Faculty And Staff Experience Archives

April 22, 2019

Upper School science teacher, parent of an alumna

What do you love about MPA?
I love that it offers a liberal arts, whole child experience. Students spend each day doing a variety of things as they learn about themselves and the world.

How many years have you been at MPA?
I’ve been here for 27 years—since 1991!

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA takes the time to nurture students’ interests and gives them a multitude of experiences to help them see the wide range of things those interests relate to.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The small size makes it easier to communicate with colleagues and to help ensure that no student gets “lost in the shuffle.” 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.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
Consider how MPA offers a wide range of offerings, the small class sizes, teachers who are interested in and get to know all of their students. Teachers and administrators are accessible to their students. Each student can be in a multitude of extra curricular activities without a lot of prior experience.

Meet Ms. O’Keefe

February 25, 2019

First grade teacher

How many years have you been at MPA?
My first, first grade class is currently in ninth grade … making my career at MPA nine years!

What do you love about MPA?
I love that MPA reaches every aspect of the whole child and that they respect every child as an individual.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA nurtures students who forever dream big and do right by inviting students from a very young age to express their dreams, teach them that no dream is too big, and help them on a path to discover how to reach those dreams while being respectful citizens.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
MPA has an amazing understanding of students at each educational level (Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School) and how each relates to one another. Having the span of pre-kindergarten to graduation from high school under one roof is a unique quality in a school. Read More

Meet Ms. Johnson

April 30, 2018

Middle and Upper School world language teacher

How many years have you been at MPA? 14 years

What do you love about MPA?
Everything! I love the MPA community.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
By providing them with multiple opportunities in school as well as out of school. i-Term in the Middle School, is a great example.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
What a I truly love about MPA is having all grades PreK-12 on one campus. We all benefit from seeing all age levels on any given day.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
This is a great school! Students want to learn and be successful. They are kind and supportive of each other and make great connections with students, teachers, and the community at large.

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
To be thinkers, doers and to have the confidence to go out there and make change in the world.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MPA experience?
As an educator, I am constantly being pushed intellectually. I appreciate the support and opportunities to do so, be it through conferences, lectures, classes, traveling, etc.

Meet Mr. Habermann

March 21, 2018

Middle and Upper School music teacher and choir director

How many years have you been at MPA?
Eighteen years as the choir director. I was hired by Barb Bradley to vocal direct and accompany the musicals in 1996. I have been walking MPA halls for nearly half of my life!

What do you love about MPA?
The joy, positivity, passion, and drive exhibited by faculty, staff, and students.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
We instill in our students the idea of possibility. What can we do now? The world is at your fingertips. Why not dive in and experience all that you can?

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
You can be yourself at MPA. Your uniqueness is celebrated. You are important and have something to “bring to the table.” It is like a choir … everyone’s voice is important and we want to hear what you have to say (or sing, in my case!).

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
You will be jealous of your children’s education!

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
In choir, we are a community. What one person does affects not only you, but the whole. We may be independent thinkers, but we are interdependent beings. Music-making teaches discipline, perseverance, creativity, and the importance of deep listening. Read More

Meet Mr. Ethier

February 27, 2018

Middle School math teacher

How many years have you been at MPA? 27

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
The students. Every day I get to work with students who are curious, motivated, eager to learn, and willing to do the hard work to solve challenging problems. We talk about the joy of learning, but it’s a joy to work with students like this! As a coach, I get to hear positive things about our students from others they encounter. It might be the neighbor who noticed some of our runners stopping to pick up trash at Goodrich, or the bus driver who always looks forward to driving MPA students because they’re the best.

How does Mounds Park Academy nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
One of the really important things we do is create an environment where students can be themselves. Each student is unique, but each student feels right at home at MPA. Here, it’s cool to be smart, cool to be a math nerd, a drama nerd, a speech nerd, or whatever type of nerd allows you to explore your passion. That welcoming environment is critical to allowing students to have those big dreams and sets an example they can carry on to welcome others.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at Mounds Park Academy been different?
I only worked one year at another school—a public school in northern Minnesota. It was like night and day comparing that experience to my experience at MPA. I remember giving a simple problem solving assignment to one of my classes and the students had no idea how to approach it. Nobody had ever asked them to do problems like that before! MPA students jump right in when given those kind of challenges. They’ve been given many opportunities to do open-ended, problem solving, creative activities, and they don’t back down from a challenge.

What would you tell a parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
At MPA, we ask students to solve challenging problems and give them the support they need to be comfortable doing that. Whether it’s solving interesting algebraic problems in sixth grade, writing a novel in seventh grade, doing a research paper in eighth grade, we ask a lot of our students, but we also provide the nurturing environment that helps them feel safe in taking those academic risks. Read More

Meet Ms. Stinson

February 13, 2018

Third grade teacher

How many years have you been at MPA?
Thirty years plus—I started teaching at MPA in the 1985-86 school year.

What do you love about MPA?
I love the individualized instruction and attention we can give each student. Due to small class sizes, we know our students very well and can give them the support and positive interactions they need to grow as learners. We differentiate each lesson and help each student become the best they can be, and to grow and thrive each day. Feeling positive about learning and having confidence to move ahead to meet expectations means everything. These components are the recipe for success.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
We love all of our students as individuals and support their dreams, efforts, and strengths. We encourage them, every day, throughout their world of learning and growing.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
It is different because we truly “believe” in kids.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
I would say, “If you want your student to be supported and celebrated as a learner, leader, and achiever, come to MPA!” Read More

Meet Ms. Mastel

December 27, 2017

Drama Faculty
MPA Parent

What do you love about MPA?
So many things! As a teacher and a parent, I love that drama is part of the curriculum at MPA. It really shows the dedication of teaching the whole child. I also love that at MPA the “joy of learning” is imbedded into the school’s mission.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
My daughter is given options and choices for her own learning. She is taught skills that encourage independence, self-confidence, and advocacy. But the focus doesn’t stay on the individual—Lily’s teachers have projects that foster collaboration, team building, and simply being a good friend. During a recent “music share,” my daughter was nervous and forget her song … she looked at one of her friends who mouthed the first line and then Lily was ready to go. The next day, that friend began crying when a cookie fell to the ground at the school picnic and Lily immediately turned to comfort her. These are foundations that will last a lifetime.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
Lily was originally enrolled at a different elementary school, until I was hired at MPA. I remember the moment during my tour when I started to look at the school as not just a potential teacher, but as a parent who wants the best for her child. She has more opportunities for physical education, art, drama, music, computers, and for creativity in the Makerspace. Many schools have cut art programs, meanwhile MPA has it as a required class through eighth grade. Also, the small class sizes cannot be beat! Read More

Meet Ms. Murr

November 27, 2017

Upper School history teacher
Lower and Middle School parent

How many years have you been at MPA?
This is my 14th year teaching at MPA.

What do you love about MPA?
Usually, when we talk about people being themselves at MPA, we are referencing the students. This is absolutely a strength of the school and a huge part of the reason that I choose to send my two boys to MPA. At the same time, I also love to work at MPA because I too have the freedom to be myself. Students rarely snicker when I get worked up about the pre-Civil War caning of Sumner or tear up over the trauma of 9/11. Instead, they are willing to let go of their own adolescent insecurities and uncertainties and join me in an intense and personal exploration of history. This makes every day in the classroom unimaginably fulfilling and explains why I love MPA.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
I think I have grown particularly interested in the “Do Right” aspect of this phrase. By studying the mistakes of the past, I stress to students that they can and must do better. While some might see this as a dim or negative approach to teaching history, I hope that it empowers and motivates students to right the wrongs of the past.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
“Do you have an hour or two?” is probably how I would start. It is that difficult to capture the full power of an MPA education. Recognizing, however, that time is short, I would stress that MPA equips students with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to make the world a better place, thereby making their lives richer and more fulfilling. Read More

Meet Ms. LaChapelle

November 14, 2017

PreK teacher

How many years have you been at MPA?
5 years

What do you love about MPA?
The students and families, nurturing community, and great colleagues who are passionate about what they do.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
Students are given opportunities to create, explore, experiment, participate in community service projects, and have their ideas and opinions heard.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
MPA is a warm community with faculty and staff who are passionate about what they do. Small class sizes offer many one-on-one learning opportunities. The learning environment is engaging and hands-on. And being in a PreK through 12 school provides opportunities for cross-grade level activities that are so unique.

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
I offer open-ended, hands-on learning opportunities. And I encourage problem-solving, public speaking, and becoming more independent. Read More

Meet Ms. Kimmerle

September 29, 2017

Fourth grade teacher
Lower School Parent

How many years have you been at MPA?
This is my 13th year.

What do you love about MPA?
When I arrived on campus 12 years ago, I was immediately drawn to the passion that the school had for maintaining and building a diverse community. Having worked in San Francisco previously, I thought I was at the epicenter of an educational environment that valued diversity. I was wrong. That was here, at MPA.

Then there are the students. From my first eighth grade class, to my current fourth graders, I have been impressed with each and every one of them. There is a light … a spark … you do not find that everywhere.

And then there are my colleagues. Watching them is what makes me strive to be better each day. I’ve never been around a harder working, more dedicated group of professionals.

I love MPA as a faculty member, clearly. But now, as a parent, I can hardly put into words my love for the school without getting teary eyed. My children are thriving here, and I can’t imagine a better learning environment for them! Read More