MENPS News

From The Principal

Kia ora koutou

MENPS Students Continue to Achieve Outstanding Results

Our approach to assessment is very deliberately designed and carefully balanced to ensure that teaching and learning takes priority over testing. We also take care to assess student progress over time in low-stakes, age-appropriate ways to ensure that we gather the information we need, but without creating an undue sense of pressure or expectation.

In evaluating progress and achievement, teachers track individuals and groups carefully throughout the year against key year level indicators for reading, writing and maths in order to build up a comprehensive picture of the knowledge and skills they are apply to use and apply in a range of independent contexts.

This is an ongoing process that enables a detailed picture to be built during the year of how children are tracking and the next steps to continue making progress, which inform goals and planning.

More formal testing is generally a way to check and triangulate these teacher judgements with normed assessments. These are invaluable tools that form part of the much bigger picture in a way that is primarily diagnostic, but also helps provide independent, standardised data on how students are tracking across the school in key areas.

For example, our end of 2025 data offers a picture of continuing high performance in reading, writing and maths, as measured by a range of assessment tools. This includes the individual reading assessments (called ‘Running Records’) administered by teachers 1 to 1 for reading, along with an ‘easTTLE’ test in Years 4-6 for reading and maths, with writing evaluated internally against the NZ Curriculum levels.

The 2025 end of year data shows that MENPS students consistently perform higher not only in comparison to national norms in a range of test types, but also when compared to schools in the top 10% of socio-economic areas. Deeper analysis also shows that achievement is broadly consistent irrespective of gender and/or ethnicity, which is significant as this is not the case in national trends.

It’s a reassuring picture, although the caveat is that tests alone paint only a narrow picture of a single moment in time in a controlled setting.

For primary-aged children in the early years of their education, it is particularly important to consider, therefore, a much broader, holistic, developmental picture as, physically and cognitively, younger children naturally develop at quite different rates. As psychologist and author Carol Dweck puts it, this;

“An assessment at one point in time has little value for understanding

someone's ability, let alone their potential to succeed in the future”.

Nonetheless, it is reassuring to know that our learners continue to achieve at the highest levels in such tests, which reflects the dedication of our teachers to helping every child achieve their potential in the classroom.

Year 6 Camp

It was great to see the Year 6 children having an amazing time at Camp this week - we look forward to welcoming them all home tomorrow!

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Events & Reminders

Friday 15th May: - PINK SHRIT DAY - children may wear something pink to school (see info below)

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

Wednesday 20th May:

Mid Term 2 New Entrant Cohort Visit 1 - 9:30am - 10:30am
PTA Second Hand Uniform Shop - 8:15am - 9:15am
Board Meeting - Staffroom - 6:00pm - 9:30pm

Friday 22nd May:

PTA Mid Term Ice Block Sale - $2 - 3:00pm - 3:30pm

Notices

Pink Shirt Day

Tomorrow is Pink Shirt Day, and to recognise this day, students are invited, (although optional) to wear pink to school, this might be a small item of clothing, or head to toe in pink, or similar colours. Pink Shirt Day aims to promote the importance of kindness and inclusion, values that are at the heart of two of our Touchstones; Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga.

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 - Available Mon-Fri

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.

🌏 Save the Date – MENPS Cultural Festival 2026! 🎉

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! 🌈

Uniform Donations – We Need Your Help!

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!

Upcoming Events Coordinator & Volunteers

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

Second Hand Uniform Shop will open this Friday - 15th May&20th May

8.15 - 9.15am (15th May&20th 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.

Keep Collecting Yummy Fruit Stickers!

Some Yummy apples stickers are worth 2 points

Did you know that some of Yummy apples stickers are worth 2 points? Buy and enjoy these lovely new apple varieties, Lemonade, Ambrosia and Sweet Tango and DOUBLE your points. Stickers from these varieties can be put on the side of the Collection Sheet that has a picture of trees. If you don't have a Collection sheet, head to the office to get one or collect stickers on a blank sheet of paper.

Happy collecting MENPS!

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

MENPS News