Special Events

Meet Retired Faculty Member Mary Beggin

November 4, 2021

Mary Beggin

Position while at MPA
Teacher of second, third, and fourth grade

How many years did you work at MPA?
20

What do you miss most about MPA?
I miss the children with their laughter, hugs, and their excitement that they showed each day! I also miss my colleagues and our chats each morning.

What have you been up to since leaving MPA?
I love my retirement! I am able to travel to see my children and grandchildren. I am sleeping in, staying up late, reading lots of books and making cards. I am finally able to get back to spending time with my husband and friends and enjoying outings. I am able to walk and exercise each day and feel so relaxed and happy. I also have been able to sub and do what I loved-just teach!

Vaccination Clinic At MPA Monday

November 3, 2021

Given the FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccinations for children age 5 and older, MPA will be hosting an on-campus vaccination clinic on Monday, November 8 from 4-8 PM.

In addition to welcoming MPA community members, this clinic will be open to anyone and is being offered in partnership with Health Care Strong. Please help us spread the word by sharing this page with your network.

We will be offering Pfizer vaccinations for anyone age five or older (including adults) as well as Pfizer or Moderna booster shots for those who are eligible.

LEARN ABOUT HEALTHCARE STRONG >
ADVANCED REGISTRATION REQUIRED HERE >
PRINT, COMPLETE, AND BRING CONSENT >

 

DETAILS FOR ALL

  • The vaccination clinic will be led by Health Care Strong, with assistance from members of the MPA community who are medical professionals. All injections will be provided by a highly-trained medical professional and the 15-minute observation period will be staffed by medical professionals as well.
  • Please enter at door 2, the Atrium, which is to the left of the flag pole near the south entrance.
  • COVID-19 vaccinations are free and do not require insurance.
  • Do not attend the clinic if anyone in your household has had COVID-19 within the past 14 days, has any symptoms of COVID-19, or is currently quarantining due to close contact exposure.

DETAILS FOR CHILDREN

  • Any student or adult age five (on the day of the clinic) or older may be vaccinated at this event.
  • The second dose of this two-dose series will be administered on campus on Monday, November 29, 4-8 PM.
  • Students to be vaccinated should wear short-sleeved shirts and be rested. They should have had something to eat prior to arriving.
  • Students younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must present a vaccination consent form (print above and bring or sign at the clinic).

DETAILS FOR ADULTS

  • Students 18 or older do not need parental consent to be vaccinated.
  • Click here to determine your eligibility for a booster.

We’re grateful to share that 97% of our eligible students are vaccinated and 98% of our faculty and staff. That level of vaccination has contributed to our ability to keep the MPA community healthy, safe, and happy on campus. Just as we have with our families with older children, we strongly urge you to consider vaccinating your younger children at this time.

If you are unable to attend on Monday, please visit mn.gov/vaxforkids to learn more about other options and get information. We hope to offer future opportunities on campus as well.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to covid@moundsparkacademy.org should you have any questions or need any additional information or resources.

FDA RESOURCES & INFORMATION >
Emergency Use Authorization Ages 5-11 >
Emergency Use Authorization Ages 12+ >

Fall Campaign Kick-Off

October 28, 2021

Don’t Miss This Year’s MPA Fall Campaign Kick-Off

November 5, 2-4 PM under the tent in the West Parking Lot.

The MPA Fall Campaign volunteer committee invites you to attend a family gathering to celebrate MPA and the start of this year’s fundraising drive. Join us before, during and after drop off and bring your students along! We will gather to enjoy popcorn, cider, music, conversation and simply being together as an MPA community.

Learn more about the Fall Campaign and how the community joins together to bridge the gap between the cost of an MPA education and tuition.

Thank you to our volunteer parent committee members: Christine Larson (Chair), Heidi Baldwin, Jenn Gatti, Clarence Knox, Barry Madore, Bridget Mayer, Brett Schreiber, and Eric Whittington.

Live Performance At MPA

October 28, 2021

Having our students engaged in visual and performing arts isn’t just about fostering an appreciation of the arts, rather it is about helping students develop the ability to practice perseverance, develop ingenuity, and understand that ideas can be expressed in more than just words. Through authentic experiences as musicians, performers, and artists each student has the ability to maximize their artistic potential, build confidence, and create beauty.

True hallmarks of Mounds Park Academy are the live performances where instrumental and choral students share their work with the broader MPA community. It is hard to believe that due to the pandemic the last live concerts held on campus were more than 19 months ago. We are thrilled to share that at this time we are not only holding in person performances, but that guests are invited to attend either in person or virtually. View the MPA calendar and add the upcoming performances to your calendars including the Upper School Instrumental Concert on Wednesday, November 3 at 7:30 PM.

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 and provide 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 at the link below. Regardless of how you view the events, we are excited for you to enjoy the wonderful talent of our students.

JOIN LIVESTREAM
Password: 2051
There will not be a recording distributed afterward due to licensing restrictions.

IMPORTANT HEALTH & SAFETY NOTES REGARDING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE

Please note that even though health and safety protocols are in place, band and choir performances are highly aerosolized activities. If any attendee develops symptoms within 48 hours of the performance, please contact covid@moundsparkacademy.org for guidance.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic. Information about COVID-19 is continually evolving and subject to change. COVID-19’s highly contagious nature means that contact with others or contact with surfaces that have been exposed to the virus, can lead to infection. Additionally, individuals who may be infected with COVID-19, whether vaccinated or not, may be asymptomatic for a period of time or may never become symptomatic.

Aware of the foregoing, I am voluntarily attending the in person performance at Mounds Park Academy. To attend these concerts, I acknowledge and understand:

  • Given the many unknowns relating to COVID-19, it is not possible to fully identify or list each and every individual risk of contracting COVID-19;
  • MPA cannot limit all potential sources of COVID-19 infection.

Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night

October 28, 2021

Join us as we celebrate “National Lights On Afterschool Day” with an MPA Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night with The Works Museum! Our activity theme is Cardboard Creation Challenge, and can be done with materials you easily find at home!

When
Thursday, October 28 from 6:30-7:30 PM.

What
Cardboard Creations Challenge with The Works Museum!

Where
Zoom Link 1 (Last name A-K)
Meeting ID: 832 2664 9255
Passcode: 949823

Zoom Link 2 (Last name L-Z)
Meeting ID: 832 9483 4891
Passcode: 988073

Items to gather/Materials suggestions: shipping boxes, food boxes (cereal, cracker, etc.), scissors, tape (masking, duct, or packing), writing tool (pencils, markers, crayons)
Optional: glue, paper, straws/skewers/toothpicks/beads, art supplies (stickers, yarn, ribbon, fabric, tissue paper, etc.)

Questions: Contact Russ at 651-748-5571 or rpurdy@moundsparkacademy.org.

Congratulations MPA Volleyball Conference Champs!

October 14, 2021

MPA is acknowledging the volleyball team’s overwhelming success this year, finishing 18-3 overall, and undefeated in the IMAC conference! This is the second time in three years that we have swept the conference without losing a single set. Good luck tonight against SPA! We will be celebrating our seniors Kaija, Jenna Sherwood, Maddie Black, and Vienna Schreifels.

Congratulations to all of the players and coaches, go Panthers!

Great job to our stat leaders from this season:

Kills–Kaija Kunze-Hoeg with 248 and Lola Pilon with 227
Aces–Else Kunze-Hoeg with 73, second in the state.
Assists–Else with 580, currently fifth in the state
Digs–Kaija with 236, Lola with 197, and Violette Cammack with 175

Celebrating Our Story: The 40 Years Of MPA

October 14, 2021

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

When families gather, it is not uncommon to tell stories, especially when celebrating important occasions and milestones. In my family, we not only celebrate our children’s birthdays but also the day their adoption became official, their Family Day. No matter their age or their groans, both children enjoy hearing the story of when we first met them, what our time together in Guatemala was like, about the plane ride “home,” and about the celebration with family and friends when we landed in Minnesota. Stories like these are told when milestones are celebrated serve as anchors for who we are, help shape our identity, and deepen our values.

Mounds Park Academy is in the midst of such a celebration that will span the entire school year. Together, we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of this remarkable school. I’ve had the honor and privilege of spending a good amount time with both our founders, Bob Kreischer and Sandy Kreischer Smith, and have been captivated by their dreams, hopes, and passion for education that led them to found MPA. By drawing together and inspiring their friends and fellow educators, Bob and Sandy articulated a very unique and compelling mission. From our original graduating class of seven students, now to our 574 current students, every child who enters our doors benefits from the vision and commitment of those early educators, which we still draw on today.

We have been thinking of this milestone as our very own community birthday celebration. Togetherness might look and feel differently right now than if we were celebrating the 40th anniversary two years ago or even two years from now. But we hope that we can all join together to say Happy Birthday to MPA. We hope you will join in the fun, beginning with some exciting activities to safely gather–virtually and in person–in November for the MPA Fall Campaign (more details will be released soon). To share in the storytelling with you, retired faculty and staff profiles will be released in the coming weeks and months. I hope this gives you a glimpse into the many wonderful people who have made our school what it is today. Read More

It’s Time For MPA’s Fall Preview

September 23, 2021

Fall PreviewInvite a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member to join us for MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Fall Preview! Held virtually on Sunday, November 7 starting 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!

Homecoming Celebration And Spirit Week Reimagined

September 16, 2021

Homecoming September 27 – October 2
Join us as we reimagine our annual Homecoming festivities in light of COVID-19 health and safety concerns. We are offering division-specific opportunities for students as a part of a weeklong celebration, building spirit for MPA Athletics and our entire community.

Upper School Activities:

  • MPA Student Council Spirit Week Dress Up Days: September 27 – October 1
  • Upper School student only BBQ: October 1, 5-8 PM, Benz Courtyard
  • Upper School student dance: October 2, 8-11 PM, Benz Courtyard
  • Free Homecoming-themed MPA t-shirts for all Upper School students

Middle School Activities:

  • Middle School Game Day: October 1, 10 AM-3 PM, South Lawn (Parent Volunteers needed!)
  • Spirit Week Dress Up Days September 27-October 1
  • Free Homecoming-themed MPA t-shirts for all Middle School students

Lower School Activities:

  • Pajama Day for all Lower School Students: September 27
  • Spirit Wear Day with Homecoming T-shirt and non-uniform bottom: October 1
  • Homecoming Spirit Photo Booth and Special Appearances by the MPA Panther: September 27-October 1
  • Homecoming Panther Coloring Sheets available for students
  • Free Homecoming-themed MPA t-shirts for all Lower School students

MPA Athletics Schedule Saturday, October 2
Please note: Only athlete household members may attend in person. Join in the fun and cheer on our Panthers by streaming games live! Learn more at https://www.moundsparkacademy.org/athletics/

  • Varsity Girls Soccer vs New Life Academy 11 AM (available for streaming)
  • Varsity Boys Soccer New Life Academy 1 PM (available for streaming)
  • Varsity Volleyball 9 AM-2 PM (continuous streaming viewing)
  • JV Boys Soccer New Life Academy 11 AM (not available for streaming)
  • Varsity Girls Tennis vs Como Park and Cretin Derham Hall (not available for streaming)

Homecoming Parent Gathering 
Parents, would you like to share your MPA Spirit and support our student athletes? Join the MPA Parents Association for an all-parent coffee and community building meet-up on Friday, October 1 from 7:45 to 10 AM. You’ll find us under the big white tent in the west parking lot, rain or shine. Meet other MPA parents, help to decorate the outdoor fields, and write messages of encouragement for our athletes. Go Panthers!

Interested in Theatre at MPA?

August 10, 2021

ChicagoInStory

Have you ever wanted to audition, but had a case of stage fright? You want to try working backstage, but have no knowledge of tools? That is okay–that is what this Theatre Info Meeting is for! We will cover the following in a brief zoom session with the MPA theatre teachers, Ann Frances Gregg, Emily Jaques, and Heather Mastel:
  • Can I play a sport and be in a play?
  • How much does it cost to participate?
  • What is the time commitment?
  • How do auditions work?
  • What jobs can I do backstage?
  • How do I get involved?

Join us next Wednesday, August 18 at 6 PM. We will cover all in this meeting for Middle School and Upper School families.

In addition, students are invited to join us Tuesday, August 31 for a Theatre Info Meeting just for students. Grab your lunch and meet us in the Black Box at 11:20 am (pending safety precautions, Middle School—grab your lunch at recess time and join us).

See you there—break a leg this year!