June 29, 2023
Picture yourself in the position of a parent of a PreK or kindergartener, perhaps anxiously, but jovially, beginning your school search. If you are looking at a school like Mounds Park Academy, you want your child to grow into a free spirit, a risk taker, a right maker, a dreamer, and a doer. You want an independent thinker. You want your child to be known. You want your child to love school. Your role, as the parent in the school search process, will determine the foundational years of your child’s education. It seems that for parents of the Class of 2023 Lifers, the memory remains clear as day.
Parents of MPA Lifers, the students whose entire K-12 or PreK-12 journey has taken place here at MPA, made a choice for their students and continued to choose MPA every year for all 13 years of their education. Right before they graduated from MPA, we interviewed the Class of 2023 Lifers in a group reflection on their MPA journeys. Their responses and recollections, punctuated with gratitude, nostalgia, and undeniably helpful feedback, led us to further expand on the conversation. We decided we needed to hear from the Lifer parents, as well.
An MPA education emphasizes the value of purposeful academic rigor in a hands-on, experiential, college-prep environment with the goal of instilling a lifelong love for learning. So we asked:
How has MPA accomplished this for your children, helping them find personal and academic success?
Christine (Anthony ’23): Anthony’s a quiet kid, more on the introverted side. And I think one of the things, from preparing personally, is being somewhere this many years and really knowing people and having those longitudinal relationships with teachers, classmates, and other staff at school. It has really been beneficial for him as far as building confidence and being comfortable–coming out of his shell a little bit. The first time he came here, he was 10 days old, so by the time he came as a student, he was super comfortable and felt like it was somewhere that he was familiar with. I definitely think that’s made a difference for him.
John (Freya ’23): When it comes to Freya, one thing that I think has been beneficial for her academic success is the small size of the school and the exceptional students that she’s with. And some of those kids being so exceptional and doing such exceptional work has forced her to become a better student.
Natalie (Henry S. ’23): I couldn’t agree more. One thing I’ve been really pleased about and so proud of is the diversity that Henry’s experienced here. It’s something he was looking for in his college search, which I was just so profoundly impacted by. He’d say, “mom, that’s just not what I’m used to, and I’m looking for a school with more diversity.” That is MPA. I love that. Read More
What position will you be holding at MPA?
What position will you be holding at MPA?
What’s the best thing about being part of the MPA community?
Upper School Applied Painting Class paints a piano together every year, as part of an in-depth collaborative project in conjunction with the local non-profit, Keys 4/4 Kids.
MPA’s music department was fortunate to host Sowah Mensah as an artist in residency from April 10-14. Sowah is a current professor at St. Thomas and Macalester, and is world-renowned as a “master drummer” from Accra, Ghana. As an ethnomusicologist, he teaches in many settings and even directs Sankofa, a Ghanaian Folklore and Dance Ensemble in the Twin Cities. Sowah enjoys an active performance career in addition to teaching. He has toured in China, the United States, Latin America, and has worked with notable forces in the Twin Cities music scene, including Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Chanticleer, Minnesota Center Chorale, St. Paul Civic Symphony, and more.
We are very pleased to share that Prescott Hutton ’23 is presenting “Beyond The Surface: A Photographic Installation” in the Gallery for the entire community to enjoy, May 1-5. It will feature not only his art but the art of four additional Upper School students: Ansel Streier, ninth grade; Emmet Johnston, ninth grade; Graham Jakway, tenth grade; and Andy Taylor, eleventh grade. He has organized this opportunity as part of his Senior Service Project and hopes that it brings perspective and joy to the community. 
How long have you taught at MPA?
The Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards were announced, and the following students had work recognized this year. We’re congratulating Upper School artists for their work being featured this year! Gold Key work will be featured in an exhibition at the Regis Gallery at the University of Minnesota, and the work will advance to compete at the national level. Silver Key and Honorable Mention work will be part of an online exhibition. Congratulations to Maxwell Spencer, Alexx Tolstad, Elise DeBruzzi, Tasos Dimopoulos, Aixa Kellermann, and Ema Santibanez for their excellent artwork!
Congratulations to tenth grader Rowan Mulrooney and ninth graders Truman Wilgocki and Warner Reid who auditioned and were selected to be members of the American Choral Director’s Association 9-10 State Honor Choir!