Upper School Archives

January 24, 2018

Upper School science teacher

How many years have you been at Mounds Park Academy?
Since 1991! So, 27 years.

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
Faculty, staff, and students who are interested in life and love learning.

How does Mounds Park Academy nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA helps students learn how to become effective, efficient learners and be active citizen-scientists in the 21st century.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at Mounds Park Academy been different?
MPA is a true learning community. The faculty and staff work very hard to help every student learn and set high goals and standards.

What would you tell a parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
MPA is a place that focuses on the growth of the learner. It works to help people get the most out of their education and helps them to make a sound decision on their next steps after high school.

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
We cultivate students who are confident in their ability to learn and work well with others and are interested and invested in their community, state, and country.

What do you hope for Mounds Park Academy students in 20 years?
That they are leading the kind of exciting life that goes beyond the dreams they had when they were at MPA.

Mounds Park Academy, a PreK-12 private school in Saint Paul, is currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. For more information about admission and to schedule your tour, visit moundsparkacademy.org/admission. We look forward to getting to know your family!

Meet Dr. Ranjan Dahiya

January 12, 2018

Lower, Middle, and Upper School Parent
Woodbury, Minnesota

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
The community.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at Mounds Park Academy?
Through their teachers and friends. And from seeing the achievements of other students.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at Mounds Park Academy been different?
More challenging and more rewarding. Smaller class sizes. Mounds Park Academy has very engaged teachers who have the time to give valuable one-on-one feedback.

What would you tell another family considering Mounds Park Academy?
We were impressed by how welcoming the students and teachers were when our students started at MPA. And the teachers are very good at building students’ foundational skills.

In what ways has Mounds Park Academy prepared your child for life in the 21st century?
They address multiple aspects of education including critical thinking, productive communication, and technology skills. Read More

MPA Winter Show

January 11, 2018

Mounds Park Academy presents Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet for this year’s Winter Show! In this new interpretation, Romeo is a young woman. The most famous love story in the world takes on new life and new meaning as two young women discover who they are and who they love. Set against the backdrop of family expectations, social norms, and a dominant heterosexual culture, Romeo & Juliet’s star-crossed love echoes with haunting familiarity and danger in these modern times. The show will take place in the Black Box Theatre on January 26 and 27 and February 2 and 3.

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, January 16! Purchase tickets here!

NFL Super Kids At MPA

January 11, 2018

Mounds Park Academy Upper School students Ben Yoch and Ian Beauchane are using the local Super Bowl and Vikings hype to make a difference in the community. The two are currently participating in the NFL Super Kids-Super Sharing project, partnering with the NFL and Vikings to help underfunded schools and they need your help.

“Knowing that some kids won’t be able to pursue their passions because they don’t have the proper equipment is heartbreaking to us,” Ben said. “We know that we cannot help every kid, but if we can help even a few kids’ dreams happen, it will all be worth it.”

This program takes place in Super Bowl host cities, collecting hundreds of thousands of books and pieces of sports equipment along the way. Ben and Ian are collecting donations of books, sports equipment, school supplies, and games from the MPA community to give low-income schools and other organizations that benefit local children in need. Cell phones can also be donated, as a resource for STEM education in underprivileged classrooms. Their drive ends January 18, so there is still time left to donate items to help Ben and Ian make a difference! Please bring the items to the Upper School office. Thank you!

Living Lives of Health and Wholeness

January 11, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Today, Middle School students met in mixed-grade level groups to explore the character trait of perseverance, a core pillar of our Middle School Character Education Program. Each group collaborated to complete two separate challenges related to fostering perseverance and then processed their experience with their teachers. Learning from failure, working together, developing skills such as persistence and tenacity were all a part of the lesson, but in the spirit of MPA, there was also a lot of joyful learning taking place.

Character education is but one part of an overall Mounds Park Academy wellness program. The MPA Strategic Plan, Momentum 2020, has as its first goal, “Empower students to live, learn, and thrive in the 21st century globalized society.” Academic and career success are important and MPA provides students a rigorous and relevant curriculum. But as a school committed to educating the whole child, we also understand that in order to reach one’s full potential, students must also have the knowledge and skills necessary live lives of health and wholeness.

Mental illness and anxiety among young people are on the rise. For instance, by the age of 18, 15-25 percent of adolescents will have experienced a major depressive episode. We also know that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 15-34. A recent New York Times article quoted research from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA that found the percentage of college freshmen reporting feeling overwhelmed rose from 18 percent in 1985 to 29 percent in 2010 and surged to 41 percent last year. These facts paint a grave picture—one that illustrates clearly how critical our work is in this area.

MPA Nordic Ski Makes School History

January 11, 2018

Mounds Park Academy’s Nordic Ski Team has made school history! For the first time ever, an MPA nordic team has been ranked in the state—the boys’ ski team is proudly sitting at number five out of ten spots. This is also the first time that MPA has had two individual skiers ranked at the same time!

The team, Upper School students Henry Snider, Isak Nightingale, Aneesh Syal, Matthew Bourne, Declan Dahlberg, and Peter Manolis, made it happen by finishing in third place out of 56 teams at the Mesabi East Invite. Upper School students Collin Steinberger and Alejandro Bruce accepted medals on behalf of Isak Nightingale and Aneesh Syal. Go Panthers! Keep up the outstanding work!

MPA Students Receive Minnesota Art Awards

January 11, 2018

We are so proud of our MPA student artists! Several received Honorable Mentions in the 2018 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards! Congratulations to Middle School student Kensi and Upper School students Mats Dahlberg, Alex Esch, Ryan Guggenheim, Olivia Hawley, Angelina Liu, Annie Portoghese, Jose Varela Castillo, Siri Vorvick, and Peter Wu. All were recognized for a range of paintings, drawings, and mixed media work.

The Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards are highly competitive. MPA art teacher Ms. Sonka has been submitting student work for many years, and this year received an extremely high amount of feedback from the organization! These awards, recognizing scholastic art and writing, acknowledges creative teenagers in the United States annually. Created in 1923, it is also the longest-running program of its kind. The students’ work will be included in an online gallery opening in February, which we are looking forward to sharing!

: Kensi

: Dahlberg

: Esch

: Guggenheim

: Hawley

: Liu

: Liu2

: Portoghese

: VarelaCastillo

: Vorvick

: Vorvick2

Abby Goodno Sets MPA Record

January 4, 2018

Congratulations to senior Abby Goodno for scoring her 2000th point during the Kreischer Tournament, making her the first player in MPA history to reach that incredible milestone! She scored 33 points in MPA’s win over Hope Academy. Making the day even sweeter, MPA placed second in the tournament! Congratulations! Go Panthers!

Fostering Citizen Scientists

January 4, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Just before break, the Washington Post reported that seven words were being banned from official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget at the Centers for Disease Control including “evidence-based” and “science-based.” The national conversation around “fake news” and questions about the veracity of climate change have placed science and science education at center stage. In addition, the steady drumbeat calling for more STEM education has ignited a passionate discourse about science education, particularly within a liberal arts education. In the midst of this often-polarizing discussion, I have repeatedly seen evidence that MPA does science ‘right’ by focusing on applied learning, critical thinking, and a grounding in fostering students to become citizen scientists.

The MPA science curriculum is founded on the principles of active and inquiry-based learning as first developed when the school was in its infancy. Our phenomenal science teachers continue to provide rich, thoughtful, experiences and opportunities for experimental design, while at the same time giving students the background and content they need to succeed in college and beyond. MPA students are encouraged to think critically about science by using their successes and failures in the lab as learning opportunities. What worked? What didn’t? How could it have been improved? Did it prove anything? These questions are best answered through learning by doing.

Meet the Law Family

December 27, 2017

Upper School
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

What do you love about Mounds Park Academy?
We wanted a place that would develop them as whole people. We wanted a healthy balance of arts, foreign language, athletics, and, of course academics, but we wanted them to discuss and analyze topics, rather than just choose from four options on a test. Most importantly, it needed to be a place they could develop the confidence they needed to try anything.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at Mounds Park Academy?
Where I went to school, kids were pegged—smart kids, athletic kids, artsy kids—but at MPA there are no boundaries or limitations. That’s a beautiful thing. And, teachers lead by example at MPA without even articulating the expectation. The expectation clearly is that you will all take care of each other.

What would you tell another parent considering Mounds Park Academy?
I didn’t expect the academic rigor to be as great, but when I look at the depth of their studies and their level of understanding, I am truly impressed. What’s unique is that it is not to the point that they are stressed out. Expectations are high, but their teachers truly want them to do well in all areas and to live balanced lives. Read More