A Season Of Connection, Community, And Celebration | | |
As autumn turns to winter, we’re excited for a cozy season of connection and community at MPA.
Highlighted by our upcoming Book Festival, “Your Next Adventure Starts Here,” the month ahead offers wonderful opportunities for families to gather, create memories, and celebrate the joy of reading together.
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MPA’s Book Festival, “Your Next Adventure Starts Here”
Get ready to cozy up with a great read as the MPA’s library transforms into the reading lodge! Join us for a week filled with wonderful books, winter fun, special events, and opportunities to celebrate the joy of reading together.
Monday, December 7-Friday, December 11
Martin Lenz Harrison Library
For additional information, including purchasing hours, shopping at the Book Festival, and much more, please click here.
Help Make The Magic Happen!
The MPA Book Festival wouldn't be possible without our wonderful parent volunteers. We need lots of helping hands throughout the week to make this special event a success. Whether you can spare an hour or more, your time and support make a tremendous difference. We'd love to have you join us! Please sign up here!
Specific classroom browsing schedules will be added later.
Special Book Festival Events
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Stories, Crafts, & Cocoa | Wednesday, December 9 | 3:15-4:15 PM | Martin Lenz Harrison Library: Join us for a cozy winter gathering! Mr. James Ewer and Dr. Julie Winn will share a story or two, and families can enjoy making a winter craft together while enjoying cocoa, lemonade, and cookies. All students and parents are welcome, and no RSVP is necessary.
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Makerspace Gift-Making | Wednesday, December 9 | 6:30-8:30 PM | Makerspace: The Parents Association and the Makerspace are thrilled to host our second annual adults-only Gift-Making event in the Makerspace. The Parents Association will be providing light appetizers, beer, and wine, which you can enjoy while participating in a hands-on maker event. The LMT staffulty will be present to guide you in creating gifts via 3D printing, Cricut, and more. The Book Festival will be open for the first hour of this event—stop by to browse and purchase. Space is limited to 25 people. If you and your partner want to attend, you must reserve a spot for each of you. RSVP early to ensure you have a spot! Please be advised that alcohol will be served, so there are no children allowed in the building during this event.
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Shop Before The Middle School Vocal Concert | Thursday, December 10 | 6-6:45 PM | Martin Lenz Harrison Library: Attending the Middle School Vocal Concert? Stop by the reading lodge for a little book shopping before the performance! The festival will be open for purchases from 6-6:45 PM.
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Shop During The Founders' Day Breakfast | Friday, December 11 | 7-8 AM | Martin Lenz Harrison Library: Don't forget to visit the reading lodge during the Founders' Day Breakfast! Friday is your final opportunity to shop the festival, with doors closing at noon.
The Parents Association, in partnership with MPA Library staff, hosts the Book Festival to enrich and celebrate the library experience for all MPA students. Please contact Parents Association co-presidents Laura Nicholson (laurahnicholson@gmail.com) or Jasmin Stees (jasminstees@yahoo.com) with questions or to learn more.
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Coming Up In November & December
Staffulty Appreciation
We're looking forward to spreading a little more cheer with several upcoming staff appreciation events:
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Thursday, December 3: A catered dinner from Lake Elmo Inn for Upper School staff during evening conferences.
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Friday, December 4: A snack day for Upper School staff during conferences.
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Tuesday, December 8: A special Book Festival treat for all MPA staffulty! Staff are invited to stop by the library during lunchtime to enjoy desserts and beverages while browsing the reading lodge Book Festival.
Upper School Parents: We Need Your Help!
Help us show our Upper School staffulty some love during their Friday, December 4 conferences. We're looking for parent volunteers to donate snacks and beverages to keep our teachers and staff energized throughout their busy conference day. Sign up to donate snacks and drinks by clicking here.
PA Book Club With The Head of School | Tuesday, December 15: 6-7:30 PM, Martin Lenz Harrison Library
Our first book club of the school year with Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon is here! This season, we're reading "The Calamity Club," the No. 1 New York Times bestselling novel by the author of "The Help." This charming, witty, and heartwarming story explores unlikely friendships, a little mischief, resilient women, and finding strength in unexpected places. Click here to RSVP!
November And December PA Family Forums And Quarterly Coffees
LS Family Forum | Friday, November 13 | 8:15-9:30 AM | Martin Lenz Harrison Library
MS Quarterly Coffee | Tuesday, December 15 | 8-9:30 AM | Martin Lenz Harrison Library
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A Look Back At October
Fall Food Drive Success
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our October Food Drive! Thanks to your amazing generosity and our wonderful partnership with the Greater Twin Cities United Way, we packed an incredible 313 healthy snack bags during our Lower School Halloween Party. These snack bags were delivered to Face To Face, a fantastic local organization supporting youth ages 11-24 across six vital areas: medical care, mental health, housing, education and employment, youth justice, and community support. We will continue our partnership with the Greater Twin Cities United Way, so look out for news about upcoming drives and volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
Halloween Costume Donation Drive
We were so impressed with the participation in our second annual costume donation drive—25 costumes were donated, and the costumes remaining after Halloween will be donated to Emma’s Place.
Staff Appreciation: Celebrating Our Amazing Staffulty
During fall conferences, the Parents Association treated our staffulty to a full day of snacks and a delicious catered lasagna dinner to help fuel them through their busy conference schedules. We appreciate your snack donations and volunteer time to make these special treats possible.
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Thank You for Being Part of Our Parents Association Community!
As we enter this season of gratitude and giving, we're grateful for the many families, volunteers, teachers, and staff who make MPA such a welcoming and vibrant community. Whether you're volunteering your time, attending an event, or simply stopping by to say hello, your participation helps make our school community stronger.
Every hour volunteered, every donation made, and every connection formed helps strengthen the MPA community.
We look forward to seeing you at the Book Festival and celebrating the winter season together!
| | 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. | | | | |
