Head’s Message

May 27, 2015

Somewhere along the way, I learned that ancient mariners would use the stars to navigate as they crossed the oceans. In later years, however, someone told me that they didn’t use the stars to tell them how far they had to go, but rather how far they had come. As we approach the end of the school year, I’ve become like those ancient seafarers, looking back over the last eleven months and reflecting upon how far we have come as a community.

At the beginning of the school year, I outlined six priorities to the faculty and staff that would guide my leadership this year. I’d like to share them with you now and highlight a few examples of how they’ve been met over the course of this year.

1. Play to our Strengths
Embrace, invigorate and deepen our commitment to the MPA mission, particularly whole-child education

• A re-envisioning of the MPA mission in light of 21st century
• Creation of new Gender Inclusive School policy and guidelines
• Recognition and celebration of our highly dedicated and motivated faculty and staff

2. Create a Shared Vision and Direction
Lead a successful strategic planning process with a new plan in place in January and an implementation plan in place by May.

• Successful strategic planning process resulting in a clear and compelling course for the next five years

3. Increase Funding and Support for the School
Help develop and support a strong institutional advancement team that uses best practices to drive development, marketing, communications, and admissions.

• Successful realignment of marketing strategy by focusing on digital and inbound marketing and strategic community partnerships, such as MPR, the Minnesota Science Museum, and the Phipps Center for the Arts
• A new development strategy with an innovative annual fund strategy and a “refounding” of the Best of MPA, resulting in a 48% increase in Fund a Need and a 76% increase over last year overall
• A new enrollment and admissions strategy that has led to a projected increase in enrollment and low rate of attrition

4. Improve Accountability, Stewardship, and Transparency
Strive to embody and demonstrate openness and honesty and be genuine and authentic with all constituents, both personally and institutionally.

• A new communications strategy and plan, including frequent, consistent and meaningful weekly Head of School messages
• A new faculty and staff group dedicated to ideas and transparency

5. Ensure Excellence
Initiate a curriculum review process that ensures continuity, scope, sequence and spiraling and leads to continuous improvement across grade levels and divisions.

• Creation and implementation of a research-based continuous curriculum review process that started this year
• New math curriculum, including an added accelerated track and classes for grades 7–12 and a successfully-implemented Singapore Math sequence in grades 1–5.
• Seniors with offers of college admission from 102 different schools in 33 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada. Next fall they will head off to 36 different schools in 19 states

6. Inspire Innovation
Foster a culture that is curious and creative, providing the autonomy and opportunities necessary for individuals to take risks and try new ideas.

• Creation of the Virtual Classroom and membership in the Malone Schools Online Network with 14 students enrolled in online courses next year
• Increased usage of the i-Lab and Digital Fabrication Studio
• Successful introduction of Upper School Certificates of Distinction
• Successful pilot year of Middle School i-Term

While I am thankful for of all we have accomplished this year, I am equally as grateful for the harder to quantify: an increased optimism, morale, and momentum; a reported greater trust in the leadership and governance of the school; and an overall sense of gratitude and well being. I am very proud of the work that teachers, staff, and administrators have been able to accomplish through a renewed partnership with parents and alumni, and I am excited about finishing the year strong on all counts—including financial, enrollment, and development.

But while there is barely more than a week of the school year remaining, there is still much to do. As the flurry of the end of the year comes quickly upon us, I am eager to celebrate the many traditions and events that come with it. I hope to see you at the Moving Up Ceremony, the final group of senior speeches, the Senior Service Fair, the end-of-the-year yearbook assembly, or, of course, commencement. Go Panthers!

May 21, 2015

I have a confession to make and I’m a little embarrassed by it. As a person with a doctorate and as the head of a respected independent school, you might think that my favorite movie is “Das Boot” or something very deep and thought provoking like “My Dinner with Andre.” Not so. I am a HUGE “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” fan. Not the Johnny Depp version but the original movie starring Gene Wilder.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Upper School Vocal Concert. It was a splendid evening with incredibly beautiful music. In particular, I was moved by a performance of Pure Imagination by the Concert Choir. I will make another confession: I had tears in my eyes as I thought about the sentiments behind the lyrics and how they express a core reality about our school.

“There is no life I know
to compare with pure imagination.
Living there, you’ll be free.
If you truly wish to be.”

As I looked across the stage, I was filled with pride as I saw students from so many different grades, peer groups, academic abilities and walks of life come together to create so much beauty. In many schools, there would be very few boys. Gender stereotyping prevents many young men from exploring their interest in music and singing. One of our aspirational goals at MPA is that our students will indeed be free to try new things, like music, pottery or robotics, and by doing so, be able to imagine themselves in entirely different ways.

“If you want to view paradise,
simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it.
Want to change the world?
There’s nothing to it.”

Author J.K. Rowling wrote that, “Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power to that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.” I see evidence everyday that students at MPA are allowed to run with their imagination. Teachers continually encourage students to pose new questions, explore new possibilities, examine old problems, and to rely upon and trust in their imagination. In an era when technology and globalization are rapidly growing, students need—more than ever—to learn how, not what, to think.

One last confession: the tears in my eyes were also the result of my sincere appreciation, joy, and gratitude to lead this amazing school. Only in my imagination.

May 14, 2015

This is the week of Advanced Placement testing across the nation and at MPA. For the last several days, students have been taking the AP exams in the Porter Conference Room next to my office. The AP English and Composition exam alone will take students five hours to complete. Advanced Placement courses and tests have a high degree of rigor built into them and lead to success in college.

However, I wonder whether we devote enough time fostering the Emotional Quotient, EQ, of our children as we do attending to their IQ? According to a recent study from Harvard University, 96 percent of parents say they want to raise ethical, caring children, and cite the development of moral character as “very important, if not essential.” However, 80 percent of the youth surveyed reported that their parents “are more concerned about achievement or happiness than caring for others.” What do we as parents and educators do to help our children develop empathy and become more caring and compassionate?

One shining example of how MPA succeeds at this is our fourth grade play, “Social Skills: How to Interact with Human Beings.” Led by Theater Director Melinda Moore, fourth graders learned lessons on how to positively interact with their peers and shared them with others through music and dance. Key lines and messages of the play included:

• You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should always strive to be friend-LY!
• It’s not okay to go online and heckle, tease or vent.
• No matter where I go, you see, it’s ME I represent.
• Friendships work much better when we think of others first.

The presentation was delightful to watch as the fourth graders sang, danced, and delivered their lines with confidence and enthusiasm. “I have to say that I had tears in my eyes and the biggest smile on my face during the performances yesterday,” said Mrs. Moore. “Sitting in front of my fourth grade students and seeing the growth in every single one of them – it was a reminder of the value of a whole child education, and more specifically, an arts education.” The play has been so well received that students have taken the show on the road, performing at several area public elementary schools.

According to author and child psychologist Michele Borba, studies show that the ability to empathize with others affects childrens’ health and authentic happiness as well as their emotional, social, and cognitive abilities. “Empathy activates conscience and moral reasoning, improves happiness, curbs bullying and aggression, enhances kindness and peer inclusiveness, reduces prejudice and racism, promotes heroism and moral courage, and boosts relationship satisfaction. Empathy is a key ingredient of resiliency, the foundation of trust, the benchmark of humanity, and core to everything that makes a society civilized.”

Academic rigor and intellectual ambition are at the core of our mission at MPA. But an MPA education goes far beyond academic goals. With a focus on not just what we know, but who we are, character development—grounded in the teaching and modeling of equity and inclusion—reaches students of all divisions. Woven throughout the curriculum and embedded in co-curricular opportunities, character development is cultivated through collaborative tasks, creating an environment where students are respected, valued, and heard.

April 23, 2015

The next chapter doesn’t start until you turn the page.

Spring is a time of new life, rebirth and new chapters to be written. In just a few short weeks, our seniors will matriculate and move on to their next challenge. It is also a time when employment decisions are made in the world of education and I want to share with you some of the comings and goings at MPA.

We have a number of changes before us that present new opportunities for growth. Change is never easy but is certainly a reality we all face. As someone once said, “Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine.” In the Upper School, we have reduced the class load for teachers so they have more time planning and preparing for their classes, collaborating with one another and being available for one on one time with their students. As a result, we will have a few new teachers joining us in the fall. We will also say goodbye to several teachers and staff members as they venture forth to new chapters and new opportunities. While we are sorry to lose exceptional friends and colleagues, we are excited about the energy and perspective new employees bring to us.

First of all, I would like to share with you that KaTrina Wentzel, Director of Studies, has resigned her position at MPA and will begin a new chapter at Marin Academy in San Rafael, California. In KaTrina’s words to her colleagues:

I have so thoroughly enjoyed my 14 years at MPA, in great part because of all of you. The support and joy from my colleagues has made this an incredible place to work, and there is no doubt I will miss you, the students, and MPA as a whole as my family and I embark on our next adventure. I am confident in MPA and its direction and will be watching and celebrating your successes from afar.

Katrina will be missed greatly and I am so very grateful for her leadership this past year in designing and spearheading our new curriculum review process. She is a phenomenal teacher, administrator and colleague.

While I am sad to bid KaTrina adieu, I am pleased to welcome Kari Kunze to the Administrative Team, replacing KaTrina as Director of Studies. Kari is a 15 year veteran of MPA, having taught for several years before at Eagan High School. She has taught in our World Languages Department, teaching MS and US Spanish, including AP Spanish. Kari has served as Department Chair, led various faculty committees and coached our award winning Speech Team during her tenure. She brings a solid background in curriculum development and is beloved by colleagues, parents, and students.

In addition to teaching part-time, Kari will oversee the curriculum review process, create a faculty professional improvement process, plan professional development opportunities, assist with the implementation of our new strategic plan, as well as several other duties.

We also have several retirements. Theresa Reardon Offerman, Upper School Math teacher will retire this year after 31 years of faithful service to MPA. You may be aware that Theresa was the architect of the US one-to-one laptop program, one of the first in the nation. Jim Schwieger, MS Science teacher, will retire after 27 years of service. Jim has inspired countless budding scientists and instilled an appreciation of science among all his students. Finally, Stephanie Sommer, US English teacher is putting her teaching career on hiatus as she returns to being a full-time mother.

Division Directors are working closely with one another and our academic departments to fill the open positions.

In other news, Marketing and Communications Manager Olivia Herrick has announced her intention to step back from MPA employment to focus her time and talents on running her graphic design business full-time. Olivia will continue to oversee all of MPA’s design work on a contract basis. Below is an excerpt of her message to MPA employees:

It has been the greatest privilege to spend the past three and a half years working with all of you. I have never had a deeper or more profound appreciation for the work you do as educators, administrators, and staff — you have inspired me each and every day. MPA has had my heart for the past 17 years and that will never change. 

We will miss Olivia’s energy and passion for MPA but are grateful she will continue to be a part of the school community as our graphic designer and golf coach for years to come.

While I am sad to see our colleagues leave, I am very happy for them as they follow their dreams. I am also comforted that all of them are moving to something rather that moving away from MPA. MPA continues to enjoy a great deal of energy and momentum as we build for the future. I look forward to all that lies ahead.

Thank you for your support.

Bill

April 16, 2015

So Much More than Cute

Please don’t get me wrong- we do have very cute kids at MPA. But we also have students that are acquiring skills and concepts that will benefit them throughout their lifetime in a multitude of ways. I was truly amazed by the incredible work of our students at last week’s Lower School Art and Music Show. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and loved taking time to appreciate the art, and am grateful for our exceptional LS art and music teachers, Ms. Espeland, Ms. Sonka, and Ms. Rossbach.

However, it is easy to stay at the surface and simply take it all in without thinking about what truly goes into creating such remarkable art and music. The scope and sequence of music theory is not always noticed and appreciated. Our students utilize rhythm, pitch, and harmony with passionate creative self-expression. Likewise, student artwork showcases strength in fundamental art concepts while simultaneously highlighting every student’s unique style and personality. Furthermore, important concepts such as collaboration, joyfulness, and community are interwoven throughout the evening.

For instance, the piece that the first grade played at the Music Show was one outcome of the fundamentals of musical theory.  The rhythm that the drummers and woods played was a class composition using quarter note, two eighths, and quarter rest.  The children rearranged cards with these rhythmic values on them to compose rhythms that their classmates played.  Finally, the class arrived at a rhythm that they all really liked—even Ms. Espeland!

Music is by nature collaborative. For example, all third grade students improvised to phrases from “Way Down South” during class times.  In fact, the fourth phrase was a result of students sharing the pitches they would assign to the last line of the chant. Ms. Espeland notated those ideas, the class played all ideas offered, and finally, voted on their favorite. Through communal improvisation, students learn to tap into their imagination to problem-solve, which in turn fosters creativity.

It was Albert Einstein that said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Researchers at the National Science Foundation have found that music is a key ingredient in the neurological roots of the creative process. It inspires higher brain functioning and improves cognitive outcomes.

Singing and dancing builds community like no other subject area.  It’s not competitive, it’s communal.  Imagine every single one of the Kindergarten through 4th grade students dancing the “Bunny Hop” together.  They were all at various levels of ability and all full of joy!

What most of us observed on the night of the performance is just a little snapshot of the entire music learning process.  It is a process Ms. Espeland starts on the first day of school, when children learn to make a working musical ensemble out of a group of individuals. In a very natural process the children create and perform their own music.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” At MPA, we believe that music is for everyone, not just the specially talented. Beauty and artistic expression is fostered within each student, regardless if they are singing in harmony or unison, whether they are in pitch or shy or anxious. As Ms. Espeland explains, “Singing with accuracy and beauty and moving with beat competence are skills for life.  Every person should be able to sing a lullaby to a child and dance at a wedding.  Those skills can be taught.  I’ve been teaching them for years.”

April 9, 2015

It was Plutarch who said, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”

It is very likely that you have heard the wonderful news that MPA senior Munira Khalif has achieved the rare honor of being offered admission to all eight Ivy League schools.  In addition, she was accepted at the University of Minnesota, Stanford University and Georgetown University.  If you know Munira or have followed the media coverage, you know she is an exceptional young woman whose fire has certainly been kindled.  Her accomplishments here at MPA, as well as nationally and internationally, are inspiring.

A key ingredient in fueling a passion to learn like Munira’s is making sure students feel challenged.  MPA is a rigorous, yet joyful environment where students are expected to be intellectually curious and effective communicators. The motivation to learn is, in part, grounded in two fundamental questions:  Does the teacher see me? And, how does the teacher see me?  Exceptional teachers that are caring and compassionate are able to craft learning experiences to the individual needs of their students while providing the safety and security for them to excel.

Munira serves as a wonderful example of how our students define and pursue their passions.  When students are focused on goals that they had a hand in choosing, it brings engagement, motivation and growth to a whole new level. Munira’s college counseling process began in ninth grade with goal setting, self-assessment, and encouragement to find and follow her passions, just as it does for all of our students. By junior year, she was researching universities that would provide the programs and environment she wanted after high school. Our college counseling program allows us to work one-on-one with students and help them focus on finding the best fit.

We are so proud of Munira and her achievements, but this is only the beginning. She has the knowledge, skills and personal attributes necessary to change the world. It is a fire like Munira’s that we strive to kindle every day.