Good Evening Mustang Families,
Happy New Year! Welcome back! I hope you and your family had a great holiday season. I am glad to have our students and staff back, they have settled back in nicely. We have a number of great things going on here at PMPS. Some examples include our curling team has been selected and will be training starting next week! Older students have been practising for a basketball shoot out, our grade 8s will have an ODSS visit for grade 9 course selection next week and grad photos, and Family Transition Place have started their series of presentations and workshops with our intermediates. Thank you to our School Council for supporting this important work and for already helping us book this programming for the 2026/2027 school year as well. We have an amazing School Council! Thanks to all our families who support our fundraisers such as cookie dough and Holiday Craft Fair which helps Council support our school.
January 7th-30th : kindergarten registration is open. Please see our school website for more information and to register online. Please tell your neighbours as well.
-January 6th to 31st: Out of Area open in the UGDSB (see board website for details)
Important Dates:
January 5th: Family Transition Place (FTP) presentations begin on Mondays or Thursdays for 8 weeks for grades 6/7 to ⅞ (information previously sent home) * FTP is no longer able to provide workshops from grades 5 to ⅚ as they are short staffed.
January 7th-30th:: Kindergarten registration begins for 26/27 school year
January 6th to 31st: Out of Area open in the UGDSB (see board website for details)
January 12th: GET REAL Inclusivity Workshop Grades 4-8 (letter went home)
January 13th: ODSS visit for grade 8s (course selection)
January 14th: Grad Photos (grade 8)
January 26th & 27th: Dairy Farmer’s Presentation: Grades K-⅚
January 30th: PD Day- no school for students
Upcoming Spirit Days:
-January 9th: Dress like your favourite hobby day! Dress like an artist, sports star, musician, etc.
-January 16th:Dress like a tourist! Get out those fanny packs and cameras, hats, Sunglasses, etc.
-Friday, January 23rd: Dress like your favourite animal day! Are you going to be a tiger, a dog, maybe a cat, or…….? Let’s create our own PMPS animal kingdom
-Thursday, Jan. 29th: Division colours: JK/K, Gr. 1,2,and 3: BLUE Grade4,5,and 6: RED Grade 7 and 8: BLACK Staff: Tye Dye
Congratulations to the class with 70% participation in our December spirit days - Mrs. Pozniak’s grade 1 and 2 class
January Communications Newsletter The January Communications Newsletter is out! In this month's issue we have information about:
Information about Kindergarten Registration
Winter Walk Day
And more!
You can view the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter
Reminders:
Period Equity Products: A reminder that period products continue to be available here for any students who need them. Our machine can be found upstairs in our use for all bathroom (single stall) or students can ask any staff member.
Slips, Trips & Falls: Please make sure that your child(ren) and you are wearing appropriate footwear for our wintery weather. This helps prevent slips, trips, and falls inside and outside our school.
No Bus Days: We Are Open for Learning! A reminder that on no bus days, we are here for learning. A very small percentage of our students are bussed, so teachers carry on with a normal learning day. Our school is open for all who can safely make it here. If your child (ren) will not be attending school, you need to call in their absence please. This helps Mrs. Mckenize with her safe arrival procedures in a timely manner. Thank you for your help with this. If a no bus day falls on a pizza day, we go ahead with our pizza day.
Parking Lot Safety: Please remember that our front parking lot is closed during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. This is clearly marked with signage. Parents should not enter the parking lot, park in the special needs spaces unless they have a permit, or stop in the bus loop. Before the break, we had an incident where a parent parked in a designated special needs space without a permit and then pulled out without looking, nearly hitting another parent and child. Safety is our number one priority, and we need everyone’s cooperation to keep our students and families safe.
Additionally:
The bus loop is never to be used for parking. It is a fire lane and must remain clear at all times.
The Town of Orangeville has issued tickets to parents for these violations. The fine is $125, and unfortunately, this is a town matter—I cannot intervene.
No-Bus Days: On days when buses are cancelled, if your child will not be attending school, please call the office. Mrs. Mckenzie had nearly 50 calls to make on the last no-bus day, which significantly slows down our Safe Arrivals process. Our goal is to account for every child quickly, and your help makes this possible.
Parent Resources:
Dufferin Parent Support Network: 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: 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/
Community Support: Hill of Headwaters Collaborative has a new opportunity for anyone in the community who may require access to care providers. Check out the link for Details: https://hillsofheadwaterscollaborative.ca/caredays
We have a great day of learning and fun planned on Friday! Take care.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal