Lower School Archives

Kindergartners Discover The Joy Of Learning

March 12, 2020

At Mounds Park Academy, a private school in Saint Paul, the words “kindergarten” and “joy” are inseparable. And it doesn’t matter who’s describing the experience. When asked what she loves about teaching kindergarten, MPA’s Kristine Petersen said immediately, “Pure joy!” While Petersen didn’t specify if it was her joy or that of her students, it’s clear from a parent’s feedback that it’s both.

“Our daughter seems so committed to school because of her joy for it, which is the goal. She not only believes in the joy of school, but she trusts in the joy and excitement Ms. Petersen brings to learning and to the classroom!”

Introducing Mounds Park Academy’s Interdisciplinary Approach in Kindergarten
Educational experiences are more authentic and of greater rigor when students learn through an interdisciplinary approach—it is deeper and more reflective of the real world. Interdisciplinary teaching helps students make connections among math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts, integrating knowledge and increasing student engagement.

MPA introduces its interdisciplinary approach in kindergarten in an age-appropriate way. When students study the letter “R,” for example, they might complete a mystery puzzle revealing a rabbit by following teacher directions and coloring a mystery grid. The teacher references shapes such as triangles, diagonals, and rectangles as part of the directions. The students then create a math problem with the puzzle. Read More

MPA Alumni Left Their Mark!

March 5, 2020

The MPA Alumni Day of Giving on March 3, 2020 was dedicated for alumni to show their continuous Panther Pride and support for MPA students, faculty, and staff. MPA alumni and parents of alumni rallied together yesterday to raise an incredible $40,692 in support of students and teachers! A total of 106 alumni and parents of alumni made a gift, and the Classes of 1991 and 2004 tied with 20% class participation. Their gifts ensure students can receive:

Scholarships and Financial Assistance: MPA prides itself on its diverse and inclusive community. Help us to ensure that Panthers from all backgrounds can benefit from a life-changing education. Your gift will support the more than $2 million in financial assistance MPA provides to families each year.
Programmatic Enhancements: Thanks to the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace, experiential learning opportunities, a robust performing and visual arts program, and no-cut athletics, MPA offers a whole-child education for an ever-changing world. Your gift will help us to continue to provide top-notch educational opportunities across these important academic content areas.

Why Interdisciplinary Education Works

March 5, 2020

by Mark Segal, Upper School director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of 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 I was in second or third grade, I defined mathematics as something I did daily from 9:45–10:30 AM. My focus should have been on the addition and subtraction problems written on the blackboard or mimeographed handout, but instead it was on the upcoming recess where my friends and I played competitive games against one another. Educators rarely explain to students and parents why the school day is designed as it is. It should be no surprise then that students and parents look at the arbitrary divisions for English, math, reading, social studies, world language, science, art, music, and physical education and begin to define the subject areas as separate bodies of knowledge with little connection to one another.

As I moved into middle and upper school, the subject matter separation became even more noticeable as the academic areas were forced into independent time frames taught by individual teachers. It is no wonder that many middle and upper school students (including me 35+ years ago) complain that school is irrelevant to the larger world. In the real world, we do not wake up in the morning and do social studies for a specified time block. Over time, adolescents begin to recognize that in “real life” we encounter challenges and situations, gather data from a number of resources, and problem solve to generate solutions. The fragmented school day does not reflect this reality. Read More

Join Us For Book Festival!

March 5, 2020

Save the date and spread the joy of reading! The MPA Book Festival is April 20-22 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!

Contact Erin Dimopoulos at erindimopoulos@gmail.com to get involved! We are looking for volunteers to help with crafts, activities and decor.

A Very Sweet Community Collaboration

March 3, 2020

Located right outside the kindergarten classroom door is a grand staple of the playground that provides so much for our campus–a shady spot during Summer At MPA, colorful leaves to play in throughout autumn, and a steadfast symbol of growth. MPA parent and volunteer Michelle Mick, a passionate gardener and extraordinary green thumb, and her family set out to tap the only maple tree on MPA’s campus.

Michelle guest-taught a great lesson with the kindergartners, which included hanging a bucket up under the spout to collect the tree’s sap. This week, three Lower School students had the honor of presenting the tree’s recent production–two containers of clear, watery liquid–to the entire Lower School student body at their Monday Morning Meeting. Read More

Limited Auction Golden Tickets And Sponsorships!

March 3, 2020

Don’t miss out on your chance to purchase a Golden Ticket, Sponsorship, and tickets to the 2020 MPA Spring Auction: Light Up the Night! The event is right around the corner! Just 13 Golden Tickets remain, Host Sponsorship packages are SOLD OUT, and only two Community Sponsorship packages remain. Join your friends and fellow MPA parents in support of the school. Hurry before Spring Break to secure your spot today.

In case you missed it, the Spring Auction is MPA’s biggest fundraising event of the year, and raises nearly $200,000 to support students, teachers, and special projects. Your ticket or sponsorship includes parking on the night of the event, a hosted bar, appetizers and a plated dinner, and a wonderful night out with like-minded friends. Learn more about this year’s Fund a Need renovation project on our event website. Read More

Alumni, March 3 Is The Day To Leave Your Mark!

March 3, 2020

by Mike Velin ’06, MPA Alumni Association Chairperson

A 6 AM email from me may have seemed a little early, but it’s never too early to begin an important day of giving in support of MPA students, faculty, and staff. Today, I hope you’ll join me and other alumni and Parents of Alumni from our generous community to ensure MPA students and teachers today have the resources they need. Your gift will support:

Scholarships and Financial Assistance: Did you know MPA provides over $2 million each year to families who dream of an MPA education, but can’t afford the price tag? Your gift can make sure every promising student can benefit from a top-notch education, regardless of their ability to pay.
Programmatic Enhancements: An MPA education is the magic that happens inside the classroom, and in the clubs, sports, teams, and enrichment activities before, during, and after the school day. Make sure that students don’t miss out on what makes MPA truly great: the arts, athletics, music, student groups, and enhanced learning through innovative classroom experiences and the AnnMarie Thomas Makerspace.

Important Coronavirus Update

February 27, 2020

As the world continues to monitor the Coronavirus and its impact on the lives of many, so too does MPA’s leadership. The safety of the entire community is always at the forefront of our minds.

To that end, students have been strongly discouraged from traveling to regions most susceptible to infection. If a student or other community member decides to travel to a country that has been identified with a warning or alert, they will need to follow the protocols of the Minnesota Department of Health, and the World Health Organization prior to returning to campus. We will work in close partnership with any impacted family while we follow the recommendations of those organizations.

At this time, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Health, the risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 is low, including for people in Minnesota schools. In the unlikely event that more significant school-related measures need to be implemented, MPA is well positioned with the educational technology necessary to facilitate communication and learning. Again, we will be following the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health.

In your daily life, please take great care to prevent the spread of all diseases: use good hand washing practices, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and do not travel or come to school or work while sick. On campus, we are working diligently to implement the additional recommended cleaning protocols.

We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and plan to communicate again next week as new information becomes available. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your division director or email communications@moundsparkacademy.org.

Cultivating Conscious Leaders

February 27, 2020

by Tiffany Scott Knox, MPA Board of Trustees Member

Architect. Physician. Entertainer. Professional athlete. Astrophysicist. President of the United States. Children have big plans for what they want to do when they are adults. As parents, we’ve been given the tremendous responsibility of raising the next generation of leaders—our job is to encourage, guide, and nurture their dreams. I remember the late great Whitney Houston, bellowed, “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride to make it easier…” I now realize that is more than ‘just’ a song. An important piece of the puzzle is selecting an educational journey that is conducive for cultivating conscious leaders while preparing and equipping students for the future.

My husband, Clarence and I, are fortunate to be ambassadors of MPA which provides us the opportunity to share through our role as proud parents and members of this great community. We selected MPA because of that sense of community, belonging, and values that are omnipresent. For us, it is imperative that my child is seen, valued, and heard—and in a safe learning environment. Read More

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