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MENPS News

Te Whare Akoranga o Maungawhau, May 30, 2024

MENPS NewsTe Whare Akoranga o Maungawhau, May 30, 2024

SCHOOL CLOSED FRI, 31 May & MON, 3 June

From The Principal

Talofa lava

Pasifika Languages Week

We've been fighting back the miserable weather during Samoan and Pasifika Languages Week here at school, engaging with the unique richness of the many Pasifika cultures interwoven into the fabric of Aotearoa. I know the children have enjoyed the opportunity, and I’d particularly like to acknowledge our Associate Principal, Aone Laufili, for her role as a ta'ita'i (leader) this week and for sharing aspects of her personal culture and heritage with us.

Tuitū Te Tiritii

The celebrations of the week feel all the more poignant against the backdrop of political protest during the call for a national day of action to ‘Tuitū Te Tiritii’ (uphold the treaty) today.


While the movement may be - at least so to some extent - party political in nature, in educational terms, the themes are inextricably linked to our responsibilities as schools to uphold and reflect the Treaty of Waitangi, enshrined as they are in the legal obligations of all Boards of Trustees and embedded within the Professional Standards and Code of Ethics for all NZ teachers.


With differing political points of view and debate so prominent a part of our national discourse at the moment, the fact is that - as educators - our role is unquestionably to uphold, reflect and enact the Treaty in the interests of all our children. This means different things to different people, but the reality is that this comes down to a fundamental question of how we affirm and nurture the identity of every child in a way that respects the bi-cultural foundations of modern New Zealand.


As we have seen, this can raise polarising, deeply personal and often emotive questions that can perhaps make some uncomfortable. Arguably, however, the very fact that a conversation can be uncomfortable often makes it even more important to engage with.


For us here at school, we’re guided in this by the steadfast principles of manaakitanga (kindness), whanaungatanga (community), kaitiakitanga (respect) and wanganga (thinking and inquiring) that form our Touchstones.


With children continually watching and learning from the words, actions (and inactions) of the adults around them, my hope is that this can help them to see that the path to finding solutions even to the most complex, challenging problems starts by listening, and by working together to uphold the mana of others.


In a time when we see so many daily examples of division and conflict in the world, this is one way in which we can encourage the sense of optimism and agency that our tamariki deserve as they learn about the world and the people around them, and look to a future they will certainly have a part to play in.
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Tōfā soifua


Alan Jackson

Principal

Teacher Only Day

A final reminder of our Teacher Only Day tomorrow (Friday), which is a requirement from the Ministry of Education. With Monday being a public holiday, we look forward to seeing everyone after the long weekend.

Events & Reminders

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Friday 31st May: TEACHER ONLY DAY (school closed for instruction)

Monday 3rd June: KING'S BIRTHDAY HOLIDAY (school closed for instruction)


Tuesday 4th June: Year 4 Cross County (10am at school) - Save day Friday 7th June

Thursday 6th June: Year 5/6 Cross Country - Save day Friday 7th June

Year 5 & 6 Cross Country

Please look out and check your child's bag for the notice sent home on Wednesday about our Year 5 and 6 Cross Country events. Any questions please contact your child's teacher.

PTA News

Join us for the MENPS community event of the year!!

Bring your family and friends along to enjoy Lion Dancing, martial arts performances, children's performances, bouncy castle, delicious food, demonstrations of sugar art 糖画, Dragons Beard Candy 龙须糖 and Zongzi dumplings 粽子 among other fun activities!!

All are welcome, we can't wait to see you there!!

Pre-Order delicious ZONGZI now!

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Sweet Date, Pork and Red Bean flavours

ONLY available via Kindo so pre-order yours now!!

https://shop.tgcl.co.nz/app/shop/kindo/dragon_boat_festival

We need your help!

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To make this a success, we rely on volunteers on the day - just a couple of hours of your time is all it takes! Please sign up here: https://volunteersignup.org/83AB4 and show your tamariki how you are part of their community.


We need help with:

  1. samosa or sausage sizzle stall

  2. face painting or kick shuttlecock

  3. festival set up or pack down

  4. first aid

  5. stage manager


Roles that require cultural knowledge or Mandarin language skills:

  1. Noodles extraordinaire to coordinator the noodle stall

  2. zongzi demo

  3. translate for calligraphy or dragon beard candy experts

  4. assist the paper cutting expert

  5. help prepare the dumplings & noodles on the morning of the event

  6. Handicrafts - this stall will be cancelled if we can’t find some enthusiastic crafters


Sign up here to help: https://volunteersignup.org/83AB4.

Thank you to our generous sponsors!!

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors - Team Ian Yu, Harcourts Mt Eden with ESL Legal Limited & Wise Mortgage who are sponsoring the entertainment and food stall costs and will be there on the day, please stop by their stall to say hello!!

For more information see: https://www.menpspta.co.nz/dragon-boat

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Mid Term Ice Block sale TODAY, 3pm!!

Celebrate mid term with an ice-block! For sale under the canopy at 3pm today - $2 each

Save the Date!

Keep Collecting Yummy Apple Stickers!

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Did you know the MENPS students use Sports Gear from the Yummy Apples collection everyday? The Yummy Apple Sports gear is used in PE lessons and can be picked up by students from the PE Shed during lunch times! Collect stickers from Yummy Apples and stick them to the Yummy Apple collection sheets or cut out labels (or bar codes) from Yummy Apple bags and glue them on a blank sheet of paper. Completed sheets can be dropped back to your class teacher or the office at any time. Thank you for collecting MENPS!

PTA - Supporting our school through fundraising & fun events

Email menpspta@gmail.com I Follow us on Facebook

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

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Co-Chairs Pam Clifford & Svantje Reiber

Secretary Chelsea Chen

Treasurer Linda Waddington-Miller & Paula Tran

PTA Advisor Chantal Brunner

Sponsorships Rayni Chung

School Representative Hilary Edwards


Full team of amazing parents/caregivers listed here

Train service impact

All AT trains will be replaced by buses from late on Friday 31 May, until Monday 3 June.

From Tuesday 4 June until Thursday 6 June:


  • Buses will replace Western and Southern line trains between Waitematā and Newmarket.
  • At peak commuting times:
    • Southern Line trains will run between Papakura and Newmarket every 20 minutes.
    • Additional Southern Line trains will run between Papakura and Waitematā via the Eastern Line every 20 minutes – these trains will stop at all stations between Papakura and Ōtāhuhu, and all stations between Sylvia Park and Waitematā.
Alan Jackson
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