Blog Archives

March 23, 2023

by Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

The debut last fall of ChatGPT and, more recently, Microsoft’s Bing GPT-4 and Google’s Bard have been getting a tremendous amount of press lately and have many in the educational field up in arms and very nervous. I’m not one of them. Instead, I believe that artificial intelligence can benefit students and teachers significantly to advance and deepen learning.

ChatGPT is not a technology to be feared, discouraged, or banned but to be embraced and harnessed. Artificial Intelligence can assist students in understanding complex topics better, provide assistance with homework, and sharpen their critical thinking skills. I don’t believe that AI will ever replace a teacher, but instead, it will provide them with a powerful toolbox to assist them in very practical ways so that they have more time to spend with their students.

Last fall, I wrote about Climate Alpha, a company using AI to understand how climate change will affect property development. Climate Alpha founder Parag Khanna began by asking, “How are cities adapting and investing in infrastructure to protect against climate impacts? Where are jobs growing? Where are people moving now, despite extreme heat or wildfires or sea level rise?” Climate Alpha is an excellent example of the shift from the Information Age to what author and futurist Daniel Pink calls the Conceptual Age. While the Information Age was all about big data, the Conceptual Age is concerned with using the information in new and novel ways to make the world a better place. Read More

Ten Things To Consider When Choosing A Private School

March 13, 2023

With spring around the corner, private schools all around the country are in the thick of their own season–admission season! Here at MPA, decisions are released on March 24 and the enrollment deadline quickly follows on April 7. This means families are currently facing a decision, and sometimes that decision can be difficult. So with the help of our community, we collected a list of ten things families should consider when deciding on a private school.

1. Your Community
When choosing a school, you’re not looking for a community just for your children, but for yourself and your entire family.

The MPA community is robust. We are built upon shared values and firmly committed to freethinking, collaboration, diversity, and connection. Lower School parent Andrea Goldstein recalls her first impressions of MPA early in their school search. “We wanted a great school for the kids, but we wanted a space, community, and home for us as a family,” she said.

She also noted how seamless it was to become part of the community after enrolling at MPA. Andrea began volunteering as an MPA Parents Association grade representative, finding the responsibilities to be a great opportunity to get to know people quickly and easily. “You don’t have to put in that much to get a lot out of it,” she said.

2. The Pedagogy
MPA’s highly rigorous education does not challenge top students by piling on busywork, nor does it take away support and individual attention from a teacher, but rather by promoting and instilling a deep understanding of what they are learning. We deeply value purposeful academic rigor in a hands-on, experiential, college-prep environment.

Middle School parent KiJuan Ware is elated to see his daughter enjoying this type of learning environment at school, finding the balance of academics and extracurriculars, and constantly trying new things. “The Makerspace is where she is hands-on, doing what she wants to free her mind,” he said. “There’s a lot of discovery when it comes to learning, and homework reinforces comprehension.”

3. Areas For Growth
Natalie Waters Seum, director of admission and communication at MPA, says that this is such an important piece to consider when making your decision. “The things that we at MPA are transparent about working on are just as important as the things that we are already exceptional at,” she said.

One of MPA’s opportunities for growth–which is also a priority in the current strategic plan, 2024ward–is faculty and staff diversity. With nearly 40% of current MPA students identifying as students of color, there is an opportunity to have faculty that reflects the diversity in the student body.

Lucia Simon, an MPA Class of 2022 graduate, says she appreciates seeing MPA’s other areas for growth fulfilled during her time as a student–namely, “Growth in resources for student mental health, stress management, and creating affinity groups for BIPOC students,” she said.

4. The Return On Investment
We have many excellent public schools in the Twin Cities, and families often ask what the value is in tuition at MPA. Matt Larson, a parent of three MPA students, says that it is “The array of opportunities that our children have had.”

When Matt and his family were looking at where they wanted to invest over the next 15 years, education was at the top of their list. “We are prioritizing tuition in our budgets every single day,” he said.

Families should look at the investment as a foundation for success in college and preparation to be successful, including building upon students’ skills and interests. In addition to being prepared for life, Matt says that the relationship his children have with the school and their teachers are invaluable for their education at MPA.

“We want our kids to be seen and valued, and that is something we’ve realized in every way we’ve imagined,” he says.

5. Class Size
At MPA, the average class size is 15, with a student-teacher ratio of 7:1. Small classes allow for more time in class, adding value through more ideas, perspectives, and voices. Lucia says that this was one of her favorite things about MPA.

“Having a small class size allows for so many more opportunities between students, teachers, and the material,” she said. “Having been at a big public school before MPA, I definitely felt lost within big groups. I felt I was only regarded as whatever my grade was. That promoted a competitive environment to be in. I didn’t feel seen as who I was. At MPA, I found amazing relationships where I can be myself and what I bring to the classroom.”

When classes are small, teachers are able to form relationships not just with a student, but with their parents, too. Teachers quickly recognize the things parents are trying to work and focus on at home, and can therefore reinforce them daily in the classroom.

6. College Preparation
At MPA, we take college counseling very seriously. It starts in ninth grade and walks students through the process every step of the way during their time in Upper School. MPA’s college-going culture is based on each individual student’s unique set of interests, priorities, and aspirations.

“It’s really interesting to see the difference in how taken care of we are by our schools throughout the search. I don’t have any need to go beyond MPA and find resources to help me because it’s completely provided,” recalls Lucia. “We have an actual class for juniors and seniors completely committed to the college search process.”

When Lucia came to MPA, she was encouraged to apply early decision to help her get into her dream school–which she did. Not only was she ecstatic to have her top choice, but the entire process decreased her overall stress. “They know what you need and are here to listen and work with you,” she said.

But the college prep and search process at MPA does not exist in a vacuum. Throughout the entire educational journey, MPA ensures that students develop skills for success in higher education. Confidence in their ability to communicate, give presentations, and work in teams is one of the key takeaways Matt Larson has seen from MPA graduates over the years.

“Their communication skills are developed every day, layered in, threading in practice opportunities. And by the time they graduate, they are some really incredible communicators. Not only are they learning things, but learning how to give voice to what they’re learning and become articulators for themselves in the world around them,” he said. “It is not enough to know things–you have to be able to communicate what you know and use it across disciplines.”

7. Diversity And Inclusion
When prospective families ask how diverse the school is and whether it is inclusive of all families, we are proud to say that it is central to who we are as a community. Equity, belonging, and inclusion are a part of MPA’s DNA. We find that because this attracts families with mission-aligned values in the first place, the commitment continues as our community grows. Our school environment is enriched daily by students and their families from around the world.

KiJuan chose MPA for his daughter because of the challenge, voice, and diversity she would find here. He recognized that the MPA community comes from all walks of life and different backgrounds and beliefs, and that she would have to learn to navigate that space. Learning about the differences in academic background, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation promotes an environment of understanding and appreciation. “At MPA, she has the opportunity to do that,” he reflects.

8. Collaborative vs. Competitive
Learning should be fun and inclusive, with no students left behind. At MPA, we value collaboration over competition. And as a student, Lucia says she benefitted from MPA’s collaborative learning environment, which guided her to discover what she sought in a college as well because she thrived at MPA.

“MPA fosters rigor in a way that I am working with my friends constantly around the material.
There’s no embarrassment, and students are asking why they got something wrong and how they can solve it,” she says. “Teachers want to see you succeed and enjoy the material.” Having a collaborative environment gives so much more space for that exploration without consequences.

9. Your Feelings
Making your school choice is going to be a very feelings-based decision that comes down to how you and your children feel when you’re here. When asked how they feel when at MPA, Andrea, KiJuan, Matt, and Lucia said: Comfortable. Authentic. Energized. Hopeful.

When you come to MPA, you are so much more than just a number. You are a member of our community–part of the fabric of our school.

“I felt so seen as a new student,” Lucia recalls. “Sometimes at smaller schools, you feel nervous because everyone already knows everyone else, but that is so far from the truth.” She adds that it was “Amazing to walk through the halls and have teachers, students, and various people in the building ask how you’re doing and being really genuine about it. That definitely adds to the energy of the environment.”

10. Your Values
Do your family’s values align with the school? Natalie says that this is the most important question you can ask of yourself and the school. By pondering these ten questions and knowing your own family, only you can answer this question best.

“Creating the whole person by educating ourselves, having school spirit, making sure we’re educated spiritually, and taking care of our bodies is how we live as a family. MPA gave us the opportunity to educate our daughter academically and athletically, while being able to fit her schedule. We take care of educating her spiritually. That’s what it’s all about–it fits our values, and we love it,” said KiJuan.

Keep asking those questions and grappling with that really important school choice. We’re here to support you at MPA.

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MPA Risk Takers: Exploring The New Science Curriculum

February 28, 2023

It’s always a risk to be the first. Investigating the unknown requires genuine curiosity, determined commitment, and an appetite for asking questions. It commands acknowledging that you are paving the way for whoever takes this journey next. It warrants a sense of courage.

The secondary science curriculum of biology, chemistry, and physics was created to meet the needs of society 200 years ago. But in the last two decades, we’ve witnessed the needs of society change drastically. To evolve with it, MPA’s Upper School science curriculum has undergone a well-planned, research-based reform, and the new science curriculum is a comprehensive program that coordinates math together with science as a coherent whole. In this model, each concept builds a framework upon students’ previous learning.

The MPA students partaking say the new science electives have transformed the way they think about, study, and even experience STEM. When enrolling in the new offerings–Advanced Physics: Mechanics; Advanced Physics: Waves, Optics & Electromagnetism; Advanced Topics in Chemistry; Anatomy and Physiology; Astronomy; Biotechnology; Earth, Atmosphere, & Planetary Science; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science; and Neuroscience–for the very first time they’ve been offered as MPA science electives, these students are properly considered risk-takers. Diving into subject matter unlike any other, with the promise of guidance from skillful MPA faculty, they are ready to explore the unknown for the first time in our curriculum’s history.

“The investigative approach is really valuable”
From flying pigs to labs that take place in the Lansing Center weight room, senior Kensi Binstadt says, “Advanced Physics labs are like escape rooms or mystery novels–puzzles that must be solved.” While she finds them to be initially daunting, she notes that they fuel her fiery motivation to find answers. By critically thinking, she starts from a place of perplexity to calculating the most reasonable next steps.

“The investigative approach is really valuable. We are often given labs where we are asked to answer a question with the limited information, and through the lab we discover a formula. Instead of just being given the formula, this ensures that we actually understand the concepts and the process, or the ‘why,’ behind the concepts,” Kensi said. Read More

MPA Free Spirit: Setting The Example For Our Students

January 30, 2023

By definition, a free spirit is an independent person. And at MPA, we teach kids to think independently–by setting the example for them. MPA teachers are free spirits themselves, equipped with a community of support behind them. When asking teachers what their favorite part about teaching at MPA is, we often hear a trait that they say is very unique to MPA: the freedom of teacher autonomy.

There’s a lot that makes MPA teachers amazing, memorable, and impactful. But their autonomy to be creative and collaborative allows them to not only adjust their lessons to fit the ever-changing world, but to ensure that their students are enjoying what they’re learning. In MPA’s early years, the first batch of teachers shared a common vision around creating a different type of school and learning environment for children. Our founding faculty wanted to teach at a school that would foster their own collaborative spirits as well as their students’. They began working together to design a cohesive curriculum, and this early emphasis on collaboration among faculty set the foundational groundwork for teacher autonomy at MPA today.

Free Spirits Know Their Students
Teacher autonomy applies to all disciplines at MPA and is highly valued by teachers and administrators alike. In order to work, it relies on trust and the understanding that MPA teachers are professionals who know their students best. Knowing our students is one of the hallmarks of a Mounds Park Academy education, stemming from our commitment to small class sizes.

Upper School biology teacher Mitch Thomsen can attest to this. He appreciates that each lab, project, and lesson can be customized to fit his students’ highest possible growth and potential. “The small size makes it easier to communicate with colleagues and to help ensure that no student gets lost in the shuffle,” he remarks. “I like that I am in charge of my budget and the chance to obtain materials, in the right amounts, to maximize the learning from each lab.” Read More

Thriving Through Winter in Minnesota

December 2, 2022

With any relocation, there are many moving parts as families transition their lives somewhere new–one of them being your first Minnesota winter! Minnesota has a climate that allows us to experience four distinct seasons. With the right mindset and preparation, experiencing the transformation from one season to the next is inspirational and invigorating. Here’s how you can set your family on a path to thrive, not just survive, through your new favorite season here.

Keep Kids Moving
The winter months can get long here in Minnesota. It’s cold outside and there is less daylight, so it can be hard to stay motivated, but physical activity is important for everyone all year round–especially young children. Physical activity is vital to a child’s success emotionally, physically, and mentally. It helps them build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, and prevents chronic diseases. Physical activity is beneficial for the development of cognitive skills, which can help kids stay more focused in the classroom. It also helps kids sleep better and significantly reduces stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

At Mounds Park Academy, we believe in the importance of physical activity and encourage students to be active outdoors throughout the year. We know that children need time to play and socialize, so our students have recess every day—even in the winter. Although it’s colder outside, all it takes is a few extra layers. The benefits are seen in the classroom as well as on the rosy faces of our students.

MPA students also embrace winter through their activities and athletics, such as the Middle and Upper School Alpine (downhill) ski team, Middle and Upper School Nordic (cross country) ski team, the boys hockey team, grade level group outdoor adventures like snowtubing, and Northern MN i-Term adventures like dogsledding. Read More

What Students Discover In Ninth Grade At MPA

November 28, 2022

At Mounds Park Academy, Upper School is demanding, but not draining. The rigorous college-preparatory curriculum is balanced and always focused on the application of learning rather than memorization. Whether studying chemical processes up close and hands-on, diving deep into constitutional law, or taking on a character through the art of improvisation, our students connect their profound content knowledge to the world in ways that prepare them to make an impact.

So, what will you discover when you begin your Upper School journey at MPA?

Rigor With Purpose
“I love the sense of high expectation coupled with a supportive environment which I think is so key for my daughter,” says MPA alum and Upper School parent Dr. Sirid Kellermann ’88. “It can be challenging to recognize and play up your strengths, and to work on the things you’re not so hot at academically.”

Academic rigor peaks in Upper School at MPA, intentionally woven into Upper School students’ education every day. In addition to asking the “why” and “how” behind their lessons, Upper School teachers also ask more of their students, and synchronously, students expect more from their peers. This beautiful balance results in classes that are engaging, hands-on, and challenging. Rigor means that students are not told how to solve problems, but rather given the chance to explore and discover applicable solutions, because at MPA, rigor equates to participation and involvement. It means that students are not sitting in the back, bored, disengaged and distracted, but instead are challenged, attentive, actively participating, and eager to be diving deep into complex concepts. As a result, students graduate prepared life. Read More

MPA Doer: Growing A Sustainable Future

November 16, 2022

We are launching a special story series where we profile Dreamers, Doers, Freethinkers, and Right Makers in the MPA community to inspire one another. Do you have an impactful story to share? Email communications@moundsparkacademy.org!

If you spend time at MPA during the summer, you’ll notice the lavish blooms and abundant vegetables and herbs that sprout about every year. You’ll also notice a particular student tending to the flora, ensuring that it is reaching its full potential and seeking out ways to enhance and sustain it. MPA senior Cassie Atkinson, consistently gives her time, dedication, and creativity to the campus gardens during the summer and throughout the year. She has a love for the outdoors, including a deep knowledge of plants and animals, is a leader of the Upper School E-Club, and inspires those around her to consider the environment with the same care that she does. Her work includes the general caretaking of the outdoor space, but it also careful curation and ingenuity when it comes to environmental efficiency. Cassie’s notable passion for sustainability has even produced amazing features such as the medicine wheel garden, a native botanical practice.

Cassie’s commitment to sustainability does not go unnoticed among our community. In fact, it led to Dr. Jurewicz—the interim Lower School director—approaching the senior, asking if she would take on the task of getting MPA’s old aeroponic tower up and running. Since this tower has been unused in the building for decades, Dr. J saw an opportunity to put it to good use and have an experienced student teach younger peers about an important topic. Shortly after, a senior service project was born, as Cassie agreed to use this growing equipment to teach younger students about aeroponics and sustainable growing. Cassie will show students what the aeroponic tower can grow, how it works, and even have some taste tests from whatever is harvested.

Cassie expressed that this is an incredibly important project, because “sustainable living is the future.”

“Especially for young people, who don’t have the financial liberties to make sustainable choices in their energy consumption,” she said.

Through the awareness Cassie is raising, a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds can have the opportunity to participate in sustainable living by growing their own produce, and protecting wildlife and their habitats. She’s very excited to promote this project and mission to the community.

Although Cassie had plenty of sustainability topics to choose from she says that “aeroponics is becoming increasingly important for humans to acknowledge because the resources and land we live on are critical and limited. Ninety percent of farmland is cultivated for cattle in the U.S.– That is a lot of tallgrass land that should be restored to preserve a natural carbon cycle. It’s also important for people to know that it’s possible to grow your own food in urban settings, with limited or no space for soil. Machines like the aeroponic tower preserve space and make it possible.”

Cassie’s senior service project is one that will impact younger generations to invest in their future through sustainable methods. The project’s initial processes will start this month and take four to six weeks to begin running smoothly.

The Power Of Connection

October 26, 2022

The following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2023 member Justin Choi’s Senior Speech.

I’ve always feared change. There’s something about leaving everything known and entering new territories that scares me. When my family and I made a choice to move to Minnesota, I didn’t have the time to fully evaluate the process of moving to a new country, a new environment. I was on the plane to Los Angeles when I realized how much of my life was packed on a small island in Hong Kong, and in that plane seat I also realized how frightened I was. I had never even met a single person in America. I had only met my aunts and uncles when they would occasionally visit Hong Kong or the rare time we would visit America, but even then, I’d never had a whole conversation with them. I realized this was going to be the biggest change of my life, and I had no idea how to even adapt.

I landed at MSP, and I immediately felt lost. I didn’t know where I was in the country, I didn’t have any friends, I had never seen lakes, boats…farms! I felt tiny–coming from Hong Kong, where I was the same size as everyone else–felt weird. In Hong Kong, there were mountains surrounding a concrete jungle. I could walk the streets throughout the whole city and find my way home. Here, I couldn’t even get from my house to my school…and for our first year here, we lived in the apartments right by MPA! Read More

MPA Preview Sessions Revealed!

October 25, 2022

If you have ever dreamed of a way to experience life at MPA in a day, the PreK-12 Preview is the perfect opportunity to discover why you belong here. You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, November 6 at 2 PM.

This event will provide prospective families with an opportunity to truly discover the type of remarkable hands-on learning that MPA students do each day. You will rotate among several classes taught by our expert faculty. These will be interactive, experiential sessions that are actually abbreviated versions of real MPA lessons, modified to be appropriate for all ages.

LOWER SCHOOL SESSIONS

Physical Education: Juggling Scarves
Get ready to move, play, and laugh! Students will learn the basics of juggling by using one, two, or three scarves.

The Joy of World Language
There is so much joy in world language at MPA! In this session, you will learn some fall vocabulary, sing songs, play a game, and possibly work on a small craft.

“The Fall Song:” Bringing A Poem To Life
With “actor tools”–your body, face, and voice–join us for this intro to Lower School theatre. Put these tools to work and bring a poem to life!

Makerspace Marble Roll
Ready, set, roll! This beloved fourth grade Makerspace activity requires teamwork, creativity, patience, and enthusiasm.

Food Education
Join Ms. Santiago for a condensed hands-on version of her “Edible & Educational” ISACS food education fellowship work!

Science Sort
Students will love this sorting activity with our first grade teachers. This activity will be based on a short book, and then students will sort object-possible buttons by various features such as size and color. This will be hands-on and participatory. Read More

One Space, Infinite Possibilities

October 5, 2022

MPA’s Makerspace intentionally provides students with opportunities to construct meaning through making with practical, hands-on, interdisciplinary, problem-based projects. In this space, students of all ages use design thinking to develop empathy with individuals and design creative solutions to problems through an iterative process involving brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. The Makerspace allows for the blend of technical and creative skills conducive to developing a well-rounded individual.

Kindergarteners are experiencing the immersive magic that occurs daily in our Makerspace. For one of their first projects of the year, the eager students gathered around Mr. Braafladt, the Makerspace technology and innovation teacher. They watched in wonder as he carefully demonstrated their tasks and introduced the letter block activity.

The first letters that children learn are most often the ones in their names. In early kindergarten, names are used to practice letter recognition, syllables, counting, and so much more. In this project, Ms. Santiago’s class leveraged the Makerspace to take this foundational literacy work to a more creative and hands-on level.

For this experiential learning activity, kindergarteners were given small blocks of wood with the letters of their names outlined on them. Their challenge was to glue different materials over these outlined letters, producing unique and personalized art pieces.

Ms. Santiago explains, “Even though this project gave each student a beautiful end product, it is a prime example of a process-driven Makerspace experience for the students. Mr. Braafladt and I offered a wide variety of materials and intentionally left the rest up to the kids. They had to decide which material to use, how to best attach the material to their letters, and how to troubleshoot the problems that came up as they worked. Process-driven learning fosters creativity, independence, and perseverance.”

According to a Philly Art Center article on the importance of process-driven art for children, “If we show them an example and proceed to teach them exactly how to make their project the same as ours, we have only given students one answer to one question and both came from us. But if we instead give them materials and demonstrate the many ways they can use that material, we are posing questions and teaching them to find their own solutions in a world of possibility.” The Makerspace letter block project is an instrumental activity in developing autonomy for young MPA learners!