Dear Mustang Families,
What a great week! Students were excited to be back and eager to learn and make new friends. Routines are quickly being established and students are settling in. It’s been great to catch up with students, to see how much they have grown, and to hear about what they were up to over the summer. It’s also been a lot of fun meeting our newest students as well. Our school is a special place when students are back and learning.
Our Princess Margaret website is https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ and our Twitter/ X page is: @margaret_ps . Our school council also has a Facebook page and an Instagram page: @princessmargaretps. Staying connected during the school year is key.
Welcome Back Information Package & Important Forms That Need to Be Returned:
The following forms were sent home tonight in white and require a signature. Please return ALL of these forms as soon as possible:
-Student Verification form – please make necessary changes to the information on this form, sign and date
-Consent to Share Personal Information; newsletters/media/UGDSB websites/social media- please indicate your consent, sign and date
-Walking Trip form - please sign and date
*Please read all of the information in the package as there is plenty of important information.
Important Upcoming Dates:
-Monday, September 9th, 2024: Please wear red to raise awareness about FASD
-Our first School Council Meeting will be Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 PM in the library. *** Please note the new time for September and October only.
-Our Meet the Teacher evening is September 19th, 2024 5:30-7:00pm.
-Our annual Terry Fox Run will be held on Friday, September 20th from 130-230pm in the last learning block. More information to come.
-Friday, September 27th, 2024: Please wear purple to raise awareness about Rowan’s Law: Concussion awareness
Parent Resources:
Dufferin Parent Support Network: Please check out https://www.dpsn.ca/ for free parenting workshops. The Dufferin Parenting Support Network is a great organization of parents supporting parents.
DCAFS Behaviour Solutions: DCAFS offers a wide range of services designed to meet the unique needs of each child and family. They believe that every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential, and they are committed to helping them do just that. If you're looking for support for your family within a safe and welcoming community, look no further than DCAFS! Please see the link for some different workshops and events: https://behavioursolutions.dcafs.on.ca/events/
Reminders:
Spirit Wear: Spirit wear can be ordered at any time during the year now. Please visit http://princessmargaret.deco-apparel.com/. This is also posted at the top of our school website as well.
Milk & Pizza Sales: We are still working with our supplier, but hope to have milk sales start again very shortly. Pizza days will begin hopefully at the end of the month. More information to come.
Supervision: Please remember that students should not be arriving before 820am in the morning and need to be picked up/ or leave the school at the dismissal bell at 250pm. Our school day is from 830am to 250pm every day.
Drop & Go: We know it can be tough, but once staff are out and on duty, please give your child a big hug and leave them with us. Staying behind or saying a long goodbye is often hard on our little ones who have trouble separating from you (their favourite people). A quick goodbye is often best and if your child is upset, we are able to calm them more quickly when parents and caregivers do not linger. Please know that we will communicate with you if this is not the case. Thanks for your trust.
Attendance/ Lates/ All Visitors: If your child is not going to be at school, please call our school office and report the absence on our attendance line. Please also do this if your child is going to be late. If a student is late, they must check in with the office and get a late slip. This allows the teacher to know that the student has checked in with the office, so attendance can be accurate.
Our school day is from 830am to 250pm every day and it is important that students arrive on time, as there are important routines and announcements that they will miss if they are late. Thank you for your help.
If you are coming into the school, please check in with the office. All visitors must check in with the office.
Classroom Assignments and Organizations: Each year, we begin with the staffing that was allocated in June. As in past years, our actual numbers are reviewed following the first days of school. This means students may begin their first day in one class, yet find themselves being reassigned to another class when our enrollment has been reviewed.. If this happens, we will communicate with families. More information is available in past communications about Ministry class sizes.
Drop off and Pick up: A reminder to all our families, that the front parking lot in front of the school is closed and is a walking area only. We encourage our families to walk or park on the adjacent streets to create a safer area for our students. There is no parking in our bus loop at any time. It is also a fire rote.
Dogs & Other Animals on School Property: When dropping off and picking up kids, please remember that dogs and other animals must be leashed and kept on the sidewalk of our property. This is the expectation for all dogs (no matter the size or age). Some students have allergies, a fear, and there is the potential that someone could be scratched or bitten.
Communication: At any time, if you have questions or concerns about what is happening at school, please reach out to your child’s teacher. It is far better to communicate early rather than grow frustrated. Often, a quick phone call or email can help to clarify situations as they arise. Please make sure you continue to refer to our website often, and update your email address with the front office if it has changed.
School Volunteers: The UGDSB updated their School Volunteers Policy (205) a couple of years ago now. If you are volunteering in our school or plan to in the future, it is important to note that the following is required: a volunteer application, a volunteer agreement, an interview, a reference check and a vulnerable sector check (VSC) /offense declaration. A VSC will be required for field trip supervisors, volunteer drivers, classroom volunteers working with students, volunteer coaches/advisors. Please note: all volunteer drivers will need to complete a 508-3 Transportation of Students in Privately Owned Vehicles, a signed volunteer agreement, and a VSC/ Offense Declaration. This means that the school can no longer coordinate rides to sporting events unless we have parents/ guardians who have completed the VSC and other paperwork. Parents/ Guardians and family members must transport to games. The school will be able to provide letters that parents/guardians can use to apply for a VSC. Please note if you completed this process and we have your information on file, you will only need to complete an offense declaration. Please stop in the office if you are interested or ask your child’s teacher.
WOW Butter/ Peanut Butter Substitutes: Please do not send in peanut butter or peanut butter substitutes in your child’s lunch. We have a number of life threatening peanut and nut allergies, and these products create worry with staff and students, as they are hard to tell apart. Thank you for your cooperation.
Spoons/ Forks/Heating Up Food: A reminder that we do not supply cutlery and do not heat up student meals. Thanks for your understanding.
Firefighters’ National Memorial Day – Sunday, September 8, 2024: We will be lowering our flag at the end of day on Friday, September 6th, and raise it on Monday morning to mark Firefighters’ National Memorial Day, which is on Sunday, September 8, 2024.
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful weekend after a full day of learning tomorrow.. We’ll see everyone back on Monday for another week of settling into our routines, making connections, and learning.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal