Lower School Archives

Looking Forward To Homecoming 2021

September 3, 2020

One of the annual traditions our community has enjoyed celebrating is the MPA Homecoming festivities, which had been scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2020. Due to our ongoing focus on health and safety given the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as limits on social gatherings and visitors on campus, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s activities. We will miss the joy, laughter, and sense of community shared by all during Homecoming, but look forward for new ways in the coming weeks and months for current families and alumni to celebrate our Panther Pride. Look for our chance to celebrate together again during Homecoming 2021!

Parents Association Kick-Off & Connect Events

September 3, 2020

The MPA Parent’s Association is hosting Kick-Off Zoom meetings next week. Come join us to learn about who we are and what we do. Meet members and your grade reps. We’re looking for your ideas and your help as we continue to brainstorm how best to strengthen our MPA community this year.

We have three sessions set up, one for each division to help focus discussions. The Friday session (Lower School focus) is purposefully scheduled longer to allow the second hour to be open for anyone to join for a general discussion. We look forward to seeing you at one or all of the sessions! Read More

Guidance For Wearing A Mask At School

September 3, 2020

Scientific evidence from public health experts, the MN Department of Health, and the CDC indicates that risks to students and staff can be kept low if schools adhere to strict control measures, including wearing a face mask.

The mask should fit snugly to cover the nose bridge, mouth, and chin and should not gap on the sides.
The mask should stay across the nose without slipping down. If it slips regularly, the fit isn’t quite right.
Masks should be made of tightly-woven cloth such as higher thread count cotton and 2-3 layers thick.
Ensure the mask fits around the ears, but isn’t too tight. Straps shouldn’t twist—if they do, the fit isn’t quite right.
Masks should be washed daily, so multiple masks are recommended to have on hand at home, and your student should arrive to school with two masks each day: wearing one, and an extra on hand.
Watch a helpful video on mask-wearing >

Traffic Safety Reminders

September 3, 2020

It is MPA’s number one priority to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children. This takes on new meaning during the 2020-21 school year, but we’d like to share some important traffic safety reminders too. Please share this information with all of the drivers in your home, in addition to others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Distracted Driving
Parents and students are asked to refrain from using cell phones (hands free or otherwise) while driving on campus, especially when children are present. This helps us all to be aware of the children moving around us and keep the traffic flow steady and uncongested.

Please Slow Down
Keep your speed at or below 10 MPH, depending upon the time of day and the area of campus. This is particularly important near crosswalks. Read More

On Being Kind

September 3, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

What is the first word that comes to mind that begins with the letter K? Ask any MPA kindergarten student and they will quickly tell you, “Kindness!” I had barely left my post at the front door Monday morning when a kindergartner presented me a bouquet of Black-eyed Susans from our own school garden. Several weeks ago, an MPA parent sent me a handwritten note in the mail thanking me for my leadership after noticing I looked like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders during one of our Town Halls. New sixth grade student, Ari R., gushed about how nice everyone is at MPA, especially the teachers, on his first day of school.

Watching the news these days or the postings on social media can be depressing. We are confronted with images and stories of violence, civil unrest, vitriol, and discord. One could believe that our world is bereft of kindness and goodwill in this time of crisis. In reality, we often fail to notice or celebrate the daily occurrences that advance the idea of humanity’s innate goodness. A visit to the site of George Floyd’s murder this summer brought tears to my eyes. The outpouring of kindness overwhelmed me as I observed donations of everyday supplies that filled sidewalks and bottled water and food was offered freely. Read More

Tips & Tricks For New Protocols

August 27, 2020

Arrival & Dismissal
We anticipated that this first week would be a little challenging and we are so grateful for everyone’s support and kind words! Internally, we are tweaking our processes and looking for opportunities to enhance the experience. We anticipate that it will get easier each day. Please know that every faculty, staff, and admin team member is available to assist students and make it as easy as possible for families! Let’s be safe, smart, and kind!

Here are some helpful tips and tricks …

Please have the “green pass” email ready to show staff when you arrive. If you choose to park you will need to show your green pass to the staff as you walk your student to the door.
If you have students in multiple divisions, you need to drop off and pick up each one at their designated door (Lower School: Doors 1 and 2, Middle School: Doors 4 and 5, Upper School: Door 7).
For arrival and dismissal, Lower School families should enter the drive thru off Larpenteur Avenue—this is the lane to the east that goes in front of Doors 1 and 2 (east driveway). Note there is no left-hand turn into this lane in the afternoon. Middle and Upper School families should enter the parking lot off Larpenteur—west driveway—and proceed toward the applicable door.
Dismissal will begin at 3 PM for students who will be picked up by families.
Please have your child’s/children’s first and last name and grade on a sheet of paper highly visible to the sidewalk for dismissal. This will significantly speed up the process.
Staff will be signaling teachers in waves to ensure physical distancing of students.
Students will be exiting the same door that they entered.
If families choose to park in the parking lots they will need to wait until all the drive up lanes are clear before their child will be dismissed. We encourage all families to enter the drop off line rather than park.

Relationships Matter

August 27, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Yesterday was amazing! After months apart, it was heartwarming to welcome our students to a new school year, in person. Excitement and joy were evident throughout the day, from drop off to dismissal. Although there were no hugs due to our health and safety measures, I observed an abundance of virtual hugs, pretend high fives, and no-contact fist “bumps.” As someone who worked in an empty building for the last six months, the joy and laughter emanating from our students lifted my spirits and soothed my soul.

In the midst of a pandemic and opening school in a wholly different way, it’s comforting to see that this crisis isn’t driving people apart, it is bringing them together. As a part of my summer reading, I was struck by the timeliness of “Humankind: A Hopeful History,” a new book by historian Rutger Bregman. Bregman set out to prove “that humans are hardwired for kindness, geared towards cooperative rather than competition, and more inclined to trust one another than distrust one another.”

Bregman posits that, at our core, humans are decidedly good. In fact, is the very trait of friendliness that gives us an evolutionary advantage over other species. One of the most fascinating insights from modern anthropology and biology is that human beings have been selected over the history of our evolution to be friendly. Throughout history, it was actually the friendliest among us who had the most kids, and so had the best chance of passing on their genes to the next generation.

Welcome Back To School From The MPA Parents Association

August 20, 2020

We’ve enjoyed meeting with some of you while our Middle and Upper Schoolers have been making their way back to MPA. And we look forward to getting together with Lower School parents in grades 1-4 next week during your Back To School Days. Click here for the invitation from the PA.

Grades 1-4 Student Back To School Days
Monday, August 24, 2020
Grade 1: 9-10:30 AM
Grade 2: 10:30 AM-12 PM
Grade 3: 1-2:30 PM
Grade 4: 2:30-4 PM

As we begin this unusual year, we are continuing to brainstorm safe and creative ways we can join together and celebrate our community. Fortunately, the warmer days we’re enjoying right now allow us to meet outside at a safe distance, like at our First Day of School Parking Lot Social. So, be sure to check out Panther Post and your division communications for upcoming MPA PA sponsored event announcements.

If you have any questions, contact Kim Jakway or Barry Madore.

We Are Family

August 20, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

There is little more joyous than a wedding or the birth or adoption of a child. Welcoming new members to our family and the growth of our extended family are certainly worth celebrating. With each new addition, our family is redefined and our sense of self is enhanced. Collectively, our values and perspectives are both affirmed and enriched. Many people think of MPA as a family and each year we have the joy of welcoming new members to this exceptional community.

I had the pleasure of welcoming our new families and students to MPA during Tuesday’s New Family Orientation and our MPA family has grown to include 108 new students and their families. As I looked at the families on each of the tiles on Zoom, I was struck by how the mission of MPA was reflected in the faces of our new families. Here are a few fun facts about our new family members:

41 new students will join the Lower School;
38 new students will join the Middle School;
29 new students will join the Upper School;
New students come from 45 different zip codes;
In addition to English, these students speak 13 different languages at home including Swahili, Somali, Armenian, Spanish, Korean, Hmong, Urdu, Chinese, Swedish, French, Portuguese, Nepali, and Mandarin;
40 of them enrolled without ever having stepped foot on campus;
5 are children of alumni; and
8 children of faculty or staff.

Arrival And Dismissal Procedures

August 20, 2020

All MPA families should have received an email from Safetyapp@auxs.org with information about how to install the Safety App Powered by AUXS. Completing twice-daily screenings through this app will enable MPA to effectively monitor and track screening as a preventative measure and will have the ease families need for this step to be quick and easy.

Here are some important notes about the arrival and dismissal process this year:

Arrival

If your family didn’t select an arrival time, one will be assigned to you.
Students will not be allowed in the building prior to 7:15 AM in order for staff members to arrive on campus and be prepared to begin the screening process.
Please have the green badge that is emailed to you by The Safety App Powered By Aux out and ready to show upon arrival. While the information you submitted is being sent to the school, the most efficient way for MPA to run the arrival process for now is for families to have their green badge out and ready.
If your child is driving themselves to school, please forward the Safety App email to them or take a screenshot and text it to them. The same applies for carpools and bus riders who already have cell phones. Please do not purchase a cell phone for your child just for this purpose. For any student riding the bus who does not have a cell phone, MPA will have the information you transmitted via the app available to reference. If you have forgotten to do the screening, staff will ask your child the screening questions. All students must be screened prior to entering the building.
Each student will enter at their pre-assigned door, including bus riders. The doors will be marked with flags and balloons for easy locating. Note that parents will need to drive through the lot and stop at each applicable door and bus riders will need to walk from the bus to their door.

Arrival & Dismissal Doors
Door 1: PreK, K, 1
Door 2: Grades 2, 3, 4
Note: Doors 1 & 2 will drop off in a single Lower School drive thru lane
Door 4: Grades 5, 7, 6, 8
Note: Doors 4 will drop off in a single Middle School drive thru lane
Door 7 West: Grades 9, 10
Door 7 East: Grades 11, 12
Note: Door 7 will drop off in a single Upper School drive thru lane

When lining up to enter the building, students should be wearing masks and staying physically distant.
Parents are encouraged to allow their student to make the last part of the journey into school independently unless delivering a reluctant student. All new families with Lower School students will be welcomed to accompany their child through screening and to their locker or classroom door for the first week of school.
A staff member will be available to walk Lower School students to Panther Club, if applicable, or to their classroom if arriving after 7:30 AM.