Upper School

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!

Accessing MPA’s Family Directory

August 26, 2021

DirectoryAs you make new connections at MPA, we warmly encourage families to connect with one another outside of school (safely, of course!). Here are instructions about how to access MPA’s community directory in Schoology.

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 (top) > Apps (left).
  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.
  5. This is only needed the first time you open the MPA Resources app.
  6. The MPA community directory should fill the screen and be usable.

If you have any questions, please email Jay Springer, MPA webmaster, at webmaster@moundsparkacademy.org. If you have any changes to your directory listing, contact your division assistant:

Lower School: Denise Johnson, djohnson@moundsparkacademy.org

Middle School: Jolynn Lassonde, jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org

Upper School: Jolynn Lassonde, jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org (temporary)

Providing A Joyful Light

August 26, 2021

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of Schoolhead's message

Welcome home! I hope that you had a wonderful summer, filled with plenty of time with family and loved ones. Although I enjoyed the slower pace, I am thrilled to start a new school year. We begin the school year with 575 students, the highest enrollment in more than 10 years with 138 new students, several grade levels full, and others close to capacity. Our growing enrollment is surely an indication that “Dream Big. Do Right.” speaks resoundingly to the hearts and minds of a growing number of families in the Twin Cities. With confident humility, we acknowledge our place among the very best independent schools in the nation.

I love to read but find very little time during the school year to tackle a good novel while also staying abreast of journals, the most current educational research, and professional reading. During the summer, however, you can find me reading on the deck, the dock, the boat, or on long car trips (in the passenger seat, of course). Of all the books I read this summer, one stands out, the Pulitzer Prize winning “All the Light We Cannot See.” It is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read and is deeply, deeply moving.

As I was thinking about many reasons why MPA is a unique and special place and the tremendous growth of the school over the last several years, I was inspired by a line in the book:

“So how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world full of light?”

The mission of MPA over the last 40 years, as captured by our school motto, “Dream Big. Do Right.” is dedicated to bringing light to a world that all too often seems darkened. Each child holds within them immense possibility and potential. By igniting and nurturing the light within each student, our students are better able to bring that light to the world. Through cultivating critical thinking, creative inquiry, and social responsibility, we inspire and empower our children to improve an ever-changing and sometimes, challenging world. We do that by truly knowing each student and though a rigorous, yet joyful, education delivered by an exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to fostering caring relationships with their students.

Thank you choosing MPA and entrusting your children to us. It is going to be a fantastic year!

Upper School Division News

August 25, 2021

US News StoryUpper School Living, Learning, Thriving

Recently, I have spent time reflecting about some of the things that matter most to me. I am unsure if this is due to me getting older, my parents getting older, the start of a new school year, or the ever changing landscape of the education profession. My guess is that all of these things (and more) play a role in my thought process. As I think about this, one thing that I have realized is that I am rejuvenated by the thought of the upcoming school year and reconnecting with students, parents, colleagues.

Over the past week I enjoyed spending time with many of the new and returning upper school families. Hearing about summer journeys, seeing students return for the start of athletics, and hosting the upper school Back to School Nights and new family/peer leader BBQ has provided me with a sense of excitement about the return to “normalcy” and routine.

At the recent upper school Back to School Nights I shared, a la David Letterman, my Top 11 list of things to know for the upcoming school year. Recognizing not everyone was able to make it to these events, please find the list below: Read More

Top 5 Things MPA Student Council Wants You to Know

August 25, 2021

The MPA Upper School student council is reaching out to new students! To provide the latest members of our community with a current insight into our program, the council members have accrued a list of the TOP FIVE best aspects of being a new student at MPA:

  1. MPA is a warm and welcoming community.
  2. MPA offers amazing student resources outside the classroom.
  3. MPA has an endless number of clubs and organizations to join.
  4. Teachers and staff are friendly, supportive, and sociable.
  5. Students are constantly supported in discovering new passions and interests.
Follow the Upper School student council Instagram page @mpastudentcouncil on Instagram! Let us know of some more amazing things about being a new MPA student in the comments!

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!