MBS Paanui Newsletter Term 4 Week 5

MBS PAANUI – NEWS

‘Together we care, we learn, we succeed’

‘Aroha, Ako, Angitu’

Term Four – Week 5 – Issue 11

Student Inquiry Theme 2025

 ‘Ko wai ahau?’

‘Who am I?

Term 4 Curriculum Focus Area

Health and Physical Education

Concept: ‘Let’s get healthy!’

Statement – ‘Our Health is important to us’

Term 4 2025

Calendar Dates

10th November – Poowhiri 9 am

11th November – PTA Meeting 6 pm 

17th – 21st November – Athletics Zones TBC

26th November – Student Leaders Trip ‘Rainbows End’

1st December – Kea Whaanau – Top Town ‘End of Year Celebration’

2nd December –  Whole School Prize Giving 9.15 – 11 am 

3rd December – NE Visits 9 – 10.30 am 

4th December – Year 6 Graduation 9.15 – 11 am 

4th December – Santa Parade Maangere Bridge ‘Winter Wonderland’ 6 pm start

4th December – Year 6 Graduation Dinner 5 – 7 pm 

5th December – NE Visits 9 – 10.30 am 

5th December – Te Puea Marae Re-dedication of Marae 60th Year  – 7 am Flag Raising and Poowhiri at 11 am 

8th December –  BOT Meeting 5.30 pm (New Date and Time)

8th December – End of Year Reports sent home and Meet 2026 Classroom Teacher

8th December – Kea Whaanau Top Town – End of Year Celebration Save Date

8th December – Final Board Meeting 5.30 pm 

9th December – Volunteers/Parent Helpers Thank you Morning Tea 

10th December – Te Hiaroa End of Year Celebration – LIvewire

10th December – Poo Whakamaanawa – 5 pm 

11th December – Last Day of School – Finish at 1 pm 

Term 1 2026

Calendar Dates

2026 Term 1 Dates

Monday 2nd February – First day of School 2026

Friday 6th February – Waitangi Day – School Closed 

Thursday 12th February – Whaanau/Parent Picnic 3 – 5 pm 

Thursday 19th February – Parent Information Evening 5.30 pm 

Thursday 2nd April – Teacher Only Day – School Closed for instruction

Friday 3rd April – GOOD FRIDAY – PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Term 1 School Holidays – Start Monday 6th April 2025

Tumuaki/Principal Message

Kia Ora, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Kia Orana, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Namaste and Warm Pacific Greetings 

Firstly, I would like to warmly welcome our new Kaiako Sheena Mareikura-Edmunds who will be teaching in Te Ara Puueru. We also welcome our new students who have stared this term in Week 6. It was a beautiful poowhiri for all of our new families and kaiako. Thank you to our Te Hiaroa whaanau for also attending and supporting our Poowhiri. We acknowledge all of our speakers Matua Tepe’a, Matua Haki and also the speaker on behalf of our manuhiri.

We also welcome again our new and re-elected board members and would like to congratulate Justis Kamu who is our new Presiding Member on the School Board. We will be having our last Board Hui this year held on Monday 8th December the last week of school. 

It has been a very busy term so far for our staff and students who have been involved in a range of events. Our Year 6’s attended the Year 6 Camp held at Camp Waipa in Ngaruawahia which is a great overnight experience for our senior students to build relationships and learn a range of social and development skills. We celebrated a milestone birthday for one of our Kaiako ‘Whaea Jenny’ who continues to work in the junior school and is doing some great learning with her tamariki together with Whaea Hala. Other celebrations include our School Athletics Day, Diwali Celebration and Room 12’s Whole School Assembly and Pohutukawa Festival organised by our PTA Committee. 

We are looking forward to our Samoan Bilingual Unit starting at the start of Term 1 2026. We will be taking enrolments so please ensure to see the school office if you would like your child to start in the Samoan Unit.  If you have any questions about the Bilingual Unit please email me. 

Our teachers have been gathering assessment data to support the end of year school reports and celebrate the shifts students have made so far in their learning. 

We held our Teacher Only Day supporting all staff to engage in Professional Learning Devleopment with a focus on ‘Neurodiversity’ and the Science of Learning. 

The Ministry of Education have continued to provide important updates and support for Principals and leaders to implement and deliver the Current English and Mathematics and Statistics curriculum. Attendance is a priority for our school and we continue to encourage our students and whaanau to attend school regularly. Our goal is to achieve 80% regular attendance at MBS which is for every child to attend school 90% of the time.

A special thank you to our PTA Committee who did a great job leading and supporting our Pohutuakwa festival. We had beautiful weather, amazing performances, delicious food stalls and there were lots of fun outdoor activiies for our tamariki to enjoy. We would like to thank our whaanau, parents and families for supporting this event as all funds will be going towards the refurbishment of the School Swimming Pool. We appreciate all the mahi that was put into the Pohutukawa Festival. 

The Ministry of Education have shared with schools a ‘Measles guide for education settings’ to help prevent and manage the spread of measles in schools. The resource covers the following:

• suspected or confirmed cases of measles will be managed
• contacts of a measles case will be managed
• to prevent measles spreading in your setting
• to support non-immune people to get immunised
• to check measles immunity.

We have not been informed of any measles cases in our school from both students and staff. Schools have been advised to contact Public Health if there is a case found and we will ensure to follow the correct procedures according to Public Health and Safety Guidelines. 

As you know there are only 5 weeks of school left and this will be a time of celebrating End of Year Prize Giving, Year 6 Graduation, End of Year School Trips and our students receiving their End of Year School Reports.

Please continue to check the School Calendar dates for Term 4 and Term 1 2026. If there are any changes the office staff will ensure to update this on our school calendar. 

We look forward to finishing off the year well and sharing our final Newsletter in the last week of school. Thank you again for your ongoing support for our tamariki and staff. 

Fa’afetai tele lava, Ngaa mihi nui

Fetaia’ioaiga Bernice Mata’utia

Welcome, Nau mai, Haere mai, Afio mai!

New Whaanau and Students in Term 4 Week 6 

Jackson King, Julia Shum, An Ha Tran, Nhu Kha Tran and our Kaiako in Te Ara Puueru Sheena Mareikura-Edmunds.

MBS Board Paanui

Presiding Member Message

Talofa lava!

I hope this finds you and your family well.

I am honoured to serve as your new Presiding Member of the Maangere Bridge School (MBS) Board. It is a privilege to serve our school community alongside our board members: Susana Guttenbeil, Sarah Mariu, Nicola Owen, Mark Sapsford, Aileen Jack, and our Principal, Fetaia’ioaiga Bernice Mata’utia.

We are already commencing key work, including:

• Finalising the 2026 School Budget.

• Designing MBS’ 2026-2027 Strategic Plan

• Reviewing and updating key policies to ensure Maangere Bridge School’s continued success.

A key priority for me has been establishing a productive and highly collaborative working relationship with Principal Mata’utia, ensuring she is fully supported to lead our wonderful staff. The board will also take the time to set clear, shared expectations to work effectively together for the success of our children, staff and school community.

We are all excited about the term ahead and the opportunity to collectively contribute to shaping the school’s future. We will keep you informed of our progress.

Please feel free to contact me at justisk@mangerebridge.school.nz if you have any questions.

Justis Kamu

Samoan Bilingual Unit Fono 

Talofa lava Parents/Caregivers 

We are excited to announce that The Samoan Bilingual Unit will be starting in Term 1 2026. If you are interested and would like to enrol your child please let the office know. We will be starting the Samoan Bilingual Unit with our 5 year olds and the Year 1 – 3 students.  Please email if you have any questions about the Samoan Bilingual Unit.  Bernicem@mangerebridge.school.nz

Fa’afetai tele lava 

Term 4 Highlights

PTA Paanui

Many thanks to everyone who came and supported our school’s Pōhutukawa Festival! We were truly blessed with a beautiful day for our tamariki, who had a fantastic time enjoying the rides and activities. A big mihi to our talented tamariki who performed. We are so proud and lucky to have such gifted students at our school.

Thank you to Ellie, Pam, Sophie, Candace, and Arohanui for their incredible support and all the hard work behind the scenes. Special thanks to Sherly, who did a phenomenal job running the cake stall, and to Amanda and her team for their support.

To Hayley and Francis Duncan, thank you for being our lifeguards and assisting with first aid throughout the day. A big thank you to Louise Sly for taking the time to get crafty with our tamariki

Our food stalls served up some amazing kai:

Toby for leading the Mexican stall with Yana, Jaksa and Callum. Priti and Selvin for the Indian stall. Luana and Denver for leading the Pacifica food and team. A special thanks to Victor for the delicious chop suey. Tangi and family, and Heidi, for the Asian food stall. Brogan, Daniel and Rochelle for the burger stall. 

To Liv and her team, your face painting brought so many smiles to our tamariki. Nicole and team, thank you for keeping our grounds tidy and the dishes washed. Danelle, you did an excellent job with the merchandise stall, both leading up to and on the day, with Roni supporting. Kerri-Anne and her team, thank you for spinning up the sweet treats at the candyfloss station.

To Te Ora and her whānau, your iced drinks were delicious and much needed on such a warm day! And to Victoria, Natalie and Jan, thank you for your wonderful work at the silent auction. Simon, for being the troubleshooter and running around to ensure everything went smoothly, and Bo, for the mahi leading up to the event and cleanup. 

A big shout-out to Leanne and DJ Unreal, you brought the energy and great beats that lifted the whole event. Thank you to Rob Sly for managing the sound system. Ngā mihi nui to you both.Thank you also to Mrs Mata’uta and Koka Elina for being such good sports in the dunk tank, which definitely drew a crowd! And to Waitangi for supporting on the day and keeping our tamariki safe and happy.

Special thanks to Reuben Mariu for assisting with our signage, much appreciated.

Finally, we extend our gratitude to our amazing sponsors and acknowledge the volunteers from the ASB bank. The Warehouse Airport & Royal Oak, Noel Leeming, Katherine Williams, Applied Electrical, FreshChoice, Shaan Joshi (Ray White), William Tatana (Harcourts), Mangere Bridge Pharmacy, Mangere Bridge Vets, Mountain Centre, Kellie Stewart, Frankie & Flo, Carters, Friends of the Farm, Auckland City Council & the Beautification Team, Auckland City Mobile Team, We Buy Cars 24/7, Pete’s Packaging, and Machi (Diversity Foods), Bailey Jane, Onehunga Books and Stationery Store and Woolworths East Mangere and Onehunga.

We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. Ngā mihi nui, thank you all for making the Pōhutukawa Festival such a success! Arohamai in advance if I missed anyone.

Te Hiaora Whaanau 

Maunga Pikitea 

Te Pane o Mataoho

Piiwaiwaka Whaanau

Years 1 – 3

Ruma Tahi – Rm 1

Room 1 has been enjoying our weekly swimming sessions, with students showing great enthusiasm and participation in the water. We’re excited to continue our swimming lessons, especially as the weather gets warmer. We also had a super fun trip to the zoo, where everyone enjoyed seeing the animals and learning more about them. Athletics Day was a wonderful event, and our tamariki took part with fantastic effort and sportsmanship throughout the day. We are also incredibly proud of our talented Niue group performers from Room 1, who represented our class and school beautifully. Term 4 has been a blast so far, and we can’t wait to see what else it has in store for us!

Ruma Rua – Rm 2

Room 2 has had an amazing half term! They thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the zoo as part of their inquiry, took part in the Niuean Language Week celebrations, and had a great time at Athletics in Week 3. They also joined in the colourful Diwali celebrations in Week 4. We’re looking forward to having even more fun in the next half of the term!

Ruma Toru – Rm 3

Ruma Whaa – Rm 4

We’re going to the Zoo. You can come too. In week 2, parents and caregivers joined Piiwaiwaka and Rūmã Whã on a beautiful sunny day at the Auckland Zoo.

Ruma Rima – Rm 5

Ruma Ono – Rm 6

Ruma Whitu – Rm 7

Fakalofa atu from Room

Term 4 has been keeping us busy with lots of exciting Inquiry activities and events! Our focus this term is all about keeping our bodies healthy through sports, movement, and learning new skills. Students have been participating in fun physical activities, exploring ways to make healthy choices, and discovering how exercise helps us feel our best. We’ve also been working together to build teamwork, confidence, and resilience through games and class challenges. It’s been wonderful seeing everyone support one another and give their best effort. As we move towards the end of the year, we’re looking forward to more learning, celebrating achievements, and finishing the term strong together

Ruma Waru – Rm 8

Room 8 has been loving Inquiry this term; exploring how to be our best and healthiest selves through Te Whare Tapa Whaa. An important part of this has been celebrating and sharing our languages and culture for a strong taha wairua and taha whaanau. The zoo was also a huge highlight for our tamariki. 

Library Paanui/Notice

Term 4 has been off to a busy start in our library. Whaea Rose has been busy ‘weeding’ books to make space for lots of new flowers to grow. Here’s a small selection of the new books that have been added recently with lots more to go!

Whaea Rose has loved seeing everyone back in the library!

Keep up the amazing reading!!

Kea Whaanau

Years 4 – 6

Ruma Tekau maa Tahi – Rm 11

Kia Ora Room 11 Whanau. The beginning of the final term of the year has been an exciting start. Students are happy they have made it to the final term and eager to end the term on a high note. The term started with celebrations like Cerebral Palsy Day and Fijian Language Week. Similarly, in week 3 we observed Niuean Language Week and students had an extra long weekend due to the strike and Teacher only Day. In week 4 MBS had their Athletics Day and everyone had a wonderful time. The boys relay team also won their race, thanks to David (Cassidy’s Dad) for guiding the boys. Students are having a great time with their final few weeks of learning and are looking forward to upcoming activities like KidsCan Ball Competition and the Pohutukawa Festival.

Ruma Tekau maa Rua – Rm 12

Kia ora whaanau,Thank you so much for joining us for our assembly last week! We are very grateful for all your support. The children did so well — they danced, sang, and dressed beautifully for our Diwali celebrations.

In class, the children have been engaged in a range of exciting activities and experiences. They worked together in groups and independently to create special poems, explore new maths challenges, and develop their reading and writing skills. Everyone enjoyed sharing their ideas, learning from each other, and having fun while building their skills.

We are so proud of all the tamariki in Room 12 and grateful for your continued support at home. Your encouragement helps them grow, explore, and enjoy their learning every day.

Ruma Tekau maa Toru – Rm 13

Whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia mākinakina ki uta., Tīhei mauri ora. 

Warm Greetings to all our Room 13 Whanau. In our learning journey, Our Term focus is ‘Let’s get Healthy!’ – Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education.

We are learning to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, and attitudes that Room 13 Students need in order to maintain and enhance their personal well-being and physical development. We have set out our Goals for this term. In Week 1 we completed our Fitness Pretest (Beep Test, Bronco, Agility & 40 Meter Sprints). In Week 8 we will complete our Fitness Post testing. Weekly we have been fulfilling the 1 Minute Challenges (Star Jumps, Sit Ups, Press Ups, Burpees & Skipping) for fitness mileage. A water Bottle and Hat is needed everyday. We also have weekly Aquatics Wednesday’s & Friday’s 9.00am – 9.40am. This time will be instructional swimming. Please ensure your child has Togs & Towel. A letter for Non Swimmers. Bikes on Wednesday’s 9.45am – 10.30am. 

For Health, We have been learning about Human Anatomy (Human Biology) – The internal organs and their contents. Enlightening students of how the body functions and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Also, working on Te Whare Tapa Wha and Fale Fono, acknowledging a holistic view of health, recognising that mind, body, and spirit are all connected. In Week 2 our Yr 6’s went on Camp to Waipa, NGARUAWAHIA. It was an awesome 3 day experience. Thank You to our Room 13 Whanau that supported us as Parent Helpers. 

Language Weeks and Cultural Celebrations Galore, Fijian, Niuean, Tokelauan Language Weeks and Diwali Celebrations. Thank You to all Whanau and Students from Room 13 that helped in any way. Nga Mihi. 

Weeks 4 – 5 are testing and assessments for Room 13. Writing – Persuasive Text, Maths & Reading. Good Luck everyone. Kia Kaha. 

MBS Athletics, We have been practicing from Weeks 1 – 4 in all of the Track & Field Events. We have touched on technique, practicing on distance and endurance. 

Nga Mihi to all Akomanga 13 whaanau for your endless support towards your child’s learning in our class. Looking forward to finishing the rest of the year and leading the way to success. Aroha, Ako, Angitu  Together we care, we learn, we succeed

Akomanga 13 & Matua Peter – Lets Go Samoa Toa!

Ruma Tekau maa Whaa – Rm 14

Room 14 has hit the ground running (literally) in Term 4. Students have tried their very best in learning new track and field skills, and have achieved some great results at our recent MBS athletics day. Our Maths No Problem focus has been fractions and we have just moved focus to financial mathematics (money).

As part of our Healthy Me inquiry we have been learning about the Te Whare Tapa Wha model of hauora, and the elements of wellbeing. This has included daily diary writing and learning about strategies that best suit us for staying well. We are also currently undertaking end of year testing and we are very proud of the effort and progress we have seen in Room 14 so far! Ka mau te wehi – Awesome! 

Ruma Tekau maa Rima – Rm 15

Time truly flies when you are having so much fun! Room 15 has had an exciting and busy term so far! We kicked things off on a high with our amazing Year 6 camp, where our tamariki challenged themselves, made new memories, and built strong friendships. Soon after, we turned our focus to Athletics Day, and I was so proud of the effort, teamwork, and determination everyone showed while giving every event their best go! In literacy, we’ve been expanding our understanding of prefixes, suffixes, and root words, while also diving into persuasive writing — developing structure, vocabulary, and confidence in our ideas. In mathematics, we continue working through Maths No Problem, exploring geometry and division in fun and engaging ways. A few of our students also enjoyed an incredible opportunity at the KidsCan Handball event at Eden Park. What an amazing term it’s been for our Room 15 whānau!

Ruma Tekau maa Ono – Rm 16

Room 16 has kicked off the term with lots of energy! Students have been exploring different sports, staying active, and getting ready for Athletics Day. In math, we’ve completed our work on division and are now diving into areas and geometry. For writing, students are expressing themselves through diary entries and poetry, developing both their creativity and writing skills.

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