Upper School

The Responsibility of Bold Innovation

September 16, 2021

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of SchoolHead's Message

I have to admit I am a big fan of dystopia books, film, and television. Favorite books include “The Stand” by Stephen King and “Swan Song” by Robert McCammon, movies such as “The Day After Tomorrow” and “I Am Legend”, and television shows like “The Leftovers” and “The Walking Dead.” It’s not that I like gloom and doom or enjoy blood and gore. Rather, I see dystopian literature, films, and television as windows into the human condition, what humans are capable of in the face of horrific conditions, great suffering, or terrible injustice, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Living through the last several weeks, let alone the last 18 months, has been all too much like a dystopian novel. Wildfires in the west, hurricanes in the south, the drought here in Minnesota combined with the lingering effects of the pandemic, all present a series of challenges that are testing the fabric of our society. Like characters in a dystopian movie, we are learning a great deal about ourselves, what we value, and what we are willing to do to endure.

Imagine my surprise last week when dystopia seemed to invade my professional life when I came across the article “Schooling in the ‘Fifth Season’” by Justin Reich in the latest edition of one of my favorite education journals, Educational Leadership. What caught my attention was a quote from a study conducted by the United States Change Research Program, “Humans are re-engineering the geo-chemistry of the planet to be inhospitable to our current civilization. As average temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more common, there will be more fires, more floods, more freezes, more novel disease events, and accompanying migration, civil unrest, and conflict.” (Reidmiller, et al., 2018) While I’m not sure I agree with this assessment, I believe that conducting school no just like we did 18 months ago would be a mistake. Educational systems must be inherently structured to pivot and change and to become more agile and proactively responsive. Read More

Connecting With The MPA Parents Association

September 16, 2021

Homecoming CoffeePA
Join us for an all school morning coffee to celebrate Homecoming on Friday, October 1 from 7:45-10:00 AM. Have a hot cup of coffee and, if you choose, show your support for our athletes by helping to decorate the tennis courts and soccer field fence as well as writing messages of encouragement for our student athletes. We’ll be under the tent in the west parking lot, rain or shine. Go Panthers!

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Sign Up
Fall at MPA is filled with traditions…The first day of school, picture day, after school sports, that first missed homework assignment and Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week. Help the PA keep the tradition of supporting our faculty and staff by donating snacks and beverages during this busy week. They’ll be available all week for staff to grab at their convenience. Donations can be brought to your assigned drop off door during morning drop off (LS, MS, or US). To sign up, click the link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084DACA622A5FB6-fall1

Parents Connect: Wednesday Morning Walks
The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet at the flagpole near the LS entrance. LS, MS and US families are welcome. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us.

Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

Parents Connect: Monday and Thursday Mornings in the Garden
Get your hands dirty after drop off, helping in MPA’s gardens. No experience necessary. Come and help weed, plant, dig, or sow, all are welcome. How long you stay is up to you. If Michelle Mick is not at the flagpole, go around the corner, in the Library gardens, next to Door #2.

Connecting With The MPA Parents Association

September 9, 2021

Parents Connect: Wednesday Morning WalksPA Connect

The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun! Wednesday, September 8 we’ll have a 30-minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet at the flagpole near the LS entrance. LS, MS and US families are welcome. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us.

After that walk if parents are interested, we can head over to the Farmer’s Market at Aldrich Arena, a short walk from MPA. They have a large variety of great produce and you’ll be supporting local farmers.

Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!

Parents Connect: Monday and Thursday Mornings in the Garden

Get your hands dirty after drop off, helping in MPA’s gardens. No experience necessary. Come and help weed, plant, dig, or sow, all are welcome. How long you stay is up to you. If Michelle Mick is not at the flagpole, go around the corner, in the Library gardens, next to Door #2.

Upcoming garden dates resume on Monday, September 13. Michelle is unable to meet Thursday, September 9.

Remember to bring a mask! Hope to see you there!

News from the MPA Gardens

‘Tis the season to see the beautiful Monarch butterflies fill up, on their way down to Mexico where they overwinter. In the library gardens, this past week there have been lots of butterflies (a kaleidoscope of butterflies!) feeding off the long purple flower at the end of the gardens near the library — the flower is liatris/blazing star, a native, and if you have a chance, do please wander through the gardens, with your student or alone to catch the last glimpse of them before they fly off on their way until next year. This past week we have seen up to 20 of them circling around, landing, dancing in the air — it really is a beautiful sight!

Upper School Division News

September 9, 2021

US Newsfrom Mark Segal, Upper School Director

Renowned independent school child psychologist, speaker, and author Michael Thompson has spent part of his career providing information about the value of building and maintaining strong relationships. Dr. Thompson shares that having, “a unique bond with one special person can seem, in a word, magical. This feeling is perhaps felt even more by the child exploring their first relationships beyond the family unit.” Originally, this caught me by surprise. I would have thought that having many close friends was an important part of adolescence as with many strong and close relationships a student’s circle of influence would be larger. As I thought more about this, however, I began to realize that Dr. Thompson was speaking about the value and importance of authentically real and trusting relationships between students.

At MPA, we often refer to ourselves as a large family, and during the first two weeks of the school year one of the main foci of our teachers and students has been to build relationships with others in both their classes and advisories. For those Upper School students and families new to the community this earnestly began with two gatherings in mid-August where new students met with Peer Leaders on campus. They ate pizza, played games, and toured the building. A week later, new families and Peer Leader families gathered over a BBQ dinner under the big top on the south lawn and deepened the relationships built at the student gathering.

Since the start of the school year the Upper School has held a number of community touch points for students to build and strengthen their relationships. Weekly Monday Morning Meetings are held on the first day of each week (even if it is not a Monday) to bring the full Upper School student body together. Students in grades 9-11 meet on Fridays in their advisory groups (made up of 10-12 students) and find ways to connect with one another and their advisor. Seniors meet as a full class and discuss ways in which their relationships are strengthened as they look ahead to their final year at MPA. And just last week, the ninth grade went an all-day field trip to Afton State Park and played games, went on hikes, and did art projects as a way to unify the Class of 2025 and to look ahead to their next four years in Upper School.

The Making Caring Common Project through Harvard University reported out data last February that shared 36% of all Americans–including 61% of young adults–feel serious loneliness. The Project suggests that to address this, “we must build a physical and social infrastructure in which we must reimagine and reweave social relationships” and “work to restore our commitment to each other and the common good.” The MPA Upper School is committed to providing opportunities for students and faculty to build genuine and authentic relationships which will, in turn, lessen the possibility of our community members to feel lonely and without someone to connect.

I look forward to seeing you on campus soon!

Mark Segal

MPA Covid-19 Symptom Response
As we continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we ask for your diligence in working with our Covid-19 symptom response and contact tracing team. At the first sign of symptoms, parents should complete the daily AUXS app symptom screening and/or email covid@moundsparkacademy.org. When a negative Covid-19 test is required for student clearance, results must be provided prior to the student’s return. All symptomatic community members, regardless of vaccination status must remain at home pending those results. Thank you for your partnership. For any questions, please contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org.

Looking Ahead

  • Mon, 9/13: All School Picture Day
  • Tues, 9/14: Concert Choir Rehearsals, 6:15-9 PM, on campus
  • Thurs, 9/30: Upper School Conferences, 4-7 PM, via Zoom
  • Fri, 10/1: Upper School Homecoming BBQ & Bonfire, 5-8 PM, Benz Courtyard
  • Sat, 10/2: Homecoming, all day, on campus
  • Wed, 10/6: Class of 2022 Cum Laude Induction, 7:30 AM, location TBD
  • Thurs, 10/7: Upper School Conferences, 4-8 PM, via Zoom
  • Fri, 10/8: No Classes, Upper School Conferences, 8AM-4 PM, via Zoom

A Commitment To Growth

September 9, 2021

from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School Head's Message

On Wednesday morning I had the pleasure of attending the first Lower School CHAMP assembly of the new school year. If you are not familiar with CHAMP, it stands for “Character Happens At Mounds Park.” My day began greeting students as they entered school wearing a rainbow of designated colors unique to their grade level. The assembly would ordinarily take place in person, but instead students gathered via Zoom to engage joyfully in song, learn about the attribute of the new year, and listen to a book read by librarian Nancy Lage. Afterwards, classroom teachers invited students to share their thoughts and experiences on the theme.

Now in its eleventh year, the CHAMP program will continue to focus on its primary philosophy of guiding students to act with a specific set of traits to produce responsible citizens. As explained by Renee Wright, Lower School Director, classes will continue to focus on the eleven attributes in order to endorse real-life application of Friendship, Compassion, Respect, Inclusiveness, Courage, Self-control, Responsibility, Cooperation, Mindfulness, Integrity, and Perseverance. The focus this year will be on being accountable and students will focus on being accountable to self, family, school, and community. Read More

The Magic Of A Noisy Classroom

September 2, 2021

upper school students giving classroom presentationAfter several months of quiet and sometimes eerie peacefulness, the hallways and classrooms are abuzz with energy and joy this week. And so, it should be as the MPA family comes together again for a new school year. With 139 new students and an overall enrollment of 577, much of our time over the last week has been dedicated to building community and developing relationships with one another.

There are volumes of research demonstrating that when students feel like they belong, self-esteem, positive peer relationships, classroom engagement, academic achievement, positive attitudes toward school and learning, resilience, and many other positive attributes increase. One of those volumes collecting dust in the stacks of the University of St. Thomas Library is my own dissertation on the importance of creating a school culture that is grounded in relationships.

Late last week, I was drawn to a classroom by the laughter emanating from it. Rather than be concerned, I simply smiled, for I learned early in my career as a teacher and administrator that there is magic in a noisy classroom. What on the surface may seem a bit chaotic or messy can in reality be a very intentional experience with students engaged in their own education, building relationships, and learning collaboratively, in a robust and captivating place. Read More

Be A Part Of The Middle School Play

September 2, 2021

students in the black boxAuditions are open for the Middle School Play! This year, the play is a series of Middle School One Acts, titled, “The Internet is Distract–OH LOOK A KITTEN!” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Middle School (but were too busy being stuffed in a locker to ask)!” Sign up audition to here!

All Middle School students in grades 5-8 are invited to audition. Auditions are held Monday, September 13 to Tuesday, September 14 at 3:15-4:15 PM or 4:15-5:15 PM. Thursday, September 16 will be callbacks from 3:15-4:30 PM.

Upper School students are involved in the Middle School play too! Upper Schoolers take on more of the advanced technical aspects, along with taking on leadership and mentoring roles.

Auditions will take place in the Black Box (Room #30, by door #4). You MUST sign up for one audition spot via Schoology. For specific information on rehearsals and time commitment, please visit the “MPA Theatre Info” Schoology page (access code KNJ7K-BF6D9).

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact Ms. Mastel at hmastel@moundsparkacademy.org or by stopping by her room (#21). Be sure to check out the crew opportunities, if you are interested on working backstage!

How To Get Connected By MPA Upper School Student Council

September 2, 2021

upper school students in the upper school commons togetherThe MPA Upper School student council is providing the newest members of our community with a current insight into our program, this week with their top five pieces of advice for new students to connect and be involved socially and in other ways!

  1. Join clubs to meet people with similar interests
  2. Attend Student Council events and dances
  3. Start your own club or project
  4. Sit in the student section at sporting events
  5. Join music groups

And don’t forget to follow and connect with the Upper School student council on Instagram at @mpastudentcouncil!

Guidelines For Bus And Traffic Safety

September 2, 2021

bus pulling up to MPAIt is MPA’s number one priority to provide the safest campus environment possible for you and your children. Please share this information with all of the drivers in your home, in addition to others who may provide transportation for you. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

COVID-19 Bus Precautions
We have implemented these strategies to prioritize health and safety on MPA buses:

  1. Masks worn by all on board.
  2. One student per seat whenever possible (siblings may sit together).
  3. A seating chart for any bus with more than 22 students (there are 22 seats on a bus.)
  4. Four windows open one inch: the two in the last row on each side of the aisle and two in the front row on each side of the aisle.

Distracted Driving
Parents and students are asked to refrain from using cell phones (hands free or otherwise) while driving on campus, especially when children are present. This helps us all to be aware of the children moving around us and keep the traffic flow steady and uncongested. Read More

Connect With The MPA Parents Association This School Year

August 26, 2021

Parents Connect: Wednesday Morning WalksPA Photo
The Parents Association invites parents and guardians to get together Wednesday mornings after drop off. Mark your calendars, it will be fun! Wednesday, September 1 we’ll have a 30 minute walk with Michelle Mick. We’ll meet at the flagpole near the Lower School entrance. Lower School, Middle School and Upper School families are welcome. This week’s walk will include strolling through some of the grounds on MPA, including the prairie area. Chat with new parents and connect with friends. Younger children are welcome to walk with us.
After that walk if parents are interested, we can head over to the Farmer’s Market at Aldrich Arena, a short walk from MPA. They have a large variety of great produce and you’ll be supporting local farmers.
Remember to bring a mask to all events! Hope to see you there!
Monday and Thursday Mornings in the Garden
Get your hands dirty Monday and Thursday mornings after drop off, helping in MPA’s gardens. No experience necessary. Come and help weed, plant, dig, or sow, all are welcome. How long you stay is up to you. If Michelle Mick is not at the flagpole, go around the corner, in the Library gardens, next to Door #2.
Remember to bring a mask! Hope to see you there!