Lower School

September 14, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

“Everything that is good in this country, everything that is worthy in this country, everything that is beautiful in this country, begins with a teacher.”
—Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year.

My heart was full Friday afternoon as I looked across the south lawn during our annual Ice Cream Social. Actually, it was bursting, and I likened it to what happened to the heart of the Grinch at the end of the “Grinch Who Stole Christmas”! It was our largest social ever, and seeing students playing with one another and parents and teachers talking with each other on a beautiful late summer afternoon was exceptionally heartwarming. The school year is off to a fantastic start, one of the best in my 11 years at MPA.

This past week, I made the rounds of Lower School classrooms to welcome new students and reconnect with returning students. My visits also allowed me to witness our amazing teachers in action. Watching them is like watching an orchestra conductor who seemingly effortlessly moves from one movement to another while keeping each musician playing in concert with the other. Considering the ages of Lower School students, that is quite an accomplishment! MPA is indeed fortunate to have highly qualified, experienced, and skilled teachers who are also very kind and caring people.

At my nephew’s wedding last May, I caught up with a childhood friend of my nephew’s, a middle school teacher in a suburban school district outside of Charlotte, NC. When I asked him how things were going for him, he casually said he “did a favor for the school” by teaching a class with 70 students because the school district could not find enough qualified teachers. The class is so large that it is held in the cafeteria, and while he has a teaching assistant, the TA spends most of his time dealing with student behavior. Read More

September 7, 2023

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Daily, I am touched by the kindness of the MPA community. Most recently, the many cards and expressions of care regarding my mother’s death have helped my family and me through a very difficult time. In my experience over the last ten years, I’ve taken kindness for granted at MPA because I see it so often. I see it in the way members of the community greet one another, how students go out of their way to welcome new students, how they clean their tables after they eat, and the respect between adults and students, to name a few.

I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness or the lack of it in today’s society. People seem angrier, less patient, more rude, and sometimes cruel. At the grocery store, on TV talk shows, in line at a drive-through, on the freeway, or in restaurants, we seem to have lost our humanity. I worry about the direction our society is heading and have been struggling with what my responsibility is as both an individual and as head of school to counteract these troubling, negative trends. Read More

August 31, 2023

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

The new school year is off to a terrific start! To new families, welcome to the MPA family, and I look forward to getting to know you. To returning families, welcome back. Seeing how students have grown and matured in just a few short months is wonderful.

My spirits soared on Tuesday by the enthusiasm and energy of the first official day of school. When I arrived at school around 6:15 AM, I was surprised by the number of cars parked in the north lot. I quickly remembered that our seniors were gathering in the Benz Courtyard to celebrate the break of dawn on their last first day of school at MPA.

There was fantastic excitement on the other side of the building as students bounded into the building with zeal. Their enthusiasm was matched by parents who accompanied their children into the building and stayed for coffee and pastries sponsored by the Parents Association. It was a fantastic turnout and many told us that it was hard to leave the conversation and head off to work.

We have a longstanding MPA tradition of ending the first day of school with an all-employee meeting. I invite faculty and staff to share stories about the day and the mission moments that illustrate who we are. The joyfulness in the room was palpable. Here are a few examples of what was shared that reflect the common values we share at MPA: Read More