Upper School

Moving To Collaboration Over Competition

December 31, 2019

MPA senior Ella JonesThe following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2020 member Ella Jones’s Senior Speech.

As many of you know, I have only been a member of the MPA community since the beginning of eleventh grade. Before moving to Minnesota, I lived in China. Growing up in Beijing during the Chinese economic boom was a very unique and an eye-opening experience. I watched the entire city develop and grow in front of my eyes. I watched the roads outside my apartment shift overnight from dirt to asphalt, and the vehicles on them evolve from bikes to cars.

The city began to quickly fill with people from many provinces across China. Beijing became a domestic web of people from all corners of the country. Between 1990 and 2015, Beijing’s population doubled, reaching a staggering 20 million people in 2015. At my school in Beijing, there was no such thing as a student on financial aid or scholarship, and because of that, I was surrounded by people who were privileged and had opportunity. School became a competition of who had the nicest clothes or who went to the coolest places for vacation. I started to judge my self-worth on what I had compared to my peers, and not the amazing opportunities I was already provided with. School became a toxic environment where every aspect became a comparison. Read More

Panther Athletics Winter Break Recap

December 31, 2019

mpa boys basketball team won the annual kreischer tournamentSeveral MPA athletic teams competed and had outstanding performances over winter break. Go Panthers!

MPA fourth and fifth grade soccer players teamed up and competed in the NSC Holiday Classic 5v5 Soccer Tournament, finishing 2-1 overall in the tournament! The team was coached by Mr. Scinto and Mr. Sheehan.

Congratulations to MPA junior Colin Simonson, sophomore Cullen Moore, and the entire Gentry Academy Stars Hockey Team! The Stars won the Herb Brooks Holiday Classic Silver Bracket Champions title when they defeated SPA 4-3 in the championship game at the Tria Center.

The MPA Boys Basketball Team also took a championship title. Congratulations to our 2019 Kreischer Holiday Tournament Champions! Read More

The Shortest Day Of The Year

December 19, 2019

dr. Hudson with students passing the books into the new libraryby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Saturday marks the official beginning of winter and is also the shortest day of the year. It marks an important moment in the cycle of life, the end of darkness and the re-emergence of light. Throughout human history, in many cultures and religious traditions, light holds significant meaning, often symbolizing the goodness in each one of us. For many, it represents the warmth of home and family.

These last few weeks before winter break at MPA have been filled with celebrations of light, warmth, and family:

  • The Founders’ Breakfast is a wonderful tradition and it was such a joy last week to see so many students and families celebrating the history and values that bring us together.
  • Maybe it’s the lack of sleep or the holiday spirit, but I had tears in my eyes during the Middle School Band, Orchestra, and Vocal Concert last week. The students did a magnificent job, creating such beauty and joy through their music. As I scanned the faces of our students, I reflected on how much they have grown and come into their own, regardless of whether they were new this year or returning.
  • As I entered school on Tuesday, I was greeted by the comforting smell of waffles and syrup marking the annual Upper School tradition of our Peer Leaders serving homemade waffles to students.
  • This afternoon, we celebrated the completion of our new library, with all students, teachers, and staff passing the final 100 books, one by one, along line bridging the distance between the old and the new.

Read More

Join Us For MPA Community Caroling

December 18, 2019

2018 community holiday carolingMr. Habermann, Madrigal Singers, alumni, and MPA faculty and staff invite you to campus to enjoy some holiday spirit at MPA! The annual holiday caroling will take place in the North Entrance, hallways, and Family Commons on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 7:15-8 AM!

Self-Portraits Open Doors For Students

December 17, 2019

ceci driano's self portrait Art is an essential element in the growth and development of every student at MPA. Visual art provides learning experiences for students to create and produce solutions to visual problems. Through a variety of methods and their own authentic experiences, students develop skills in self-expression and realize an appreciation of art in the world around them.

The Upper School Applied Drawing class is a visual opportunity for students to truly see and record life and ideas as they are interpreted. The current Applied Drawing students produced time-lapse videos to showcase each stage of their self-portrait processes. Equipped with drawing fundamentals, students are challenged to develop technical skills while also developing their own style. In class, they are guided to finished drawings, facing visual challenges using a design process, as the finished self-portraits represent. Watch them as they navigate the process below!

Amelia Dickson’s Self-Portrait

Satori Lewen’s Self-Portrait

Vicky Taylor’s Self-Portrait

Ceci Driano’s Self Portrait

Meet The Dimopoulos Family

December 17, 2019

the Dimopoulos family What do you love about MPA?
The teachers and staff. Everyone has been warm and friendly since we arrived in 2018 and thanks to the small classroom sizes, our children receive the attention they need to learn in the best way suited for them.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
Our children are pushed lovingly but firmly to bring their best to every class, whether it’s drama or algebra. This shows them they are capable of achieving more than they might have otherwise thought possible. The teachers set standards appropriate to each child and support each child to be their best self, academically, and emotionally. MPA also shows that school is more than just math, science, or reading; it helps each student build those soft skills, such as oral communication and presentation, that will ultimately serve our children very well in their future, even if they don’t necessarily always love being out of their comfort zone.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
Our children have attended to other schools—in France and the Pacific Northwest—and MPA offers much smaller class sizes, more caring and attentive teachers, and a student cohort that permits each child to be themselves. This permits our children to feel safe bringing to the MPA community the best of themselves knowing that they will be supported. Read More

Reading Our Way To Success

December 12, 2019

middle school boys reading togetherby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

“Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” Who doesn’t love a good Dr. Seuss book? Last week I read to both the PreK and kindergarten classes, choosing from among my childhood favorites. The PreK class loved Mr. Brown as much as I loved sharing it with them like I did with my own children. There is something about coming together and forging a relationship by sharing a good book.

Excitement is building as our new library inches towards opening. Nearly 30,000 books will find a new home. For this to happen, we’ve needed to temporarily close the library in order to make the move. In the meantime, Lower School library time is being filled by administrators reading to our students. In addition to reading to the PreK students, I also read another of my favorite books, “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel,” to the kindergartners. Read More

Thank You For Showing Your Appreciation!

December 11, 2019

parent volunteers wrapping gifts for faculty and staffA huge thank you from the Parents Association to everyone who participated in the Faculty and Staff Gift Wrapping event on Monday!

It was so much fun to gather together and wrap presents for the staff. There were 23 staff members who brought in gifts for parent volunteers to wrap–which is up from 19 last year–and the total number of gifts wrapped or bagged was…drum roll, please…346, which is 96 more than last year! This was such a great way to come together as a community!

RSVP To Experience MPA

December 9, 2019

middle schools students and teacher working together You and your entire family are warmly invited to attend the MPA Preview on Sunday, January 26 at 2 PM. See what’s possible when students are inspired to dream big and do right. This event will allow families to truly experience the joy of learning that our students do each day. Rotate among hands-on, experiential lessons taught by expert faculty. Between lessons, join student and parent ambassadors for an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art facilities.

As you consider MPA and your options, please make plans to attend this event. This PreK-12 offering is one not to miss!
   

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