Some great local resources for our families. Check them out:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/147sV5imzILlQmnhq92r36HhH6UMy74ei/view?usp=sharing

Dear Mustang Families,

What a successful week here at Princess Margaret. Children and staff are fully in the swing of being back at school. The building feels settled and has a feel that we’ve been back more then just a few days. I am really proud of our students and staff. We can’t wait to welcome families back on our Meet the Teacher night on September 24th from 530-7pm. Mark your calendars!

This week, sports teams and clubs started back up here at PMPS. intermediate soccer and garden club has started and our grade 1-8 choir starts next week as well. We can’t wait to get the grade 6-8 band up and running. We have new beautiful student art work all over our school in beautiful black frames thanks to Ms. Ellis and we have a fantastic display dedicated to Terry Fox in our front foyer.

Please note our flag will be at half mast at the end of day on Friday, September 11th, and be raised on Monday morning to mark Firefighters’ National Memorial Day, which is on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Next week and the week after, we will start with our safety drills that are mandatory. This fall, we have to complete three fire drills and one lockdown drill. I will invite Officer Amy, our community officer to participate in the lockdown drill at our school. This helps the officer learn the layout of our school.

Our Princess Margaret website is https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ and 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.

Important Upcoming Dates:
-24th: Meet the Teacher (530-7pm) & First School Council meeting of the year (6pm)
25th: Terry Fox Run (last block)
28th: PMPS Picture day ( individual photos only)
-30th: Truth & Reconciliation Day (wear orange)

Spirit Days:
-September 18th: Blue and White Day! To support and inspire our Toronto Blue Jays!
-September 29th: Wear Purple Day! Raise awareness about Concussions!
-September 30th: Orange Shirt Day! Wear an Orange shirt to support and acknowledge the history of residential schools.

Parking Lot: A reminder that the front parking lot is closed and parents/ caregivers may not park in it during pick up and drop off ( with the exception of an accessibility parking pass). This year we have three buses and two taxis dropping off our students with special needs and/or bussing needs.. Our parking lot is not designed for this amount of traffic and additional cars only add to the congestion. Please do not block the exit at any time. Our buses are on a strict schedule and dropping ff and pick up at several different schools. Thank you.

Supervision: Please remember that students should not be arriving before 820am in the morning and need to be picked up/ or leave the school at the dismissal bell at 250pm. Our school day is from 830am to 250pm every day.

Please see below for a message from Public Health.

We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful weekend after a full day of learning tomorrow and thank you for your ongoing support. It makes a world of difference.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

WDGPH - Energy Drinks (Sept. 2026)
A message from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Energy Drinks and Young Children: What Families Should Know
Energy drinks, like Monster®, Red Bull®, Rockstar® are widely available and often marketed as products to boost energy and performance. However, these drinks are not recommended for children because they can contain a lot of caffeine and other ingredients that can affect children's health and well-being.
They can cause:
Trouble sleeping
Fast heartbeat
Headaches
Feeling nervous, worried, or restless
What Families Can Do
Start conversations early - Talking about energy drinks before your child is offered one can help them make informed choices. Try asking:
Have you seen energy drinks before?
What do you think they do?
Why do you think people drink them?
Share simple facts - You might say:
Energy drinks have a lot of caffeine.
Too much caffeine can make it hard to sleep and focus.
Energy drinks are not recommended for children.
Support Everyday Habits - Children get the energy they need from healthy daily routines. You can help by:
Offering water throughout the day.
Encouraging physical activity and a good sleep routine.
Providing regular meals and snacks.
Making water, milk, and smoothies easy choices at home.
Help Children Think About Advertising - Energy drink ads often make products look exciting and fun. Ask questions like:
What is this ad trying to tell us?
Who do you think this ad is made for?
Is it showing the whole story?

Dear Mustang Families,

What a day it was back at school! Students were excited to be back and eager to learn and make new friends. Routines are quickly being established and students are settling into the rhythm of a new school year already. It was a calm start up and I am very proud of the students and staff. Thanks for all that you are doing to support this transition back to school. I am sure many kids will be tired tonight.

Our school looks great with all new entry doors. Our train playground was also removed, as it was not safe for student use and the cost to repair it was too expensive. It has been a busy few years with lots of building improvements. Thanks to all of the school, board, and outside contractors who worked hard over the summer to make this happen.

Each week, I will send a short email update about news at Princess Margaret Public School. Our Princess Margaret website is https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ and 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.

Welcome Back Information Package & Important Forms That Need to Be Returned:

The following forms were sent home tonight in white and require a signature. Please return ALL of these forms as soon as possible:

-Student Verification form – please make necessary changes to the information on this form, sign and date

-Consent to Share Personal Information; newsletters/media/UGDSB websites/social media- please indicate your consent, sign and date

-Walking Trip form - please sign and date

*Please read all of the information in the package as there is plenty of important information. Coloured sheets do not need to be returned.

Life Threatening Plans/ Plans of Care: If your child has a life threatening plan of care, asthma plan, or needs medication, please see the new paperwork that was sent home tonight. All plans need to be resubmitted due to a change at the Ministry level. Any questions, please just call our office. We are here to help. Thank you in advance.

Drop & Go: We know it can be tough, but once staff are out and on duty, please give your child a big hug and leave them with us. Staying behind or saying a long goodbye is often hard on our little ones who have trouble separating from you (their favourite people). A quick goodbye is often best and if your child is upset, we are able to calm them more quickly when parents and caregivers do not linger. Please know that we will communicate with you if this is not the case. Thanks for your trust. Please also note that we ask parents and caregivers to stay off the yards at pick up and drop off.

Proper footwear: Today, we noticed that many students wore sandals, Uggs, and Crocs while playing on the fields today outside and on the playgrounds. Please be aware that students must wear properly fitted running shoes to participate in sports and physical activities, both indoors and outdoors, as well as to use playground equipment. Uggs, Crocs, sandals, and other similar footwear do not meet the safety requirements that staff are required to follow.Appropriate footwear helps prevent injuries and ensures that all students can participate safely in school activities. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Important Upcoming Dates:

-Our first School Council Meeting will be Thursday, September 24th, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the library.

-Our Meet the Teacher evening is also September 24th, 2026 5:30-7:00pm. Please drop by the School Council meeting while you are here to check out Council is all about.

-Picture day is September 28th, 2026. Individual student pictures will be taken on the 28th. Class photos and individual retakes will be taken on October 28th, 2026.

-Our annual Terry Fox Run will be held on Friday, September 25th, 2025 from 130-230pm in the last learning block. More information to come.

Communication:

At any time, if you have questions or concerns about what is happening at school, please reach out to your child’s teacher. It is far better to communicate early rather than grow frustrated. Often, a quick phone call or email can help to clarify situations as they arise. Please make sure you continue to refer to our website often, and update your email address with the front office if it has changed. Staff will be reaching out to families tonight- please check your child’s backpack. Here is a useful guide that will help: Family School Contact Guide Infographic.pdf

Have a wonderful school week. It’s going to be a great year!

Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Have a wonderful summer PMPS Mustang Families! I have one last update for you.
What a busy and fun last week of school we had! We celebrated our grade eights who are off to high school in the fall. They are a great group of young people and we will miss them. They are the leaders of our school and we are excited for them and the next phase of their educational journey. We also celebrated our senior kindergartens who are transitioning into grade one. Our kindergarteners are ready to take on new learning next year too but in grade one. Elementary school really goes by too fast, but the grade 8 parents and caregivers will soon discover that high school passes even quicker.
It’s that time of year when we need to say good bye to some wonderfully hard working and valued PMPS staff members. Mrs Taylor is moving to another school as an ECE this fall and we want to thank her for all of her dedication to our youngest learners! We hope she returns real soon. Mrs. R and Mrs. Nichols, two members of our amazing EA team are leaving but we are very hopeful they will be back real soon. We want to thank them for their kindness and patience. Mrs. Patel is going on a new adventure as the new union president of occasional teachers! We’re looking forward to her return one day in the future. And finally, we bid a fond farewell to Mrs. Mikulik who is retiring after 36 years of selfless service as a teacher. There are no words to express how happy we are for her, but we will miss her. She is the backbone of our school and has done so much for PMPS. All the best in retirement Mrs. M! We’re so happy that you’ll be able to spend more time with your mom, your children, and your dog, Piper. Please visit and keep in touch.
The First Day of the 26/27 School Year: It is hard to believe that June is almost over and we are heading into the last day of school on Thursday. My staff and I are very proud of the growth of all of our students. I am thankful for your support and trust throughout this last school year. After a rest, my staff and I are excited to start the 2026/2027 school year.
Our first day of school for all students Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 is Tuesday, September 8th at 830am. To our new JK families, please note all JKs start on Tuesday, September 8th at 830am as well. There is no staggered entry in the UGDSB, all students start on the same day and same time.
Students will meet on their regular hard top areas (i.e., Kindergarten., Primary, Junior or Intermediate). Teachers will have lists and staff will be there to greet and ensure all students get to the right spots. To help with this, grade signs will be posted. Students will gather at their grade signs, and staff will tell students what class line to join. In August I will send home a map for where grade signs will be located. Once teachers have their full class, they will make their way into the school and then classroom. A reminder that our school day begins at 8:30am and dismissal is at 2:50pm.
Classroom Assignments and Organizations:
Each year, we begin with the staffing that was allocated in June. As in past years, our actual numbers are reviewed following the first days of school. This means students may begin their first day in one class, yet find themselves being reassigned to another class later in September. If this happens, we will communicate with families and do our best to limit concerns and transitions.
School Code of Conduct: Please visit our website, under the tab resource to review our School Code of Conduct. It remains the same as the 25/26 code of conduct.
https://www.ugdsb.ca/o/pmps/page/pmps-school-code-of-conduct
All year long we have kept you up to date via our our Twitter account: @margaret_ps, our Facebook account, Instrgram @princessmargaretps , school website regularly, UG Connect app, and our weekly emails. We’ll be taking a break this summer, but will have updates regarding school start up in late August/early September.
Important Upcoming Dates:
-June 25th: Last day with students: Report cards and IEPs coming home.
-June 26th: PD Day: No School for students
We look forward to welcoming back our students and having a wonderful 26/27 school year full of fun and learning! We’ll see our current students back on Thursday before a nice long summer break. Since this is my last email of the school year, I want to wish you and your family a happy and safe summer. Thank you for your support this school year and I look forward to working with returning families in the fall. Take care.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal