Middle School Archives

December 9, 2021

from Gina Wallraff, Chief Financial and Operations Officer

One Thursday per month you will see a guest Head’s Message from a member of the Institutional Advancement Team. We hope these additional perspectives will help you catch a glimpse inside the innerworkings of your school.

The Board of Trustees for Mounds Park Academy is the governing authority of the school. It has ultimate responsibility for the school’s financial stability and integrity. The board is made up of parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and other professionals. Along with Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school, I have the honor and the privilege of working with this group of dedicated people who are deeply committed to the health and vitality of the school.

Among other roles related to the mission and vision of the school, the Board of Trustees and its subcommittees, like the Finance Committee, has responsibility for the following:

determination of tuition levels;
effective financial oversight; and
realistic budgeting and monitoring of budgets.

This article aims to provide a glimpse into how the board approaches these responsibilities and the annual cycle of budgeting and tuition setting.

The annual budget process for the next academic year begins soon after the current school year starts, 10 months before the start of the next school year. First, an enrollment forecast is created. In this early stage the forecast is an estimate based on historical trends for current students leaving and new students joining. The enrollment forecast is reviewed by the Admissions team and the Head of School to evaluate the reasonableness of the estimated number of new students and projected total enrollment. Read More

Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognizes MPA Alumni

December 3, 2021

MPA acknowledges and celebrates our alumni for being featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list! Congratulations to Laurel Schwartz ’11 and Aaron Millberg ’10, we are so proud of our alums!

Laurel Schwartz ’11 was featured in the Marketing & Advertising category as the brand director of global non-profit organization: Crisis Text Line, which provides free, 24/7 mental health support by text message. In addition to this, Laurel is also a documentary filmmaker. Laurel shares that she is “so thankful for my MPA education that got me here!” Read more here.

Aaron Millberg ’10 was featured in the Hollywood & Entertainment section for his excellent work with United Talent Agency and for representing some very recognizable names such as DJ Khaled and Zachary Levi. Read more here.

Exceeding What We Dared To Dream

December 2, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“There are four main ingredients contributing to the success of our school. First is the student body which is made up of a diverse group of individuals, each with their own strengths, talents, and enthusiasm. Second is a dedicated faculty that enjoys and really cares about students and individuals. Third is an administration that truly believes in establishing an atmosphere of support for the students, faculty, staff, and parents. Fourth is a board of trustees which is actively committed to overseeing the entire operation of this school.”

Does that sound like something you might have read in one of my recent Panther Post messages? Perhaps. Instead, they are the words of MPA co-founder Bob Kreischer in a document shared with the founding Board of Trustees of a school with no students, no teachers, no building, and no name on December 11, 1981. Yet there was a vision, what founding Lower School Director Joanne Olson described as “a dream and a shoestring with no assurance of success.” Read More

December 8 Grades 6-8 Band, Orchestra, Vocal Concert Attendance

December 2, 2021

With next week’s concert approaching, we want to provide a reminder about in-person and virtual concert attendance protocols. (Please find additional logistical information for our performers including attire and arrival times in this week’s Middle School News.)

To maintain alignment with the MPA health and safety protocols, each guest who plans to attend the live performances will be required to pre-register by providing proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (a picture or scan of their vaccination card) via email to covid@moundsparkacademy.org by 7 PM the night prior to the scheduled concert. If your vaccination card is already on file at MPA through athletics or other events, you do not need to send it again. If you have a medical or religious exception, please contact covid@moundsparkacademy.org with those details as we will provide information and work with you to obtain a clearance COVID-19 test so you may attend. Masking is required on campus. All pre-registered guests will enter and exit through the Gallery on the south side of campus (door #3) and go directly to their seats in the Nicholson Center where the performances are held.

For the convenience and safety of our community, all performances will also be live streamed here with a password of 2051. Regardless of how you view the events, we are excited for you to enjoy the wonderful talent of our students! Read More

December 2 Middle School Division News

December 2, 2021

from Jenn Milam, Middle School Director

The winter interim…
We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break away with family and were able to spend some time doing what you love with those you care about most! As I shared at lunch announcements today, we have 12 days of school until Winter Break…let’s make the most of those and work hard each day, in every class!

Parents, motivation can lag this time of year…truly. It’s darker longer, the sun shines less, we’re all a little weary and tired. Please, encourage your kiddos to show up, every day, do their best every day, and respect themselves and their school community. It has been a difficult 18 months and yet, we are thriving, having plays, performances, and celebrating milestones! Resilience is key, perseverance is essential, and your support and commitment to holding your students accountable is imperative in our partnership. We are grateful you’re a part of our community!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE THOUGHTFUL: COVID Protocols and Symptom Response
While all middle school students are vaccine eligible and have received vaccinations, we still need to be 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. Read More

MPA Parents Association News And Events

December 1, 2021

Thank You!
A big thank you to all those who, over the past six weeks, have shared their Saturday afternoons at MPA helping to clear the ponds and surrounding areas. We began with the area off Larpenteur Avenue and finished with Mr. Thomsen’s area near Upper School. Your help was so appreciated, and really benefited both areas. A hearty and much appreciated thank you!

Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway
Right before the Thanksgiving break, the MPA Parents Association continued the tradition of distributing pies to all MPA employees. A big THANK YOU to our faculty and staff appreciation volunteers, Sage, and the MPA development team for acting quickly to make this happen. There were 130 pies distributed!

Parents Connect: December Walks with Dogs
Join Michelle Mick for two Fridays in December, December 3 and 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. Read More

Interested In Becoming A Host Family?

November 30, 2021

MPA is actively recruiting host families for both mid-year and fall of 2022 international students joining our school from around the world. This is a wonderful opportunity to open your home and your heart to another student, deepening your family’s global perspectives! For much more information, including details about the available stipend, please visit mpa.link/becomeahostfamily. Reach out to Cory Becker-Kim, international student program coordinator, at cbeckerkim@moundsparkacademy.org to express your interest and learn more.

Meet Alumni Board Member, Hena Vadher ’13

November 23, 2021

Introducing Hena Vadher ’13

For what grades did you attend MPA?
K-12 (“lifer!”)

Why did you choose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board?
To promote an equity/justice-based lens in a place that served a formative role in my growth

In what ways do you see yourself as a supporter of MPA and its mission?
A critical assessor of, and huge advocate for, the ways MPA supports all of its students to learn, grow, and succeed on their own terms.

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I am a reader, poor and injury-prone runner, and aspiring generalist. Outside of how I enjoy living, I was recently working in disaster relief program implementation for New York City over 8 million residents with the American Red Cross as a disaster Response Manager. I oversaw the program, which included cash and sheltering support, for clients displaced due to disaster.

How did you get to where you are in your career? Did you attend college and if so, where? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I studied International and Area Studies at Washington University in St. Louis interested in pursuing a humanitarian career, inspired by my time interning with UNHCR—the UN’s Refugee Agency—in Geneva, Switzerland. After graduating, I was lucky to learn and grow at Breakthrough Twin Cities in St. Paul before relocating to New York City and eventually beginning my role with the American Red Cross.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
MPA prepared me to ask questions, prioritizing critical reflection on what and how to ask. I don’t—and can’t—know everything. But, feeling comfortable asking questions and demonstrating vulnerability in that respect goes a long way in better understanding your context (both in personal and professional spheres) and discerning a path toward “doing right.”

What’s next? Any aspirations – personal or professional – that you’d like to share?
I’m currently thinking quite a bit about how I enjoy engaging with my career and am putting intention toward growing in analytic and written communication skills.

What do you to see happen during your time on the Alumni Association Board?
As always, I hope to continue to learn and grow–and support the same for a formative community in my life.

Please share your favorite MPA story.
Thirteen years is a long time for “favorites.” But, I’m so proud to tell stories about how my school encouraged political engagement and thought. I’ll never forget Ms. Conway cancelling our Constitutional Law class the day the Minnesota House voted on whether to legalize gay marriage, asking us all to be present for history at the Capital. That day, she prioritized that sometimes learning comes from living. After the House passed the measure she explained, “In five years, there will be teenagers who won’t remember a time when they couldn’t marry the person they love.” Unforgettable.

Let’s Join Together: The Power Of Community

November 18, 2021

from Bill Hudson, Head of School

The power of community was on display the week of November 8 as we celebrated the success of our Girls Volleyball Team and their run at the state championship. I was incredibly proud of our team—the grit, tenacity, and resiliency they displayed, and the way in which they positively represented the school. I was also full of pride for the way our community came together to support the team. Students, whether they attended the game in person or watched the livestream at school, cheered loudly and proudly, and with extraordinary school spirit.

Earlier in the week, this amazing community pulled together to host a vaccination clinic, providing members of our school community and our surrounding neighborhood, the opportunity to vaccine our younger learners and boosters to adults. The clinic was emblematic of our community’s response to the pandemic: draw upon the can-do spirit of MPA and on the strength of our relationships to overcome an urgent need.

Forty years ago, a different urgency led to the founding of Mounds Park Academy. A group of parents and teachers established a shared community to provide children with a new and unique student-centered whole-child education that didn’t exist in the east metro area. Forty years of gratitude and joining together: we’ve collected quotes from community members you can access here. By joining together, that early community overcame numerous obstacles to succeed and thrive.

Our challenges today are different than those 40 years ago. In a time of rapid change and volatility, young people need stability and a safe, welcoming place to learn and grow. They need kind and caring teachers and staff who truly know them and can accompany them through uncertain times. Students deserve an education that is both challenging and meaningful, one that provides the foundation to succeed in a future with jobs that don’t yet exist.

Today is Give to the Max Day and we are nearing the end of our Fall Campaign. This year’s campaign is especially meaningful because it coincides with our 40th anniversary celebration of the founding of our school. Like the founding families, our school wouldn’t be what it is without you and your family. We have a $200,000 goal today and we need to raise $150,000 in one day to access $50,000 in bonus challenge gifts from anonymous community members. I humbly implore you to join together with other parents, trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents and make a gift to this amazing school.

Every gift of every size makes an impact. Let’s join together in support of our community! Make a gift here!

Be sure to follow along in your email inbox and social media as we share live results and unveil our special virtual Lip Sync Battle with beloved teachers, staff, and students today!

Connecting With The Parents Association

November 18, 2021

Dog Walking with Michelle
As the weather turns colder, Michelle Micks’ popular walks will move to a bi-weekly format. This December bring your dog to play, and enjoy some time walking and chatting with MPA Families. No dog required. There are 30+ acres of lovely walking to be experienced. Join us Friday, December 3 and 17, after drop off. We’ll meet at 8:15 AM outside the dog park entrance off Upper Afton Rd. Look for the red-colored doggie (Rufus). The address is: Battle Creek Dog Park, 2350 Upper Afton Rd, 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!

Upper School Parent Social
While the kids dance the night away, let’s meet for a late dinner! India Palace has agreed to stay open late for us that evening. If we can get at least 20 people to attend, they will provide dinner, coffee, tea, and soft drinks for $16 per person. Beer, wine, and lassis are available for an additional cost. Please RSVP to Staci Banks, sbhehe42@icloud.com or Venmo the cost of dinner for your party to @Staci-Banks-Hehenberger by November 28. The address is: India Palace, 8362 Tamarack Village #120, Woodbury on December 4, 8:15 -10:30 PM.

Help Create This Year’s Middle School Café
The Parents Association invites you to envision the Middle School Café. This is a remarkable opportunity to help host the event at school, get into the building to catch a glimpse of your kid and meet new parents! The Middle School Café is a program aimed at building community within the Middle School and is anticipated the week of January 24 this coming year.

We’re forming the Middle School Café planning committee now which will brainstorm ways to use the $3,000 budget allocated by the Parents Association Board. The first committee meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 17 from 10:30-11:30 AM at Panera, just before the luncheon with Dr. Milam.

If you’re interested in joining the Middle School Café planning committee and can not come on Friday, November 17 please email Christine Larson, PA Middle School Co-Lead at chrisandmatt1289@gmail.com. If you can’t commit to the committee, no worries, there will be advertised opportunities closer to the Café.

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 in the Holiday spirit. Save the date! Monday, December 13 from 8 AM-3 PM in the Porter Conference room.

PA Lower School Co-Lead Position Open
The PA Board is looking for an additional member. The Lower School Co-Lead position is currently open. As a Lower School lead, you would be working in tandem with Michelle Mick to create community and connect people throughout MPA. Lower School Leads also attend and vote at monthly board meetings, oversee and support the Lower School PA events, and serve as conduit between families and school administration. Contact Michelle Mick at michelle_wessely@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Microfunding Grants Available
Microfunding provides funds for projects and programs, existing or new. It is open to student organizations, teachers and parent volunteers. Requests must benefit the mission of the MPA PA. Requests that are recurring from year to year are discouraged. This program is supported by the Parents Association dues, which are paid by MPA families. The PA encourages student groups to use these funds. We look forward to supporting MPA student organizations, and classrooms for many years to come. Please fully review the procedure and application forms before submitting. Applications are available here.