MENPS News

I trust everyone enjoyed the long weekend and is managing to dodge the many winter bugs that seem to be doing the rounds, adding to the challenges of the current COVID climate.

Support Staff Week

On a bright note, this week is Support Staff Week for schools, and a chance to acknowledge the many colleagues we depend upon for the smooth running of the school.

Whether directly supporting learners, ensuring our office administration runs smoothly, tending sick-bay, resource management, finance, property, grounds maintenance, library, sports or our indispensable cleaning staff, teaching and learning at school is a team effort that extends well beyond the classroom.

We’re extremely fortunate to work with so many dedicated individuals who share the common purpose of supporting our tamariki. While not all of this work is always visible, it all makes an invaluable difference, and this week is an opportunity to acknowledge their dedication and hard work.

Masks in Class

As you’ll know, we have requested that children continue to wear masks in class, so please encourage your child to do so for the time being as a courtesy to others (even if they have previously had COVID and should, therefore, have some immunity). Whatever your personal views on masks, we do appreciate that they are an inconvenience, but see this as a temporary measure to help get us through the current phase, to be relaxed as soon as it becomes prudent to do so. As before, we will continue to monitor case numbers and mask compliance over time and keep our approach under review.

Cross-country

Unfortunately we had to postpone the Cross-Country today due to the weather. The new date is Tuesday 14th June. We know the children have been training hard to meet their goals, which they will put to the test hopefully next week at the Domain. As advised, if the event is cancelled, we will publish this on our school website by 8am on the day.

This year marks the first national day of celebration of Matariki. We have planned a programme for the week leading up to Friday 24th June and are inviting whanau and families to join us during the week. Please see details below and email your child's teacher if you would like to attend. Please note, we are only able to accommodate 1 person from each family.

Finally, the Student Council is participating in a special project this term and they really need your support to make this a success. Further information is included in this newsletter.

Ka kite anō au i a koutou

Alan Jackson

Principal

This year marks the first national day of celebration of Matariki. Everyone in Aotearoa has the opportunity to celebrate the unique place we live in, show respect for the land we live on and share and grow together through learning about and acknowledging traditions that continue each year.

Matariki is a time of remembering, renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster. Traditionally, festivities included the lighting of ritual fires, remembering and honouring those who had passed away during the previous year and celebrations of various kinds. People had time to apply their energies to other activities and a time of whakahou (renewal), whaiwhakaaro (reflection) and auaha (innovation) began.

During the week of 20 - 23 June we will celebrate Matariki. We would like to invite whanau to join us to celebrate. We have planned opportunities for one member of each whanau to come to school for the morning and learn about Matariki with our children. Please see below for details.

• Monday: Team 1 & Team 6
  
• Tuesday: Team 2 & Team 5
  
• Wednesday: Team 3
  
• Thursday: Team 4
  

1. Programmes run from 9.30 am to 11 am each day. Whanau need to attend for the whole programme.

2. Due to space constraints, we are only able to host 1 person from each whanau.

3. Please RSVP to your child’s class teacher if you would like to attend.

4. We invite you to bring a small plate of food for a shared morning tea in the classroom.

A brief outline of programmes is below:

• 9.30: Remembering our Tupuna
  
• 10.00: Te Reo
  
• 10.30: Shared Morning tea
  
• 10.50: Interactive learning experience
  
• 11.50: Looking forward
  
• 12.00: End of programme
  

The Student Council is supporting ‘The Chip Packet Project’ this year. We are collecting empty chip packets that will be made into blankets for the homeless or those in cold housing. We are helping people who don't have homes, shelters, or warm blankets. The Chip Packet Project needs to make 30,000 blankets this year. To find out more visit: https://www.facebook.com/chippacketprojectnz

The Chip packet Project is all about rethinking foil. The single bed-size “survival sheet” is a replica of a thermal foil blanket, which is commonly used to keep a person’s body temperature up in emergency situations. We are taking something that would otherwise go into landfill and take at least 80 years to decompose and turning it into a valuable resource.

We need your help! Please send us your empty chip packets. It would help us a lot if you wash the packet before sending it to school. We prefer the big size packets but you can still give us any shape or size packets. Maybe you could collect from your neighbours too.

Thanks for helping the Student Council and the Chip Packet Project!

Course marshals are needed for our postponed Cross Country event. If you can help out on Tuesday 14th June, please send an email to karenm@mteden.school.nz.

Tues 14 June: Senior Cross Country Year 4-6 (Auckland Domain)

Wed 15 June: BOT Meeting (Staffroom, 6pm)

Nomination round

Our school will be undertaking a parent election for 5 School Board vacancies. This

process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by

Friday 15th July 2022.

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with

legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates.

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12noon. Election day is Wednesday

7th September.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

Wayne Jamieson

Returning Officer

CES

89 Nazareth Avenue | Middleton | Christchurch | PO Box 414 | Christchurch 8140

P (03) 338 4444 | Cell 021 399 744 Web www.cessl.org.nz

Thank you to everyone for your support of Magic Spells! A final reminder for anyone that hasn't yet deposited their pledge money.

Please deposit money directly into the MENPS PTA account: 06 0145 0239303 00 (please reference “Magic Spells”).

Any cash collected can be taken to the school office in an envelope marked “Magic Spells”.

Thanks to those that attended the PTA meeting on Tuesday this week. We reviewed how Magic Spells went this year and the money raised to date. We had a great update from Fleur de Vries about the return of the Calendar Art fundraiser.

And we discussed planning for the Quiz night (Saturday August 13) and Food & Fun Fair (Sunday November 13) with some great updates on possible sponsors keen to support the school / community.

Full minutes are available here

Quiz Night

We've got a great team making this Quiz Night happen but we do need a few more people to set up the venue on Saturday 13th August. No previous experience needed - and you can still have a fabulous night with your friends! Please email menpspta@gmail.com if you're coming along and could spare an hour.

Fun at the Fair

There are preparations underway for the fair, we need help with a few key roles - this is to help with stalls on the day and in the lead up to the November event.

We need coordinators for the following roles:

• Lucky and Lollies Jars
• Face Painting
• Dunking Machine

Please email us at menpspta@gmail.com for more information.

Where: School Hall
When: Friday 10th June - 8.15 - 9.30am

• Wear a mask
• Social distancing apply
• Cash is appreciated, but bank transfers are possible too.
  

Donations needed
Uniforms can be dropped off at the school office by individuals during school hours - adults must wear a mask and only remain onsite for the drop off to the office.

We have a shortage of shorts and skorts size 10 and up - so please review your children(s) wardrobe as we head into winter to see if there is anything ready to donate. It is always greatly appreciated!

Chairperson Aimee Chikunda

Deputy Chairperson Pam Clifford

Secretary Jane Cunningham

Treasurer Diem Vo

Class Coordinator Leader Chantal Brunner

PTA Advisor Scott Optican

Full team listed here

Email menpspta@gmail.com | PTA website

Follow us on Facebook and keep up to date with the PTA on Mount Eden Normal Primary School PTA page.

Mike Robson from Ray White Damerell Group is a leading agent in Mt Eden and surrounding areas . In 2021 Team Mike Robson became the Principal Sponsor of MENPS, supporting the school in its fundraising activities including the annual Food & Fun Fair.

Are you thinking about buying or selling?
As part of their sponsorship of MENPS, Team Mike Robson donates $1,000 back to the school for any property sold within the school zone for MENPS families. Feel free to call Mike (021484288) any time you’ve got a real estate query - he’s always happy to have a chat and answer your questions.

Find out more about Team Mike Robson and why they love living and working in Mt Eden.
Website - www.mikerobson.co.nz