Good evening Mustang Families,
Another great week of learning here at Princess Margaret! Mother Nature is certainly showing her force this winter, it was a shorter week than we all expected. I am writing earlier then usual because I want to remind everyone that Friday is a PD day for all students. There is no school as teachers write report cards.
A giant thank you to our School Council who is helping me bring a High Ropes course to PMPS in May. Each class will have the opportunity to have 100 minutes of instruction and activity. Thanks to their fundraising efforts, there will be no cost to families! Normally, this event would cost about $25 per student. Thank you Council and all of you for your support. Our next meeting for the School Council is February 5th at 6pm in the library. All are welcome!
As February begins next week, we are recognizing Black Heritage, Black Brilliance, and Black Futures month here at our school. We are learning about influential black role models on our daily announcements, during classroom activities, and through school displays. We are proudly flying the Pan African flag for the month of February to recognize this month. We’d also like to share with our school community our board’s equity statement as well:
As a school community, we have a responsibility to recognize, call out, and break down racism and oppression in all forms. The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is committed to removing systemic barriers that continue to impact students, staff, and families. This is not just a short-term project - it’s an ongoing commitment to making sure every student has a learning environment that is fair, just, and inclusive.
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support- this work is important year round, not just in February.
Don’t Miss Out On These Important Due Dates:
-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)
Don’t forget:
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
Scent Aware: All students, staff, and visitors please refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes etc. while coming to PMPS. We have students and staff who are triggered by strong scents and some have severe allergic reactions or asthma attacks as a result. Thank you for your understanding.
Parents/Caregivers in School During Day: A reminder to all of our families that all visitors to our building must check in with the office. Parents, caregivers, and siblings are not allowed to go down school hallways during the school day. Although your child knows you are a safe adult, not all school staff and students do. Thank you for your cooperation.
Emergency Food Programs: The Dufferin & Area Food Access Guide lists many local emergency and community food programs serving Dufferin residents.The Dufferin & Area Food Access Guide lists many local emergency and community food programs serving Dufferin residents. Download it here: Dufferin Food Access Guide 2024 (11 x 8.5 in)
More Good News! In addition to our Paralympic guest speaker on February 12th, we are excited to announce that we will also have an Olympic guest speaker visiting our school on February 20th at 1:30 p.m. in person. Her name is Claire Scheffel, a synchronized swimmer who represented Canada at the Paris Olympics. Claire will be speaking about her road to the Olympics, her life experiences, the obstacles she faced, and the hard work and resilience that helped her succeed. She will also share her experiences competing at the Olympic Games. To find out more please visit: https://olympic.ca/team-canada/claire-scheffel/
Public Feedback Staff, students and families in our district are invited to take a few minutes to provide their input on the UGDSB’s draft 2026-2027 School Year Calendars via an anonymous online survey: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/331068739/welcome
Important Dates:
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
-5th: School Council meeting in library 6pm
-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 Trip to Hockley
-18th: Term One Report cards and IEPs with Term Two goals go home
-20th: Olympic Guest Speaker (in person) 130pm
-25th: Pink Shirt Day- Across Canada. Stand Up Against Bullying
Upcoming Spirit Days:
-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
February Spirit Days:
-Friday, Feb. 6th: 1st Day of the Olympics: Dress as an athlete from one of the Olympic sports OR dress like a snowflake/snowperson
-Friday, Feb. 13th: PINK, RED, WHITE Day! Wear pink, red, or white today to show your love of Valentine’s Day
-Friday, Feb. 20th: Wear Canadian memorabilia or red and white! Olympian guest speaker will be at our school to share with us (more information below)
-Friday, Feb. 27th: Board Game day! Bring in your favourite board game and enjoy game stations in your classroom.
Reminders:
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.
Notice of Paralympic 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! He will return in March to talk specifically about inclusion and equity in sport and also able body sports and paralympic sports. He is talking to our School Council during our meeting on March 5th, and presenting to our grade 7/8s about the transition to highschool and change in May.
Webinar for Parents and Guardians About Reading, Writing and Math from the Ministry of Ed:
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.
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 Thursday! Take care and we’ll see everyone back on Monday, February 2nd at 830am.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal