Dear Mustang Families,
What another great week here at PMPS! Our school was represented proudly at the County Cross Running Meet. The team showed true grit and determination as they ran their hardest and represented us with true Mustang pride! We recognized concussion awareness last week on Friday, recognized National Truth and Reconciliation Day with many classes learning about the calls to action in our junior and intermediate grades, had our pictures taken for picture day ( everyone looked great and showed off their best smiles), our grade 7/8s had the Town of Orangeville fire prevention officer come in and discuss fire safety, Skills Ontario came in to talk to our grade 7/8s about the trades, and our Director of Education and Superintendent came for a visit on Thursday. Flag football practice continues as our team works towards their tournament date in the next few weeks. Wow, it was a busy week at PMPS!
We are also fortunate to have student leaders who contribute their time and efforts to many things that make our school better. Students help with our food days, spirit days, our school sign, our announcements… the list goes on. We know all of our students are working hard and trying their best.
Milk sales started last week and now continue. The company has increased their price and for us to break even (making very little to no profit) we needed to increase our cost to $1.25 for this school year. Students require cash to purchase.
Our Princess Margaret website is https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/. We are excited to announce that our board and school websites are getting a refresh! The changes will take place on Friday, October 4th. During the transition period, the websites will be down for a number of hours beginning at 4:00pm ET that day, while we take care of some technical changes. 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.
IWalk/IWheel Month: The UGDSB is celebrating iWALK/iWHEEL month this October. As part of this month, students, parents/guardians are encouraged to walk, wheel or roll to and from school throughout the month, where able. IWALK/iWHEEL month is an international event that encourages students to be active on their journey between home and school. Participating in iWALK/iWHEEL month can allow students and parents/guardians to be good role models, all students and families to work together to plan a walking or riding route, make new friends by looking for a walking buddy and learn about the rules of the road and pedestrian safety. If you’re unable to walk, wheel or roll to school because of distance, you can always park a block or two away and walk or wheel the rest of the distance. If you’re a bus student, you can always get active during recess or after school.
Director & Superintendent Visit: Our Director was happy to be back at PMPS. He remarked again how when you enter our building it feels calm and welcoming. He noted all of the beautiful artwork, the welcoming hub spaces, the outdoor learning, and the math and literacy up on the walls. He was happy with EQAO scores, noting the gains over the last two years. He couldn’t stop taking pictures and he wanted it noted to all staff that he can see how hard everyone is working to provide the best to our students.
Garden Renew & Refresh: Thank you to board staff and outside contractors who helped us renew and refresh our front gardens. We removed invasive species, stopped roots that were damaging the brick, and planted native plants, shrubs, and bulbs. The company The Ground Guys even donated some of the plants and shrubs. It looks great!
Sledge Hockey: This opportunity is available for each grade 4-8 on October 22nd or October 23rd. Please sign both permission forms (trip and concussion awareness) when they come home. Coaching and equipment are provided. The school and/or School Council will be paying for the ice time. This opportunity not only helps our students be active, but teaches them about accessibility through hands-on experience.
Wheelchair basketball is also on it’s way to PMPS: I was also able to secure the wheelchair basketball program for our school this year for March 19th to March 26th, 2025. We are loaned the wheelchairs for one week and it comes with resources for instruction as well as a pre recorded presentation from Patrick Anderson, the world’s best wheelchair basketball athlete!
Safety Reminders (We’re still having trouble with the following):
-Please do not park in our front bus loop at any time. This includes our families who use the YMCA before and after school. Although we have limited bus students, we still have a couple of buses that carry students on them.
-The front parking lot is closed, except for those who have an accessibility permit. Do not park in the front parking lot, as children and parents walk through the parking lot and are not expecting cars to pull out. We had a few moments this week when children were not expecting parents to be using the parking lot.
Important Upcoming Dates:
-October 3rd, 2024: School Council meeting 630-730pm in the library, all are welcome. (minutes are below from September’s meeting)
-October 5th, 2024: World Teachers Day! We are thankful for our teaching staff and appreciate all that they do.
-October 9th, 2024: Grade 8s travel to the Orangeville Agricultural Centre for Carer Pathways presentation (more details were sent home to grade 8 families)
-Monday, October 14th, 2024: Thanksgiving for those who celebrate. No School.
-Wednesday, October 16th, 2024: All IEPs are sent home with students who have an IEP.
-October 22nd to October 24th, 2024: Grade 3 CCAT Testing (information and consent forms were sent home in mid September)
-Thursday, October 24th, 2024: Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day: Thank you to Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Taylor who work with our youngest students. We appreciate you both.
Friday, October 25th, 2024: PD Day: No school for students. Teachers are working on math professional development and mental health training in the morning, and writing progress reports in the afternoon.
Upcoming Spirit Days:
October 4th: Funky sock day
October 11th: Fall colours
October 18th: Sparkle and shine
October 24th: School colours
October 31st: Orange and Black or costumes (more details will be coming home)
Reminders:
New Procedure for Dropped Lunches: If you are dropping off a lunch, there will now be a lunch drop off table in the front foyer. Simply label your child’s lunch with their name and leave it there for pick up. Please let your child know that their lunch will be dropped off in the morning. The same procedure is for food service deliveries as well. Please let the driver know to label the lunch and please let your child know it will be dropped off in the morning. We are hoping this limits interruptions to student learning. Thank you.
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/
We’re Still in Need of School Volunteers & Emergency LunchSupervisors (Paid position): 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.
We have a great day of learning on Friday planned. After Friday, I wish everyone a beautiful fall weekend. I’ll see everyone back on Monday for another great week of learning.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal