Upper School Archives

October 10, 2019

How School Sports Lift The Mind, Build Skills And Improve Mental Health

Health trends in the U.S. have turned particularly grim in recent years. According to the America’s Health Rankings 2018 Annual Report, obesity continues to rise and is a direct link to heart disease and cancer, which are contributing to the growth in premature death rates. Suicide has increased 16 percent since 2012, and more Americans are reporting poor mental health for 14 or more days in a month. The connection between physical and mental health is more evident than ever—and, supports a compelling case for encouraging students to incorporate athletics with academics throughout their school career.

Sports as a Catalyst For Mental, Physical Development

Research published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” outlines how school sports improve overall health and well being, highlighting that “sport provides an equilibrium between group demands and individual demands, between aggressive behaviors and self-control. It fosters a sense of belonging to a group, and teaches coping with both victory and defeat.” Read More

MPA Swimming Success At The Tri-County Meet

October 9, 2019

The MPA swim team had a fantastic meet this week! The Panthers won seven of the 11 total events at the Tri-County Meet.

Highlights include eighth grader Grace O. taking first in the 100 backstroke race, ninth grader Lola Del Río Chavez winning the 500 free, junior Annie Kramer bringing home the win with the medley relay, and ninth grader Annabelle Vale winning the 50 free! Let’s go, Panthers!

Spread The Word About The MPA Preview

October 9, 2019

Invite a friend to join us and experience the joy at MPA’s largest PreK-12 admission event, the MPA Preview! Held on Sunday, November 3 at 2 PM, this event will be a structured program that will allow prospective students and parents to get a sense of what makes MPA an exceptional place to learn and grow.

Our visitors will rotate among several lessons taught by expert faculty. These will be hands-on, experiential lessons that are abbreviated versions of the original, modified to be appropriate for all ages. Between lessons, they will be guided by student and parent ambassadors so that you have an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art facilities.

Kindly invite your friends and neighbors to RSVP in advance for this engaging program at moundsparkacademy.org/RSVP. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Admission at 651-748-5577 or admission@moundsparkacademy.org. We can’t wait to meet them!

MPA Debate Ranks High At First Tournament

October 6, 2019

The Mounds Park Academy debate team attended its first tournament of the year at Eastview High School last weekend. Out of 44 students that competed at the tournament, 15 won awards!

In the novice division, Chloe Appert and Tanner Gasteazoro won a ribbon with a 3-1 record, and the team of Dhruv Muppidi and Jenna Sherwood placed sixth out of 72 teams with a perfect 4-0 record. In Junior Varsity, the teams of Charlotte Bergh and Ruby Schweiger and Fiona Blank and Anna Gaudio earned ribbons with 3-1 records, while Salmah Elmasry and Emma Cohen earned third place and a trophy. In Varsity, two teams took home awards with Isak Dai and Charlie Galicich earning seventh place and Ryan Ghose and Garrett Hollihan earning fifth place. Ellen Vergin was tied for top speaker out of 43 Varsity competitors, and Salmah Elmasry was the first place speaker in Junior Varsity out of 62 competitors. Go Panthers!

Raising Kind Children

October 3, 2019

by Renee Wright, Lower School director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will find a guest Head’s Message here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you enjoy reading their thoughts and reflections about life at MPA.

I have many fond memories from childhood and a deep respect for my parents for teaching me important lifelong values and lessons. Kindness was a cherished virtue for my family, and many conversations in our home centered on being a kind, caring, and compassionate person. While my parents and grandparents modeled kindness and compassion, I can recall a time as a youngster when I struggled to apply their teachings in a real-life situation. Neighborhood children were teasing and making fun of a young boy. Being a shy and somewhat introverted child, I watched and chose not to say anything or otherwise intervene. Later, that bothered me. When I finally spoke to my parents about what was happening, they coached me to stand up for this boy and show him the kindness he deserved. I took their advice and the next time I witnessed unkindness toward him I told the neighborhood children to stop their behavior and bravely told the boy I wanted to be his friend. I can still see the smile that spread across his face when he heard my words. I believe I made a difference for that little boy. I am sure you can recall similar situations growing up. My parents’ teachings and my reflections on childhood have led to my strong commitment as an educator to teach students to be kind, caring, and compassionate. In my opinion, learning kindness is as important as mastering timetables. Read More

A Very Special Bring A Friend Day Experience

October 3, 2019

Has a friend ever asked, “What makes MPA so special?” Or perhaps you know a family who is “SO MPA?” Bring A Friend To MPA Day is a wonderful way to have their children experience firsthand what it is like to be student at Mounds Park Academy. Read on for fifth graders Nathan M. and Marcell S-C’s Bring A Friend To MPA Day experience! Marcell enrolled after having attended last year’s Bring A Friend To MPA Day.

Nathan, what made you want to bring Marcell for Bring A Friend To MPA Day?
I wanted to hang out with Marcell and show him my school. We’ve been friends since second grade. Before this year when Marcell wasn’t at MPA, I wished he could have been going here.

Marcell, how did going to Bring A Friend To MPA Day help you make your decision to come to MPA?
Because Nathan went there, I knew about MPA and knew it was a good school, but then Bring A Friend Day was when I saw that MPA was really different than the other schools I used to go to. Probably the combination of meeting the teachers and meeting the other kids on Bring A Friend Day made me want to come to school at MPA with Nathan. Read More

Save The Date For The MPA Blood Drive

October 3, 2019

The MPA Blood Drive is coming up on October 24! The MPA first grade class and Upper School Student Council are joining together again to host this year’s blood drive for a joint community service project. Please take note of the date and begin thinking about how you can contribute to our event. We are asking for an hour of your time to donate blood on Thursday, October 24. And if you know that you are unable to give blood, please be sure to ask as many friends or relatives as you can to take your place! You may sign-up by going online to www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Mounds Park Academy. Read More

An MPA Student’s Passion To Change The World

October 2, 2019

This past summer, MPA senior Misk Khalif was selected to serve as a 2019-2020 Girl Up Teen Advisor. Girl Up is a national advisory board made of young advocates working to promote gender equity for girls globally. As a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, Girl Up works to provide the tools and platform for girls globally to lead on a number of issues that affect them from education to health.

Misk had the honor of attending the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high level week, where world leaders met in New York City to discuss the world’s most pressing issues, from climate change to access to healthcare. UNGA brings together a variety of stakeholders from government officials, civil society, and business leaders.

“The most complex global issues requires all facets of society to collaborate and help us realize the sustainable development goals by the year 2030,” Misk said. She had the opportunity to participate in a variety of key discussions, ranging from increasing universal access to education for millions of children globally who remain out of school, to providing better access to healthcare for women and girls who continue to lose their lives from preventable illnesses.

Meet MPA Parent Dr. Emily Binstadt ’91!

October 2, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
Almost everything! MPA has an emphasis on inclusion and kindness which defines the community overall. Within that circle, there is a freedom for individuals to explore what drives and inspires them and to develop their own identities and passions. Kids are free to try to do it “all” with a broad sampling of high-quality experiences in arts, academics, and athletics, and/or to delve deeply into a particular interest. I’m amazed by my children’s aspirations and achievements to date at MPA. I’m even more impressed by the confidence they have gained from engaging deeply with material in their academic courses at MPA, and in the organizational, public speaking, empathy, leadership, and teamwork skills they are honing. I am certain they will make a meaningful contribution in whatever area they choose to direct their energy.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
When weighing the financial and personal commitment to enrolling at an independent school like MPA, we worried about our girls being insulated in a school with less socioeconomic diversity than other educational options. And although we continue to be attentive to the impact this reality might have on our girls’ development, we have been astounded by the spontaneous commitment to altruism and advocacy our kids have made at MPA. They are more excited to talk about what’s new in the student-run Social Change Club than in almost any other activity they participate in. We couldn’t have asked for a bigger “win” in this area, which is even more wonderful because this was something we worried about before our kids started at MPA. Read More

Meet Ms. McFarland

September 30, 2019

International Student Program coordinator
MPA parent

How many years have you been at MPA?
This is my fifth year.

What do you love about MPA?
I love the joy the students experience in simply being at school: in classes, in the cafeteria, on the playground, in the hallways. They work extremely hard, support one another, and strive to learn all they can. And through it all, there is a smile, a song, a hug, a laugh … JOY!

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA teachers and staff don’t shy away from tough issues, instead posing them as discussion topics and guiding students in thinking through them critically and empathetically to arrive at conscientious, thoughtful opinions.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
Again, I’d have to say the sheer amount of JOY in the building. When I came for my initial interview, the feeling was palpable—evident in every classroom and around every corner—and it continues to amaze me five years later, every time I walk through the doors.
Read More