November 21, 2019
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
I read recently that the Ritz-Carlton trains its staff to follow the “10/5” rule. That is, when employees walk within ten feet of someone they should make eye contact and smile. If they walk within five feet, they say hello. While not a rule, I would suggest it is an MPA practice. Personally, I try to also use a person’s name when I great them. The response, even from someone who appears to be grumpy, is often a smile.
You may have noticed a recent post on Facebook regarding new sixth grade student Zaq who organized his Middle School classmates to thank and celebrate our awesome kitchen staff. Students took the time to write notes and a large banner with their signatures was presented to the staff at lunch. In fact, throughout the last several weeks, the microphone at lunch has been passed around as students have share what they are grateful for with one another. Regardless of what they may say at home or how they may talk to you, most students voice words of gratitude about their parents. Read More
With the cold and flu season upon us, please keep the following guidelines in mind when deciding whether to send your child to school. This will help to control the spread of infectious diseases at school and allow your student to be available for learning.
by Jeremy Drucker ’97
Save the date for the MPA Founders’ Breakfast! On Wednesday, December 11 from 7-8 AM in the Family Commons, come and celebrate MPA’s 38-year history with us while enjoying a community breakfast served by the Board of Trustees. There will be homemade pancakes fresh from the griddle, a variety of delicious toppings, savory sides, coffee, and juice. Come early to visit and avoid the long lines!
Congratulations to MPA sophomore Elissa Frankel and freshman Jack Peterson, who auditioned and were selected to be members of the ACDA-MN 9-10 State Honor Choir! Elissa will sing in the Soprano-Alto Choir under the direction of Brandon Dean from Gustavus Adolphus College while Jack will sing in the Mixed Choir conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier from Drake University.
How many years have you been at MPA?
The following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2020 member Elli Carlson’s Senior Speech. Elli joined MPA as a sophomore in August 2017.
Save the date! The MPA Parents Association Gift Wrapping event is on Monday, December 9 from 8 AM-3 PM. This is another Faculty and Staff Appreciation event where members of the Parents Association and parent volunteers come together to wrap presents for MPA staff. Look for the Sign Up Genius coming next week!
by Jeff Kunze-Hoeg, MPA Varsity Volleyball Coach
Today’s popular culture is often highly packaged and thoroughly curated. Everything looks good on screen, and the social media tally of likes, loves, and shares literally quantifies a hierarchy of success. But this desire to effortlessly excel at all can quickly backfire, especially for teens—leading to paralyzing anxiety on the path to perfection.