When Parents Come Together

The first Community-Wide Parents Association Meeting was held on December 1, and was very well-attended by 30+ community members and staffulty across all divisions. The meeting began with a brief introduction of the Parents Association Board and a review of past and upcoming events. 

Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon then delivered a resoundingly positive presentation about the year thus far and answered many questions ranging from school start time to classroom substitutes, with a predominant focus on plans for the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.

Please join us for the next Community-Wide Parents Association Meeting on Thursday, March 26, from 3-4 PM in the Martin Lenz Harrison Library.

Call For Volunteers!

We have had such a successful 2025-26 school year due to our community volunteers! Thank you so much for giving your time and energy to help plan, create, and lead events. 

If you have been thinking about getting more involved, we will have the following Parents Association Board positions open in the 2026-27 school year: 

• Staff Appreciation Leads: Have a passion for ensuring people feel valued and appreciated for their efforts? Bring all that love to MPA faculty and staff in fun and creative ways throughout the year. We are looking for two individuals to hold this role. 
• Communications Lead: Looking to bring your savvy communication skills and creativity a bit more behind the scenes? Work with the incredible Parents Association Board and MPA communications office as lead architect of our monthly Parent Press, weekly Panther Post, and various promotional materials. 
• Volunteer Coordinator: Are you a person who loves to organize and spend time with people? This role is perfect for you as you help ensure volunteer activities are organized throughout the year.
• Upper School Division Lead: If you are/will be an Upper School parent and looking to liaise between the parent community and division leadership, this is the role for you! 

If you would like more in-depth information about these positions and/or are interested in joining the board, please email Jasmin Stees at jasminstees@yahoo.com and Laura Nicholson at laurahnicholson@gmail.com. 

Our next PA Board meeting is on Friday, January 9, at 8 AM in the Parents Association room, found downstairs across from the Middle School girls locker room. This would be a great opportunity for anyone interested in joining to learn more about what we do.

Upcoming Events

ISACS Parent Series: Elevating Discipline With the Brain in Mind | Tuesday, January 13, 6:30-7:30 PM, Via Zoom >

Upper School Quarterly Coffee | Thursday, January 15, 8-9:30 AM, Porter Conference Room 

Lower School Family Forum | Friday, January 16, 8:15-9:45 AM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library 

Middle School Quarterly Coffee | Thursday, February 12, 8-9 AM, Porter Conference Room 

All upcoming Parents Association events are listed on the MPA calendar.

Save The Dates For These Events!

Faculty & Staff Appreciation

Thursday, February 5-Friday, February 6

Once again, the Parents Association will host a conference dinner for the Lower and Middle School divisions on Thursday, and snacks to fuel our teachers on Friday. Please consider donating perishable and nonperishable items for our upcoming events. Thank you in advance for your donations!

Parents Association Trivia Night

6-8 PM | Friday, February 27

Family Commons

Enjoy a night out to socialize and compete with other MPA parents/guardians for the title of Parents Association Trivia Night champions! Keep an eye out for details and the registration link in the coming weeks. Limited Panther Care will be available for children in kindergarten through sixth grade with pre-registration.

Thanks For Supporting The Book Festival!

The MPA Book Festival was a resounding success! This marked the first year the Parents Association partnered with Scholastic. Students, parents, and staff were thrilled with the wide variety of offerings. The move to the Martin Lenz Harrison Library was also a big hit, and based on the positive feedback, we’re excited to repeat the partnership and location again next year.

A huge thank you to the many parent volunteers who made the festival run smoothly. From setting up and running the cash registers, helping younger students create wish lists, restocking merchandise, to packing up at the end, this event truly happened because of you. 

Thanks to our enthusiastic shoppers, we sold more than $11,500 in merchandise, which raised nearly $6,000 in Scholastic resources donated directly to the library and classrooms.

Beyond book shopping, the festival offered wonderful opportunities to bring our school community together. On Wednesday, December 10, families enjoyed an after-school story time with Mr. Ewer and Ms. Kollm, who shared snow-themed stories. The afternoon wrapped up with a snowflake bookmark craft, hot cocoa, and cookies.

Then, on Tuesday, December 16, several of MPA’s talented staffulty hosted a parent gift-making night in the Makerspace. Parents enjoyed food, beverages, and great conversation while learning to create 3D-printed items, laser-engraved bookmarks, and hand-bound books.

A special thank you to Mr. Braafladt, Mr. Moran, Mr. Andrews, and Ms. Dale for making this event such a memorable success. What a fantastic celebration of reading, creativity, and community! 

Parents Association Paw Prints

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Round Up

The Parents Association hosted several faculty and staff appreciation events in December.

• Thursday, December 4-Friday, December 5: Upper School faculty and staff enjoyed dinner catered by Lake Elmo Inn during conferences, and we stocked the division office and refrigerator with snacks and drinks during a long day of conferences.
• Monday, December 8-Tuesday, December 9: The Parents Association provided hot cocoa, tea, cider, and coffee to faculty and staff as they shopped for gifts at the Makers’ Market. Then, staffulty could pick up free gift wrap and package trimmings to surprise the special people receiving gifts!
• We also hosted a pop-up appreciation event with holiday cookies provided in each division office, and in facilities, business, and Panther offices, before winter break.

Middle School Winter Concert Reception

Grades sixth through eighth performed a wonderful winter vocal and instrumental concert on Thursday, December 11. Their hard work and musical talents were truly on display. Following the performance, the Parents Association hosted a casual reception with cookies and drinks for students and attendees to enjoy.

We’re happy to share that the Parents Association will host another reception following the Middle School Concert in May; another great opportunity to celebrate our students and connect as a community.

Middle School December Parent Coffee

On Tuesday, December 9, Mark Segal, Upper School director, joined the Middle School Quarterly Coffee as a guest presenter. Mr. Segal shared helpful insights on the transition from Middle School to Upper School, including daily and yearly schedules, as well as the importance of balancing classwork and homework. Thank you to Mr. Segal for an informative and engaging coffee!

Lower School December Family Forum

On Friday, December 19, James Ewer, Lower School director, led the fourth Lower School Family Forum of 2025. Parents and caregivers shared heartwarming reflections and anecdotes of the MPA staffulty that have made an impression on them this year. Thank you, Mr. Ewer, for sending everyone off for winter break with so much appreciation for our wonderful community!

The MPA PA is 100% parent-led! If you want more information on how to get involved or have ideas to share, we want to hear from you. Please reach out to us at PA@moundsparkacademy.org at any time.