Blog Archives

An MPA “Lifer” Dedicated to Saving Lives

April 20, 2017

As a Lower School student, some of Stephanie Eyerly-Webb’s ’03 favorite MPA moments were watching Upper School kids showcase their annual science contests, such as egg dropping, “flinking,” and building bridges. “This turned me on to science at an early age, and I looked forward to being able to do those projects myself, once I reached Upper School.” Science and math were some of her favorite subjects, and she credits teachers like Mr. Schwieger, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Shapiro, and Ms. Anderson with energizing her with great ideas and classroom projects.

Student-Teacher Collaboration at the Heart

April 15, 2017

Mounds Park Academy fosters innovative teaching that fuels creative thinking and sparks a passion for learning. Every day MPA teachers are creating active and engaging learning opportunities with real-world implications, emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and deep understanding over rote memorization. Every opportunity is maximized to allow students to explore, create, and express their ideas in ways that build on their inherent motivation and self-direction.

Examples of student-directed learning abound at MPA in small and large ways, from allowing students to choose a topic to demonstrate what they’ve learned to engaging them in designing an entire unit. Our teachers love uncovering new and innovative ways to include students in the learning process, guiding them to take ownership for their academic and intellectual development.

Student-Designed Unit a Resounding Success

After teaching in a large urban school district, Middle School history teacher George Dalbo appreciates the comparative flexibility that MPA offers him; he feels that state standards and testing can limit the flexibility of public school teachers.

Earlier this year Dalbo offered an entirely student-driven unit on South Asia. When he initially considered having the students involved in structuring the unit, Dalbo thought that he would simply host a focus group and those students would present ideas to the class. But every student wanted to be involved.

Get to Know a Kindergartner

April 15, 2017

A Q & A With Maahi, MPA Class of 2029

When did you come to MPA and what was the transition like?

I came to MPA … I’m going to say I did it when I was almost … Umm, I don’t remember. Okay, just before the first part of the year. I came in September. For kindergarten. It felt like fun here. When I was in PreK, I cried. Here I didn’t cry because I thought it was a pretty good place.

If you met someone who was unfamiliar With MPA, what would you tell them about our school?

There are so many fun things to do. We have pajama day and we celebrate really cool things about your birthday and there are so many amazing classes. It’s like a party. Kindergarten is so fun. The teachers are nice and tell you that it’s okay to make an accident. You know, you don’t have to do it perfectly.

What is your favorite MPA memory?

My favorite school memory is going outside and feeling how the weather is. And then I also love staying inside and doing beautiful artwork. And some of my favorite memories are in the Monday Morning Meetings … to find out who won the CHAMP awards. And if Mrs. Wright says a kindergartner, it’s so exciting! Read More

Yoga Calm Featured in MPA Lower School

March 13, 2017

MPA alumna and PreK teaching assistant shares her passion for yoga with her young charges

by Annie Stewart ’11, teaching assistant

Many yoga practitioners remember their first yoga class as the day their life changed. My first class was at the Heartworks Yoga studio in Northfield, Minn. when I was a sophomore at St. Olaf. I was living in the dorms and going through a challenging time. My friends suggested that I try a yoga class—a hot yoga class. I don’t know how I survived the 100-degree heat, the high humidity, and the crazy moves, but I was hooked.

Today I am sharing my love of yoga with the Lower School students at Mounds Park Academy. I think it’s vitally important for young children to experience yoga. They are experiencing a lot of emotions—and expending even more energy—during the course of the day. As teachers, we often expect them to sit still and listen, not move or chat with their neighbors. Few adults have that control!

I asked some of my students what they like about Yoga Calm. One said, “It calms me, and I just love time to be still.” Another shared, “If I am having a bad day, remembering these techniques really helps me calm down.” A young boy said, “I can get nervous before tests and this really helps relax me.” Another student said, ““I showed my mom how to do the yoga flow. She was really stressed about her annual meeting at work.”

The Importance of Creativity in the Technological Age

February 7, 2017

Middle School student playing violin On January 11 at MPA Talks, MPA parent and Director and Professor of the University of Minnesota School of Music, Dr. Michael Kim, presented “Creativity and the Fine and Liberal Arts in the 21st Century” to the Mounds Park Academy community. See below for a thoughtful Q&A with him, based on the same topic.

In schools today, there is a strong emphasis on STEM education. Why is it important to focus on STEAM instead, as Mounds Park Academy does?

Today in our schools and in our public discourse, we are increasingly focused on the importance of students developing skills in and experience with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM. Indeed, technology is now a major part of our society, and technological advancements have progressed rapidly.

Given the pace and pervasiveness of technology-driven changes, however, some of the most important skills for students to acquire are flexibility and adaptability. Our children will need to adjust to ever-changing times and possess qualities and skills that are the focus of a strong liberal arts education. So we really need to focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics), not just STEM, as is the case at MPA.

My family and I love the focus on creativity at MPA and that the school engages students in the visual and performing arts at every academic level. As an educator myself, I believe it’s not enough to just foster an appreciation for the arts. But rather to guide students in developing their own artistic skills and to provide opportunities for them to explore, create, and express their ideas through art, performance, and music.

Why is a liberal arts education so important in our technology-driven world?

We live in an age where computers and technology can complete critical functions better, faster, and cheaper in all areas of life. We even have robotic nurses that can help diagnose and treat patients. So how do we stay relevant in a world where even business magnate, engineer, and inventor Elon Musk calls artificial intelligence our biggest existential threat? I believe that is by focusing on creativity, empathy, and the qualities that define our humanity; qualities, skills, and insights developed through the liberal arts and integrating the arts wherever possible in a cross-disciplinary way, as they do at MPA.