Good Evening Mustang Families,
It’s been another good week here at PMPS of learning new things and having fun while doing so. I want to thank all families who are making an effort to come to school, when safe, on no bus days. We are a walking school with the exception of about 8 students. We carry on with a regular school day full of learning. Students who miss school will need to get caught up on school work, similar to when sick. You will notice that the UGDSB is actively promoting this message at an elementary and secondary level.
Sideline basketball has started, intermediate basketball, choir, craft club, eco club, and inclusion club all continues. Thanks to our staff for providing these opportunities and for students who participate. There is very important information below, thanks for continuing to read my updates.
Important Safety Notice: Front Door and Letting Others in and Lunch Deliveries: So far, we believe the front-door system is working well. Thank you for your cooperation as our community continues to learn and adjust to this new entry process. As a reminder:
When the light is green, you may enter freely and report to the office
When the light is white, please press the buzzer and a staff member will assist you in gaining access to the building.
It is very important that once you have been granted access, you do not allow additional people to enter behind you. For example, yesterday a delivery person entered the building after being let in by a parent. The delivery driver became confused and attempted to access the library and hallway. This situation reinforces why we strongly discourage holding the door open for others, even if their reason for entry appears legitimate. For similar reasons, we also strongly discourage food deliveries from services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash etc. These individuals are not vetted members of our school community. As demonstrated yesterday, delivery drivers can sometimes be confused about where they are permitted to go. Additionally, lunches are sometimes left on the desk for extended periods of time when students forget to pick them up. Whenever possible, please consider packing your child’s lunch or dropping it off in person. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and continued attention to keeping our school community safe.
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)
Professional Activity Day Description: January 30, 2026 Information for Elementary Parents/Guardians:
Date: January 30, 2026 Length: Full Day Elementary Topics:
● Term 1 Report Cards Entity Hosting: Upper Grand DSB Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Independent/Individual Description:
●(225 minutes) - Term 1 Reports as per Collective Agreements
Important Dates:
January 26th & 27th: Dairy Farmer’s Presentation: Grades K-⅚
January 30th: PD Day- no school for students
-February: Black Heritage, Black Brilliance, and Black Futures month
-2nd: Term 2 and Q3 start today
-4th: Students will be in teams and assigned a country that reflects our PMPS community and they will create flags and a team cheer for our upcoming Olympic Play Day
-5th: National Sweater Day: Turn Down the Heat to Conserve
-6th: The Winter Olympics start! Go Canada!
-6th: Director and SO visit 9am-945am
-10th: Grade 6/7 to ⅞ Ttrip to Hockley
-12th: Paralympic Guest Speaker (virtual) 1115am-12pm
-13th: Olympic Play date: Opening ceremonies after entry, outside activities middle and last block, with the closing ceremony on the tarmac
-16th: Family Day: No School
-18th: -10th: Grade 6/7 to ⅞ Ttrip to Hockley
-18th: Term One Report cards and IEPs with Term Two goals go home
-25th: Pink Shirt Day- Across Canada. Stand Up Against Bullying
Upcoming Spirit Days:
-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 Grade 4,5,and 6: RED Grade 7 and 8: BLACK Staff: Tye Dye
Notice of Guest Speaker, School Wide: Great news! We’ve been able to secure a Paralympic gold medalist to speak to our students. I’ve included a link to information about this athlete. I’m truly excited for our students—he brings an incredible message of resilience, hard work ,his life story (including leg and lung cancer) and the Olympic experience. https://paralympic.ca/athlete/andrew-haley/
A big thank‑you to our wonderful School Council for allowing us to use our PRO Grant to support this opportunity, as it strongly promotes inclusivity within our school community.
The presentation will take place virtually on February 12th from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This format greatly reduced the speaker’s cost, and he has also generously lowered his fee further knowing we are a school and recognizing the limitations of school budgets. We are excited to welcome Andrew Hayley to PMPS!
Energy Drinks: We would like to bring to your attention a concern we have noticed during the school day. Some students have been coming to school and/or returning from second lunch with highly caffeinated energy drinks. While these beverages are widely available, they are not recommended for children and adolescents. High levels of caffeine and other stimulants can lead to side effects such as increased heart rate, headaches, stomach discomfort, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and disrupted sleep. These effects can significantly impact students’ well-being and their ability to learn and self-regulate. Given the age of our students, energy drinks will not be allowed to be consumed in class. If students arrive with these drinks, they will be asked to put them away. We appreciate your support in reinforcing healthy choices by encouraging students to bring water, milk, or other appropriate beverages to school. Our shared goal is to create a safe, focused, and supportive learning environment for all students. Thank you for your support.
New Safe Arrival Communication: In an effort to support Mrs. Mckenzie and ensure Safe Arrival procedures are completed in a timely manner, we will be sending out a mass phone call and text message to families whose child has not been reported absent for the day. If you receive this phone call or text, please contact the school immediately so that we can confirm your child’s whereabouts.Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in keeping our students safe.
Webinar for Parents and Guardians About Reading, Writing and Math from the Ministry of Ed:
EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Reading
(January 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.)
Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ reading skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss reading samples and questions from the reading components of the primary- and junior-division assessments, and from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these reading passages and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
EQAO Math Session for Parents and Guardians of Primary Students
(January 22, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.)
Join us for a free webinar about how EQAO assesses primary-division students’ mathematics learning. EQAO staff will discuss questions from the mathematics component of the primary-division assessment. Participants will hear how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
EQAO Math Session for Parents and Guardians of Junior Students
(February 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.)
Join us for a free webinar about how EQAO assesses junior-division students’ mathematics learning. EQAO staff will discuss questions from the mathematics component of the junior-division assessment. Participants will hear how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Writing
(February 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.)
Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ writing skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss writing prompts and questions from the reading components of the primary- and junior-division assessments and from the OSSLT. Participants will hear how these prompts and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
EQAO Math Session for Parents and Guardians of Grade 9 Students
(February 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.)
Join us for a free webinar about how EQAO assesses Grade 9 students’ mathematics learning. EQAO staff will discuss questions from the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics. Participants will hear how these questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning
Milk Sales: Our wonderful Student Council continues to sell milk. The milk costs $1.25 each.
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