Upper School Archives

April 5, 2022

What do you love about MPA?
I love the learning environment that the teachers and students create together! Everyone is encouraged to follow their curiosity and given the support to learn about things they’re interested in. The student body is really involved in clubs and extracurriculars (especially for such a small school), and trying new things is encouraged.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
The teachers at MPA always supported me in my goals and dreams and given me the resources to help me follow the right path to achieve them. MPA is a place where dreaming big and doing right are valued and encouraged by the whole community. Having a community that truly believes in you and your future has encouraged me to dream big and do right.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
The teachers at MPA truly care about their students and the subject matter they are teaching. They want their students to find fascination in learning and discover their passions. MPA teachers want to see their students make an impact in the world and achieve their goals and they equip us with the tools to do so. Read More

Rigor With Purpose

March 31, 2022

I enjoyed the opportunity last Friday to visit with fifth-graders about their SEEK (Science, Experiments, Explorations, and Knowledge) Projects. A tradition for more than 20 years, Middle School Science Teacher Courtney Nagle describes SEEK as “the scientific method on steroids!”

As I wandered around the Family Commons, I was impressed by the variety of scientific experiments students chose and was struck by their curiosity. In particular, I was delighted with their ability to critique their project, talk about what they would do differently next time, and how what they learned could be applied in other contexts. The SEEK Project is an excellent example of what we at MPA call “rigor with purpose.”

Rigor is different from difficulty. Traditional applications of rigor most often entail more and harder assignments that are “pushed down” from the teacher and “piled on” to the student. In reality, such an understanding of rigor requires little more than lower-level thinking skills such as factual recall and procedural regurgitation rather than greater cognitive complexity. At MPA, rigor with purpose is meaningful learning that goes deeper to challenge students’ thinking in new and exciting ways. Read More

Parents Association Book Festival Announcement

March 31, 2022

Book Festival
Tuesday, April 5-Sunday, April 17
MPA’s beloved annual Book Festival is almost here! We’ll have many fun book-centered activities, including stories to help unwind in the evening, and our padlet board for sharing your favorite read. Click here to add to the padlet board. The Book Festival’s goal is to promote the joy of reading and connect with the MPA community through our shared enjoyment of reading. This year we have a hybrid model with some on-campus events and online book purchasing from our booksellers, Usborne and Valley Bookseller, more details coming soon.

Used Book Sale
The Book Festival Committee is asking for donations of gently used books and music that will be available for sale (25 cents for paperbacks, $1 for hardcovers) during the Book Festival. Look for donation carts at the North and South entrances from March 24-April 15. We welcome books for all ages!

Proceeds from the used book sale and purchases made through the booksellers benefit the MPA library so every purchase you make will help support our wonderful library, a great resource for both students and families.

MPAPA One Book, One Community: Book Club with Dr. Hudson April 14, at 6:30 PM
Please join us for a lively discussion of Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel! The PA will be purchasing books for those who would like to take part. Let us know if you plan on attending the book club, and whether or not you would like a copy of the book provided to you. Please fill in this google form to order the book and sign up for the book club.

Welcoming Back Smiling Faces

March 24, 2022

From Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, Director of Development and Community Engagement

One Thursday per month you will see a guest Head’s Message from a member of the Institutional Advancement Team. We hope these additional perspectives will help you catch a glimpse inside the inner-workings of your school.

If you’re like me, over the past few weeks, you may have been reflecting on how different our spring breaks were two years ago compared to this year. Two years ago, my two kiddos and I were enjoying a memorable trip to New York City, gearing up to take in Broadway shows and the many sites. Halfway through the trip, major sports teams, businesses, public spaces, and what felt like the entire country began to shut down due to this new virus that was sweeping across the world. One day we were walking through the bustling Times Square, and the next day I was worried about our ability to get a flight back home.

Two years in, so many things in our lives continue to be different, but I am so happy to see many areas returning to our new normal. Seeing many of your students’ smiling faces as we made the move to masks being optional, having parents back in our hallways, and being together to build community have been wonderful steps forward. Read More

Understanding MPA Athletics

March 3, 2022

from Dan Haase, Athletic Director

At Mounds Park Academy, we believe athletics complement the total academic experience and development of the student. Students learn a great deal from their participation in interscholastic athletics. Concepts such as teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership, self-confidence, self-esteem, and developing a healthy body are all vital components of our Upper School athletic programs.

Athletics at MPA strive to provide an opportunity to all students to discover their interests, improve their skills, and have fun enjoying the activity with their friends. To accomplish this, MPA practices a no-cut policy in all athletic programs. A no-cut athletic policy allows inclusion to all interested students who would like to become a member of a team. Teams are established based on the interests and registrations of each of our programs.

MPA is proud to offer 23 Upper School athletic offerings for students in grades 9-12 and is a member of the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). The MSHSL provides uniform and equitable rules for students in extracurricular activities, and they promote, manage, and administer athletic programs for students at members schools on a Subsection, Section and State level.

MPA is also a member of the Independent Metro Athletic Conference (IMAC). The IMAC consists of six mission-driven independent college preparatory schools. The IMAC conference was formed in 2014 based upon an agreement with the Blake School, Breck School, Minnehaha Academy, Providence Academy, and St. Paul Academy. The conference was formed in the interest of keeping an appropriate perspective on the role of athletics in secondary education. Read More

Meet Meiran Carlson ’24

February 28, 2022

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
By receiving an immense amount of support from the people around me. Whether it’s teachers, staff, coaches, or friends, I’ve just felt a lot of structure since coming to MPA, and that has allowed me to do better socially and academically.

What do you love about MPA?
I love that even though I’ve only spent a short amount of time at MPA so far, I’m able to express myself so openly and freely. The community here is so welcoming and everyone wants to hear what everyone else has to contribute, which is such a nice thing to be able to say. Everyone’s thoughts matter and it’s really hard to feel left behind at a school like MPA.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
I think the teachers here teach the way they do because they genuinely enjoy finding new ways to get their students to think critically about issues in and outside of the classroom– it’s not a chore for them. It’s a breath of fresh air to have teachers who feel it’s important for their students to succeed in their classrooms, but also in everyday life, and who want to help in that effort.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience here been different?
I have felt much more supported and welcomed at MPA than I did at my previous school. From all the interviews I had during the admissions process to adjusting to the environment here, there was always someone there to check in with me at every step. I can tell that my presence here is valued as an individual and as someone who is now a part of the MPA community. Read More

Cultivating Scientists For The World

February 24, 2022

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

While walking the indoor track in the Lansing Sports Center last Friday, I took note of a large wooden structure assembled on Court Four. I had a hunch that it was a model constructed by our students on the FIRST Robotics team. If you are not familiar with FIRST Robotics, it is an international organization that combines “the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.” I’ve been to several competitions, and I have to agree. According to FIRST Robotics, “teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team ‘brand,’ hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get.”

FIRST Robotics is a terrific example of inquiry and problem-based activities that align with our MPA science philosophy of fostering creative, inquisitive, and critical thinkers. The science department is firmly rooted in the idea of the “citizen scientist,” a term that encompasses scientific research, concepts, and principles and public engagement in order to expand the reach, relevance, and impact of science to the whole of society in service of the common good. It is true that a number of MPA graduates go on to become doctors and scientists. It is also true that when they chose other fields of studies or careers, MPA graduates carry with them the knowledge and experience of how science impacts our world.

What is unique about the MPA science philosophy and curriculum is the emphasis on engaging students in the application of scientific method, principles, and research to real-world problems and nurturing important competencies and skills. Taking an inquiry-based approach, students working individually or collaboratively come to understand how content is useful and can be applied to everyday problems, both large and small. The following are only a few examples of our distinctive approach in action. Read More

Meet Retired Faculty Member—Maureen Conway

February 24, 2022

Position while at MPA
Upper School Social Studies Teacher

How many years did you work at MPA?
30? You’d have to check. I think I started in 1983 and left in 2014. I was never any good with numbers…..

What do you miss most about MPA?
Watching young people struggle to understand the forces that made their world and witnessing their emerging determination to shape their future. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. Never surrender, you wonderful people!

What have you been up to since leaving MPA?
I vaguely remember a brief window between retirement and COVID. I believe it was filled with amazing grandchildren, family and friends, fabulous trips, an ill-fated but on-going crusade to master the French language and a menacing orange presence.

MPA Afterschool Activities Cancelled February 22, 2022

February 22, 2022

Due to the weather, all afterschool activities including games, practices, and meetings are cancelled this afternoon, Tuesday, February 22. School will remain in session until our regular dismissal time at 3 PM.

All buses will run as usual. The only exception are students who ride the District 622 buses and those families have been communicated with directly. Please know that MPA’s bus lines may be running late due to road conditions and traffic.

Panther Club and Panther Den will remain open until all children are picked up; however, families are encouraged to arrive as quickly as possible after 3 PM so that staff may travel home. Middle School study hall is cancelled.

Please drive safely and take good care.

A Peek Into The MPA Robotics World

February 22, 2022

from Marc Shapiro, Upper School science teacher and robotics coach

If you’ve been in the Lansing Sports Center recently, you’ve surely seen the large wooden structure on Court 4. Maybe you even saw Michael Wilke ’16 working on it. The curiosity some people had about the structure made me overcome my reluctance at sending all employee emails, in order to compose this description of what the MPA Robotics team is about.

FIRST Robotics is an international organization headquartered in New Hampshire. It has four levels, starting with FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for elementary schoolers, all the way up to FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high schoolers. At MPA we have only an FRC team. Per capita, Minnesota has one of the highest participation rates in the U.S. There are more FRC teams in Minnesota than varsity hockey teams!

Each year, we are given a new “game” and a limited amount of time to create a robot to play the game. The robot must be designed, built, programmed, wired, and tested under strict constraints. A new robot is built every year; the game changes so much that there’s nothing from the previous year that is useful, other than possibly a drive chassis. With their batteries and bumpers, robots can weight up to 150 pounds. Teams are aided by adult mentors who are volunteers from the community, but the students have ultimate responsibility for designing, building, and operating the robot. Students can go the technical route and learn about building, coding, electronics and controls, computer-aided design, or using a CNC router, or several of these. They can also choose the non-technical path and work on such things as fundraising, marketing, outreach, and social media. Our team has Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and a still-under-renovation website. We are like a small business, and have to raise all our operating funds; our budget for this season is $24,000. Read More