MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

We're looking forward to cheering on our Chess Team, who compete tomorrow at the Chess Power schools competition. This is a very challenging event, but I have no doubt the participants will distinguish themselves as always.

Looking ahead to sporting events coming up next week, we also have Ki O Rahi and Cross Country to look forward to, in addition to an inflatable 'Hungerball' arena the children will be enjoying at school over the next month or so.

Curriculum & Reporting Changes

Information on reporting requirements continues to evolve, some of which will have impact on our reports later this term. The concern is that - once again - requirements are being rushed out into schools without meaningful consultation and with many questions left unanswered.

With the revised curriculum prioritising a (frankly overwhelming) amount of knowledge set out in year levels, schools are now being asked to measure student achievement and progress against specific Progress Markers that do not appear to align with all of this new content. Instead of judging how much of the newly-mandated knowledge children have memorised so far, we are now being now asked to report on how independent the children are in using a relatively narrow set of year level indicators that don't appear to fully align.

Alongside this, we are currently trialling a new national test (to be implemented in 2027) that seems similarly rushed - seemingly patched together from overseas tests (including decades-old US texts that may be contextually quite unfamiliar to NZ children). Unfortunately, the content seems generic at this stage, including level exemplars for teachers that are apparently AI-generated (rather than written by actual NZ children).

Ultimately, the picture that is emerging is one that lacks a real sense of coherence between curriculum, testing and reporting requirements, and which could mean children might be doing well in some areas that don’t even show in school reports (at least based on the most recent advice we have received).

Despite this, our job, of course, is to try and implement the continuing and evolving rollout of changes in real time, albeit often with short timelines that are often undermined by confusing messaging, lack of meaningful sector consultation and a number or revisions and/or last-minute changes.

Nonetheless, you can rest assured we will continue to do everything we can to navigate these changes in as considered and careful a way as possible, and ensure we continue to provide timely and relevant information on how your child is progressing across the curriculum.

ANZAC Speeches

I'd like to acknowledge the Year 6 students who wrote ANZAC speeches last week, including Aleeka Ragtah and Yosra Rahnamaee, who were selected to speak at the War Memorial Hall on the eve of ANZAC.

We really value their hard work representing the school as part of these important community commemorations, and are very proud of their achievement and participation on behalf of MENPS!

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Friday 1st May:

Chess Power - Jnr Regionals - Epsom Normal Primary

Tuesday 5th May:

Ki O Rahi Festival Day - Keith Hay Park
Year 6 Camp Parent Helpers Meeting - 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Thursday 7th May:

Year 1-4 Cross Country - at MENPS

Friday 8th May:

PTA Second Hand Uniform Shop - 8:15am - 9:15am

MENPS Walking School Bus

We are getting our MENPS Walking School Bus back up and running and in light of recent petrol prices think this is the right time for it. We have 2 routes that we will be launching. The ‘Henley Route’ and ‘Prospect Route’. Please click on the link below to find out more information about them and to sign your child/ren up for them. Initially they will run in the mornings but we are hoping to extend to the afternoon buses if we can have more parent volunteers.

If you are able to help be a parent supervisor for either of these routes or would like to start one around your area, please email aonel@mteden.school.nz We are looking to expand the routes we have but it all depends on the parent volunteers we can get. Thank you to those who have helped get these walking buses up and running.

Walking School Bus sign up

Ezlunch is back for Term 2

Ordering Ezlunch through Kindo is quick, easy, and one less thing to think about in the morning. You order from home (or on the go), and your child's lunch is delivered to school, ready to eat.

Here's how:

Log in to the Kindo app (or set up an account at shop.kindo.co.nz)
Pick from the menu on your school's available days
Your child collects their lunch at school

💰 Order & win!

Every Ezlunch order placed between 27 April - 22 May goes in the draw to win 1 of 5 x $50 Kindo credits each week.

Order here 👉 mykindo.co.nz

T&Cs apply.

The MENPS Orchestra

The MENPS Orchestra will be starting again this term, with weekly rehearsals on Wednesday lunchtimes in the music room, beginning in Week 3.

The orchestra will be preparing pieces for an event in August with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Link Up: The Orchestra Rocks.

The orchestra is open to all Year 4–6 students who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, or recorder, and who can read basic music (typically with at least a year’s experience). There is no audition required—students can simply come along to rehearsals with their instruments.

If they have any questions, please see Matua Marc. marcc@mteden.school.nz

Mount Eden Normal Primary School is excited to announce our Cultural Festival 2026 — a vibrant celebration of the diverse cultures that make up our school community.

📅 Sunday, 21 June 2026

This special event is all about sharing, celebrating, and learning from one another. We warmly invite whānau to get involved and help bring the festival to life by showcasing your culture in any way that feels meaningful to you.

Whether it’s:

* 🍲 Traditional food or treats

* 🎨 Art, crafts, or cultural displays

* 🎶 Music, dance, or performances

* 🎲 Games, activities, or storytelling

— we want to hear your ideas!

The PTA is here to support you and will do its best to help make your contribution happen, whether big or small. This is a fantastic opportunity for our tamariki to experience the richness of cultures from around the world, right here at MENPS.

📩 Keen to be involved or have an idea?

Please get in touch with us at menpspta@gmail.com

More details on how to get involved will be shared soon — but for now, save the date and start thinking about how you might like to be part of this exciting day.

Let’s make 2026 our most colourful and inclusive celebration yet! 🌈

As we head toward the end of the year, we are inviting families to donate any good-quality, pre-loved school uniforms. Especially long pants. A donation box will be stationed at the school reception, and students are also welcome to bring donations to the end-of-year assembly — and anytime beyond that.

Donation boxes will be readily available, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. Your support helps ensure that every student in our community has access to the uniforms they need.

Term 2 uniform shop dates as below:

Fri 24/04

Friday 08/05

Friday 15/05

Wednesday 20/05

Wednesday 27/05

Friday 05/06

Friday 19/06

Wednesday 24/06

Wednesday 01/07

Friday 03/07

Thank you for your generosity and kindness!

Annual Menps Cultural Festival& Matariki Celebration

Our annual festival has become a community staple, whether you’d like to perform, dance, sing, share a craft or food from your country, let us know and we will weave it in to the fabric of the

festival.

When: Sunday 21st June 2026

Where: Mount Eden Normal Primary School

Time: TBC

Interested in volunteering your time in any capacity or showcase your culture? Please email the

team on menpspta@gmail.com

Did you know that stickers found on bags of Yummy Apples are worth 10 points each? Simply cut out the sticker found on the Yummy Apple Bag and glue it onto your collection sheet or a blank sheet of paper to add to your collection. If your bag of Yummy Apples doesn’t have a sticker, you can still help — just cut out the barcode and glue that onto your sheet instead. Every sticker and barcode collected brings us closer to earning more sports gear for our school. Keep collecting, MENPS — your efforts make a big difference!