Thank You For Showing Your Appreciation!
December 11, 2019
A huge thank you from the Parents Association to everyone who participated in the Faculty and Staff Gift Wrapping event on Monday!
It was so much fun to gather together and wrap presents for the staff. There were 23 staff members who brought in gifts for parent volunteers to wrap–which is up from 19 last year–and the total number of gifts wrapped or bagged was…drum roll, please…346, which is 96 more than last year! This was such a great way to come together as a community!
Navigating Mindful Technology Use
December 9, 2019
On November 8, MPA’s PreK-12 academic technology integrationist, Ms. Joyce, presented at the ISACS conference in Louisville on the topic of “Digital Wellness: Tech with Intention.” She has presented on Digital Wellness locally for a parent series at Visitation School and at the local ISACS conference last spring. Her discussion covered how the design thinking process can help educators discover the best way to use technology with intention. She also shared apps, extensions, and activities for how to bring mindfulness into educators lives and the lives of students.
On December 13, from 8-9 AM in the PCR, Ms. Joyce will have another opportunity for Lower School parents to learn more about mindful technology use at the Lower School Parent Education event. “We as adults are so influential in the lives of our children, and have a lot to learn so we can model good practices,” she said. She also notes that children are aware of their parents’ technology habits and device use. “Even when the reason for technology use is ‘for work,’ it is still time being taken away from them, and they notice that.” Read More
Join Us For A Rescheduled Screening Of “Angst”
December 4, 2019
Due to technical difficulties during a previous screening of “Angst,” MPA will have a re-screening on Wednesday, December 11 at 8:15 AM in the Recital Hall. This screening is for adults only. We hope you will join us! No RSVP is required.
Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal that Mounds Park Academy wholeheartedly supports: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources, and tools available to address the condition. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.
Thank you in advance for helping spread this invitation throughout your networks! If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Ph.D., MPA Middle School director, at jmilam@moundsparkacademy.orgor 651-748-5598.
Join The Parents Association For Gift Wrapping
November 21, 2019
Join us in a long-standing tradition at MPA! To show appreciation for faculty and staff during this busy time of year, the PA lends a helping hand and volunteers to wrap their holiday gifts for them. Please sign up to help wrap holiday gifts for our faculty and staff on Monday, December 9 in the Porter Conference Room.
During this Faculty and Staff Appreciation event, teachers bring us their unwrapped gifts which we wrap and return to them by the end of the day. This is a fun and festive event with coffee, snacks and holiday music provided by the Parents Association. All wrapping materials are also provided by the Parents Association. Sign up for one hour or more–such as one hour at drop off and one hour at pick up–to still free up your day. We appreciate your help and hope this event gets you into the holiday spirit!
Save The Date: Parents Association Gift Wrapping
November 14, 2019
Save the date! The MPA Parents Association Gift Wrapping event is on Monday, December 9 from 8 AM-3 PM. This is another Faculty and Staff Appreciation event where members of the Parents Association and parent volunteers come together to wrap presents for MPA staff. Look for the Sign Up Genius coming next week!
Join Us For The Second Screening Of “Angst”
November 7, 2019
Mounds Park Academy invites you to the second showing this week of the documentary “Angst” with open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com Read More
Thank You For A Special Culture Day At MPA!
October 30, 2019
Culture Day at MPA was made possible with help from our wonderful faculty, staff, parent, and student volunteers and participants. We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing community at MPA! On behalf of the Parents Association, thank you to everyone who was involved.
Thank You MPA Faculty & Staff!
Language teachers Evelyn Johson, Maria Jose Johnson, Martha Castellano, Liz DesLauriers, Kari Kunze-Hoeg, and Marisue Gleason for providing artifacts, information and participation; Nicole Koen for crafts in the Makerspace; Jenn Milam for procuring volunteers and MCing; Sarah McFarland for planning and coordination; Hannah Lawson for preparing the musicians; Lauren Hernandez and Natalie Waters Seum for all the marketing materials and advertising; Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, Ashley Goetzke, and Ilse Larsen in Development for help with logistics and getting the word out; Jake Eibon for A/V logistics; custodial staff Vern Kissner, Thomas Connors, Andy Gilbert, and Pat McLees for set up, take down, and clean up; Sage Dining Services, Chef Doug Pittman, and his staff for the delicious food!
Thank You Parents!
Tina Jain for donating drinks; Melissa Tuura-Johnson for the awesome decorations; Sunderraju Ramachandran for the idli cooking demonstration; Lizabeth Lane, Yukiko Miyokawa, Gayane Manukyan, Chris Weimholt, Lucia Gray, Eliza Auyeung, Christine Daves, Deborah Crutchfield, Weijun Tanya Liang, Samrina Mapara, Anastasia Mastrogiorgis, Alan Troske, Kristin Gasteazoro, Jim Saliba, Raphael Coffey, Karlyn Peterson, Adrienne Risner, Fabiola Grubhofer, Amy Cowen, Christine Larson, Sally Richie, Mikki Williams, Susan Mercer, Anudeep Rahil, Marian Hassan, and Misty Tandon for help with the parade, decorations, serving food and cleaning up.
The Documentary “Angst” Comes To MPA
October 23, 2019
Mounds Park Academy invites the MPA and broader community to a showing of the documentary “Angst” and an open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring two screenings of this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.
Wednesday, November 6, 6:30-8 PM
Nicholson Center | students 10+ welcome
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Mounds Park Academy
2051 Larpenteur Avenue, Saint Paul
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com
Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal that Mounds Park Academy wholeheartedly supports: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources, and tools available to address the condition.
We hope you will join us! And thank you in advance for helping spread this invitation throughout your community!
If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Ph.D., MPA Middle School director, at jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5598.
Travel 12,000 Miles At Culture Day!
October 14, 2019
Join Us For Culture Day At MPA! On October 23, 3-6:30 PM, travel 12,000 miles in one evening! Enjoy Peruvian, Armenian, and Korean-pop dances while sipping masala chai and munching on mini quiche. Try your hand at American graffiti art or relax to beautiful instrumental music while getting a henna tattoo.
You don’t want to miss this hands-on experience! Sign-up for a cooking demonstration in our new kitchen:
Learn how to make Gata–an Armenian sweet bread, 3:30-4 PM
Learn how to make Idli’s–savory Indian rice and lentil cakes, 4:30-5 PM
The kitchen can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, so please sign-up in advance by emailing seema_anwar@hotmail.com
Food and drink tickets ($1 each) will be sold at the event. Try drinks and delicacies from around the world, have fun making crafts, enjoy the cultural entertainment and fashion show, and learn about our world–bonus points if you can identify all the flags decorating the hallway!
Help make all this possible by signing up here.
Parents of alumni and alumni, we would love to have you on campus for Culture Day at MPA as well! Join us to experience the brand new commons, cafeteria, and kitchen on campus in an experiential, fun, and delicious way!
Be A Part Of Culture Day At MPA!
September 26, 2019
Save the date for Culture Day at MPA on Wednesday, October 23 from 3-6:30 PM! Join us for a gastronomic tour around the world as we share sweet and savory delicacies from 10 countries and an international drinks bar. Attend a cooking demonstration in our wonderful new teaching kitchen, go home with some cool body art from an expert henna artist, and try your hand at global crafts like “worry dolls” from Guatemala and Origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding. You will also be able to enjoy musical and dance performances by our talented students! This day full of food, community, and fun is hosted by the MPA Parents Association. Read More