Good evening Mustang Families,
Thanks for supporting our Pink Shirt Day! It was incredible to walk around and see all of the pink in support of anti bullying and raising awareness about bullying. As I visited classrooms this week, I heard many great conversations about anti-bullying and strategies about what to do if you are experiencing it or witnessing it. As a school, we have worked hard on being allies and upstanders. We still have lots of work to do, but I am proud of the work we have done this school year and the programs and presentations we are providing in classrooms about many different subjects including character building, self regulation, being an upstander instead of a bystander, and bullying. . Our Child and Youth Worker, Tania has been a driving force behind all of this hard work.
As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, we want to extend our best wishes to all students and families observing this important time. Ramadan is a special period of reflection, prayer, and fasting for many in our school community, and we recognize its significance. To support our students who are fasting and engaging in daily prayer, we want to remind everyone that we do have a prayer space in our school, in room 102. This space is available for students who wish to participate in prayer in a quiet and respectful environment. If your child will be utilizing the prayer space and/or needs other accommodations due to feasting etc., please let your child’s teacher know so we can ensure they know where the prayer space is located and provide the needed accommodations. Happy Ramadan or Ramadan Mubarak.
Rescheduled Outdoor Playday: We have rescheduled our postponed playday from Friday, February 21st to this upcoming Friday, February 28th at PMPS during 1st and 2nd block. 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.
Volunteer Needed for our School's Breakfast Program: We are looking to fill a volunteer position with our school's breakfast program. This program is so important for our students, as full tummies help to fuel learning! We need assistance on Monday mornings at 8am to about 830am. All food is already at the school, in the office kitchen, and our volunteers prepare the breakfast options for our students in the library and help to clean up as school begins. There will be another volunteer present to assist who is familiar with the process. This commitment would run for the remainder of the school year. If you are interested in helping out, please call the office for more information. Thank you.
Live Free Day, March 7th/25: Did you know that 1 in 4 children is at risk for food insecurity? March 7th is Live Free Day! Please remember to donate online through School CashOnline. Thank you to everyone who has donated all year long. We have raised about $1250 this school year for our breakfast and snack food program through online donations. Each month we spend approximately $1500 to $2500 on food for our students. Thank you for your support.
FYI: Board-Wide Test Message Going Out This Week to Staff and Families: As you may know, the UGDSB is in the process of switching over our mass messaging provider - this is the platform that allows us to send mass phone calls, emails and text messages to families and staff. Many schools have already started using the new platform, to great success. This week the board will conduct a test, sending a message to all families and staff board-wide. The test message will be sent on Thursday February 27 at approximately 4:30pm. It will be sent to staff and families via text, email and phone. Recipients will have the option to opt out of receiving text messages. The message will clearly indicate that it is a test and no action is required.
Important Dates:
-FTP program continues for ⅘ to 8: March 7th (make up for school closure in January)
-February 28th: Winter Play day (1st and 2nd block) Dress to be outside.
-March 4th: Grade 6-8 skiing/snowboarding at Hockley Valley
-March 4th: Junior Sideline Basketball Tournament for team members
-March 6th: School Council meeting 6-7pm. New members are always welcome!
-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 from Mr. Navarro.
-March 25th: Public Health Fluoride Varnish number one (sign up online if interested, all grades)
Upcoming Spirit Days February:
-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:
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.
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