MARCH 6, 2026
Annual Washington, D.C. Trip for Juniors — Consent Form DUE TODAY
Attention Junior parents! Please read this letter from Gillian Branigan, Upper School Dean of Students, which provides important information about this year’s Washington, D.C. trip that will take place from Wednesday, April 15, through Friday, April 17.
Please make sure to complete this required consent form by today.
Upper School Winter Musical — March 6-8
Tickets for this year's winter musical, Something Rotten, are now officially on sale! This hilarious comedy about two brothers trying to write something better than Shakespeare is a must-see. The cast and crew totals over 65 Upper School students in grades 9-12. Don’t miss out! Email Nicole Hoppe for tickets while they last.
Poster design by the incredible Vicki So ’26.
Reminder: CCO Ninth Grade Student & Parent Evening — Monday, March 9
Please join us on Monday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m., for our Ninth Grade Student/Parent Evening, when we welcome Mr. Greg Moyer, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Admissions Recruitment at Dickinson College, to speak about “Making the Most of the High School Years.” His remarks will be helpful to both students and parents.
Please note: Due to the recent snowstorm, this program was rescheduled from our original date of Monday, February 23.
Spring Sports Practices — Begins Monday, March 9
Please see this letter from Todd Smith, Director of Athletics, with details regarding the upcoming Upper School spring athletics season.
Important Upcoming Dates
- Wednesday, March 11, 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. — PAMKA FinLit Workshop
- Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. — PAMKA FinLit Workshop
For a complete calendar listing of events, view the PAMKA Calendar in Veracross.
Last Chance to RSVP for Nurturing Financial Fluency Workshop — Wednesday, March 11
Please join us for a PAMKA Parenting Workshop on Wednesday, March 11. These workshops are open to all Jr-K through 12th-grade parents. Please join us for whichever session works for you.
Nurturing Financial Fluency is a practical, judgment-free workshop that helps parents raise financially confident kids. Parents will learn simple ways to talk about money, spot everyday teachable moments, and model the financial habits they value—no financial expertise required. You'll leave with easy conversation starters and tools you can use right away to guide your child's financial journey.
This workshop will be facilitated by Nancy Wheeler, P’23, ’26, Founder of Financy LLC. Please RSVP by today.
- 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. Middle School Higgins Room — RSVP here.
- 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Middle School Library — RSVP here.
Cougar Pride Day — Get Your 2026 T-shirt by Friday, March 13
Get ready to show off your Cougar Pride! It's time to order 2026 Cougar Pride T-Shirts, designed by fifth graders Ellie Mark and Eve Mersten! These very soft t-shirts will be delivered to your homeroom/advisors by mid-April, before Cougar Pride Day. All proceeds from the sale will benefit our Upper School clubs.
Don’t miss out! The last day to order the Cougar Pride Day T-shirt is Friday, March 13. Questions? Contact Kandace Simpson.
Get Your Tickets for The PAMKA Social — Friday, April 17
This year, PAMKA is launching a new signature event: The PAMKA Social, created with a focus on building community. We are delighted to invite MKA parents, Trustees, faculty, and staff to join us on Friday, April 17, at 4Sixty6, from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. for an evening centered on connection and celebration. There will be no auction and no speeches—just a fun, vibrant evening that we hope many will choose to attend. Purchase your tickets here.
Help PAMKA continue to support MKA faculty with the 2026 50/50 Raffle
Tickets are now on sale for PAMKA's 50/50 raffle! Purchase raffle tickets here. The winner will be announced at the PAMKA Social on Friday, April 17! All proceeds go directly towards Faculty Trust Grants and Faculty Wish Lists. Tickets are $50 each. One lucky winner will take home 50% of the total pot!
Questions? Please contact Sara Elwell.
Stay Connected with PAMKA on Facebook
Join the MKA Parent Watercooler and stay connected to the community!
Upcoming Parents and Caregivers Affinity Group Meetings
- Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. — Tri-Campus Family Iftar Celebration
- Thursday, March 12, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. — Parents & Caregivers of Gender Expansive Students Meeting
Stay up to date on Parents and Caregivers Affinity Group meeting dates for the 2025-2026 academic year using the Community Belonging Calendar.
Questions? Contact Edie Brennan, Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Liaison, and/or Paris McLean, Assistant Head of School for Community Belonging.
2026-2027 B6T Application for Private School Transportation — DUE TODAY
Aid-in-Lieu of Transportation (AIL) is available to families if the town they reside in would have provided bus transportation for their student(s) if they attended the local public school. The reimbursement is approximately $1,100.00 and will be remitted twice for the academic year: in January and June.
Families can download the B6T form here. The deadline to submit is today. Please complete the form and email it OR send a hard copy to school with your child as soon as possible.
Completed forms and any questions should be directed to:
- Primary School: Fay Lonsinger
- Middle School: Pia Kutten
- Upper School: Remlyn Gongob
Recognize Extraordinary Impact: 2025–2026 Founders’ Cup Award Nominations Are Open
At the heart of MKA’s vibrant community are the extraordinary educators who shape minds, inspire curiosity, and guide students far beyond the classroom. The Founders’ Cup Award honors MKA’s proud tradition of teaching excellence and celebrates an outstanding faculty member who embodies the very best of what it means to teach at MKA, in the classroom, on the field, in the studio, and through coaching and mentorship.
Nominate a faculty member whose impact is lasting, whose dedication is unwavering, and whose presence strengthens the fabric of our school community.
Upper School Winter Musical — March 6-8
Tickets for this year's winter musical, Something Rotten, are now officially on sale! This hilarious comedy about two brothers trying to write something better than Shakespeare is a must-see. The cast and crew totals over 65 Upper School students in grades 9-12. Don’t miss out! Email Nicole Hoppe for tickets while they last.
Poster design by the incredible Vicki So ’26.
Tri-Campus STEM+ Week — Begins Monday, March 9
We are excited to announce that our Tri-Campus STEM+ week will kick off on Monday, March 9. What began last year as a Middle School initiative, is now expanding into a full-school experience. The vision for the week was developed in partnership with the Upper School’s STEM+ Student Leadership Group, who have challenged the entire MKA community to collaborate on a massive Tri-Campus Rube Goldberg machine.
The goal of this device is to move our beloved mascot, Cougie, through a journey across all three campuses. Each school will tackle a specific engineering challenge: Primary School will get Cougie across the Brook, Middle School will navigate Cougie through the Valley, and the Upper School will get Cougie up the Hill. This project emphasizes creative collaboration and interdisciplinary problem-solving at every grade level.
We look forward to sharing highlights of the design and build process with you throughout the week as our students help Cougie journey from Junior-Kindergarten to Senior Year!
Updated! Fifth Annual Tri-Campus Iftar Celebration — Tuesday, March 10
Please note: The time for this event has been updated.
Ramadan Mubarak! The Muslim Parent and Caregiver Affinity Group and the Muslim students of the Upper School, along with the Office of Community Belonging, invite you to MKA’s Fifth Annual Tri-Campus Iftar Celebration on Tuesday, March 10, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the Middle School Dining Hall.
Please join us for an opportunity to come together as a community before we break fast. This event is for all МКА students and families across our three campuses. Food will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!
Complete the form linked below to RSVP by March 8. For any questions or for more information, please email Paris McLean, Assistant Head of School for Community Belonging, or Callie Bond, Associate Director of Community Belonging and Admissions Liaison.
The Sun Does Shine: A Morning with Mr. Hinton — Saturday, April 11
This year, MKA is proud to host the East Coast HackBAC Conference, an inspiring gathering of students and educators committed to using innovation as a force for good. Centered on the theme Civic Catalysts: Cultivating Justice & Designing an Equitable Future for All, the conference challenges participants to think boldly about their role in shaping a more just and inclusive society.
We are especially honored to welcome Anthony Ray Hinton as this year’s keynote speaker, and we are pleased to invite our community members to join us for this incredible opportunity to engage with a voice that has helped shape the national conversation on justice and human dignity. Learn more about Mr. Hinton here.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 11, at 9:00 a.m. in Weiss Auditorium at the Upper School Campus. Click the link below to register.
*Please note: Seating is limited, and we encourage you to register as soon as possible.
Tri-Campus Art Mural Initiative: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month
This spring, MKA's counseling team is partnering with One River Art School in Montclair to bring a meaningful, school-wide art initiative to all three campuses in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
Students across every age group will create artwork that reflects what mental health, emotional well-being, and feelings mean to them—with projects thoughtfully designed and scaffolded to meet each developmental stage. One River's instructors will collaborate with the counseling team and faculty to guide and execute the project on each campus during the first week of April.
By May, a community mural will be on display at each campus, weaving together every student's contribution into a collective expression of wellness, resilience, and connection. We can't wait for you to see it!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Daniella Kessler, Director of Counseling.
The archive of weekly tri-campus newsletters can be located on the homepage of your Veracross Portal.