MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome back after the school holidays, I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break, full of family time, adventures, and relaxation. It’s wonderful to see our corridors, classrooms and playgrounds lively again and filled with the usual energy and enthusiasm!

Term 4 is typically a celebratory one as we draw the year to a close, consolidate learning, and look forward to what’s next. For now, there are also some events to be aware of ahead, which you will find on our school calendar via Hero and also in the Key Dates attached.

Please note that this includes notification of upcoming strike action, following industrial negotiations for school staff that ended without agreement. This is scheduled for Thursday, 23rd October.

Coincidentally, this falls the day before the Curriculum Day (which was set by the government in relation to new curriculum materials) when the school will be closed for instruction, so please be aware that this week is one that you will need to plan ahead for (especially as it is highly likely the strike will go ahead).

Teacher-Only / Curriculum Day: Friday, 24 October
Labour Day (public holiday): Monday, 27 October
Term 4 ends: Wednesday, 17 December

We appreciate that any days when school is closed for instruction can be very challenging for families, but you can rest assured that this is never something we take lightly. In fact, we only ever schedule Teacher Only Days as and when directed to by national mandates, rather than as a matter of school preference.

When it comes to industrial action, the fact is that this is always a last resort when agreement can’t be reached between both parties. In New Zealand, members of unions can only legally strike in certain specific circumstances, as is the case in this instance, so the disruption is also proportionate to the rights of employees acting collectively (and legally).

Hopefully, agreement can be reached sooner rather than later, and we will keep you informed of any developments, but please take a note of these important dates for Week 3.

PTA Quiz Night - Last Chance for Tickets!

Finally, please see below for details of the PTA Quiz Night, which is sure to be a lot of fun for all concerned!

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Friday 10th October:

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

Saturday 11th October:

PTA Beats by Bingo & Auction - 7:00pm - 12:00am - Rocky Nook Bowling Club

Monday 13th October - Friday 17th October:

Diwali Celebrations

Tuesday 14th October:

PTA Meeting - 7:00pm - 9:00pm - Staffroom

Thursday 16th October:

NZ Shakeout Earthquake Drill - 9:30am - 10:00am
Eden/Albert Choir Festival - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Heads up: Teacher Only Day - Friday 24th October

Saturday 11th October - 7pm

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. If you can’t get a sitter - send along one parent to network for playdates.

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

There is the option to purchase a table of 8, OR you can buy individual tickets and we will arrange tables of 8 for the night. A great chance to get to know other MENPS parents! If you have a few people you would like to sit with on the night then please just email names through to menpspta@gmail.com and we will make sure you are on a table together.

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

Check out our live auction items - these will be auctioned off during the parent social on Saturday night

You can bid even if you are not attending the event. Simply email menpspta@gmail.com with your highest offer and we will bid on your behalf, or we can set you up as a phone bidder!

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

EXTENDED!! We have extended the auction end date to Sunday 19 October giving you more time to bid on some amazing items and experiences for you to bid on. We are really grateful to have so many amazing donated prizes - every dollar raised goes directly back to supporting our school and students.

Start bidding now: https://app.galabid.com/menps25

Be the class hero and shout your entire class ice-cream! Ice-blocks available as dairy free option. See 6 ice cream auctions here
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

On Monday 6 October, MENPS held a warm and vibrant Term 4 whakatau to welcome new starters, families, and trainee teachers, hosted by the PTA. With a fantastic turnout, we were delighted to welcome 23 new families into our school community. A wonderful way to start the final term of the year.

Save the date for the Menps spooktastic event of the year! Our annual Halloween disco is not to be missed. Times and further details to be announced closer to the date. 👻

Yummy Apple Stickers – Thank You everyone who helped collect Yummy Apple stickers this year — we’re excited to share that MENPS has collected a total of 9791 points! What an amazing effort!

Every sticker has made a difference, and we truly appreciate your support. The collection sheets have now been sent to Yummy Apples, and we’re currently waiting to find out how much Yummy Apple sports gear funding we’ll receive and share this when we find out.

Even though this year’s stickers have already been submitted, please keep collecting Yummy Fruit stickers for next year.

It’s not just apples – nectarines, peaches, and plums from the YUMMY Fruit Company has stickers tat counts,

If the sticker says YUMMY, you can use it!

If Stickers can be collected on a blank piece of paper or a Yummy apple collection sheet which can be downloaded here. https://www.yummyfruit.co.nz/schools/

Well done, and once again — a huge thank you for your ongoing support!

A huge thank you to Ms Davies and the incredible students in Rūma 33 who carefully counted all the Yummy Apple Sticker Sheets!

It’s wonderful to see students getting involved, helping their school, and showing off their amazing Maths superpowers!

Ka pai, Rūma 33 – you’re superstars!

8.15 - 9.15am (10th October)
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.

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!

Email menpspta@gmail.com I Follow us on Facebook

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