Dear Mustang Families,
It’s been a great week at PMPS again this week. Our volleyball teams are busy, our garden club is cleaning out the gardens for winter, craft club is in full swing, and staff and students have started PMPS’s first drama club for grades 6-8!
Our NEW Princess Margaret website is: https://uppergranddsbon.sites.thrillshare.ca/o/pmps. Our Twitter/ X page is: @margaret_ps . Our school council also has a Facebook page and an Instagram page: @princessmargaretps. Make sure your UGDSB mobile app is up to date! Download the new mobile app - it’s everything Upper Grand in your pocket. For the latest updates, please sign up for notifications! Download for Android https://aptg.ca/V7pmln Download for iPhone https://aptg.ca/370LCh . Staying connected during the school year is key.
Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) will be hosting its Grade 8 Information Night on Thursday, November 28, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Grade 8 families please mark your calendars and make sure you attend this important event.
IEPs: If your child has an IEP, please remember to return the consultation page to your child’s teacher.
YMCA Before and After Care: If you are a parent/caregiver who drops off or picks up from the YMCA please use the front door only. This is for safety reasons and helps staff secure the building. Thank you for your cooperation.
Video Surveillance Reminder: The purpose of video surveillance at UGDSB schools is to serve the safety and security needs of the board and is not intended to infringe on anyone’s right to privacy. Please take some time to read the policy. Policy 203.
Weather & Being Dressed Appropriately: It’s that time of the year when it feels like summer on some days and winter on others. Please make sure to be checking the weather in the morning so children are appropriately dressed for the weather. Children go outside in light drizzle and snow. Storing an extra set of pants and socks is a good idea in your child’s backpack, as this avoids a call home for wet pants. If your family needs help purchasing boots and warm winter wear, please contact your child’s teacher or me.
Back by popular demand, PMPS School Council is excited to present this year's first fundraiser: Terra Cotta Cookies!
Terra Cotta cookies come in 12 different flavour options, in boxes of 40 pre-made/pre-portioned frozen cookie dough drops, that can go straight from the freezer to the oven!! These cookies are an easy way to bake delicious cookies to share with your friends and family! The 12 cookie flavours are all peanut and nut-free and include 2 gluten-free choices and a vegan option! Starting tomorrow, October 11th, you can start selling cookies to your family and friends using a fundraising webpage exclusively for our school: https://fundraising.terracottacookies.com/current-fundraisers/princessmargaretps/ No paper forms required!
Every box of cookies sold raises funds for PMPS! Thanks to your support, this was our biggest fundraiser of the year last year. And if you don’t like cookies, this is a great way to contribute towards our Holiday Craft Fair Bake sale, coming up on December 7th!
The class that sells the most cookies will be awarded a giant 3 lb cookie on the day our cookies are delivered!
All orders must be placed on our webpage by 4pm on Friday, November 1st. If you have family and friends placing orders on your behalf, please ensure they know the name of our school AND your child's teacher's name, for the order screen. This helps cookie distribution run smoothly. The cookie dough boxes will be available for pick-up in the school library from 3pm-5pm on Monday, November 18th. Thank you for supporting our school!
Milk Sales: Student Council continues to sell milk, Monday to Friday 1st break only for $1.25. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.
Bathroom Behaviour: We have been having a tough time in the bathrooms. Some of our students believe it is okay to over-stuff toilets and urinals with toilet paper and other items, slide under doors so the stalls remain locked, or urinate in inappropriate places. Please review with your child(ren) appropriate bathroom use and the need to report to their teacher if they see misbehaviour. Our custodian is doing her best, but this has caused a lot of unnecessary work, closures to bathrooms, and calls to our plumber. Thank you in advance for your support.
Garde ⅞ 2nd Recess & Lunch: A reminder to our grade ⅞ families that students must remain off property from 110-140pm if they have permission to leave, that no outside drink or food is to come back and up to classrooms, and that permission to leave for lunch must be arranged prior to the start of the school day with a parent/caregiver, not during the school day. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2024 & Thursday, October 23rd 2024: Grades 4-8 travel to Tony Rose to try sledge hockey. Thank you to our board and School Council for supporting this opportunity for our students. (permission slips previously sent home).
-Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024: Office Coordinator Appreciation Day. Thank you to Mrs. Mckenzie who helps to run our school and takes care of all of us. Thank you for always being kind and caring to our students and their families.
-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.
-October 28th to October 30th, 2024 (new dates): Grade 3 CCAT Testing (information and consent forms were sent home in mid September)
-Monday, October 28th: Grade 7 vaccinations (information sent home previously)
-October 28th and October 29th: Grade 7 & 8 Kids Help Phone Presentations (email with information sent home by classroom teachers with more information)
-November 28, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM: Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) will be hosting its Grade 8 Information Night
Upcoming Spirit Days:
October 18th: Sparkle and shine
October 24th: School colours
October 31st: Orange and Black or costumes (more details will be coming home)
Reminders:
HALLOWEEN: Many schools celebrate Halloween with costume dress up and/or black and orange. Halloween is a day that is not observed by all students or staff. With this, it is considered a choice to participate as are all spirit days. Alternate and supportive accommodations are provided for students if school events take place (e.g. parade). Please reach out to your child(ren)’s teacher to speak more about accommodations.
Costumes: It is our responsibility to ensure that all school community members (e.g., students, staff, parents in our building…) avoid using identities and cultures as costumes. This includes appropriative costumes/cultural stereotypes (i.e. cultural garments), black/brown face, transphobic costumes (i.e. man dressed as a woman), body-shaming and objectifying costumes, and costumes that joke about situations that have caused harm (i.e. COVID pandemic). Such costumes perpetuate stereotypes and can cause harm that can further marginalize and oppress community members. We also ask that violent, scary, and bloody costumes are also not worn, as these costumes scare some students. All props and accessories stay at home as well, so they are not lost. If costumes violate the above criteria, students will be asked to remove their costume and parents/guardians will be notified. Thanks for helping to make our school a safe and inclusive environment for all. Teachers will provide more guidance about the details around Halloween (e.g. when costumes should be worn etc).
Information for Elementary Parents/Guardians Upcoming PD Day:
Date: October 25, 2024
Length: Full Day
Elementary Topics:
Mathematics
Mental Health
Progress Reporting
Entity Hosting: Upper Grand DSB
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Independent/Individual
Description:
Morning (75 minutes) - Mathematics and Mental Health: Overall, the professional development resources that will be provided help teachers implement a comprehensive, differentiated math program with a focus on small group instruction, data-driven decision-making, and independent practice tools. Staff will also learn about trauma informed classroom practices.
Afternoon (150 min): Progress Reports as per Collective Agreements.
Milks Sales: Milk sales continue and cost $1.25 for this school year. Students require cash to purchase.
Emergency Lunch and Recess Supervisors Still Needed: If you love working with wonderful children, who are enthusiastic, fun and engaging, Princess Margaret wants you as a Lunchroom/Yard Supervisor. We have an urgent need for supplies while our regular staff are away. We are currently hiring for this position for the 2024/2025 school year. We require individuals who are caring, energetic, and have the ability to ensure the safety and security of our students. The position requires a commitment of approximately 80 minutes per day (two 40 minute nutrition breaks: 20 minutes eating and 20 minutes outdoor recess time). This is a paid position, minimum wage per hour. Your responsibilities include: monitoring lunchrooms and outside recess. Our two nutrition breaks/ yard times are from 10:20- 11am and again from 12:30-1:10pm. Lunchroom supervisors are required to have a criminal record background check. If you want to be part of a great school community with wonderful students, please call Principal, Andrea Papavasiliou at 519-941-3731 ext 223. Similarly, if you know someone who would be fantastic in this role, please pass this information along to them. Thank you.
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.
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 have a great day of learning on Friday planned. After Friday, I wish everyone a beautiful weekend- it looks like it will be great.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal