MENPS News

From The Principal

Kia ora koutou

Chess,/Rugby & Rippa Zones

A day of intense strategy ahead for our Chess Team at tomorrow's regional Chess Finals, which will be held here at MENPS. Next week, we also have Rugby and Rippa Zones to look forward to, which is always a fun, fast-paced day. As ever, I'm sure all our participants will give it their all, with best wishes for a great result.

Winter Illnesses

As we move through the colder months, it’s common for children to experience coughs, colds and other winter illnesses. Deciding whether to send your child to school when they're unwell can sometimes be difficult.

When to Keep Your Child at Home

It may sound obvious, but children should stay at home if they are too unwell to participate fully in normal school activities. This includes when they:

Have a fever or are feeling significantly unwell
Are unusually tired, lethargic or unable to concentrate
Have vomiting or diarrhoea (children should remain at home until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours)
Have symptoms that are worsening rather than improving
Have a contagious illness and are within the recommended exclusion period

If your child has a mild cough, runny nose or mild cold symptoms but is otherwise well, energetic and able to take part in learning and play, they can usually attend school (unless directed otherwise under medical advice). We appreciate it's a fine balance as children often experience mild respiratory symptoms during winter. On the other hand, time off that is not really necessary negatively impacts their learning and attendance.

What if my child has a cough or cold?

A cough or runny nose can sometimes continue for several weeks after a cold, even when a child is no longer infectious. If your child is otherwise well, participating normally, and does not have a fever, they are generally able to attend school.

However, if your child is struggling to manage their symptoms, is exhausted, or would not be able to engage in classroom learning, a day at home to rest and recover may be the best option.

Influenza

We have confirmed cases of Influenza A in school and the wider community currently. The flu virus infects the nose, throat and lungs. It is normally worse than a cold, and can carry higher risk for certain vulnerable groups.

It can take between 1 to 4 days to feel symptoms after you catch flu. The worst symptoms usually last about 5 days, but coughing can last up to 2 to 3 weeks. Symptoms of flu start suddenly and can include:

fever or feeling feverish
chills
muscle or body aches
headache
runny or stuffy nose
cough
sore throat
upset stomach, vomiting and/or diarrhoea

Testing kits are now widely available from pharmacies to distinguish between Covid, Flu A & B & RSV, which is worth considering having to hand as Doctors will usually not prescribe anything more than rest and hydration for viral ailments. Diagnostic testing can also help you to determine how long your child may need to be away from school to allow for recovery (and to avoid infecting other children when they have a more highly infectious viruses).

We understanding how challenging it can be for families when there is a spike in community illnesses, but we appreciate your help and good parental judgement in the interests of keeping our tamariki and school community as healthy as possible!

Further Information

For further information on managing illnesses and when to keep your child at home, please visit Health Z and check our school website by clicking the link above.

Ka kite anō i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Events & Reminders

Friday 31st July:

Chess Regionals - MENPS to Host - all day

Tuesday 4th August:

Zone Rugby and Girls Rippa - May Road, Mt Roskill - (Save Day Wed 5th Aug)

Choir Rehearsal at ANI - 9:30am - 1:00pm

Year 1-3 Assembly - 2:15pm - 2:45pm

Friday 7th August:

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

Notices

Kindo is getting a fresh new look from early August, designed to make paying and completing forms simpler.

Keep an eye out for the update, and check your email for what's new.

Learn more https://bit.ly/4pAel6D

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 lucym@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

🌴 Help Shape the MENPS PTA Parent Social! and online fundraiser🎶

The MENPS PTA Parent Social is happening on 12th September, and we're looking for enthusiastic parents to join the planning team!

Whether you're a seasoned event organiser or just keen to lend a hand, we'd love to have you involved. From brainstorming ideas and decorations to sponsorship, entertainment, or helping on the night, every contribution makes a difference.

Our main organiser, Sarah Otley, is looking for parents who can contribute as much or as little time as they can. It's a great way to meet other MENPS parents, have some fun, and help create a fantastic event for our school community.

Interested?

📧 Email us at menpspta@gmail.com to get involved.

Together, let's make this year's Parent Social the best one yet!

🌟 Calling All Businesses, Families & Supporters! 🌟

Donate to the MENPS PTA Online Fundraiser!

Our biggest online fundraiser of the year is coming soon, and we’re looking for incredible donations to help make it our most successful auction yet!

We’re inviting businesses, organisations and members of our community to donate items, goods, services or experiences that can be auctioned online. Every donation helps raise valuable funds that directly benefit the students of Mount Eden Normal Primary School.

We’d love donations such as:

🎁 Gift vouchers

🛍️ Products or gift hampers

🍽️ Restaurant, café or food vouchers

💇 Beauty, wellness or fitness services

🏡 Holiday accommodation or getaways

🎟️ Event tickets or family experiences

🎨 Classes, workshops or lessons

🌞 School holiday programmes

⚽ Children’s activities, sports or music programmes

🚗 Professional services

…or anything else you think our community would love!

No donation is too big or too small—every contribution helps us create an exciting auction while supporting our school.

If you’d like to donate, or know a business that may be interested, we’d love to hear from you!

📧 Email us at: menpspta@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting our school and helping us make this year’s fundraiser one to remember. Together, we can make a lasting difference for our tamariki. 💜

Uniform Shop Appeal – We Need Your Help!

Our second-hand uniform shop is running low on larger sizes. At the moment, we have plenty of sizes 6–8 (and some size 10), but we’re receiving regular requests for sizes 12 and 14, and our shelves are looking very bare.

If your child has outgrown any clean, good-quality uniforms in these sizes and others, we’d be incredibly grateful for your donation. Your generosity helps keep school uniforms affordable and supports families in our school community.

Donations can be dropped off:

* At the school office during school hours

* At the hall during late afternoon/evening pick-ups

* At the PTA room during Uniform Shop opening hours

Thank you for helping us keep our Uniform Shop stocked and supporting our MENPS whānau!