MENPS News
Te Whare Akoranga o Maungawhau, Oct 24, 2024
From The Principal
Kia ora koutou
School Closed For Instruction 25 & 28 October
A reminder that this weekend will be a long one due to a Curriculum Day tomorrow (Friday, 25th October) followed, of course, by Labour Day on Monday 28th.
In case of any potential confusion (and in light of recent political statements about teacher only days in term time), this is one of a series that were set by the government (not the school) in order to engage with the new curriculum materials that you may have heard about. We do appreciate that these can cause complications for working parents, which is why we typically do not choose to hold these days in term time (unless directed to do so by the Ministry for special projects, as in this instance).
In any event, please be assured this does not change the total number of required days for the year. All state schools are required to be open for a set number of days (also set nationally), so no days are ‘lost’ for this type of work.
For next year, the Minister announced that schools will have 2 more of these ‘Curriculum Days’ in 2025, the dates for which will be published as soon as they are confirmed.
As for what actually happens on the day, the teaching teams will be continuing to work through and 'workshop' the large volume of new material that has been produced in Maths and Literacy.
While we don’t expect any dramatic changes to the way that we teach (our approach is already highly structured and quite well aligned with the new scope), we do anticipate some ‘tweaks’ and re-alignments here and there as we familiarise ourselves with the draft documents that have been made available to schools, a process which will take considerable time and extend into next year.
In the meantime, whatever your plans for the weekend, I hope you have the opportunity for a little extra family time (and good weather, hopefully!) if possible, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday next week.
PTA Halloween Disco!
Our amazing PTA strikes again with the annual Halloween Disco! Please see below for further details and information on how to secure tickets for your child (and sign up to help out if you are able to) as this event is always a highlight for the children!
Term 4 Strategic Plan Focus Group
Events & Reminders
Friday 25th October:
- Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Monday 28th October:
- Labour Day (Holiday) - School Closed
Friday 1 November:
- PTA Second Hand Uniform Shop - 8:15am - 9:15am
- PTA Halloween Disco - Y0-3: 5.00pm / Y4-6: 6.30pm
Notices
Prizes given our for Best Dressed, Best Dancing and Best Coloring Contest during the Disco.
DISCO HELP NEEDED 🎃 Sign up here: Parent Help Roster Halloween Disco 2024.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW VIA KINDO 👨🏻🚀 Click HERE for TICKETS $5 each
Tickets available to buy until Tuesday 29th October. If you have more than 1 child at MENPS, please order a ticket for each student under their name and room number so that tickets can be delivered to their room. Each ticket includes the pizza and water to drink. Please email menpspta@gmail.com if you require any help with ordering tickets.
ICE-BLOCKS, DRINKS & TREATS FOR SALE AT THE DISCO 🧙🏻♂️ Bring small change if you wish to purchase.
COLOURING CONTEST 👻 Please remind your child(ren) to bring their completed entry to the Hall and tape it to the brown paper by Thursday 31st October. Prizes will be awarded at the disco—one winner from each year group!
YEAR 0/1 QUIET SPACE 🦹 Reminder that caregivers of year 0/1 have the option of purchasing an adult ticket to stay in our newly designated “quiet space”. This will be a room with access to the hall that parents can hang out in. If your child needs some time out from the disco, they can come in to find you for some reassurance. You will not be able to see your child in the hall from the quiet space and with this option, caregivers will not be allowed to enter the hall (with exception of parent helpers) but your child can freely come in and out of the quiet space directly from the hall!
Capacity is limited so please only purchase a ticket if needed and only 1 caregiver can purchase per family. We have only opened this up for year 0/1 parents - however if you have a child in an older year level that may require some support, please email menpspta@gmail.com.
Can you be our next PTA Co-Treasurer??
We have two wonderful treasurers who support the PTA. One role covers day to day treasury logistics (eg banking and eftpos administration). We are looking for someone to take over the second treasury role, which is more accounting focused.
The role involves:
- Co-authorising bank payments
- Completing monthly bank reconciliations
- Completing annual financial statements and lodging them on the Charities Services website
- Occasionally issuing invoices to sponsors
Time commitment is approx an hour per month, plus a couple more hours at year end to do the financial statements. Basic accounting knowledge will be necessary, but it's not complicated if you are familiar with book-keeping. We use MYOB which is super intuitive. Because you can choose when you complete the monthly tasks, this role is a great way to contribute to the school if you have a basic understanding of accounting and a bit to juggle in your schedule.
If you are interested in the role or you have any questions, please email us: menpspta@gmail.com.
PTA Meeting Minutes - 22 October 2024
Thanks to those who attended the PTA Meeting on Tuesday 22nd October.
Please see minutes from the meeting HERE. If you have any feedback or questions, please email: menpspta@gmail.com.
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
Co-Chairs Pam Clifford & Svantje Reiber
Secretary Chelsea Chen
Treasurer Linda Waddington-Miller & Paula Tran
PTA Advisor Chantal Brunner
School Representative Hilary Edwards