Lower School

A Day In The Life Of An MPA Student

December 19, 2023

Two students working togetherThis message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the December 20, 2023 issue of InsideMPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

What is a day in the life of an MPA student? What do they learn? Where do they study? How do they feel?

To answer all of the above and more, we invite you to join us for the opportunity for to experience life at MPA. Our PreK-12 Preview on January 25, from 8:30-10 AM, gives an inside look at MPA on a school day. This is the perfect opportunity for your family to see yourselves here at MPA. Experience the comfy, cozy library spaces, the Makerspace as bright as your ideas, and the wide-open, welcoming Lansing Center. Your family will be led on a tour by community members and experience delightful surprises that make MPA so special along the way. In addition to exploring our state-of-the-art spaces firsthand, you will also meet the people who make our community the family that it is.

At the Preview, you will discover something remarkable–the type of learning that MPA students do each day. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We hope to see you there!

 
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How We Learn
The Admission Process

We’re Using Robots to Build Kids—With Your Help

December 15, 2023

It’s been 35 years since I graduated from Mounds Park Academy. Had you asked me then, I would never in a million years have predicted my eventual return as both a parent of a senior and, equally incredibly, as a mentor for the school’s FIRST® robotics competition (FRC) Team 3926, the MPArors.

How I came to mentor robotics is a long story. But it’s so much fun, full of energy, intensity, and camaraderie. I’ve watched in real-time as students grow in confidence and leadership. “We’re using robots to build kids” is how FIRST founder Dean Kamen once described it. While the team wisely keeps me away from actually building the robot, I mentor a lot of the other team’s activities: community outreach, public engagement through social media, preparing for regional competitions, fostering inclusivity in STEM, and raising funds to pay for it all.

It turns out that running an FRC team isn’t cheap! Last year’s expenses included $16,000 in robot supplies, $8,000 in registration fees for two competitions, and $14,000 in travel-related costs. The team also has to regularly update aging tools and equipment.

This is our busiest time of the year for fundraising, and I’m touched by all the generous alumni who have supported robotics at MPA. Did you know that roughly half of the team’s funds come from individual donors? We are so grateful that you have helped us start the season strong.

However, there is still a ways to go before we meet our financial goal. So, this giving season, I’m reaching out to my fellow alumni to ask for your help. Perhaps you yourself were part of the robotics team, or (like me) wished the team had existed when you were a student at MPA. Or maybe you simply appreciate the profound impact that FIRST® Robotics has on our kids.

We’d love to hear from anyone interested in supporting the team – or is able to introduce us to potential new business or corporate sponsors (who make up more than 40% of our funding). Learn more at www.team3926.org or the QR code below, or call (651) 777-2555 x462.

Thank you! Go MPArors!

Sirid Kellerman ’88

The Good Fight

December 14, 2023

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Editor’s Note: Periodically, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from members of the administrative team. We hope you will enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

Many years ago, near the start of my career when I was teaching in Lebanon, I worked with a wonderful human who became my mentor. Sadly, they recently passed away. In June of this year after yet another move to another new place—this time from Luanda, Angola to Beirut, Lebanon to St. Paul, Minnesota—I opened the cover of the book “Making Thinking Visible” found in a battered cardboard moving box, where this mentor had scrawled in blue cursive letters:

Jennifer—
keep fighting the good fight.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was fortunate to join colleagues and student diversity leaders from Mounds Park Academy, alongside 8,500 other participants at the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (PoCC) in St. Louis. The theme of the conference was “Gateways to Freedom: A Confluence of Truth, Knowledge, Joy and Power.” As a first timer at PoCC, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I know that my experience was like no other professional learning opportunity I have encountered.

Firstly, this was not just any conference. Long-time attendees lovingly call PoCC the “family reunion,” and it truly felt like it even as a first timer. Since 1986, this annual gathering of like-minded yet diverse educators holds space for participants to fully see others and to feel seen in a real way. In a non-judgmental way. In a more genuine way than some of us might encounter in our daily lives and in our schools. I had the chance to attend various leadership sessions with a focus on people of color, hear from world-famous yet down-to-earth keynote presenters, laugh and learn with the Latinx affinity group, and lend my voice to the volunteer choir. As I reflect on my PoCC journey, certain themes come to the fore, which I share here in the spirit of collaboration. Read More

Lower School Division News December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director

Mark Your Calendars

  • Wednesday, December 20: Last Day of School before Winter Break 
  • Thursday, December 21-Tuesday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break 
  • Wednesday, January 3: Classes Resume 
  • Wednesday, January 10: CHAMP Assembly 

I hope everyone is staying warm and gearing up for the winter break that lies ahead. As the winter festivities may be ramping up for some families, please read on for more information to share: 

Trimester 1 Reports Sent Home 
On Monday, December 4, your child(ren)’s Trimester 1 report cards were sent home via email. Please feel free to contact the Lower School office with any questions or help needed and/or your child’s teachers regarding the content of the report(s).  

Missing Mittens, etc 
We still have several students visiting the Lower School office lost and found cabinet on the search for mittens, gloves, and hats during recess. Please help ensure your child has the appropriate winter gear for a chilly but refreshing playtime.   Read More

Parents Association News and Events December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

Thank You!
Thank you to all MPA community members who volunteered to wrap gifts for MPA staff on December 11. This is a beloved tradition at MPA where volunteers wrap the personal gifts of MPA Faculty and Staff, giving them the gift of time during the Holiday season. This Monday, we wrapped 229 gifts for 25 staff members! We took 0 lunch breaks and had 0 reported paper cuts. It was quite a day! Thank you again from Tara and the MPA PA!

Book Festival Success
Last week, during the 2023 Book Festival, the MPA community celebrated our love of literature in a big way! We raised money for the library, supported student literacy, and discussed so many wonderful books with each other. Thank you to our community for participating in this effort, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped make the MPA Book Festival a success.

Dr. Hudson’s Book Club
February 12 at 6 PM
One more announcement for our parent readers! Dr. Hudson’s Book Club will return to the MPA Library on February 12 at 6 PM. We will be reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James Baldwin. Childcare will be provided. Sign up here to get your copy of the book.

Nominations Sought for School Committees and Board of Trustees 

December 13, 2023

Each year, the Governance Committee of MPA’s Board of Trustees identifies, considers, and invites a small number of people within the MPA community to become new trustees. In soliciting and evaluating nominees, the Board seeks to match the board’s needs with the nominees’ professional and leadership skills and broad personal, cultural, and experience backgrounds. Before becoming trustees, many members first served in various capacities at MPA, such as on school committees, committees of the Board, in the Parents Association, or in other volunteer positions where they have been able to demonstrate and share their capabilities, personal experiences, and leadership skills.

The Board continuously seeks to broaden the diversity of experience and background of its membership. In addition, this year, it seeks to identify, among other things, those with professional capabilities in development, facilities, the arts, HR and personnel management, finance, education, and strategic planning. If you know someone who might be a strong candidate for the board or other school committees, or if you are interested, please submit a simple nomination form. The Governance Committee of the Board will be reviewing and vetting nominations during January and February and bringing a slate of candidates to the full Board for consideration at its spring meeting.

A detailed explanation of the Board’s work and a description of the Board’s active committee’s work can be found on the Board of Trustees MPA webpage.

Feel free to contact Board Vice-Chair and Governance Committee Chair Jeremy Drucker ’97 at Drucker.Jeremy@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Please complete this form to nominate yourself or someone else.

Transformative Initiatives And Compassionate Support

December 11, 2023

As Mounds Park Academy continues its commitment to providing a holistic and supportive learning environment, the recent addition of Jeanne Doyle as our Lower School Counselor brings forth a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives. In a recent interview, we explore Jeanne’s initial impressions of MPA, her unique insights, and the innovative programs she has introduced to enhance the Lower School experience.

In your experience, how is MPA different from other organizations you’ve worked for?

“One amazing, unique quality I noticed about Mounds Park Academy right away is that Dr. Hudson truly knows every child’s name! He knows and cares about each student and each MPA family. His love for the children is so genuine. If I were a parent of a child at MPA, this depth of care from the top would be so reassuring to me. As a counselor, I appreciate that feeling seen, known, and loved can foster a strong sense of self-worth in children. Everyone wants to belong in their community. This level of care is echoed throughout the teaching faculty and the staff at MPA, and that is truly a hallmark of our school. Read More

The Evolution of Digital Environments

December 7, 2023

from Bill Hudson, head of school

Next week, MPA will celebrate “Hour of Code,” an international movement of schools dedicating one hour to coding activities for students to introduce them to computer science. Instead of just one hour, MPA will dedicate the entire week of December 11-15 to activities designed to de-mystify “code” and demonstrate how anyone can learn the basics. The idea came from our Technology and Innovation Committee, comprised of our technology team and teachers from all divisions who meet regularly to better leverage technology to advance and enhance student learning and prepare students for college and life.

In keeping with our mission and values, technology is a critical aspect of a college-prep, progressive education that centers hands-on, experiential learning at the core of all we do. At MPA, our philosophy is that since technology surrounds us, its knowledge and skills are best learned through active participation. Our charge is to prepare our students to meet the challenges of this continually evolving digital environment with new ideas and new ways to use it that are spiraled throughout our curriculum.

I recently came across a quote that said that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t yet been invented. In a world of disruptive technological change with ever more rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence, I believe there is an urgent need for what Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, calls “citizen developers,” those who will be able to design work even if they lack formal programming skills. Likewise, director of academic technology Michael Moran shares, “By no means do we expect our students to become computer programmers; however, it’s our responsibility as educators to approach computer science and coding as a literacy.” Read More

Parents Association News and Events December 7, 2023

December 7, 2023

Holiday Gift Wrapping
Monday, December 11
Join the MPA Parents Association for this beloved holiday event. Give the gift of time to our staff by wrapping their gifts while also putting yourself in the holiday spirit. MPA teachers and staff bring in their unwrapped gifts; we return them wrapped and decorated. All supplies and snacks will be provided. Sign up here for one hour or more! See you in the Porter Conference Room (PCR), which is located in the Upper School above the Lansing/North entrance.

Middle School Pre-Concert Community Dinner—Last Call!
Thursday, December 14, Family Commons
The annual MS Dinner is here, and we want to welcome you and your entire family! Please join us next Thursday, December 14, from 5-6 PM before the MS Concert. A complete taco bar will be served in the Family Commons, along with beverages and dessert (allergies have been taken into account!). Please RSVP by sending $5 per person to Molly Oliver, PA MS Lead, via Venmo (@Molly-Oliver-7) or email Molly (moliverPA@moundsparkacademy.org) to make other arrangements. We need your RSVP by THIS SATURDAY, please!

Who We Are and What We Do

December 7, 2023

Who We Are And What We Do 

The Mounds Park Academy Board of Trustees is a self-generative body of approximately 20 to 22 trustees (plus the Head of School in an ex officio capacity) who guide the school’s strategic direction and protect its mission. Critical functions of the Board include hiring, supporting, and evaluating the Head of School, establishing the school’s mission and strategic plan, supporting the school’s development efforts, and safeguarding the school’s financial stability.

The Board’s purview is strategic, not operational (which is the responsibility of the head of school and his or her administrative team). Specifically, the Board does not hire or terminate employees or establish policies for doing so.  It does not make line-item budget determinations, including those on faculty salary; it does not establish the academic scope and sequence of classes. Rather, the Board collaborates with the Head of School to ensure that the school’s larger strategic goals are met, including accreditation, legal compliance, and other requirements.

MPA’s current Board Chair is Tiffany Scott-Knox, an experienced MPA trustee, completing her second year of a three-year term. Trustees serve up to two three-year terms. MPA’s Board meets 5-6 times a year and follows a ‘decentralized” model where the bulk of its work is accomplished through its five standing committees:  Read More