MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

Congratulations and well done to all our runners today in the Y1-4 Cross Country. It was great to see the children give their best effort and participate with such enthusiasm, accompanied by many supporters cheering them on along the way!

I also want to acknowledge our outstanding Chess Team, who secured 2nd place overall, meaning they now progress to the National Finals. A tremendous accomplishment, I'm sure you'll agree!

The Board are thrilled to share the design concept for our new Year 3/4 playground at Mount Eden Normal Primary School.

We have worked closely with a playground designer, alongside staff and student voice, to create a unique outdoor environment that reflects our school values, encourages active play, and celebrates local stories and environment.

The new playground has been thoughtfully designed around themes of exploration and journeying. Drawing inspiration from Māori narratives, natural play environments and student ideas, the space will encourage children to climb, balance, problem-solve, imagine, and challenge themselves through play. Key design features include:

• A Waharoa-inspired entrance archway representing the beginning of a journey

• A large waka-themed play platform, complete with double slide

• Multiple climbing and clambering elements including cargo nets, rope traverses, balancing logs, and climbing walls

• Natural materials such as timber, logs and macrocarpa

• “Sacred footsteps of Mataaho” stone steppers inspired by local stories and landscapes

• Multiple opportunities for cooperative play, movement, strength, balance, and imaginative exploration

The playground has been intentionally designed to feel natural and connected to the outdoors, using organic textures and materials to create an engaging and sensory-rich environment for our tamariki, rather than one with a more commercial feel.

Rich outdoor play environments support children’s, confidence, resilience, creativity, curiosity, physical coordination and strength, social collaboration, problem-solving and managing risks, and we are excited to provide a space where our Year 3 and 4 students can develop these important skills while enjoying adventurous, active, and meaningful play experiences.

We are currently moving into the next stages of planning and preparation. We will update when we know more regarding timelines, construction dates, and any temporary changes to playground access during the build process, which at this stage we hope will commence during the summer months (TBC).

We would like to particularly thank the PTA for their support with this project. As you'll be aware, schools do not receive any funding for outdoor spaces or playgrounds, so we have to raise all the money ourselves for these. Taking into account money donated by the PTA in 2025 along with anticipated fundraising this year, PTA donations will account for 50% of the total project costs, which is a significant contribution without which this project would not be possible.

This means that the other 50% must be funded from BOT contingency reserves, so we will be depending on requested family donations being paid this year in order to deliver the project as budgeted, so a reminder to please arrange this if you have not already done so for 2026!

We're looking forward to seeing this exciting new space come to life for our tamariki, and will update you as plans progress, with thanks for your patience and support.

Next week brings further excitement in the form of the Year 6 Camp - we look forward to hearing about their adventures and accomplishments soon!

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Friday 8th May:

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

Tuesday 12th May:

• Year 6 Camp (4 days, Camp Adair, Hunua)
• Year 1 Trip to Corban Estate (Rooms 10 & 14)

Wednesday 13th May:

• Year 1 Trip to Corban Estate (Rooms 11 & 15)

Friday 15th May:

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

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

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:

1. Log in to the Kindo app (or set up an account at shop.kindo.co.nz)
2. Pick from the menu on your school's available days
3. 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.

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!

We successfully held the PTA meeting last Tuesday. We sincerely thank every parent representative who atteneded.

Here is the link to the meeting minutes.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ziSQWYWT4qfWUD4KIRw2VCGmQLe21T2n/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=103132425214364039259&rtpof=true&sd=true

• 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

• 8.15 - 9.15am (8th May.)
• In the PTA Room: follow signs from Valley Rd gates OR
• Order by emailing Jane at menpspta@gmail.com.
• Pay via Cash or Bank transfer.

The 2026 Yummy Apple Promotion ends on Friday, 4th September. This is the final day to hand in all Sticker Collection Sheets to your child’s teacher.

When you have full collection sheets, please bring them to your classroom teacher so they can be counted. Otherwise, keep collecting and return your sheets closer to the due date. Every sticker counts — thank you for your ongoing support!

Email menpspta@gmail.com I Follow us on Facebook

Refer to the PTA website for information on the various fundraising and community activities

Co-Chairs Svantje Reiber+vacant position

Secretary Chantal Brunner

Treasurers Minaxi Chandra+ vacant position

PTA Advisor Chantal Brunner

Communications Gina Miao

School Representative Hilary Edwards

Full team of amazing parents/caregivers listed here