Don’t forget to place your order for our popcorn fundraiser this weekend! You’ll get big bags of fun and delicious popcorn flavours, the perfect after school snack or a treat for your lunch! Please remind your families to check their e-mail and order on-line before Sunday night, to help support all the fun things our School Council supports at Princess Margaret. Thank you!!
Dear Mustang Families,
It was another great week at Princess Margaret! There were so many wonderful opportunities for our students to get involved, including volleyball tryouts, Art Club, and Garden Club.
Student Council is beginning to take shape, and planning is already underway for our Holiday Craft Fair. Last week, we held our Student Council executive elections, and we are incredibly proud of the students who stepped forward, delivered speeches, and demonstrated courage by running for leadership positions. We have a strong executive team in place once again this year, along with many enthusiastic classroom representatives. A special thank you goes out to Ms. Lyon and Ms. Cairns for leading this important work and supporting student voice and leadership within our school.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. It's hard to believe how quickly the school year is already flying by!
Please see below for some important information and reminders.
YMCA Before and After Care: Please do not park in the fire route and bus route at any time. Bylaw has been by and it is a $125 ticket. 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 Mrs. Papavasiliou (PapaV).
Important Upcoming Dates:
October:
-15th: Fall Dental Screenings (email was sent this week)
-16th: Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day
-20th: ECE appreciation day
Today, October 20th, we celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day and recognize the important role that Early Childhood Educators play in helping our youngest learners grow, learn, and succeed. We would like to give a very special thank you to Mrs. Bradford, whose kindness, hard work, and caring nature make a difference in the lives of our students every day. Mrs. Bradford creates a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Her patience, dedication, and positive attitude help our students build confidence and develop a love of school. Please join me in thanking Mrs. Bradford for all she does for our school community. If you see her today, be sure to wish her a Happy Early Childhood Educators Day! Thank you, Mrs. Bradford, for your commitment to our Mustangs and for helping our students shine each and every day.
-20th: All IEPs go home
-23rd: Grade 7 Immunizations
-26th: PD Day -no school for students
-27th to 29th: CCAT grade 3 practice & Testing the following week (letters have gone home)
-28th: PMPS individual picture retakes, staff photo, and class photos
November:
-2nd to 6th: Treaties Recognition Week
-5th: New Director &CEO Mr. MacDonald & SO Mr. Cousins visit
-11th: Remembrance Day
-11th: Progress reports go home
-23rd & 30th: Diary Educator’s Program K-8 (letters will come home)
-27th: PD Day (interview day)
December:
-5th: 30th Annual Holiday Craft Fair at PMPS 9am-2pm.
Spirit Days:
-October 16th: October is Global Diversity Awareness Month! Let’s promote cultural diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect worldwide by wearing lots of bright colours!
-October 23rd: School Colours Day! PMPS students and staff can wear purple, grey, blue, or white to show their school pride!
-Preparation for Diwali: Each class can make a colourful paper chain - with a sunflower on it- to be ready for Diwali on November 8th. Paper chains due to Miss. Lyon on November 6th!
-October 30th: Black and Orange Day OR Costume Day
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Thank you for your ongoing support. It means so much to our staff and students.
Andrea Papavasiliou
Proud Principal of PMPS
As a follow up to our grade 7 immunization information the date is the October 23rd. The date showed up in some of my communication but not others. The picture of the letter does have the date as well as our school website, and it will be in our weekly email as well. Sorry about that. Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Subject: Grade 7 Immunization Information
Dear Families,
Please see the attached flyer for important information regarding the immunizations that will be taking place at Princess Margaret Public School for Grade 7 students on Friday, October 23.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GsUdQdbk7eGCuAJUuBUdxBZojAzct4HE/view?usp=drive_link
Please note that parent/guardian consent must be completed online prior to the clinic.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal
Princess Margaret Public School
Don't miss out on free shipping for your child's school pictures.
Please see the following flyer for information about free fluoride varnish coming to PMPS on December 2nd by Public Health.
There are just a few days left to order your flavoured popcorn with our School Council fundraiser! These crunchy bites are perfect for cozy nights, and come in 9 delicious flavours! Large and resealable bags hold about 17 cups of popcorn per bag and PMPS earns $5 per bag of popcorn sold! Please see the list of available flavours where you place your orders, on School Cash On-Line, and be sure to order by this Sunday, October 18th. The popcorn will be delivered to the school and available for pick-up in early November. Thank you for supporting our school!
Princess Margaret PS grade 3s shine on CBC National News
Learn more: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18816
Learn more: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18816
A reminder that all UGDSB schools/offices are closed on Monday October 12 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Have a lovely long weekend UG!
Dear Mustang Families,
What another great week here at PMPS! Our school was represented proudly at the cross country running meet. Mrs. Corbett and Mrs. Landry trained with children over the last month and they competed with grit and a great school spirit. 21 students ran with a few placing in the top 10 and even more placing in the top 20 (there are sometimes up to 100 kids in divisions). I love the meet, so many smiles, despite running so hard. Congratulations to all of our students and a special thanks to our coaches.
A big shout out to Tania, our CYC for bringing GET REAL back to PMPS for our inclusion assembly for our continued learning. I love how authentic and well facilitated the sessions are. Sadly, we had some resistance to the presentation. This reaffirms the need to continue this work and support our students and staff. It is important to always call out unacceptable and unsafe behaviour. According to the WHY survey that over 95% of our students completed, 17.3% of our grade 4-8 students identify as something other than hetrosexual. I will share more about the WHY Survey at November’s School Council meeting.
If you missed it, here is the link to last night’s CBC’s the National that featured PMPS and Mrs. Corbett’s grade 3 class: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7373599 . We are very proud of our students. Mrs. Corbett, and all of our staff who have worked so hard on math.
Professional Activity Day Description: October 26, 2026
Information for Elementary Parents/Guardians
On October 26, elementary school staff will take part in professional learning focused on supporting student success in literacy and mathematics. Educators will work together to review student learning information, identify strengths and areas where students may need more support, and plan next steps for classroom instruction
Kindergarten educators will focus on using classroom observations, assessments and
reading and mathematics information to plan instruction and targeted supports. Grade
1–8 educators will also review student learning information and identify ways to
strengthen classroom instruction and provide additional support for students who need
it. Staff will also explore Edwin, a digital learning platform with curriculum resources and
tools that can be used to support teaching and student learning. The goal of the day is to help educators use information about student learning to plan responsive instruction and ensure students receive the support they need to continue to grow in literacy and mathematics. The afternoon will be dedicated to progress report card writing.
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. 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).
Important Upcoming Dates:
October:
-9th: Officer Amy at PMPS to present about Cyber safety to all grade 5-8s (email sent home with new date)
-12th: Thanksgiving- No School
-13th: Grade 7 Immunizations
-15th: Fall Dental Screenings (email was sent this week)
-16th: Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day
Spirit Days:
-October 9th: Fall Colours! Wear fall colours like brown, red, orange, or yellow to celebrate Fall and Thanksgiving!
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful long weekend. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a restful celebration with family and friends. Thank you for your ongoing support. It means so much to our staff and students.
Andrea Papavasiliou
Proud Principal of PMPS
Please check out the National at 9pm on CBC for the grade 3 interview in Mrs. Corbett's room at PMPS. Here is a note from the host, Deana Sumanac-Johnson:
"Please thank the kiddos and their parents for us too. You have a beautiful school "
Enjoy the program. The radio interview will be on CBC tomorrow as well.
Andrea Papavasiliou, PMPS Principal
"Please thank the kiddos and their parents for us too. You have a beautiful school "
Enjoy the program. The radio interview will be on CBC tomorrow as well.
Andrea Papavasiliou, PMPS Principal
For the first time ever, School Council is fundraising with popcorn! These crunchy bites are perfect for cozy nights, and come in 9 delicious flavours! These large, resealable bags hold about 17 cups of popcorn per bag and PMPS earns $5 per bag of popcorn sold! Please see the list of flavours available below and place your orders on School Cash On-Line by Friday, October 16th. The popcorn will be delivered to the school and available for pick-up in early November. Thank you for supporting our school!
Movie Time $12 (traditional salty butter)
Salt and Vinegar $12
Ketchup $12
Dill Pickle $12
Caramel Corn $15
White Cheddar $15
Chicago Mix $15 (caramel corn meets bold cheddar)
Jalapeño Cheddar $15
Cheddar Cheese $15
Movie Time $12 (traditional salty butter)
Salt and Vinegar $12
Ketchup $12
Dill Pickle $12
Caramel Corn $15
White Cheddar $15
Chicago Mix $15 (caramel corn meets bold cheddar)
Jalapeño Cheddar $15
Cheddar Cheese $15
Good morning, Princess Margaret Community,
As of October 2nd, our students have completed 19 days of school. With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought this would be a good opportunity to pause, look at our attendance so far, and remind ourselves just how important regular attendance is for our students.
One of my responsibilities as principal is to monitor attendance and work with families to encourage regular and punctual attendance. When I reviewed our data, I was surprised to see that:
28% of our students have been absent for 10% or more of the school days so far.
21% of our students have been late 10% or more of the time.
Friday is currently our highest absentee day, with approximately 10% of our students away, while Tuesday has our best attendance, with approximately 6% away.
Our Grade 7 and 8 students, as well as our JK students, currently have the highest rates of absence.
Our Grade 5 students have the strongest attendance so far. Way to go, Grade 5!
Monday is our most common day for students to arrive late, while Wednesday has the fewest late arrivals.
Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 3 currently have the highest rates of lateness, while our Grade 5 and Grade 6 students have the lowest.
Thanksgiving can be a great time to rest, recharge, and reset some of our family routines. As we head into the next part of the school year, I encourage families to take a moment to think about morning and bedtime routines and anything else that might help children arrive at school every day and on time.
Being at school each day matters. It helps children build a sense of belonging, maintain friendships and relationships with caring adults, establish positive routines, and, of course, keep up with their learning.
We also understand that there are many legitimate reasons why a child may need to miss school. Children get sick, medical appointments happen, and sometimes families experience circumstances that make regular attendance difficult. This message is not about making anyone feel bad. Our goal is to work together and help.
If your family is experiencing challenges that are affecting your child's attendance or ability to arrive on time, please reach out to us. There are a variety of supports available, and we are always happy to problem-solve alongside you.
Families of students who have currently reached the 10% threshold for absences and/or late arrivals will receive an attendance support letters on Friday with additional information. These letters are intended to keep families informed and open the door for conversation and support where needed.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership. Every day at school matters, and every day we get to have your child here with us matters too.
Wishing all of our Princess Margaret families a restful Thanksgiving weekend when it gets here.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
As of October 2nd, our students have completed 19 days of school. With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought this would be a good opportunity to pause, look at our attendance so far, and remind ourselves just how important regular attendance is for our students.
One of my responsibilities as principal is to monitor attendance and work with families to encourage regular and punctual attendance. When I reviewed our data, I was surprised to see that:
28% of our students have been absent for 10% or more of the school days so far.
21% of our students have been late 10% or more of the time.
Friday is currently our highest absentee day, with approximately 10% of our students away, while Tuesday has our best attendance, with approximately 6% away.
Our Grade 7 and 8 students, as well as our JK students, currently have the highest rates of absence.
Our Grade 5 students have the strongest attendance so far. Way to go, Grade 5!
Monday is our most common day for students to arrive late, while Wednesday has the fewest late arrivals.
Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 3 currently have the highest rates of lateness, while our Grade 5 and Grade 6 students have the lowest.
Thanksgiving can be a great time to rest, recharge, and reset some of our family routines. As we head into the next part of the school year, I encourage families to take a moment to think about morning and bedtime routines and anything else that might help children arrive at school every day and on time.
Being at school each day matters. It helps children build a sense of belonging, maintain friendships and relationships with caring adults, establish positive routines, and, of course, keep up with their learning.
We also understand that there are many legitimate reasons why a child may need to miss school. Children get sick, medical appointments happen, and sometimes families experience circumstances that make regular attendance difficult. This message is not about making anyone feel bad. Our goal is to work together and help.
If your family is experiencing challenges that are affecting your child's attendance or ability to arrive on time, please reach out to us. There are a variety of supports available, and we are always happy to problem-solve alongside you.
Families of students who have currently reached the 10% threshold for absences and/or late arrivals will receive an attendance support letters on Friday with additional information. These letters are intended to keep families informed and open the door for conversation and support where needed.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership. Every day at school matters, and every day we get to have your child here with us matters too.
Wishing all of our Princess Margaret families a restful Thanksgiving weekend when it gets here.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Let’s Walk & Roll! October is IWALK & IWHEEL month. Learn more: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18574
@wdgpublichealth
@wdgpublichealth
As a reminder PMPS families, we do not accept food delveries to our school. If you want more info please check previous emails or our school website. Thank you.
Wellness Works: October 2026 Focuses on Building Relationships
As students settle into their classrooms this school year, forming new friendships and strengthening connections with staff, educators, and peers remains the cornerstone of student learning and well-being. Learn more about building relationships here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18490
#MHUG
As students settle into their classrooms this school year, forming new friendships and strengthening connections with staff, educators, and peers remains the cornerstone of student learning and well-being. Learn more about building relationships here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18490
#MHUG
Today is World Teachers' Day! Thank you UGDSB teachers for your dedication, skills, and hard work!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/math-skills-instruction-9.7366473
The online version of Mrs. Corbett's interview about math is up on the cbc news website. The radio and tv version will be aired next week.
Congratulations to Mrs. Corbett and PMPS for all of their hard work on math.
Dear Mustang Families,
What another great week here at PMPS! Our school was represented proudly at the junior and intermediate soccer tournaments. The teams showed true grit and determination as they played their hardest and represented us with team work and true Mustang pride!
On Monday, we had an incredible celebration recognizing our students’ amazing fundraising efforts for the Terry Fox Run! A huge thank you to all of our students, families, and community members who were able to support this important cause. Together, our school raised an incredible $1,118 for the Terry Fox Foundation! As part of the celebration, our top fundraisers had the opportunity to pie their teachers in the face! One of our students has gone above and beyond, raising over $10,000 for the Terry Fox run over the past five years. To celebrate this incredible accomplishment, she had the opportunity to pie me in the face! It was wonderful to hear our students laughing, cheering, and celebrating together. There was so much joy and school spirit throughout the event. What a fantastic way to start the week and celebrate what we can accomplish when our school community comes together for a great cause!
We recognized concussion awareness this week and also recognized National Truth and Reconciliation Day with many classes learning about the calls to action in our junior and intermediate grades. There was so much orange on Wednesday and we thank everyone for their support.
Today was a pretty exciting day at our school! CBC Television came to visit as part of a story about the Upper Grand District School Board and some of the innovative work happening in mathematics instruction. We were incredibly proud that Mrs. Corbett was selected to showcase some of this work at Princess Margaret. CBC spent time interviewing Mrs. Corbett and one of the Board’s math facilitators, and then joined her classroom to see a math lesson in action. There was definitely a buzz of excitement throughout the school, and it was wonderful to see Princess Margaret and the hard work of our staff and students being recognized! We have been told that the full interview will air on CBC Radio and that portions of the story will also be featured on both local and national CBC television news. They are planning to air the story sometime in the middle of next week, and we will be sure to share the details once we have them for anyone who would like to tune in. We are very proud of Mrs. Corbett and our entire Princess Margaret team!
Please note our second school council meeting of the year is scheduled on the 8th of October at 6pm. This meeting will be all about the Holiday Craft Fair. Please attend if you are able or check out the minutes which are sent out following the meeting. Grade 4 and 7 students will be bringing home their individual EQAO scoresfrom last year, tomorrow, Friday. I am very proud of our students and all of their accomplishments.
Important Upcoming Dates:
October:
-2nd: GET REAL inclusion assembly grades 4-8 (letter sent home)
-5th:World Teacher’s Day
-9th: Officer Amy at PMPS to present about Cyber safety to all grade 5-8s (email sent home with new date)
We are celebrating World Teachers’ Day, which takes place on October 5th! This is a special opportunity to recognize the amazing, hardworking, caring, and dedicated teachers here at Princess Margaret Public School. Our teachers do so much more than teach us reading, writing, math, science, art, and all the other things we learn each day. They encourage us when things are difficult, celebrate our successes, help us learn from our mistakes, and work incredibly hard to make our school a place where every student can learn, grow, and belong. To all of our incredible PMPS teachers: thank you for your patience, your creativity, your kindness, and the countless ways you support our students every single day. We appreciate you more than you know! Parents/ Caregivers, , if you see one of your teachers on the 5th, take a moment to say thank you and let them know something you appreciate about them. Happy World Teachers’ Day to the amazing teachers of Princess Margaret! We are so lucky to have you!
-12th: Thanksgiving- No School
Spirit Days:
-October 9th: Fall Colours! Wear fall colours like brown, red, orange, or yellow to celebrate Fall and Thanksgiving!
-October 16th: October is Global Diversity Awareness Month! Let’s promote cultural diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect worldwide by wearing lots of bright colours!
-October 23rd: School Colours Day! PMPS students and staff can wear purple, grey, blue, or white to show their school pride!
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Andrea Papavasiliou
Proud Principal of PMPS
See what’s happening in the UGDSB this month - The UGDSB’s October Communications Newsletter is out! In this month's issue we have information about Cyber Awareness Month 2026, the Student and Family Support Office, and School Zone Safety. We’re looking forward to a great month ahead! LINK: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter
