MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

Chinese Language Week

你好!

"Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going” - Rita Mae Brown, Author

This quote seems particularly apt for our celebration of Chinese Language week, with the children learning through a range of fun activities in class. These are an ideal opportunity to find out more about not only language, but also aspects of identity, culture and history that children always find fascinating, and this week has been no exception!

Y3 & 4 Productions

As you may know, next week brings more excitement in the form of the Y3 & Y4 Productions, which the children have been hard at work preparing for. We’re looking forward to seeing them take to the stage to share their talents, with a warm welcome to parents and family members.

Emails to NZ Schools

I also wanted to follow up on the recent press coverage and notification you will have received regarding email threats to NZ schools. This is, of course, an alarming event that many schools unfortunately face these days and our school was no exception on this occasion.

I want to reassure you that the NZ Police response was immediate, with presence on site in less than 10 minutes, and a threat assessment guiding decision-making. In this case, the message did not seem credible or targeted, and so evacuation was not required. There is also an active investigation with the cyber crimes unit to determine the origin, which is likely overseas.

Safety is always our highest priority, and you can be assured that such events are treated seriously to ensure children are not put at risk.

Te Kōkī Orchestra

Finally, congratulation to the budding MENPS musicians who attended the Te Kōkī orchestra practice earlier this week. It was wonderful to see (and hear!) their enthusiasm playing alongside the Auckland Philharmonia together with other young musicians, with thanks to our music specialist teacher, Marc Colenso for arranging the trip.

祝你一切顺利

Alan Jackson, Principal

Friday 5th September:

Final day to bring in your grocery item to support the Student Council Outreach Project (see info below)

Wednesday 10th September:

Term 4 New Entrant Cohort Visit 1
PTA Second hand uniform shop open - 8:15am - 9:15am
Year 4 Performance - 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Thursday 11th September:

Year 3 Performance - 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Friday 12th September:

PTA Second hand uniform shop open - 8:15am - 9:15am

Please support the Student Council outreach project

The Student Council is running an outreach project next week and are asking for support from all students, families and staff in our school to make this a great success. This year we have chosen a charity called "Communities feeding Communities" - a charity that helps our local community by providing food parcels and basic hygiene products to support families to thrive. We think this is a great opportunity for our students to develop and practice and put our school touchstones into practice. Manaakitanga asks us to show kindness and caring, whanaungatanga asks us to be good members of our community and make contributions that help others and kaitiakitanga asks us to look after and respect others. Helping someone - without expecting something in return - will make us feel really good about ourselves, as we can make a change for another child in another family in our community.

Each year level is asked to bring a specific item - listed below:

Year 1: tinned vegetables e.g. baked beans, spaghetti, corn, tomatoes etc

Year 2: A basic toothbrush and toothpaste

Year 3: Long Life Milk

Year 4: Breakfast cereal

Year 5: Tinned fruit e.g. peaches, pears, pineapple etc

Year 6: Toilet paper ( a 4 pack or 6 pack only please)

School staff: Shampoo and Conditioner

Final Collection day tomorrow Friday 5th September.

We will be running a small competition and award for the class that brings the most items.

Thank you so much for your support

MENPS Student Council

MENPS Orchestra Performed at "Link Up: The Orchestra Swings"

The MENPS School Orchestra recently took part in Link Up: The Orchestra Swings — an inspiring and exciting event where schools came together to perform with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and experience the joy of making music on a grand scale.

We are so proud of our young musicians for representing MENPS so brilliantly!

Don’t miss the MENPS PTA Online Fundraiser.

We’ve gathered an amazing selection of items and experiences for you to bid on – there’s truly something for everyone. Whether you’re planning ahead for the holidays or treating yourself, you can feel good knowing every dollar raised goes directly back to supporting our school and students.

Some highlights include:

New auction items are being added regularly, so be sure to check back often and keep an eye on your favourites!

Spread the word with whānau, friends and neighbours – every bid counts! We are raising funds for new play spaces. Start bidding now: https://app.galabid.com/menps25

Calling All Legends!

Got a bach stay, luxury experience, high-value prize, voucher, or service you can donate?

We’ll auction it LIVE on stage + online to raise funds for MENPS!

Email: menpspta@gmail.com Let’s make this year’s fundraiser shine!

Thank you for your support – together we’re building a stronger MENPS community!

**MENPS PTA Bingo Night** is on its way!

📅 **Saturday 11th October**

📍 **Irish Club, Rocky Nook Avenue**

Expect an evening packed with laughs, friendly competition, and fantastic prizes – all while raising funds for our school. It’s the perfect excuse to round up your friends, book the babysitter, and shout “BINGO!” in style.

More details on tickets and prizes coming soon – but for now… **pop it in your calendar!**

👕 Donate Your Pre-Loved Uniforms!

Support the MENPS Second-Hand Uniform Shop

Have your children outgrown their uniforms? We’re always in need of good-quality, clean second-hand MENPS uniform items for the PTA Uniform Shop.

You can donate by:

📍 Dropping items into the collection box located by the school office

🕒 Or bringing them in during Uniform Shop opening hours

📅 Next drop-off opportunity:

In PTA ROOM, 8:15–9:15am (pls refer Menps term timetable or newsletter)

Your donations help other families, reduce waste, and raise funds to support our school. Thank you for your support! 💙

We’re excited to share that we’ve set the date for next year’s **Cultural Festival** at Mount Eden Normal Primary!

This special event coincides with the **Chinese Dragon Boat Festival** and will celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our school and the wider Mount Eden community.

🗓 **When:** Sunday, 21 June 2026

📍 **Where:** Mount Eden Normal Primary School

⏰ **Time:** To be confirmed

The festival will once again showcase performances, food, and activities that highlight our community’s many cultures. We hope to make it even bigger than this year!

We’d love to see our **Kapa Haka group** involved again and welcome conversations with anyone interested in sharing their talents, traditions, or activities (such as food, weaving, crafts, or other cultural experiences).

👉 **Expressions of interest:** If you would like to be involved, please email menpspta@gmail.com with the subject line *Cultural Festival 26*.

More details to follow in the coming months – but for now, please **mark your calendars** and join us for what promises to be a fantastic community celebration!

It’s time to bring in your Yummy Apple sticker collection sheets! Please hand them in to your child’s classroom teacher by Friday, 5th September.
All sheets received by this date will count towards our 2025 total.

Note: Sheets do not need to be full — every sticker collected makes a difference!

Thank you for your help and support with collecting stickers this year!