Princess Margaret Public School

Dear Families,

I wanted to share some great news with you tonight! The province has just released the EQAO results for the 2024–2025 school year, and they show that the hard work happening at Princess Margaret is making a real difference.

Here’s how our students performed:

Grade 3 Results

• Reading: 88% of students met the provincial standard

• Writing: 100% of students met the provincial standard

• Math: 88% of students met the provincial standard

These results are above both the provincial and board averages—an incredible achievement!

Grade 6 Results

• Reading: 92% of students met the provincial standard

• Writing: 88% of students met the provincial standard

• Math: 46% of students met the provincial standard

While our reading and writing scores exceeded some provincial and board results, math remains an area for growth—not just for us, but across Ontario. For comparison, 51% of students provincially and 58% in Upper Grand met the math standard.

This is a huge win for our students, who worked so hard throughout the year, and for our dedicated staff, who continually reflect on their teaching practices to ensure every child develops the skills they need to succeed.

Individual student results will be sent home by Friday.

Thank you for your continued support as we celebrate these successes and focus on areas for improvement together!

Warm regards,
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Subject: Important Update: School Door Access

Good morning Mustang families,

I’m pleased to share that all school doors are now locked during the school day to enhance safety.
If you need to enter the school during the day, please press the button on the black panel at the front door. A staff member in the office will greet you and unlock the door remotely. We appreciate your patience as we adjust to this new process.

The front door will remain unlocked for entry to the breakfast club and morning arrival. At all other times, visitors will need to use the intercom at the front entrance. It is important that all students arrive to school on time and use their normal entrance. If not, this creates additional work for our OC, Mrs. Mckenzie and entry may be delayed.

The front door is locked when the panel is lit white, and it is open when the panel is lit green. When it is green, please enter the school without using the intercom.

Please see the communication that was sent out last school year and again at the beginning of this school year, for more information about why the Upper Grand District School Board has moved to this process.

Thank you for your understanding and support.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Communication about door access that was previously sent out:
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is committed to providing a safe, secure learning and working environment for students, staff, and visitors. Over the next couple of years all elementary schools are upgrading their door access systems and will consistently have their exterior doors locked during the school day.
I am writing to let you know that this board-wide project of upgrading the system used to access elementary school sites across the district is coming to our school shortly. We expect to have the system installed over the summer and live by Fall 2025.
Parents, guardians, volunteers are as always welcome to attend the school as per usual, however will need to use the intercom at the entrance to contact the office prior to having the doors opened. All visitors to schools are still required to sign in at the school’s main office and wear a badge/sticker identifying them as a visitor to the school once signed in.
If you would like additional information please see the link below which will take you to the board’s website and to Policy / Procedures 322 that outlines the management of access to schools sites across the system: https://www.ugdsb.ca/o/ugdsb/page/policy-322-safe-operation-of-schools-and-board-sites
Thank you for your patience and understanding and we look forward to welcoming you the next time you are at the school!
Andrea Papavasiliou, PMPS Principal

Good morning, Mustang families!
Today, Friday, November 28, the school is open for in-person interviews, and we can’t wait to connect with you! Please note that our book fair and winter clothing/school supply pick up is also open in the front hall. Take what you need.
Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s success. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Subject: Update on Parent Interview Night

Good afternoon Mustang families,

I’m writing to provide an important update regarding our parent interview night scheduled for this evening. Due to the weather, we have been directed to move interviews to virtual or phone calls, or to reschedule for another time. Please note, interviews are not cancelled, we just need to change how we are doing them. 

Teachers will be reaching out this afternoon to confirm whether you would like to:

• Switch to a virtual meeting (e.g., Google Meet; you need a computer or the app on your phone)

• Have a phone interview

• Reschedule your appointment for a time that works for you and the teacher at a later date 

For families who are available tomorrow, we will have a full day of interviews as planned at this current time. If something changes, I will be sure to reach back out and update you. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The school and board feel this is the safest option given the forecast and the fact that some staff travel long distances. We also want to ensure families are not on the road in unsafe conditions.

Please note:

• All community use of the school is cancelled for tonight.

• If you choose a phone interview, please ensure your phone accepts blocked calls at the scheduled time. Teachers will be calling from a blocked number as they are not permitted to stay at school.

• If you choose a virtual meeting, please check your inbox (and junk folder) for the meeting link.

Thank you for your patience and understanding—Mother Nature has certainly surprised us! Stay warm and safe.

We will have our scheduled clothing and school supply shop open on Friday and next week (supplies pending). 

Please come as soon as possible after dismissal to pick up Terra Cotta Cookie Orders. 

Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal

Good Evening Mustang Families,

This weekly email comes earlier because there are alot of good reminders for the 27th and 28th. I am sending this week’s update a little earlier in the week as I want to remind all families of parent/teacher interviews on Thursday evening and all day on Friday. A reminder that Friday is a PD day and there is no school for students. Terra Cotta cookie pick up is also on the 27th after school to 5pm. Make sure to pick up your preordered products as the school does not have a place to store frozen products.

It’s getting busy here as we prepare for our 29th annual Holiday Craft Fair. This is the School Council’s biggest fundraiser of the year! We are hopeful that all of our families can come on Saturday, December 6th, 2025 from 9am to 3pm and experience it! Thank you for your support (e.g., the items for classroom baskets, silent auction items, baked goods…). We also need to acknowledge the efforts of our wonderful School Council, Student Council, and Mrs. Mikulik who make this whole event possible!

Important: Our 3rd Winter Clothing Give Away: Are you in need of a warm jacket, snow pants, or cozy mittens for your child this fall and winter? Don’t go out and buy it, check what we have here first. We’ve been fortunate to receive some generous donations of new and gently used items. We’ve organized all of our coats, snow pants, mitts, and hats in the front foyer. Starting Thursday, November 27th, 2025 at 250pm, families are welcome to come in and see if there’s anything that could be useful for their child. In addition to winter gear, we also have school supplies, backpacks, and thermoses available—thanks to a generous local parent who donated these brand-new items. We’re grateful for the support from our community and hope this helps families prepare for the colder months ahead.


Important Dates:
November 27th: Progress Report Interview Night 3pm-7pm
November 27th to December 10th: Book Fair at PMPS
November 27th: Terra Cotta Cookie Pick Up in Library 3-5pm
November 27th: Classroom donations due for Class Holiday Baskets
November 28th: PD Day & Interview Day 830am to 250pm
December 2nd: Junior Division Trip to Theatre Orangeville
December 2nd: ODSS band visit (for all grades who are not at Theatre Orangeville)
December 4th: Grade 8 Information Night at ODSS 630pm
December 5th: Inside Out & Backwards Day
December 6th: PMPS 29th Annual Christmas Craft Fair 9-3pm (Please plan to attend)
December 8th: Grade 6/7 to ⅞ trip to the movies
December 9th: Grade ¾ & Grade ⅘ Fire Safety Presentations
December 10th: Grade ⅚ & Grade 6/7 Fire Safety Presentations
December 16th: Holiday singing assembly
December 16th: Grade ¾ & Grade ⅘ Library Visit
December 19th: Holiday singing, performances, and award assemblies
December 22nd to January 4th: Holiday Break (No School for Students)


Upcoming Spirit Days:
-November 27th/25: Comfy clothes day or wear school colours
-December 5th: Inside Out & Backwards Day
-December 12th: Jersey Day or Favourite Sport, or School Colours Day
-December 15th: Wear Blue, Silver, and white to celebrate Hanukkah starting on Dec. 14th.
-December 16th: Silver and gold for Posada Navidenas (Mexican Christmas begins Dec.16th)
-December 17th: Dress like your favourite holiday character (ex: reindeer, snowman, elf, etc.)
-December 18th: Festive hat, socks, and sweater day OR favourite sweater!
-December 19th: (Christmas colours) OR Red, Black, green (Kwanzaa colours)

Don’t forget about our Mustang Spirit Cup!

We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Thursday. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school staff and school council. Donations to the holiday craft fair and School Cashonline food program, cracker drive, and fundraising initiatives such as the Terra Cotta Cookies are greatly appreciated. Princess Margaret PS is a great community who supports one another. #Mustang Proud. We’ll see everyone back for learning on Monday. Have a great weekend after Thursday and your child(ren)’s interview.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Subject: Exciting Earth Rangers Assembly – December 11th

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are thrilled to share some exciting news! On Thursday, December 11th from 1:15 PM to 2:15 PM, our school will be hosting a free Earth Rangers Assembly, generously sponsored by Canon. There is absolutely no cost or fundraising required for this event.

This presentation is designed as a fast-paced, interactive game show where students team up to answer questions, make eco-decisions, and tackle environmental challenges. With audience participation, storytelling, and plenty of surprises, students will have fun while learning important science concepts.

Here’s what students can expect during the assembly:

An immersive HD multimedia experience
Live animals demonstrating their incredible natural behaviors
Interactive components, including a fun trivia game to engage students
STEM-aligned content supporting science and environmental curriculum
Designed for Grades 1–6 (but all students K–8 are welcome!)

We are excited to offer this unique learning opportunity and know it will be an unforgettable experience for our students!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Here is a wesbite with more information about Earth Rangers:

https://www.earthrangers.com/EN/CA/

Warm regards,
Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal

Good Evening Mustang Families,

The Holiday Craft Fair is quickly approaching! Mark your calendars for December 6th from 9am- 3pm. This is an annual event not only for our school, but our community and we can’t wait to have everyone come out and experience our vendors, bake sale, cookie decorating with Santa, kid entrepreneurs, and so much more! Thank you to our awesome student and school councils who are making it the most fantastic event! Below are some important ways that you can help support our greatest fundraiser of the year!

Bake sale forms: The second letter is coming out on Friday, Nov. 14th to encourage more families to bake for our bake sale! Thanks to those who have already agreed to make items for our bake sale.

Silent auction baskets: Each classroom donates items for a theme so a basket can be made for our silent auction. Student council members will be around to collect items on Thursday, Nov. 27th. The letter about the themes has been sent to all of our families.

A note from the School Council: We are looking for volunteers! Now that we have held our last formal meeting of 2025, we are fully focused on the upcoming Holiday Craft Fair, and we need as many helping hands as possible! The School Council is getting together in the school library on Thursday, November 20th at 6pm, to make all final arrangements for the Craft Fair. If you are interested in helping out, we would love to have you join us! We are also getting together on the evening of Monday, December 1st at 5pm to assemble all the items we have collected for the Silent Auction, which is part of the Holiday Craft Fair. If you are interested in helping us with this, please meet us in the library that evening. If we have plenty of volunteers, we can finish all the auction baskets that night! Thank you so much for your support. We will resume regular, monthly School Council meetings on Thursday, February 5th, 2026! All are welcome to attend.

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

2 weeks from today, ODSS is running their grade 8 information night. Please remind families of this event by sharing the information below: ODSS Grade 8 Information Night
Dec 4, 2025. 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Meet the staff, Get connected
Learn about elective programs & tour the school
Review registration & course selection Process

Stay Connected: Our Princess Margaret website is: https://uppergranddsbon.sites.thrillshare.ca/o/pmps. Our Twitter/ X page is: @margaret_ps . Our school council also has a Facebook page and an Instagram page: @princessmargaretps. Make sure your UGDSB mobile app is up to date! Download the mobile app - it’s everything Upper Grand in your pocket. For the latest updates, please sign up for notifications! Download for Android https://aptg.ca/V7pmln Download for iPhone https://aptg.ca/370LCh . Staying connected during the school year is key. I, along with a volunteer, work hard to update our social media pages and school website each week.

Important Dates:
November 20th: Extra School Council Meeting for Craft Fair
November 20th: Grade 7 Human Trafficking Presentation (letters to go home)
November 25th: Fall Grade ⅞ Vaccination Clinic at PMPS
November 27th: Progress Report Interview Night 3pm-7pm
November 27th to December 10th: Book Fair at PMPS
November 27th: Terra Cotta Cookie Pick Up in Library 3-5pm
November 28th: PD Day & Interview Day 830am to 250pm
November 28th: Classroom donations due for Class Holiday Baskets
December 2nd: Junior Division Trip to Theatre Orangeville
December 4th: Grade 8 Information Night at ODSS 630pm
December 6th: PMPS 29th Annual Christmas Craft Fair 9-3pm (Please plan to attend)
December 8th: Grade 6/7 to ⅞ trip to the movies
December 9th: Grade ¾ & Grade ⅘ Fire Safety Presentations
December 10th: Grade ⅚ & Grade 6/7 Fire Safety Presentations
December 16th: Holiday singing assembly
December 16th: Grade ¾ & Grade ⅘ Library Visit
December 19th: Holiday singing, performances, and award assemblies
December 22nd to January 4th: Holiday Break (No School for Students)

Upcoming Spirit Days:
Friday, November 21 – Wear Pink. Students and staff are welcome to wear pink as a way of standing up to bullying.
-November 27th/25: Comfy clothes day or wear school coloursDon’t forget about our Mustang Spirit Cup!

We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school staff and school council. Donations to the holiday craft fair and School Cashonline food program, cracker drive, and fundraising initiatives such as the Terra Cotta Cookies are greatly appreciated. Princess Margaret PS is a great community who supports one another. #Mustang Proud

Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal