Good Evening PCPS Families,
We hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving long weekend!
IEPs Coming Home – October 15
If your child has an IEP, a copy will be sent home Tuesday, October 15. You can also access IEPs digitally through the UGDSB Family Portal. “An instruction doc specific to accessing IEPs“ is available to help families log in and view documents.
Halloween at PCPS
Halloween participation is always optional. Students may choose to wear costumes or orange and black. Please remember:
Costumes should be inclusive and respectful (no cultural stereotypes, violent, or scary themes).
No props or accessories at school.
Teachers will share class-specific details soon.
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).
If your child will need alternate activities, please connect with their teacher.
UGDSB Job Fairs
The board is hosting job fairs for Educational Assistants:
Well-Being and Health Youth Surveys
From October 20 – November 21, UGDSB will collect feedback from students, families, and staff to support safe, inclusive, and healthy schools. Please review this letter for more detailed information.
📲 UGDSB Family Portal Launch
Coming this fall: a secure, one-stop hub for bus updates, report cards, and more—with translation tools and single sign-on. Watch for details this week! Resource:https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/11363 Families should be directed to https://family.ugdsb.on.ca/. Office staff can assist with sign-in steps and escalate technical issues to DSS Help Desk.
💙 Supporting Families
Explore these free resources:
Dufferin Parent Support Network – Parenting workshops & peer support -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 – Services & events for families : Please see the link for some different workshops and events: https://behavioursolutions.dcafs.on.ca/events/
Caregiver Series: Creating Connection & Supporting Transitions – More info coming soon!
📅 Upcoming Dates
Oct 15 – IEPs go home
Oct 15 - Open Gym for students in Grade 7&8 with Mr. Hamilton
Oct 20 - Happy Diwali
Oct 20 - Picture Day
Oct 21 – ECE Appreciation Day
Oct 22–23 – Gr. 3 CCAT Testing Practice
Oct 24 – PD Day - No School Poster Oct. 24, 2025 PA Day
Oct 27-30– Gr. 3 CCAT Testing
Oct. 31 - Happy Halloween (More details to follow)
Sincerely,
Kristin Alie
Principal, Parkinson Centennial PS