Middle School Archives

January 13, 2022

Parent Education Night
Save the Date for a Zoom Parent Education Night! January 27, 6:30-7:45 PM, please join MPA families to learn about neurodiversity in our school community.

Attention Middle School Panthers and Parents
The annual Middle School Café is going tubular this year! Stay tuned and get excited. While we can’t unveil all the details just yet (sorry!), we can say, SAVE THE DATE, Friday, February 25th from 2:30-5:30 PM.

January Walks with Dogs
Join Michelle Mick Friday, January 14 for a walk in a local dog park. Bring your dog or not, we’ll meet at Battle Creek Dog Park, a lovely, big, off-leash dog park with 35 acres at 8:15 AM. Parking is off Upper Afton Road, in the parking lot next to the dog park. Look for Michelle and her dog (Rufus), near the entrance of the dog park.

For your GPS, the address is: 2350 Upper Afton Road, Maplewood, MN 55119. The contact person is Michelle Mick, and please feel free to SMS or call 651-328-7312 if you can’t find us!

Microfunding Grants
Looking for Microfunding for your club or classroom? It’s not too late to apply for these PA grants. Please send your applications to Natalie King, our micro-funding chair at natalieking10414@gmail.com. Applications can be found here.

Meet The Ruane Family

January 10, 2022

How many years have you been part of the MPA community?
Just this one!

What do you love about MPA?
We love how well the faculty and staff have truly gotten to know our children in just a few short months. The small class size has been a wonderful fit for all of our children. Both of our kids in the Lower School feel seen, known, and loved in their classrooms. Their teachers have been able to design goals and opportunities around their specific needs. Our Middle Schooler has been given the opportunity to explore a plethora of new opportunities this year, which has been wonderful. Overall, we just feel like our kids are in very good hands when we drop them off everyday!

What initially attracted you to MPA?
We love that MPA encourages our children to develop and explore multiple interests simultaneously. The strong triad of an education rich in academics, arts, and athletics really drew us towards MPA. Read More

Innovating Our Future

January 6, 2022

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Happy new year! I hope that you and your family had an enjoyable break, spending quality time with friends and loved ones.

It was journalist and author William Vaughan who said, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” I suppose I am neither as I was in bed by 10:30 PM on New Year’s Eve. However, I do consider myself an optimist and while as a family we experienced tremendous loss in 2021, I do recognize the many good things that happened. As head of school of Mounds Park Academy, I am grateful that we were safely in-person and on campus for the majority of the year. The dedication and hard work of our amazing faculty and staff, a strong partnership with parents, and the resiliency of our students are certainly to be celebrated.

A new year brings new beginnings. A new year holds promise and opportunity. As a school, we begin the year with a new strategic plan, 2024ward. The new plan builds upon our former plan, Momentum 2020, and captures the energy to embrace the future with opportunity and enthusiasm. Strategic planning is one of the most important responsibilities of the MPA Board of Trustees.

Planning began in early 2019 by a constituent represented task force commissioned by the Board but was halted by the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Instead, the focus of the Board of Trustees and administration shifted from long-range strategic planning to the development a comprehensive scenario analysis and effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Given the demand on the school’s fiscal and human resources necessary to successfully navigate the ongoing pandemic, the board and head of school agreed to embark on an alternative, abbreviated approach. Read More

Parents Connect: January Events

January 6, 2022

January Events

We are looking forward to connecting with MPA families in 2022! Upcoming events and opportunities to look forward to include Family Education Evenings, All-School Sno Daze activities, Lower School Valentine’s Day party, and Middle School Café. Keep your eye on the Panther Post for sign-ups and opportunities to volunteer!

January Walks with Dogs

Friday, January 7 and 14, join Michelle Mick for a walk in a local dog park. Bring your dog or not, we’ll meet at Battle Creek Dog Park, a lovely, big, off-leash dog park with 35 acres at 8:15 AM. Parking is off Upper Afton Road, in the parking lot next to the dog park. Look for Michelle and her dog (Rufus), near the entrance of the dog park.

For your GPS, the address is: 2350 Upper Afton Road, Maplewood, MN 55119. The contact person is Michelle Mick, and please feel free to SMS or call 651-328-7312 if you can’t find us!

Parent Winter Walk at 7 Vines

January 28, 5:45-9 PM, $55. Come enjoy a winter evening and snowshoe walk with other MPA Parents at 7 Vines Vineyard in Dellwood, MN! Ticket Price includes snowshoe rental (with help putting them on!) for a walk around the vineyard lit by twinkling candlelight ice luminaries, a complimentary beverage (mulled wine, kombucha, fancy coffee), four rounds of Bingo for prizes, s’mores, cocoa, and cider. 7 Vines will have exclusive pricing on food and wine that evening, as well. Attendance is limited to 100, and the Parents Association has reserved some spots for this event, but it does sell out. Please let us know if you are interested in joining in the fun by January 10. Contact Staci Banks, sbhehe42@icloud.com, or Venmo the cost of the tickets to @Staci-Banks-Hehenberger. Unfortunately, tickets are not refundable.

Meet The Gruen Family

January 3, 2022

The Gruen Family lives in White Bear Lake, MN. Christine Gruen was an MPA student for four years, and is now an MPA parent to Max, Class of 2024.

What do you love about MPA?
I love that the teachers take the time to get to know students and genuinely care about their success and well being. I love that my children feel comfortable approaching their teachers if they ever need help or guidance. I love that MPA is a small family-type community. I love that my children are experiencing amazing learning opportunities that can be used in everyday life. I love seeing my children happy!!

What initially attracted you to MPA?
We had recently relocated to MPA from California. I was attracted to the warm welcome we received by both faculty and students, and the sense of acceptance my children received as transfer students.

How are your children encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
My children are inspired by their teachers to become the best versions of themselves, whatever that may be. They are always encouraged and challenged. Read More

Charting Our Path Forward

December 16, 2021

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

As we approach the end of the calendar year, the song “Auld Lang Syne” will be sung at New Year’s Eve gatherings, a related song by Dan Fogelberg from 1980 will be repeatedly played on Sirius/XM radio, or folks will sing along at the finale of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’ve never quite been able to remember, let alone pronounce, the words to the song, “Auld Lang Syne.” Nor can I carry a tune, for that matter. And yet I find the meaning behind the lyrics and music particularly poignant this year.

Just a year ago, there was great hope and optimism that the strife of 2020 would give way to a better year. And yet, in so many ways, it seems as though we are in nearly the same place as a year ago. It is clear to me that we will be battling with the virus for quite some time and working through its aftermath. Over the last year, we have faced both joys and challenges, managed hopes and anxieties, experienced growth and endured hardship, suffered isolation and celebrated community, persevered and remain mired in an all too familiar place.

There is much to be learned by reflecting upon our individual and collective journey over the past year. All of us—students, parents, teachers, and staff—are re-learning what it means to “do school,” how to be in relationship with one another, and the values that hold us together. All the while with masks on our faces and risk mitigation measures that sometimes have the unintended consequence of keeping us apart. Read More

Middle School Division News December 16, 2021

December 16, 2021

from Dr. Jenn Milam, Middle School Director

Winter Break
As you read this, we will be just one day away from winter break and I personally know 183 middle school students and their teachers who could not be more excited! We hope you all have a wonderful time away, filled with rest, fun, and joyful time with those you love. MPA classes resume on Monday, January 3–we will look forward to seeing you in 2022!

iTerm Forms Are Due Friday, December 17
All students have been assigned to an iTerm class for 2022! Paper copies of your student’s iTerm assignment were given to them on Monday. Enrollment in the course is not complete until the form is signed by you and returned to MPA. All course fees are assessed through TADS and it is imperative that your form and signature are received so that this process can begin over winter break.

If you have not seen your students form, or it has been misplaced, please reach out to the office ASAP. When the new year begins, we will begin solidifying plans for the week.

No Study Hall Friday, December 17
There is no study hall on Friday afterschool. Teachers will be leaving for some much-needed fun and fellowship together before heading home to be with their families. Please make plans to send your student to Panther Den if you cannot be at dismissal at 3 PM.

Ice Skating Friday, December 17: Grades 5 & 6
All students in grades 5 and 6 will spend Friday afternoon ice skating at Aldrich Arena! If your student has skates of their own, they are welcome to bring them, but skates are also available at the arena. If you are interested in joining the group, parents are welcome to contact Ms. Nagle (cnagle@moundsparkacademy.org) for details. It’s going to be a great time and a wonderful way to celebrate the start of winter break!

Swim Club @ MPA: Get Your Fins Ready!
Thank you for your interest in the MPA Swim Club of 2022! We are planning to start practices at the Maplewood YMCA on Wednesday, January 5. Please read the following carefully:

Practices will be held on Wednesdays. Lower School swimmers will be in the water from 3:30-4:15 PM. Middle school swimmers will be in the water from 4:15-5 PM. Parents are responsible for transportation to swim practices.

Please join the SWIM 2022 Schoology page. All future communication will be sent via Schoology. The access code is 46B8-Z7F4-RJMCW.

The fee for participation will be $250. Please mail a check to (or send to school with your student):
Mounds Park Academy
2051 E Larpenteur Ave
St. Paul, 55109
Attn: Dan Haase, Athletic Director

If you missed the information meeting and have questions about Swim Club, please reach out to DeeDee Stacy (dstacy@moundsparkacademy.org).

Homework & Late Assignments
We have been working very closely with your Middle School students to complete all outstanding assignments before the break, so that they can fully enjoy the time away. It is our policy not to assign homework/new work to be done over the break; however, if your student has outstanding work, they will need to complete that in the first week of break.

It is also important to know that we have a two-week grace period for late assignments. A student has two weeks from the assigned due date to submit a late assignment; thereafter, the grade becomes a zero. With winter break being two weeks, anything not submitted before we return, within the two-week grace period, will not be accepted. Please check-in with your middle schooler and make sure they are all caught up!

Please Continue To Be Thoughtful: COVID Protocols & Symptom Response
While all middle school students are vaccine eligible and most have received vaccinations, we ask you to remain mindful and responsive when symptoms/illness/the sniffles arise!

Just a reminder that any/all symptoms through our AUXS app and/or via email to COVID@moundsparkacademy.org.

Please do not email your divisional offices, directors, or teachers of an absence due to symptoms. It is important that all notifications are sent to Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, our COVID Health and Safety lead, so that you can be supported and informed of possible next steps including, but not limited to, the need to remain home, secure a negative test prior to return, and/or quarantine per CDC guidance.

Important Dates

December 20-January 2: Winter Break, No School
January 3: Classes Resume
January 14: Quarter 2 Ends
January 17: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Observance, No Classes
January 18: Teacher Professional Development Day, No Classes
January 19: Quarter 3 Begins

Invite A Friend To Discover MPA

December 13, 2021

Invite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member to join us for MPA’s PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Winter Preview! Held virtually on Sunday, January 30 at 2 PM, this event will be a structured program that will allow prospective students and parents to get a sense of what makes MPA an exceptional place to learn and grow.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!

Early Dismissal Logistical Information

December 10, 2021

After careful review of this afternoon’s forecast, we’ve made the decision to dismiss school at 1 PM today.

All of MPA’s buses will depart school shortly after 1 PM with the exception of District 622 buses. They are not able to depart until 2:10 PM and 622 riders will be cared for at MPA until then. MPA’s St. Paul and Minneapolis routes will be combined into one route. The families of our bus riders should watch for a separate email with their specific route information.

For those who do not ride a bus, Panther Club/Den/Study Hall will not be available after school today and all afterschool activities including games, practices, and meetings are cancelled this afternoon.

Please come pick up your child up at 1 PM—we will, of course, remain on campus until the last child leaves for the day, but Panther Club will not available.

Be safe on the roads and enjoy the beautiful snow!

Connect With The Parents Association

December 9, 2021

December Walks with Dogs
Join Michelle Mick on Friday, December 17 for a walk in a local dog park. Bring your dog or not, we’ll meet at Battle Creek Dog Park, a lovely, big, off-leash dog park with 35 acres at 8:15 AM. Parking is off Upper Afton Road, in the parking lot next to the dog park. Look for Michelle and her dog Rufus (pictured), near the entrance of the dog park. For your GPS, the address is: 2350 Upper Afton Road, Maplewood, MN 55119. The contact person is Michelle Mick, and please feel free to text or call 651-328-7312 if you can’t find us!
Holiday Gift Wrapping
This much-loved tradition is returning! MPA teachers and staff bring in their Holiday gifts and parent volunteers wrap them. This gift of time is greatly appreciated and will really get you into the Holiday spirit. Monday, December 13 from 8 AM-3 PM in the Porter Conference room. You can sign up here.