Parents Association News and Events 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

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


STEAM, The MPA Way

MPA 8th graders building their future cityThis message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the December 9, 2023 issue of InsideMPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!

At MPA, we wholeheartedly embrace STEAM. From utilizing Design Thinking in the Makerspace, to challenging students to find reliable information from reputable sources for research projects, rigor in STEAM takes place PreK-12. Across all of the STEAM fields–science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics–MPA teachers are using their disciplines to provide academic challenges to students seeking it out.

As society increasingly focuses on STEM subjects, many of the careers of our future may in fact be in those areas. The National Science Foundation is reporting that STEM careers jumped from 21% of the workforce to 24% in just ten years, between 2011-2021. But how do STEM subjects in school apply to everyday life? Through rigor with purpose and the holistic approach to education in which MPA was founded. This is what truly prepares our students for the future. Read More


Parents Association News And Events November 29, 2023


US Parent Dinner During the Winter Semi-Formal
Saturday, December 2, 8:15-10:30 PM
Family Thai, 2303 White Bear Ave N, Saint Paul
If you are looking for something to do during the Winter Semi-Formal, consider coming to the parent dinner at Family Thai. While the kids dance the night away, parents can have dinner and socialize with other US families. Family Thai has agreed to stay open late for our group, so please join us! RSVP to sbanksPA@moundsparkacademy.org.

US Parent Quarterly Coffee: College Planning
Thursday, December 7, 8-9:30 AM, PCR
Lisa Pederson and Dr. Quam will be presenting information relevant to all 9-12 US families regarding testing, colleges, and the college planning process. They will be hosting a Q&A session as well during this time. This is a popular session that you won’t want to miss! Coffee and breakfast pastries will be served.

Holiday Gift Wrapping
Monday, December 11
Join the MPA Parents Association for this beloved Holiday event. Give the gift of time to our faculty and staff by wrapping their gifts while also putting yourself in the holiday spirit. MPA teachers and staff bring in their unwrapped gifts and we return them wrapped and decorated. All supplies and snacks will be provided. Sign up 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. Read More


The Joy (and Challenge) of Calling A Snow Day

from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school

Of all the decisions I must make as head of school, there is one that I dread the most: calling a snow day. As a child, nothing was more magical than awakening to heavy snowfall, racing to the TV, and anxiously awaiting the name of my school to scroll across the bottom of the screen. While I still consider a snow day magical, deciding to close school is difficult and complicated. Someone once told me that if a leader tries to make everyone happy, they are not doing their job. This is particularly true in making weather-related decisions. Inevitably, someone is not going to be happy.

The decision to cancel school for an inclement weather-related event (which could be snow, ice, or sub-zero temperatures) is made by the head of school in consultation with the administrative team. The most important criterion is the safety of our community, which has 580 students and more than 100 employees who live in 82 different zip codes in six counties throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The second criterion is to honor in-person learning. The number of school days is based on our mission and values, on what we believe best supports student learning, and on the needs of our community. Snow days are an interruption, and we would prefer not to have any interruptions.

Whenever possible, my goal is to decide by 6 AM at the latest. If a snow day is called, it is communicated by text, phone, email, the school’s website, and local television stations. Because MPA draws from such a large geographic area, it is not uncommon for the weather to vary, sometimes significantly. School closing or delay decisions are based on a number of factors:

  • Weather forecast
  • Timing of the event (morning or afternoon drive time)
  • Road conditions (MDOT traffic cams)
  • Feedback from First Student (our bus company), District 622, and peer schools
  • Feedback from Admin Team members (who live in areas across the metro)
  • Areas affected (we draw students from 82 zip codes)
  • Building conditions
  • Parking lot conditions

Read More


Middle School Division News November 30, 2023

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School director

Mark Your Calendars

  • Monday, December 4-Friday, December 8: MPA Book Festival, 8 AM-4 PM, Gallery (12-4 PM on December 8)
  • Tuesday, December 5: MS Coffee Talk, 6-7:30 PM, Library
  • Wednesday, December 6: Founders’ Day Breakfast, 7-8 AM, Family Commons
  • Wednesday, December 6: PreK-12 Pairing Assembly, 2:20-3 PM
  • Wednesday, December 6: MPA Cocoa and Books, 3-4 PM, Family Commons
  • Thursday, December 7: Future Cities Competition, All Day
  • Thursday, December 7: MS Grade 5/6 Affinity Group, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
  • Wednesday, December 13: MS Grade 7/8 BIPOC Affinity Group, 2:20-3 PM, Panther Center
  • Thursday, December 14: MS Grades 6-8 Band, Orchestra, Vocal Concert, 6:30-8 PM, Nicholson Center
  • Wednesday, December 20: Last Day of School before Winter Break
  • Wednesday, December 20: MS Grades 5/6 Feed My Starving Children, 8-11:30 AM, Off Campus
  • Wednesday, December 20: MS Grades 5/6 Bowling, 12-3 PM, Off Campus
  • Thursday, December 21-Tuesday, January 2: No Classes, Winter Break
  • Wednesday, January 3: Classes Resume

As we are firmly into quarter two and winter seems like it has finally come to stay, we find ourselves in that weirdly beautiful interim just before the break when days get shorter, nights get longer, and even the simplest tasks require a little extra effort. We hope you are finding energy from a restful November break and are offering support to your students as they, too, navigate lower energy, the need for more sleep, and the increase in academic rigor that comes with the progressing school year.

We ask that you continue to encourage consistent routines, sufficient sleep schedules, healthy eating, and positive social behavior. The winter months take some adjusting to, and our young people often don’t/can’t communicate the need for a little extra TLC—even if given from a distance!

i-Term 2024: Course Placement Forms are due Monday, December 4!
Your i-Term course assignments have been sent home! Please return the signed sheet to the Middle School office by Monday, December 4. As each i-Term course carries a fee, it is essential that parent/family confirmation is received, as we will assess course fees via TADS in January 2024.

Please note that all course assignments are final at this time as we will begin making course plans, field trip reservations, and confirming community partners. Students cannot make changes to their i-Term course assignments.

If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Middle School director, at jmilam@moundaparkacademy.org or 651-748-5598.

Future Cities Is Competing!
Next Thursday, our eighth graders will share their visions for cities of the future at MPA! This internal competition will showcase the brilliant work of our eighth-grade collaborative teams as they worked to envision a city 100 years in the future that is fully electric. Read More


RSVP For The MPA Preview–School Day Edition!

Upper School chemistry lab The PreK-12 MPA Preview on Thursday, January 25, 8:30-10 AM, is our final PreK-12 admission event of the year and an opportunity to experience MPA on a regular school day!

With community members as your hosts, you’ll visit classrooms to see students and teachers in action–with a few surprises along the way! The event will end with division-specific Q&A sessions. This event is designed for the adult members of your family. If you will be bringing a child, please do let us know.

MPA Previews are signature PreK-12 events designed to introduce you to the faculty, students, and families who make MPA the exceptional learning community that it is. You’ll hear from a variety of perspectives, be engaged in conversation with academic leaders, experience what a day in the life of an MPA student is like, and leave with a much better understanding of the MPA way.

RSVP today to discover why Mounds Park Academy is an exceptional place to learn and grow!