Welcome to MPA, Ms. Mia van der Paardt!
August 10, 2026
We are excited to share that Ms. Mia van der Paardt will join Mounds Park Academy as our Lower School art teacher. Welcome to MPA, Ms. Mia van der Paardt!
From what school/organization are you coming?
I am coming from Lionsgate Academy.
Tell us about your education and past experience.
I have more than 21 years of experience in art education and have worked with students from early childhood through high school.
Throughout my career, I have taught in a variety of school settings and with students with a wide range of learning styles, abilities, and experiences. My background includes teaching drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, mixed media, and digital art, as well as developing curriculum and building art programs. I also have extensive experience working with neurodiverse learners, which has given me a strong foundation in adapting instruction and finding different ways for students to access materials, ideas, and creative processes. Over the years, I have especially enjoyed helping young artists build skills, explore materials, and begin discovering the many different ways they can make and think about art.
What did you find appealing about MPA?
There was so much that appealed to me about MPA! I loved the strong sense of community and the focus on really knowing and supporting students as individuals. I was especially drawn to how much MPA values creativity, curiosity, and the arts as an important part of a child’s education. From my first visit, the school felt welcoming, thoughtful, and full of energy. I loved seeing a place where students are encouraged to explore their interests, be themselves, and genuinely enjoy learning.
What lasting impact do you plan to have on MPA and its students?
I hope my students leave my classroom knowing that there are often multiple right answers and feeling confident enough to try their own. I want them to have the courage to experiment, make mistakes, change direction, and trust their own ideas rather than always looking for the “right” way to do things. I hope they see themselves as creative people and understand that being an artist isn’t about being good at drawing or making something perfect. Most of all, I hope they carry that confidence and willingness to try things their own way beyond the art room.
What’s your big dream?
My big dream is really just to have a life full of things I love. I want to keep making art, seeing live music, experiencing new foods and places, and watching my kids grow up and find what excites, makes them happy, and keeps them content. I want to keep trying new things and never get to a point where I feel like I’m done learning or changing.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about neurodivergence, creativity, and learning about whatever has captured my curiosity at the moment. I tend to dive deeply into new interests and love researching, reading, and learning just for the sake of knowing more. My interests are always changing, which is part of the fun. Some of my most recent interests have been deep-sea animals and silent movies. I love discovering something I knew very little about and then suddenly wanting to know everything about it.
What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
My family is descended from Indonesian royalty!
