MENPS News

Kia ora koutou

Congratulations this week to all our swimmers for great performances in the school Swimming Sports, and also the competitors who represented MENPS in today's Interschool Zones Competition.

We had strong numbers and an excellent team, achieving many impressive results, and placing 3rd overall. Ka pai! Thanks to Karen Moore as always for her organisation, and also all the helpers who made time on the day, which is much appreciated.

The updated MENPS Uniform Policy sets out clear guidance on uniform requirements. Please note that school colours are RED, BLACK & WHITE, with the following highlights to be aware of:

• Hats, dresses and fleeces must be MENPS branded
• Tops must be MENPS branded (or plain white)
• Thermal undergarments may be worn in Winter months, but these must be plain black or white
• Tights/stockings/leggings must be plain black or white
• Shorts, skorts and long trousers must be plain black
• Socks should be plain black or white
• Shoes - black or white (preferred)
• Hair accessories should be plain and not of large size
• No make-up or jewellery (other than small sleepers/studs)
• No smartwatches with communication functions

The Policy can be viewed at the link below - we appreciate your help ensuring children arrive wearing the correct items.

Please also note that this year we are retiring the old MENPS baseball caps.

While some children may still value the few that are still in circulation as prized vintage collectibles, they do not actually comply with our Sunsafe Policy (or Cancer Society guidelines) and are also looking increasingly untidy due to age, so please arrange a MENPS bucket or safari hat for your child from Term 2 onwards if you do not already have one.

Ka kite anõ i a koutou

Alan Jackson, Principal

Tuesday 3rd March:

• MENPS Term 1 PTA Picnic - 5:00pm

Wednesday 4th March:

• Mid Term 1 New Entrant Cohort Visit 2 & Parent Info Session - 9:00am - 10:30am

Join us for a relaxed afternoon in the sunshine as we kick off Term 1 together!

📅 3rd March

⏰ From 5pm

📍 Mount Eden Normal Primary

Bring along your whānau, a picnic blanket, and your own kai, and enjoy connecting with other MENPS families.

There will also be ice blocks, drinks, and snacks available for purchase — please bring cash.

It’s a wonderful chance to meet new families, catch up with friends, and celebrate the start of another great term at MENPS.

We can’t wait to see you there! 💙

Ps: if you’d like to make candy floss or sell goodys, please let us know, we appreciate your help :-)

Get ready, Mount Eden Normal Primary families — our most colourful, joy-filled fundraiser of the year is back!

The MENPS PTA Colour Run is happening on Friday 20th March and we can’t wait to see our tamariki covered head to toe in colour while raising funds for our school.

🕐 1:30–3:00pm

🏃‍♀️ 2:30pm Whānau Run

👕 Wear a light-coloured t-shirt, a fun costume, or anything that can get a bit dirty — the brighter the better for maximum colour impact!

⸻

💛 Why Sign Up?

This is more than just a fun run — it’s one of our biggest PTA fundraisers of the year. Every donation helps us support learning resources, school events, and special extras for our kids.

🎁 Incentives:

• Sign up by Wednesday 4th March to go in the draw to win a wireless microphone

• Sign up by Wednesday 11th March and get at least one donation to go in the draw to win a portable game player

• Raise $150 and your whole family can join the run! (Donations cannot be combined)

• PLUS lots of spot prizes on the day — including chances to win a Whānau Run & Pizza Party!

⸻

👉 Ready to get started?

Head to our fundraising hub and create your page today:

https://menpscolourrun.raiseit.co.nz

Let’s make this our biggest and brightest Colour Run yet! 🌈

All students are welcome — bring your energy, your biggest smiles, and let’s get colourful together!

— MENPS PTA

The Central East Auckland Weet‑Bix TRYathlon is back on Sunday 22 March 2026, and MENPS will have a school tent on site for families to meet, relax, and cheer on our tamariki. All MENPS kids are welcome to stop by the tent — even if they registered separately or under a different team. If your child would like to join the MENPS team, you can register here:

https://raceroster.com/registration/4fc6077c-9fb7-4b68-95c4-f59430adba9c/entry?team=859892

A Race Roster login (email + password) is required, and children will be automatically linked to the MENPS group.

Please note:

Parents must remain onsite and supervise their children throughout the event.

This is not a school fundraiser — any optional donations go directly to Weet‑Bix charities.

• - Colour Run fundraising coordinator - follow everything that worked in 2025 to get this crucial fundraiser set up for promotion in week 2. The fundraising partner/platform does all of the hard work - we just need someone to liaise with them on set up and then promote the event to the school community in the lead up to the run.
• - Colour Run event coordinator - over the first two years the run course has been tweaked, lots of the equipment is in storage to be repurposed. We need a coordinator to own this in the weeks before the run and to lead a team to set up the course, oversee the event and help with pack down on 20 March. This is literally a messy job as you’ll get covered in colour but seeing the kids have an amazing time on the day will make it all worth it!
• 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

• [Kapa Kahui food coordinator& volunteers. ] Menps is hosting this years Kapa Kahui for the Auckland Central School’s Kapa Haka showcases! It’s a big honour for Menps to host and a great opportunity for the pta to feed the expected crowds.

📅 Date: 2nd Apr 2026

📅 Time: afternoon to evening

Would you like to get involved? Please reach out to: menpspta@gmail.com

Save the date for PTA AGM on March 10, 7 -8:30pm, staff room.

• PTA Secretary - The PTA meet once a term(second Tuesday of every term).The PTA secretary's role involves: 1. Sending out a meeting agenda and meeting invite one week prior to each PTA meeting. 2. Recording meeting minutes and distributing after the meeting. 3. Maintaining a contact list of PTA members and making sure they are notified of regular PTA meetings. Time commitment is approx. 1 hour per mouth. No experience required - any questions,please email: menpspta@gmail.com

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

• 8.15 - 9.15am (4th Mar./6th Mar.)
• 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.

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 April Alsari

Treasurers Minaxi Chandra+ vacant position

PTA Advisor Chantal Brunner

Communications Gina Miao

School Representative Hilary Edwards

Full team of amazing parents/caregivers listed here

Please ensure you complete an absence notification if you are attending. Use the HERO app on the day or on the online absence form.

Interested families are invited to our upcoming Open Day, showcasing Years 1–13 at St Cuthbert’s College.

Taking place from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Saturday 21 March, join us to hear about the all-girls’ advantage from our Principal, Charlotte Avery, and enjoy a guided tour with one of our students.

Please register here: Open Day Registration