result in gain, that this is hard but I can push myself through it by the strength of my resolve, and that it’s all worth it on the other side.

You have most likely heard me say that we are in marathon, not a sprint. The irony of my fall was that I had just recently achieved a personal milestone, completing the ten-mile run of the Twin Cities Marathon. Never having been a runner before, I slowly worked my way toward that ultimate goal. In a marathon, there are mile markers and in my training runs, there are landmarks to measure progress. A friend reminded me recently that we have no such guideposts at the moment; we are engaged in an endurance event without mile markers, working toward a finish line that may not even be visible. Read More

Innovation & Student-led Learning Enhance Online Science At MPA

May 7, 2020

A spirit of innovation flows through all that we do at Mounds Park Academy; now it’s just through high-speed Internet instead of hallways and classrooms. Innovation fuels creative thinking and allows students to experience the joy of learning—and thanks to John Milam’s seventh- and eighth-grade science courses—the joy of teaching.

At the start of distance learning, Milam and his students brainstormed ideas on how best to approach the coming weeks. The students told him that they wanted to become an expert on a science topic—and then teach it. MPA encourages this level of student engagement in their learning, as demonstrated in the blog article “Letting the Students Lead.”

Still, Milam, who joined the faculty in 2019, was apprehensive. While students often present in class given MPA’s commitment to public speaking, they had never before taught a class.

“At MPA, there is a lot of emphasis on student voice,” says Milam. “But I was initially leery of turning over the class to the students.”

Now, Milam is learning new ideas from his students regarding how to make his own teaching better.

“Students at this age know how to talk to Middle School students – their peers – in a different way than I do as a teacher—they know what they don’t know,” says Milam. “As a teacher, watching them teach, I am learning new ways to use innovative technologies that I might not have considered before, including everything from Quizlet Live, Kahoot, and Mapfling to Brain Pop and Survey Monkey.” Read More

Navigating MPA’s Middle School Schedule

May 6, 2020

It’s a bright September day and students are streaming energetically into Anne Atchison’s eighth grade English class. On this day, the class has a guest speaker, Carlos Espinosa, who fled Cuba as a child in the 1960s. Carlos is here as part of the class’ discussion on Refugee, a novel recounting children fleeing their homeland in pursuit of a better life. For nearly the entire 75 minute block, Carlos captivates the class with the story of his escape to the United States. There’s even time for questions at the end, and the eighth graders ask away.

Students and teachers alike appreciate the 75 minute class periods that make up the Middle School’s block schedule. Whether it’s welcoming a guest speaker like Carlos to an English class, completing a full Geology lab in a science class, or undertaking a model United Nations conference in social studies, 75 minute blocks allow for the type of hands on, experiential education that makes learning joyful and meaningful.

“Seventy five minute blocks allow for increased levels of engagement in multiple ways that meet the needs of a diverse classroom of learners,” says Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School Director.

The block schedule in the Middle School consists of an “A” and “B” days, and students have three of 75 minute core classes on each day. These classes include math, science, social studies, English, physical education, and French or Spanish. Interspersed amongst these core classes are three 40 minute periods for elective and specialist classes like choir, visual arts, theatre, instrumental music, technology, Makerspace seminar, health or advisory, plus 55 minutes for the lunch and recess period. Over the course of two days, the Middle School block schedule allows students to visit all 12 instructional blocks.

The alternating A and B day schedule means students have a full day between classes to process what they learned, leading to deeper understanding and higher content knowledge. It also means there’s a more manageable homework load each day, which helps busy students have family time and free time to pursue other passions without sacrificing academic rigor. Students use their extra day between classes to get their questions on the material answered take advantage of this time to get 1:1 assistance with their homework.

Dr. Milam prefers this type of schedule because of the opportunities it offers as well. “Middle School is the perfect time for students to try everything that MPA offers so that they can make informed choices that align with their passions as they move into Upper School.”

Eighth grader Evan W. agrees. “I like it because it means that the more challenging classes are spread out, which also means that the homework is more spread out and I can go to soccer or basketball after school. It’s also nice too because you get a larger variety of classes each day.”

MPA’s Middle School is specifically designed to serve students at an important time in their development. The Middle School’s block schedule, completely unique to MPA, does just that, providing an opportunity for students to dive deeply into their core subjects without sacrificing valuable elective and specialist classes. View a sample Middle School schedule here.

Tips To Help Lower School Families Thrive During Distance Learning

April 30, 2020

With virtual school now in place for the remainder of the school year, Mounds Park Academy wants to share some tips to help Lower School families thrive. These times are not easy for parents of younger students especially and MPA is committed to helping them navigate life through the end of the school year and perhaps even emerge stronger.

Build independence whenever you can
Our children have important work to do with virtual school and dealing with the current reality. We need them to persevere and be independent, much more than ever. Our Lower School students are incredibly tech savvy and in grades second through fourth, are likely able to navigate Schoology to access their lessons. Encouraging independence helps your child feel more empowered to complete tasks on their own, which means you can better attend to your own work, projects, or other children.

Give children of all ages input into their daily schedule
When children have some control of their day, they are invested in the activities and more inclined to cooperate. Ask for their input and implement what you can of their desired schedule for the day. Debbie LaChapelle, MPA PreK teacher, recommends using a whiteboard and having your child write the date, weather, and activities they would like to do during the day. This mirrors what students typically do in Lower School classrooms and keeps learning student-centered.

Institute a brief “morning meeting” to review daily tasks
Each morning, sit down with your child (or children) to review all of the assignments they need to complete that day and the activities they would like to do. Renee Wright, MPA Lower School director, shares, “A morning meeting will help your child prepare for the day, as it creates some structure for your child and you. Use this time to check their resources and determine if there is a Zoom meeting the day. If a ‘morning meeting’ does not fit within your family’s style, just be sure to start your child’s day with a moment of your undivided attention to set their focus and your expectations for the day.” Read More