Dear Mustang Families,
It’s getting busy here as we prepare for our 28th annual Holiday Craft Fair. This is the School Council’s biggest fundraiser of the year! We are hopeful that all of our families can come on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 from 9am to 3pm and experience it! First and foremost our students and councils want to thank you for your support in making our annual holiday craft fair such a success this upcoming weekend. Whether you are volunteering your time, baking, or have donated to classroom baskets, and/or silent auction… we appreciate your support. It will be a tremendous success. We hope you will have fun attending!
Holiday Craft Fair Bake Sale Items: Please send in on Friday between 8am and 7pm. Please bring them to the office and we will store them for Saturday. If you cannot bring the items in on Friday, please make sure that we have them on Saturday morning at 730am. Thank you.
Absent? Calling your child(ren) in: When calling our attendance line please make sure to leave a message in a loud and clear voice, with your name and the name of your child, their grade, teacher’s name, and reason for absence. Please remember to call each late and absence in as this helps our OC, Mrs. Mckenzie perform safe arrivals quickly. It is important that she accounts for all of our students and their safety as soon as possible in the morning. Thank you.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UGDSB INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES (shared by the UGDSB earlier this week: It’s that time of year again and we wanted to share a refresh with our school community about Inclement Weather Procedures.
Bus Delays/Cancellations
In the event of bus cancellations, all schools will remain open for students and staff who can get there safely.
If parents/guardians do not feel it is safe to bring their child/ren to school, the decision to keep their child/ren home is theirs to make. Just be sure to let your child’s school know that they will not be attending that day.
Bus cancellation days have the potential to significantly impact student learning for students who are unable to attend in-person. Students affected by bus cancellations will be supported in their learning through activities provided by their teacher in their Google Classroom.
Please note that school bus delays and cancellations are NOT posted to Upper Grand District School Board websites or social media. This information is shared by Service de transport de Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services (STWDSTS).
The STWDSTS website will always contain the most up-to-date information on school bus delays and cancellations.
Parents/guardians can sign up for cancellation/delay alerts through the STWDSTS website by clicking HERE.
School Closures
On the rare occasions when schools and board sites are closed to staff and students (e.g. power outages, weather closures), students are to shift to remote learning, where possible. Staff should not report to work in person and should shift to remote working where possible.
Remote activities for the day may include teachers posting activities to Google Classrooms, which can be accessed by students. Teachers will plan for the possibility of emergency school closures and will be prepared to pivot to remote learning.
Consideration will also be given to providing or assigning work and/or devices ahead of time that supports students who do not have internet access from home, where possible.
If the decision is made to close schools, an alert will be posted on the board and school websites, information will be posted on the UGDSB social media channels, and local media will be alerted. Additionally, a notification will be sent to the UGDSB Mobile app. Download the app and remember to sign up for notifications from the UGDSB!
Make sure you check in the early morning for closure information.
For more information about UGDSB Inclement Weather Procedures, visit the board website.
December Communications Newsletter: The December Communications Newsletter is out! This is the monthly public-facing newsletter from the communications department.
In this month's issue:
Save the Date! Kindergarten Registration
Download the new mobile app!
Wellness Works: Authenticity
And more!
You can view the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter
Important Dates:
-December 6th: National day of Remembrance: Violence Against Women (flags at half mast)
-December 7th 9am-3pm: 28th Annual Holiday Craft Fair 9am-3pm. This is our school’s biggest fundraiser and there promises to be something for every member of the family to love at this fair! Please save the date and be sure to attend.
-December 11th, 2024: Semi Formal lunch Intermediates (more details to follow from intermediate teachers)
-December 17th, 2024: 9am Kindergarten holiday celebration (more details to follow)
-December 18th, 2024: Carolling & volunteer recognition at PMPS 9am-10am
-December 20th, 2024: Carolling, attendance recognition, and club/class performances 9am-10am
Upcoming Spirit Days November & December:
Friday, Dec. 6th - backwards or inside out clothing day
Friday, Dec. 13th - Dress as your favourite Disney, cartoon, or movie character
Monday. Dec. 16th - Silver and gold (Posada Navidenas - Mexican Christmas begins today)
Tuesday, Dec. 17th - Dress as a reindeer or snowman or your favourite holiday character
Wednesday, Dec. 18th - Festive hat and socks day
Thursday. Dec. 19th - Blue silver white (Hanukkah)
Fri. Dec. 20th - Red and Green day OR red, green, black day (Kwanzaa which begins on Dec. 26th)
Reminders:
Book Fair: Our Scholastic Book Fair is in full swing and open during the craft fair on Saturday, December 7th, 2024.
Grade ⅞ Popcorn Sales: Every Tuesday and Thursday until school holidays. $2.00 per bag - multiple flavours! The profits are going towards grade 8 graduation and a possible year end trip.
Stay Connected: 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. I, along with a volunteer work hard to update our social media pages and school website each week.
New Breakfast Program at PMPS: We are now providing breakfast to students who are hungry and do not have access to breakfast at home on ALL Weekday mornings, from 8am-8:25am, in the school library. NO sign up is required.
Milk Sales: Student Council continues to sell milk, Monday to Friday 1st break only for $1.25. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.
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/
DCAFS Walk In, Talk In Clinic: Open to Everyone!
Talk-In Clinic is your primary gateway to essential mental health support. Talk-In Clinic is open Wednesdays between 12:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (last appointment at 5:30 p.m.). Please come as early as possible to ensure an appointment. If you prefer, you can call ahead at 519-941-1530 to provide some basic information. This is support for children, youth, and families.
We have a great day of learning planned on Friday. We hope to see everyone for our holiday craft fair on December 7th from 9am to 3pm.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal