Upper School

Your Gifts Make College Counseling Possible

November 5, 2018

college decision day 2018This article is the fourth in a series called “The Fall Campaign Stories of Impact: Five Weeks, Five Stories, Five Reasons to Give.”

Think of a list of common fears, and a familiar few come to mind. Public speaking. Air travel. Spiders. And here in Minnesota, an early snow! Another typical source of anxiety is the college application process—a journey in U.S. culture that’s often driven by worries about attending the “best” school, instead of the right school.

Lisa Pederson, MPA’s director of College Counseling, addresses that sense of dread head-on, with compassion, expertise, and a proven program that empowers students to customize their college search based on their unique strengths, interests, and long-term goals. “The best fit for one is not the right fit for the next, even among high-achieving, academically strong, and otherwise talented students,” says Pederson. “Today’s college admissions professionals are looking for the authentic voice in their applicants, not a packaged one that checks every box.” Read More

Online Directory Change

November 1, 2018

upper school students on laptopMPA is making an important transition of its online community directory into Schoology. Starting December 1, the community directory will no longer be on the MPA website at moundsparkacademy.org/families.

This will eliminate the need for a password on the website and reduce the number of MPA passwords you need to utilize. It will also provide greater data security and enhanced mobile responsiveness.

The following are directions regarding how to access the new directory today. If you have any issues, please email Jay Springer, MPA webmaster, at webmaster@moundsparkacademy.org.

On Desktop

  1. Visit https://app.schoology.com/login.
  2. Login to Schoology using your parent login.
  3. In the upper right-hand corner, using the drop down button, navigate to your parent profile. You are now viewing Schoology as yourself, not as your child.
  4. Along the top navigation bar, click on Resources > Apps.
  5. Click Approve then refresh the page. This is only needed the first time you open MPA Resources.
  6. The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

On Mobile

  1. Download the Schoology app (if you haven’t already) in the Apple or Android App Store.
  2. Login to the app using your parent login.
  3. In the upper left-hand corner menu, select Resources > Resource Apps > MPA Resources.
  4. Click Approve then use the back button to get back to Resources. Click MPA Resources again. This is only needed the first time you open the MPA Resources app.
  5. The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

Middle School Play: “Walk Two Moons”

November 1, 2018

Walk Two Moons posterTickets for the Middle School play, “Walk Two Moons,” go on sale tomorrow, November 2, 2018! Purchase your tickets here!

“Walk Two Moons” is lovingly adapted for the stage with the same nuance and surprises offered by the original book. Utilizing multiple narrative frames, the play leaps back and forth through time and memory as 13-year-old Sal tells the story of the disappearance of her best friend Phoebe’s mother. Determined to find her, the two girls begin seeing murderous plots and schemes around every corner. Sal shares these conspiracy theories with her Gram and Gramps during a cross-country road trip to confront her own mother, who left her and her father a year ago. But it is only through telling Phoebe’s story that Sal truly understands why her mother left and whether or not they’ll ever be together again.

This show is most appropriate for Middle School or older students due to the dramatic story line. The shows will be Friday, November 16 at 7 PM, Saturday, November 17 at 2 PM, and Sunday, November 18 at 2 PM.

 

Why Does Participation Matter?

November 1, 2018

fourth graders give presentations to lower schoolHere at MPA, we’re so thankful for the commitment of our parents, grandparents, alumni, and community supporters. We’re also proud of the way our students grow during their time with us. We encourage students of all ages to participate in the things that matter most to them and to push themselves outside of their comfort zone to find out who they truly are through involvement in a wide range of opportunities.

Just like our students’ participation in their own learning and development, we challenge our supporters to participate through our Joyful Learning, Joyful Giving Fall Campaign. Every gift adds up to a big impact. Learn more about that impact on individual students and on big projects. Your gift ensures a top-notch education and joyful experience for every student here at MPA. Click here to make a gift! Read More

Coffee With The PA On Saturday

November 1, 2018

PA hosts coffee Don’t miss this new opportunity to meet the Parents Association! This Saturday, November 3, the PA is hosting several neighborhood coffee events, where you can come and meet MPA parents who live in your neighborhood. Parents of all grades are welcome!

Your coffee hosts will be at the following locations:

Amore Coffee–St. Paul
879 Smith Ave, W.
St. Paul MN 55118
9-11am

Dunn Brothers Coffee–Minneapolis
5008 Xerxes Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55410
9-11 AM Read More

Your Gifts Make Foreign Language Instruction Possible

October 29, 2018

French III student reading to fourth grade French studentThis article is the third in a series called “The Fall Campaign Stories of Impact: Five Weeks, Five Stories, Five Reasons to Give.”

Bilingualism is one of the best things you can do for your brain. Research shows that young children who learn a second language have improved cognitive abilities, attention control, and problem solving skills. As they progress though school, continued language study correlates with academic achievement, higher ACT and SAT scores, and better performance at the college level. And as we age, fluency in more than one language has been connected to faster stroke recovery and delayed onset of dementia. Read More

Nate Bander ’09 Named Assistant Coach Of The Year

October 26, 2018

coach bander with runnersCongratulations to MPA Cross Country coach Nate Bander ’09 for being named the Section 4A Assistant Cross Country Coach of the Year! To celebrate his accomplishment, we interviewed Coach Bander about why coaching and athletics are so important to him.

What led you to coach at MPA? And why cross country? 

Remembering back on all the joy that I had competing for MPA, I knew I had to come back and give that opportunity to the next generation of athletes. Coaching cross country is totally unique because it’s such a distinct sport. It’s an interesting blend of team and individual competition where athletes are competing as much against themselves as against one another or other teams. I coach cross country because I love our team’s culture of emphasizing collaboration as much as competition. Read More

MPA Junior Joins Trip To HBCUs

October 25, 2018

MPA junior Quincy lewis on hbcu tripMPA junior Quincy Lewis, along with a group of students from Breck and other local independent schools, went on a trip to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) over the long MEA weekend.

Led by Breck history teacher Paul Slack, the group of students began their journey bright and early at 3:30 AM on October 18. They first made their way to the Atlanta area, where they visited Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. The group also visited Georgia Tech along the way. They additionally went to tour Florida A&M University, where Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter met the students and gave the tour, as he is a Florida A&M alum!  Read More

Bring A Friend To MPA Day

October 25, 2018

middle school music classHas a friend or co-worker ever asked, “What is MPA really like?” Do you know a family who would be “SO MPA?” Have the parents of your child’s neighborhood friends ever asked, “What makes MPA so special?”

Bring A Friend Day is a fantastic way for those outside our immediate community to experience firsthand who we are and what it is like to be student at Mounds Park Academy! On Friday, November 30, we are inviting students in grades one through nine to bring a friend to MPA for a special day of learning and fun!

The invited friend should be near the same grade as your child and each child may only bring one friend. Space is very limited by grade level. Please have the family of the visiting friend register online at moundsparkacademy.org/bringafriend by Friday, November 23.

On the day of the visit, if possible, please help the visiting family with transportation to/from school. Visiting students are welcome to ride MPA buses, but not District 622 buses. Bus passes may be obtained from the Office of Admission. Visitors and their hosts should check-in together at the South Entrance at 7:45 AM.

Visitors will follow a typical school schedule, attending all of the regular classes with their friend. Teachers will take the time to introduce visitors in each class and help them feel welcome. Lunch will be provided, or the friend may bring a bag lunch. The day ends at 3 PM in cafeteria and does not include after school care or activities.

If you have any questions, Contact Nate Bander, Admission Outreach Coordinator via email at nbander@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5518. Thank you for sharing your love for MPA with friends! We can’t wait to meet them!

Our MPA Moments

October 25, 2018

bill's lunch with seniors in the pcrby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Every fall, I invite seniors to have lunch with me in small groups of eight to 10. It is a fantastic time to check in with them about how their senior year is going, learn what their plans are for next year, solicit their feedback on my leadership, and thank them for serving as leaders and role models. I also ask them to share their “MPA moment”–the moment, memory, or experience that captures or illustrates the MPA mission to them. I enjoy hearing their stories and it only deepens my love and appreciation for this amazing community.

A common MPA moment I hear often has to do with their experience of a PreK-12 school under one roof. Seniors will talk about what it was like for them to have an Upper School buddy when they were in Lower School or how much they enjoy now the “pairing assemblies,” when as seniors, they are matched with younger students. Their eyes light up with joy as they share the special relationship they have developed.

Read More