Volunteer At The Middle School Cafe!
December 7, 2017
The Parents Association is looking for volunteers to help with the Middle School Cafe! This a great opportunity to help out MPA and spend some time with your middle school student.
If you would like to be a part of the Middle School Cafe planning team, please attend the meeting on Tuesday, December 12, at 8 AM in the Parents Association Room, located in the cafeteria. Please contact Ginnie Peterson at ginniepeterson@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!
Faculty & Staff Holiday Appreciation
December 5, 2017
Show your appreciation for MPA Faculty and Staff by volunteering to wrap holiday gifts in the Porter Conference Room on December 11, 2017 from 8 AM-3 PM! Shifts are flexible! Spend one or two hours, or split the day and wrap a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon. Sign up here to volunteer! Thanks for all of your help!
“Screenagers” Viewing And Discussion
November 16, 2017
How much time does your child spend looking at screens? On average, children spend six and a half hours a day on screens, and that’s not including in the classroom or while doing homework. Do you think violent video games desensitize people to violence? Have you experienced people using screens to avoid face-to-face interactions? Does your child ever make comments online that he or she wouldn’t make in person? These are all questions that every parent struggles with and MPA would like to help better equip you to navigate this important issue.
We had so many members of our community join us for a viewing of Screenagers, followed by energetic and intriguing discussion. For those who were not able to attend, we will be hosting an additional viewing on campus on January 9 from 8-10 AM in the Recital Hall. Please join us!
November 9, 2017
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
A week ago, I had the pleasure of attending a social event at Dellwood Country Club organized by the MPA Parents of Alumni Association. The event brought together parents who have MPA graduates currently in college. It was a spirited group—all were very excited to talk with one another and share stories of how their children are faring at school. I enjoyed hearing from them and learning how well their children felt prepared for college after MPA. In addition to feeling prepared, I frequently hear that many of our alumni are assisting their friends and roommates with schoolwork and/or teaching them how to study and manage their time.
Another common observation that I hear from parents of alumni is that they continue to develop relationships with their professors. In the words of one parent of alumni, “My child has transitioned beautifully to college. She knows how to advocate for herself and how to learn. I am amazed by her ability to access teachers and get her questions answered. I couldn’t be more pleased with her high school experience.” Because of the meaningful relationships they form with their MPA teachers, they have the same confidence and comfort to talk to their professors after class or visit them during office hours. In some instances, this has led to internships or research assistant opportunities.
October 12, 2017
Come meet new parents and catch up with old friends while hearing about educational topics from the MPA faculty! You’re invited to the Parents Association Lower School parent meeting on Thursday, October 26 from 5-6 PM or Friday, October 27 from 8-9 AM. In an effort to accommodate busy schedules, we are offering two meeting times with the same agenda. Both meetings will be hosted in the Porter Conference Room located on the north end of of campus.
If you choose to come to the afternoon meeting, your child is welcome to attend Panther Club at the expense of the PA.
The educational topic will focus on Schoology, presented by Ms. Kitch, PreK-12 Technology Integration Specialist. You will learn how to use this new tool effectively and the answers to questions you may be experiencing, like “What is the difference between the app and the website? Do you contact teachers via email or through Schoology? If you post a message, does everyone see it?” The faculty guest is Ms. Rossbach, founding faculty member and visual arts teacher. She will share the arts department educational philosophy. This meeting is brought to you through the collaboration of Ms. Wright, Lower School director and PA Co-Lower School division leads, Heidi Nelson and Christine Larson.
Suicide Awareness And Prevention
September 21, 2017
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this event on Thursday, October 5, 6:30-8 PM in the Recital Hall. Dr. Todd A. Savage, MPA parent and professor of school psychology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Dr. Scott Woitaszewski, also a professor of school psychology at UWRF, will be sharing a research- and evidence-based presentation that will further inform and equip our community regarding youth suicide awareness. They will help us all to be proactive and to understand the issue better, provide tips on what to look for in students, and give tools and resources to utilize if concerns arise. The final 15 minutes of the time together will be open for questions and answers and will allow MPA to share the resources that exist on our campus. The presentation is geared toward Middle and Upper School families; however, Lower School families are more than welcome to attend, as well. Note: This presentation will be similar to the one given in May. No RSVP needed.
September 14, 2017
We need your support to make all of this fun happen again! Sign up to volunteer at MPA’s Homecoming 2017! This fun-filled weekend has so many activities going on including fun runs, bounce houses, athletic competitions, alumni events, and much more.
This incredible weekend for every member of our community would not be possible without the generosity of volunteers who give of their time on Saturday, September 23. If you have an hour or two to spare, volunteering is a great way to get involved with the event and MPA!
Thank you in advance for your time! If you have any questions, please contact Susan Robertson, Development Manager, at 651-748-5531 or srobertson@moundsparkacademy.org.
September 7, 2017
Welcome back to another school year at MPA! Believe it or not, Conference week is fast approaching, September 25-28, 2017. One longstanding tradition at MPA is to provide nourishment for the 100+ faculty and staff during this week. Our faculty and staff spend extra hours at school during this week and one way to help support them is to provide food all day long. (Dinners on Tuesday and Thursday nights that week are provided by the Parents Association directly).
Contributions from families are essential! Please consider signing up for any item(s) you would like to contribute. We will be using Sign Up Genius this year. Please click here to sign up >
Items may be dropped off in the Parents Association Room in the Cafeteria on the designated day between 7:30 AM and 8 AM, or at your convenience. There is a refrigerator for perishable items. Please leave a note on any items left in the Parents Association room.
Contact Tara Matthews-Lafferty or Mary Messner with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support of MPA faculty and staff.
Yoga Calm Featured in MPA Lower School
March 13, 2017
MPA alumna and PreK teaching assistant shares her passion for yoga with her young chargesby Annie Stewart ’11, teaching assistant
Many yoga practitioners remember their first yoga class as the day their life changed. My first class was at the Heartworks Yoga studio in Northfield, Minn. when I was a sophomore at St. Olaf. I was living in the dorms and going through a challenging time. My friends suggested that I try a yoga class—a hot yoga class. I don’t know how I survived the 100-degree heat, the high humidity, and the crazy moves, but I was hooked.
Today I am sharing my love of yoga with the Lower School students at Mounds Park Academy. I think it’s vitally important for young children to experience yoga. They are experiencing a lot of emotions—and expending even more energy—during the course of the day. As teachers, we often expect them to sit still and listen, not move or chat with their neighbors. Few adults have that control!
I asked some of my students what they like about Yoga Calm. One said, “It calms me, and I just love time to be still.” Another shared, “If I am having a bad day, remembering these techniques really helps me calm down.” A young boy said, “I can get nervous before tests and this really helps relax me.” Another student said, ““I showed my mom how to do the yoga flow. She was really stressed about her annual meeting at work.”
From Dr. Hudson: Equity and Multiculturalism
November 3, 2016
I was very impressed with the turnout at our 
recent cultural celebration of Diwali last week. It was great visiting with so many of you and seeing the joy in the eyes of our students as they sampled the food, traditions, and activities of the Indian culture. More heartwarming was the pride our Indian-American students took in sharing their culture with others. It is a testimony to the diversity and multiculturalism of the MPA community. I am grateful for the work of our Parents Association and volunteers to make the celebration so meaningful.