Good evening Mustang Families,
Another great week, but short week here at PMPS! Spring must be around the corner, right? We are taking advantage of what snow we have by cross country skiing and snowshoeing. We feel lucky to have these resources at our school! Basketball tryouts are in full swing and our curling team goes for another win next Monday! Go Mustangs go! A reminder that tomorrow, Friday February 21st we have our school wide PMPS winter play day. All students will be outside for the 1st and 2nd block. Please have your child(ren) come to school dressed for the weather. Extra mitts and socks are always a great idea.
As February continues, we are recognizing Black Heritage, Black Brilliance, and Black Futures month here at our school. We are learning about influential black role models on our daily announcements, during classroom activities, and through school displays. We are proudly flying the Pan African flag for the month of February to recognize this month. Walking from classroom to classroom students are participating in read alouds, reading independently, writing poetry and biographies about black brilliance. Please ask your child all about it.
Snow Hills & Safety: I have communicated extensively with the students that they must stay off the snow hills before, during, and after school. I am working with our snow removal company to have them taken down, but this takes time as snow removal crews have been working around the clock lately. Students have been too rough with another on the hills; the hills are too high and kids are getting hurt. While most students have been respectful, some of our junior and intermediate students have not and continue to disregard staff, sometimes being disrespectful. This is not what I expect from our students. Please review with your child (ren) the importance of staying off the hills for their own safety and to listen to staff. Thank you in advance.
Error With Pasta Day March 12th: We made a mistake. We mistakenly posted a pasta day for March 12th (March Break). Before we caught this error, 41 orders came in! (Thanks for your support!). We will be issuing refunds (this can take several days). Thanks for your understanding and we are sorry for our error. The next pasta day will be March 26th.
Important Dates:
-FTP program continues for ⅘ to 8: February 26th, and March 7th (make up for school closure in January)
-February 21st: Winter Play day (1st and 2nd block) Dress to be outside.
-February 26th: PINK SHIRT DAY
-February 26th: Grade 8 IPRCs with ODSS
-March 4th: Grade 6-8 skiing/snowboarding at Hockley Valley
-March 4th: Junior Sideline Basketball Tournament for team members
-March 7th: Live Free Day: Please consider making a donation through School CashOnline. Donations are open all year long and we appreciate your support.
-March 10th to March 14th: March Break, No School for Students
-March 18th: Curling Bonspiel for all curling members
-March 19th to 25th: Wheelchair basketball program at PMPS for all students
-March 20th: Grade 6 Classes, Metis Kitchen Party Presentation ( French)- letter coming home with more information.
-March 25th: Public Health Fluoride Varnish number one (sign up online if interested, all grades)
Upcoming Spirit Days February:
-Friday, Feb. 21st: OUTDOOR PLAYDAY! Dress as a sports player OR dress like a snowflake/snowperson
-Friday, Feb. 28th: Board Game day! Bring in your favourite board game and enjoy game stations in your classroom.
Don’t forget about our Mustang Spirit Cup awarded to the class with the highest participation each month.
Reminders:
Attention Parents/Caregivers Public Health Immunization Notices: Immunization notices have been sent for elementary students who do not have up-to-date immunization records. Robo calls from Public Health are going to all families tomorrow (Friday) whose children are on the list to be suspended.
To get missing vaccines listed in the notice, you can book an appointment with your healthcare provider or with Public Health at wdgpublichealth.ca/appointments. To check or update your child's immunization record, visit immunizewdg.ca. Visit wdgpublichealth.ca/vaccination for more information about receiving a notice. Please note all inquiries and concerns go through Public Health. As a school we have no control over the immunization notices or control over the suspension. They are issued by Public Health and we must hand them out.
Parking lot reminders: Our parking lot is closed from 815am- 310pm everyday- all vehicles except for school buses and those with special needs parking permits, may not enter during this time . Please no parking in special needs parking without a permit, no stopping, no parking in the bus loop or no parking zones, do not block the exit from our parking lot by parking across the exit to the street and please be kind to staff who are helping to enforce these rules, including By Law who come out consistently but randomly. Thank you for yout patience as the snow is making things even more difficult.
Milk Sales: Our wonderful Student Council continues to sell milk. The milk costs $1.25 each. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.
Parent Resources:
Parent Support Network: Please check out www.parentsupportnetwork.ca for free parenting workshops. The 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.
Thanks for taking the time to read through my weekly emails and your continued support. We’ll see everyone Friday for another day of learning!
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal