Lower School Art and Music Show
April 14, 2017
Wednesday night’s Lower School Art and Music Show: Plant, Nurture, Grow, was a stunning celebration of our little ones. After proudly describing each piece of artwork to their families, students performed with confidence. Freethinking was woven throughout as they improvised, embellished, and interpreted the music. Bravo! Click here to see pictures of this event.
“Traveling” to South America This Summer
March 20, 2017
by John Witt, Lower and Middle School Spanish TeacherYoga Calm Featured in MPA Lower School
March 13, 2017
MPA alumna and PreK teaching assistant shares her passion for yoga with her young chargesby 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.”
March 10, 2017
by Russ Purdy, Extended Day and Summer Program Coordinator
I love teaching science because students are naturally curious about the world in which they live, and therefore, natural scientists. As soon as they utter that first “why?” a junior scientist is born. Students learn best by doing, and will remember what they discover for themselves.
I’m very excited to teach the “Science Wizards” and “Kitchen Science” classes at Summer at MPA! During these classes we will ask questions, conduct experiments, stretch our minds, and learn that science is involved in every aspect of our lives. But, most importantly, the process will be interactive, hands-on, and FUN!
For more information and to register for these or other summer classes or Panther Camp weeks, visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer.
March 3, 2017
Calling all PreK–6 families! You are invited to attend the 7th Annual White Out Dance hosted by DJ Dad, Makai Catudio (MPA parent). It starts right after school and we dance until 5 PM. Meet in the Cafeteria—all Lower School students must be accompanied by a chaperone. A complimentary pizza snack will be provided.
You’re coming with your child anyway, how about helping organize the kiddos and their snack? We need your help! Click to sign-up for a short shift here.
Please contact Christine Larson or Amanda Campbell, Parents Association Co-Presidents, at mpapa@moundsparkacademy.org if you have any questions.
Summer Joy With the Teachers They Love
March 3, 2017
by Heather Mastel, Drama Teacher
One of the reasons I love teaching drama is how it resonates with children—there is movement, humor, and creativity. It also teaches collaboration, communication, empathy, reflection, and problem solving skills for creative challenges. I am excited to bring these learning opportunities to Summer at MPA! Children in Beyond Drama Class will create their own short play, while Beyond Acting! gives Lower School students the chance to design, write, and choreograph. The One Act Drama Camp will challenge Middle School students to rehearse and perform a one-act performance in just one week. We will also go see Shrek, Jr. and tour the Guthrie Theatre! I’m excited to have many of your students on campus with me this summer!
For more information and to register for any of these or other summer classes or Panther Camp weeks, visit moundsparkacademy.org/summer.
Panther Basketball Camp Registration Open
February 23, 2017
Dan Haase, Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach, who brings 25 years of head coaching experience along with assistant coaches, and current and former players, will be running this camp June 12–15 from 9 AM–12 PM in the Lansing Sports Center. It is open to boys and girls entering grades 3–9 in the fall. Both MPA and other students are welcome, so invite your friends! The emphasis will be on shooting, ball handling, and fundamentals for all skill levels. Find all of the details here, including registration.
Summer at MPA Registration Open
February 23, 2017
Registration for summer Enrichment Classes and Panther Camp is now open under the leadership of Russ Purdy, Extended Day and Summer Program Coordinator. You will find an incredible mix of academic, art, and athletic enrichment opportunities for your students, taught by the teachers they know and love. Find all of the details here and register today!
MPA First Graders use Design Thinking to Save Jack From the Giant
February 8, 2017
Thanks to the inventiveness of Mounds Park Academy first graders, fairy tale legend Jack survived his encounter with an infamous giant.
While most adaptations of Jack and the Beanstalk depict the main character’s successful descent from the castle in the clouds, the Jack featured recently in MPA’s Innovation Lab (iLab) faced an additional challenge: the giant chopped down the beanstalk leaving him stranded in the clouds! The students were tasked with creating a safe way for Jack to escape.
First, teacher Ms. O’Keefe encouraged the students to define the problem and empathize with how Jack must feel (the first two steps of design thinking). Then they developed creative solutions to reach the ground. With string, paper, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, cardboard and tape, the first graders created parachutes, planes, jet packs, and more. They constructed prototypes to test before releasing their air systems in the official rescue mission. Every Jack, effectively represented by a LEGO person, survived the descent from the cloud (also known as the Kreischer Gym balcony).
This cross-disciplinary iLab project brought together a literacy unit on fairy tales with a science unit on weather and air. Students worked in teams and followed the design thinking process—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—to create an air system that would save Jack.
According to O’Keefe, “Once the challenge was introduced, the students’ wheels immediately began turning. As they worked through each stage, the students showed increased motivation and were challenged to cooperate and persevere throughout the entire process.”
The Importance of Creativity in the Technological Age
February 7, 2017
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.
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.
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.