Lower School Archives

Providing Our Students Safety And Confidence

February 26, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license. The summer I turned 16, I was a counselor at a Boy Scout camp in Michigan. I asked my dad to drive up to camp so I could go to the local office and take the written and behind the wheel tests. I passed both with flying colors and achieved this important milestone of adolescence. Please note, this was not much of an accomplishment as the population of the town where I took the behind the wheel portion of the test was just under 2000. Given how important it was for my friends and me to drive, it has surprised me that more and more students in high school these days don’t have, and are not in a hurry to get, their driver’s license.

There is some very interesting quantitative research conducted on generational differences that explains this anecdotal observation. According to professor of psychology and author Jean M. Twenge, today’s young people, who she calls the iGen, are growing up slower than previous generations. Accounting for 24 percent of the population of the United States, iGen are those born between 1995 and 2012. Examples of this phenomenon are that they are less likely to: Read More

Invite A Friend To Our Next Lunch At MPA

February 26, 2020

Invite a friend to join us for Lunch at MPA on Wednesday, March 4 from 11:30 AM-1 PM! This admission event during a regular school day allows prospective families to meet school leaders, parents, and students over a casual meal and tour the campus to see our students and teachers in action.

Friends can RSVP for lunch at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP!

See You At Maker Fest On Saturday!

February 20, 2020

See you this Saturday, February 22 from 1-3 PM for Maker Fest 2020! Join us in the AnnMarieThomas Makerspace and Family Commons to view and participate with our community’s talented and passionate makers. Maker Fest is free is open to everyone–students, parents, grandparents, alums, faculty, staff, etc.

If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

Independent School Diversity Career Fair

February 20, 2020

We are proud to be a part of this year’s Independent School Diversity Career Fair on Saturday, March 7, from 9 AM-12 PM at Breck School in Golden Valley. Faculty, staff, and school administrators who identify as people of color/indigenous are welcome to learn more about employment opportunities at a number of independent schools in the Twin Cities. Participating schools include: Blake, Breck, DeLaSalle, Friends School of Minnesota, Groves Academy, Minnehaha Academy, Mounds Park Academy, Shattuck-St. Marys, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and Waldorf City of Lakes. Visit the website for more information and to register.

Ways Of Seeing

February 20, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

My mother had cataracts surgery today. Although I’ve known about the condition for years, I found myself researching its causes and treatment, happy to find that the procedure is both common and safe. In conversations with my mother, I asked how it affected her and the way she sees the world, the challenges she faces navigating her daily routine, and the limitations of poor sight. I am grateful for the doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers who care for my mother so that she can once again see the world with clarity.

I have long believed that the power of education is to help young people see the world in new ways. Inspiring literature, the beauty of mathematics, the magnificence of science, and the beauty and depth of the arts, provide students multiple ways of seeing themselves, others, and the world around them. Education is much more complex than simply imparting knowledge and skills. It is accompanying students through a challenging and sometimes uncomfortable process of fostering a growing awareness of themselves and their own agency. Read More

MPA Board Of Trustees Seeking Nominations

February 19, 2020

MPA’s Board of Trustees collaborates with the Head of School to guide the school’s strategic direction, to protect its mission, to support the school’s development efforts and to safeguard the school’s financial stability.

Nominations for Trustees
We are pleased to share that the Governance Committee of the Board is launching its annual process to identify potential trustees.

If you, or someone you know, could be a strong contributor to the MPA Board of Trustees, please provide the name of your nominee and a short description of their experience and background, directly to Wendy Marko Odeen, Trustee and Governance Chair, MPA Board of Trustees at wendy.odeen@ellester.com.

In addition to strong leadership skills, nominees will bring a broad diversity of experience and backgrounds, and a passion to advance the mission of MPA. Areas of desired professional experience include: finance, accounting, investment, banking, business, communications, construction, education, law, governance, scientific training, the arts, IT, human resources, strategic planning, development, marketing, and community service, among others. Read More

The 2020 Book Festival Wants Your Help!

February 19, 2020

Save the date! The MPA Book Festival is April 20-22 this year, and is open to all students and families. Book Festival Family Night will be held April 22, 3-6 PM. Come join us for an evening of crafts, activities, dinner, and of course an opportunity for book buying! Our theme is “MPA ComicCon.” What that means is that in addition to having a wide variety and assortment of books for sale, we will also have a specific focus on Graphic Novels and Comics. Did you know that a Graphic Novel won the Newberry Awards for the 2020 for the first time ever? And we chose our theme way back in 2019!

Get in on the ground flow to determine how we manifest this theme across the school! Contact Erin Dimopoulos at erindimopoulos@gmail.com. We are looking for volunteers to help with crafts, activities and decor. Help spread the joy of reading!

To Care Is To Confirm

February 13, 2020

by Jenn Milam, Ph.D., Middle School director

Editor’s Note: Each month, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

“When we confirm someone, we identify a better self and encourage its development. To do this, we must know the other reasonably well. Otherwise we cannot see what the other is really striving for, what ideal he or she may long to make real.” –Nel Noddings

Philosophy. Philosophy, quite literally derived from the Greek word philosophia, meaning “love of wisdom” is the study of knowledge(s). As we round the week toward Valentine’s Day, I thought I might share a little bit about the importance of love, of care, of confirmation in education. I invite you to wander with me a bit in my thinking. Read More

Our Legacy Society Story

February 13, 2020

Nan Etzwiler, Dan O’Neill, and Laura O’Neill

Since our daughter, Laura, started at MPA in 2005 in its first PreK class, MPA has been joyful, enriching, and stimulating for her—and for us! From pillowcase poems to building 3-D digestive systems, from memorizing Chaucer to crafting a competitive speech, we are grateful to the incredibly skilled and caring faculty we have known in each division. As parents, we have also had the opportunity to volunteer at MPA in various capacities and have seen close-up how thoughtfully the mission of the school is borne out through curriculum, character-building, and extracurricular activities. MPA is a place that speaks to the both the ‘head’ and the ‘heart’ of everyone who passes through it.

In recognition of the rich mission of the school, and its strong leadership and staff, we have included MPA in our estate plans for three reasons. Most important, MPA has played a critical role and had a sustained presence in
our lives for many years—and its impact on our family will continue for decades to come. Second, prioritizing our giving and including MPA in our estate planning have been ways for us to talk with our daughter about not only the importance of giving, but the joy of it. She has a growing appreciation for the fun and importance of leaving something behind for others.

Finally, through tax planning we have been able to maximize the impact of our gifts today and later. Working with MPA’s Development Office to denote MPA as an estate beneficiary was easy and quick. We hope one day that our legacy gift can help sustain MPA so that generations of students to come might thrive and soar just as our daughter has. We encourage you to reach out to MPA’s Development Office to consider including MPA in your legacy planning, too.

Be A Career Panelist To Help Students Dream Big

February 12, 2020

College Counseling and the Upper School Advisory program are teaming up to provide career exploration opportunities for students! We are looking for MPA parents and alumni to share information about their careers with students who are starting to imagine where their talents could take them.

We plan to offer six different “career cluster” panels during Advisory meetings. Speakers will volunteer either Wednesday, April 8 or Wednesday, April 15 (time commitment roughly 10:45 AM to 12:30 PM). On each date, three different panels will be offered, featuring people presenting about their jobs, the paths that led to their current positions, and taking student questions.

If you are interested in being a panelist OR getting involved in future career programming, please complete our brief survey or contact Andrea Kaltved in College Counseling at akaltved@moundsparkacademy.org. Read More