My MPA Experience Archives

July 9, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Nelle Tokheim! Nelle will be joining us as the library assistant later this fall. We can’t wait to introduce her to our community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I worked for St. Paul Public Schools.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in physical education and health from Luther College. I wound up working in the fitness industry for ten years before staying home for a while with my two kids. When I decided to return to work, I realized that I still enjoyed working in schools with students and that I truly enjoyed connecting with them through books! I have worked at St. Paul Public Schools for the past three years. I have been running the library at one of their elementary schools, and it was a blast!

What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA has been part of me for 42 years. I was an MPA Lifer back in the day, and when my family moved back to Minnesota from Colorado, we chose this school because we wanted our kids to feel safe, supported, and part of a community. I love the connection that students have with staff. I also love how the school has grown into its own identity over the years!

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I want to help kids love books! I don’t want reading to feel like a chore every time. My belief is that reading is reading, whether your child reads chapter books, biographies or graphic novels. Hopefully, I can help students discover what a joy reading a book can be!

What’s your big dream?
To earn my Master of Library Science.

What are you and your family passionate about?
I am passionate about soccer (ask Mr. Scinto)! I played through college and well into my adult years until an injury stopped me in recent years. I attend as many MNUFC games as I can and try to support the MN Aurora as well.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I met my husband rappelling from the ceiling of a building.

Welcome To MPA, Kou Xiong!

June 28, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Kou Xiong! Kou started on June 24 as an AP/student billing coordinator, and we are so excited to introduce him to our community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I previously worked for Graco Inc.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have an accounting certificate from a 16-month course and eight years of accounts payable experience with assistance to payroll and accounts receivable, processing invoices in the ERP system, and making weekly payment runs. I’ve also handled statements and made collection calls for credits with other vendors. Plus, I’ve done vendor maintenance with setting up new vendors and 1099 forms, matched POs with invoices for two-way matching, made journal entries, coded correctly, and reclassed codes to the correct accounts.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
I saw lots of things the job description that I have done in the past. That gave me confidence in my skill set to handle and manage those projects. I also very much enjoy the office atmosphere.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I plan to bring a hardworking and fun atmosphere, always getting the job done.

What’s your big dream?
I want to climb the ladder and be appreciated for my hard work.

What are you and your family passionate about?
We are passionate about outdoor activities. Sports, camping, fishing, and hunting are big for us. We enjoy family activities, bonding games for group activities, and team-building exercises.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
A fun fact about myself is that I am not really into any sweet desserts, such as cake. I haven’t even eaten my own birthday cake since I was a child.

Baa Baa Boutique Brings Community Together

June 18, 2024

By the time the Baa Baa Boutique closed its doors for the 2023-2024 school year, the MPA Class of 2036 had helped three students receive an education, culminating a collaborative effort by students, teachers, and alums!

The boutique, a service and educational initiative for kindergarteners aimed at fundraising for Heifer International, showcased handmade trinkets crafted by MPA students to generate funds for the cause. The kindergarten class, under the guidance of Ms. Roche and Ms. Petersen, soon received aid from its heavy alum connection. Furthering the boutique’s support featured alumni Chad Nicholson ’97, one of eight alums with children in the class, using his talents to film a commercial to advertise the shop.

Using the multi-faceted support, the Baa Baa Boutique’s donations reached a total of $1,725! A donation competition further bolstered its success, with various categories vying for contributions before ultimately raising $825 to support three students’ education. What an exceptional representation of the combined effort the MPA community turns in regularly!

Welcome To MPA, Mallory Lewis!

June 6, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Mallory Lewis! Mallory will join us this fall as the student success teaching assistant. We are so excited to introduce her to our community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I worked for The Blake School prior to this position.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have a bachelor of science in theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This has helped me incorporate a play-based learning approach into my teaching.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
The faculty and the students were so kind to me on my first visit! I loved touring around and meeting everyone. MPA has such an air of kindness, and I was delighted to be there.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I hope to leave the students feeling loved, respected, and safe. School should be an inclusive, fun, and welcoming place, and my goal is to foster that space whenever and wherever I can.

What’s your big dream?
I would love to get my master’s degree in psychology!

What are you and your family passionate about?
The arts and animals are very important to me! In my free time, I act professionally and love to sing. Watercolor painting is also a fun hobby of mine! As far as my passion for animals, I have two cats: Benjamin and Binx. I also love reptiles and bats!

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I fear fish.

Welcome To MPA, Dana Distad!

June 6, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Dana Distad! This fall, Dana will join us as a Lower and Middle School counselor. We are so excited to introduce her to our community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I previously worked for the Academy of Holy Angels High School.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have a master’s degree in school counseling and in clinical counseling. As a school counselor, I provide group services aimed at proactive social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. I also engage in 1:1 sessions aimed at targeted goals and small peer groups.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
Dream Big. Do Right. The idea that the school is based on the whole individual.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
The greatest joy for me is seeing a child apply the skills we have worked on to real-world situations.

What’s your big dream?
I am living it! My big dream has always been to help youth become their best selves.

What are you and your family passionate about?
I am so passionate about the little moments. We live in such a fast-paced world that it’s easy to always be thinking about the future. I love being in the moment and allowing time to slow down. Enjoying time with my family is the best way I am able to practice this every day.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I am an eternal optimist and even joined the International Optimist Club!

Future Collegiate Athletes Share Emotions

May 30, 2024

Congratulations to the six MPA students who were celebrated on College Athlete Recognition Day! Izzy Espinosa, Jay Green, Else Kunze-Hoeg, Ben Murr, Nora Pederson, and David Steinberger will all continue on to the collegiate level to compete in their respective athletics. Aiming to capture some of the emotions shown through on the day of celebration, the six shared sentiments from the day.

Jay Green
School: Macalester College
Sport: Football, track and field
Why did you choose Macalester College? “I chose Macalester because, right away, I think I’m going to be able to play, and the academics are really good.”
What are some of the emotions you are feeling today? “I’m feeling really excited and good about it.”
Who would you like to thank for helping you get to this position? “I want to thank my parents, family, and all my coaches. They always pushed me and got me to where I wanted to be.”

Ben Murr
School: Luther College
Sport: Cross country, track and field
Why did you choose Luther College? “It felt like a really good fit for me. The opportunities to have a flexible cross country program where I could still pursue academics and my other interests pretty heavily is something that really interested me and made me want to choose the school I did.”
What are some of the emotions you are feeling today? “It’s pretty exciting. This is something I wasn’t expecting going into my college search, and it’s pretty incredible that I get to do it.”
Who would you like to thank for helping you get to this position? “I’d like to thank my parents for always encouraging me to do running and track and my coaches, coach (Adam) Pettipiece, Declan (Dahlberg ’18), and Ms. (Bev) Docherty, especially, for really pushing me through these past couple years of cross country despite the pandemic messing with things.” Read More

Welcome To MPA, Andria Mattlin!

May 28, 2024

Welcome to MPA, Andria Mattlin! Andria joined us as the admission and communication assistant and began on May 28. We are so excited to introduce her to our community!

From what school/organization are you coming?
I am coming from St. Paul Public Schools.

Tell us about your education and past experience.
After graduating from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in public relations, I worked as a communications coordinator for a school district. Realizing I wanted to return to the classroom, I completed Hamline University’s teacher licensing program and taught elementary school for 12 years in St. Paul. I am thrilled to combine my passions for education and communications here at MPA.

What did you find appealing about MPA?
I first visited MPA as a prospective parent and was so impressed by the confidence displayed by students and the warm and welcoming nature of the staff. I love the connection across the school community and how individuality is celebrated.

What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA?
I hope to bring laughter to MPA each day and celebrate the school community’s achievements, both big and small.

What’s your big dream?
My big dream is to positively impact those around me and see orcas in the wild.

What are you and your family passionate about?
My husband Andrew and I have one son, Dawson, a rising kindergartener at MPA. We enjoy reading, spending time with our extended family, and visiting the Children’s Theatre Company.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
I can make balloon animals, a not-so-useful skill I learned from a book my grandma gave me as a child.

Plan To Join Declan Dahlberg ‘18 At The Spring Auction Next Year!

May 23, 2024

Once every year my brother, Kethan ’14, sends a message to the family group chat asking who can make the MPA Spring Auction. Our family, spread all across the country these days, takes this as an opportunity to not only be together, but celebrate a school that we have been a part of for over 20 years.

To me, the Spring Auction serves as a bridge between past, present, and future generations of the MPA community. I see my fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Stacy, and I get to share what my life looks like 10-plus years later. I sit with parents whose students I coach on the cross-country or track teams and talk about how far they have come as students and athletes. I chat with new parents I’ve never met and see the same impact MPA had on my life materializing for their children.

These connections between teachers, parents, students, and alumni are what separate MPA from other communities and our family is proud to support that through events such as the Spring Auction. Please join me and many alumni at next year’s Spring Auction on April 4, 2025.

See you then,

Declan Dahlberg ‘18

To learn more about the auction, The Center for Inclusive Teaching & Learning, or to make a gift, please contact Ashley Goetzke, director of development and community engagement, at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.

Alumni Parents Visit Their Kindergarten Kiddos

May 23, 2024

Kindergarten teachers, Ms. Kristine Petersen (Ms. P) and Ms. Katie Roche welcome parents into classrooms for community share moments each year. This year was extra special as we had eight students in the kindergarten class that were children of MPA alumni.

We asked the teachers – How do you feel about having alumni parents in your classroom?
It is always a highlight when MPA parents volunteer to join us in the classroom. Children get so excited to share part of their day with their parent. As I reflect on the question above, I become a bit overwhelmed. I’m hit with the realization that these adults have chosen to come home to a place where they grew and learned as a child. This is a powerful moment and one that epitomizes our school community. We make deep connections with each other at MPA. I have watched some of these parents grow into the human beings they are today. It was an incredible honor to be a part of their story as they traveled on their life journey. Then to think I now have their sweet children in my class. Well, my eyes are overflowing with tears.

These eight alumni parents will lead our kindergarteners into their graduation ceremony on June 4. Each former MPA student will don an MPA alumni sash and find their place standing behind their child, and the entire kindergarten class. This will be a breathtaking sight. It will inspire new beginnings and possibilities for more children to return home. A place where they will always belong and be loved for who they are each and every day.
Read More

Meet The Reid Family

April 5, 2024

The Reid Family comes from St. Louis Park. Warner ’26 and Hazel ’27 both started at MPA in ninth grade. Get to know their family!

What’s the best thing about being part of the MPA community?
Our teens have been able to find their own places and interests at school and other like-minded kids who support them in those interests. It feels cozy, welcoming, and full of joy.

What is your favorite MPA tradition or event?
We are still fairly new to MPA, but so far, we have really enjoyed the choir concerts and art shows. MPA does a wonderful job of seeing the whole student, and these events highlight one facet of many students.

Complete this sentence: MPA teaches my child…
To persevere, to fail, to set goals, to express themselves, and to explore what’s possible.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The community of students at MPA embraced our new ninth graders in their separate years, giving them a fresh start and a safe environment in which to learn and dream big. Read More