MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

As is often the case, the end of term has arrived quickly, and it’s been one filled with many highlights as always.

I hope the term break ahead offers an opportunity to refresh, reconnect and recharge as I know the children have worked hard and are no doubt ready for a break before the final term.

It’s a perfect time to give some thought to how this time might be best used.

One of the things it’s worth being mindful of is that, on average, New Zealand children have some of the highest rates of screen use in the world. In addition, we have ongoing concerns at school about the online content some children apparently have access to outside of school. In many cases, this is most likely because children can find their way into age-inappropriate content so easily when they have internet access without comprehensive parental controls in place or parental knowledge.

Specifically, I want to emphasise that children should not access any of the following accounts until they are at least 13 years of age (and preferably older in most cases).

• Video Games rated above G or PG (as with movies)

• Video games that feature unsupervised chat features (including Roblox and Fortnite)

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Tiktok

• Snapchat

• Youtube

Not an exhaustive list by any means, but if your child currently has an account on any of these (or you suspect they may have), please make sure to delete it/put parental controls in place to block access (yes, they’ll get over it).

My hope is that the term break offers opportunities to instead get the children outdoors, reading for pleasure, getting creative and enjoying time and space for imaginative play. Some useful tips on how to achieve age-apropriate screen-time balance can be found at the link below:

https://parentingplace.nz/resources/reining-in-screen-time-a-gentle-guide

While most would not want to totally restrict children’s access to the media-rich world around them and the many positive opportunities it can offer, it’s also important to make sure they don’t lose sight of the fact that the real world is much more interesting than virtual ones, as I’m sure you’d agree.

On the subject of positive opportunities, I'd like to again acknowledge Teams 3 and 4 and the fabulous performers in our productions last week. It was so enjoyable to see the children shining so brightly on stage, and we really appreciated the great turnout in support!

Please be advised that teaching unions have balloted to hold strike action on October 23rd. You will receive advice on this from the Board of Trustees in due course, but for now please note the date for your information.

I'd like to thank the whole team for rounding off the term with a great Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), and also acknowledge all of our staff for their mahi, which goes the extra mile in delivering engaging and enjoyable learning at our school. Ka mau te wehi koutou katoa!

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Friday 19th September: Last Day of Term - 3:00pm finish

• Assembly - Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori - 2:30pm - 3:00pm
• PTA Ice Block Sale ($2) - 3:00pm - 3:30pm

Wishing you all a wonderful end of term holiday , Noho ora mai

Monday 6th October: Start of Term 4

• Term 4 Cohort Entry start
• Whakatau - 10:00am - 11:00am
• PTA Calendar Art delivered
• Bike Programme for Year 5 - 6

We need a few more players to make up Year 4, 5 & 6 teams. Games and practices are held on a Sunday at St Cuthberts Pool. If your child is interested the registration form with all the information has been sent out via the Hero app.

Any questions please contact Karen Moore, MENPS Sports Coordinator at karenm@mteden.school.nz

MENPS PTA Bingo Night - TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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.

Tickets on sale now via Kindo: https://shop.kindo.co.nz/app/shop/kindo/neon_nights_beats_by_bingo__and__auction_2025

See here for more event details menpspta.co.nz/bingo

Many thanks to Hayley and Roberta along with Bayleys Mt Eden for their event and auction sponsorship. MENPS parent Roberta and local the Mt Eden team at Bayleys can help you with your next listing. We’re grateful to have their support.

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:

Be the class hero and shout your entire class ice-cream! Ice-blocks available as dairy free option

6 auctions are live now - bid now to earn that Best Dad mug you received this weekend.

See ice cream auctions here

• • • Eden Speech book bag, Children's Picture book & $200 Time-out Books voucher

    • Caci B12 Hydrating Facial

    • BFT Mt Eden - 3 month gym membership

    • One Term of Art Classes at Art Works 4 Kids

    • NZHL XRACE Family Entry

    • Playball - 1 Term of Lessons at MENPS

    • One term of Football Skill Centre training for kids 5-12 years at Western Springs AFC

    • $196 Dean Greenwood Swim School Voucher and Swim Cap

    • $50 Bunnings Warehouse Gift Voucher

    • WOOP Classic Box for 4 people, 3 recipes valued at $204.

    • 5 Class Pack at Unity Studios

    • Signed Auckland Aces cricket bat

    • Teeth crowding, over/underbite? Early Orthodontic Consultation from 7 Years or Invisalign Consultation at Alpers Dental

    • Eden Park Stadium Tour Voucher for Family of 4 or Eden Park Rooftop Tour Voucher for 2 people

    • R+D.LAB R+D Lab Luisa Calice set

    • Missoni Brest Table Runner

    • The Good Home Mt Eden donated Wither Hills Picnic Wine Bag

    • 1 term of music lessons at MENPS Band Programme (MusiqHub)

Treat your child to an afternoon tea / high-tea with the MENPS Senior Leadership Team

Brought to you by our fabulous senior leadership team - Mr Jackson, Miss Laufili, Mrs Matene and Miss Edwards! Your child's chance to have a very special afternoon tea / high-tea with the senior leadership team! See the auctions here

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!

Don’t have a bach or boat? Maybe you can help by donating small new items that we can include in a hamper for event raffles. Please email menpspta@gmail.com or drop items into school reception.

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

👕 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!

Thank you for your help this year in collecting Yummy Apple stickers. The stickers are now being counted, and we’ll share the final total with you once it’s confirmed.

If you still have any sticker collection sheets at home, please bring them into the office. These will be saved and counted towards next year’s total.

Well done, and a big thank you for all your efforts and support!

• Celebrate term end with an ice block! Ice blocks are for sale on this Friday at 3pm under the sports canopy. $2 each!!

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 Pam Clifford & Svantje Reiber

Secretary April Alsari

Treasurers Paula Tran & Minaxi Chandra

PTA Advisor Chantal Brunner

Communications Gina Miao

School Representative Hilary Edwards

Full team of amazing parents/caregivers listed here

Upcoming rail upgrades:

• September school holidays between 20 September to 5 October

• Reduced frequencies on all lines & partial closure between Puhinui and Pukekohe.

• CRL timetable testing between 18 to 19 October

• No trains between Kingsland to Waitematā, and Newmarket to Waitematā until after midday

• Extended Labour weekend between 24 to 27 October

• Full closure on all lines

• Reduced Western Line frequency from late-October until early 2026

The next rail closure will be mostly partial closures and reduced train frequencies during the September school holidays, between Saturday 20 September to Sunday 5 October 2025. This closure will allow us to continue the Henderson Station upgrade works and rebuild priority sections of the Southern Line tracks between Wiri and Pukekohe. Read more about the planned rail closure schedule for the Western Line below:

Key information for the Western Line

Henderson Station will play a pivotal role in improving journey times for passengers on the Western Line when City Rail Link opens in 2026. To unlock faster journey times, Henderson Station is undergoing a substantial upgrade including adding a new platform and tracks to support more trains. To perform this work quickly and safely, KiwiRail must close one side of the train tracks and in some instances both tracks for short periods. During the September school holidays, Western Line trains will be running on one train track between Henderson and New Lynn. This will affect train frequency, and we encourage you to plan your journey ahead at: at.govt.nz/journeyplanner

Saturday 20 to Sunday 21 September

Full closure between Waitematā (Britomart) and Swanson.

Monday 22 September to Friday 27 September

Reduced frequency, every 60 minutes during the day between Waitematā (Britomart) and Swanson. Frequency increases to every 30 minutes in the evening. A Rail Bus West (RBW) bus service will supplement journeys between Swanson and Henderson. Between Waitematā and New Lynn there will be trains running every 10 minutes in peak commuting times and directions.

Saturday 28 September

Full closure between Waitematā and Swanson.

Sunday 29 September to Friday 3 October

Reduced Western Line frequency.

Saturday 4 to Sunday 5 October

No trains running between New Lynn and Swanson. RBW bus service will be available to replace trains.

Monday 6 October

All train lines resume normal operations.

Find out your alternative travel options at: Alternative transport during the Rail Network Rebuild

Thank you for your patience as we continue to upgrade and maintain our train network to improve reliability and frequency in the future.