Princess Margaret Public School

Good evening Mustang Families,

Last Friday, our school held our Olympic Play Day, complete with an opening and closing ceremony featuring an Olympic cauldron and torch. The activities kept students physically active, excited, and having fun all morning long.
I was incredibly impressed by the outstanding leadership of our two teachers, Mrs. Christie and Mrs. Mikulik , who planned the entire event, as well as all of the student leaders who guided our teams. They kept everyone engaged, energized, and safe throughout the day.
It was truly one of the best days I can remember at Princess Margaret. The kids were thrilled and so appreciative—seeing them proudly waving the flags of our PMPS family nations around the school was heartwarming and included countries like the Philippines, Jamaica, Italy, and many more. It was a core-memory day for sure.


This week we also had our junior and intermediate speech speak off in the library. Everyone was impressed with the pose, confidence, and knowledge of our speakers. Public speaking is an important skill and all of our students worked hard over the last two months to prepare and present their speeches. Our winners will present our school at the Lions Club.

-Ongoing Grade ⅞ Trip Fundraising: Our intermediates are busy selling chocolates and popcorn to earn money towards their year end trip. Please support them if you are able to. Thank you.


Important Dates:
-20th: Olympic Guest Speaker (in person) 130pm
-25th: Pink Shirt Day- Across Canada. Stand Up Against Bullying


Upcoming Spirit Days:

-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:
Reminder: Report Cards & IEPS Went Home the 18th: As with Student Progress reports in the Fall, the UGDSB is continuing to use the online report card system. If you previously accessed our Electronic Report Card system in the last few years, no action is required at this time for you to access your child(ren)’s term one report. Please note, we have also chosen to send home paper copies of the report card as well with each child. Elementary reports are available for parents to download from the Parent Portal. Please check your child’s backpack for the paper copy.
To access reports;
Please visit the UGDSB website at https://sites.google.com/ugcloud.ca/parenthelp/report-cards-parent-portal and see https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/connected/ for further help in accessing and downloading student reports in the portal (if the links do not work, please try cut/copy/paste into your browser)
If your email address has changed, or you are new to our school board since the November progress reports, please contact your school office coordinator, Mrs. McKenzie at 519-941-3731 ext 221 or push 0.
IEPS (modified and alternative goals only) also went home on the 18th as well. Please remember to read the IEP, keep it, but to send back the signed consultation page please.



Attention Parents/Caregivers Public Health Immunization Notices: Immunization notices have been sent for elementary students who do not have up-to-date immunization records. To get missing vaccines listed in the notice, you can book an appointment with your healthcare provider or with Public Health at wdgpublichealth.ca/appointments. To check or update your child's immunization record, visit immunizewdg.ca. Visit wdgpublichealth.ca/vaccination for more information about receiving a notice. Please note all inquiries and concerns go through Public Health. As a school we have no control over the immunization notices.
Free webinar series for parents/caregivers: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health from School Mental Health Ontario:
 
We are excited to share a valuable opportunity to support your child’s well-being. School Mental Health Ontario is offering a free webinar series as part of the By Your Side Learning Hub, designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics to support their children’s mental health.
 
This expert-led series will provide insights and practical strategies on: 
✅ balanced device use
✅ vaping
✅ body image
✅ anxiety

The webinars will also include answers to questions that parents/caregivers can provide ahead of the webinar, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain practical guidance. 
 
📅 Sessions run March to June 
💻 Register for free today  
 
English and French sessions will be offered on each topic. All webinar recordings will be uploaded to the By Your Side Learning Hub.

Milk Sales: Our wonderful Student Council continues to sell milk. The milk costs $1.25 each.
We have a great day of learning and fun planned on Friday! Have a great weekend once it gets here.

Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Good evening Mustang Families,
We were thrilled to welcome Andrew Healy, a Paralympian swimmer and gold medalist at the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Paralympics. He taught us that we are all good enough, strong enough, that we matter, and that we are cared for. He also shared many valuable lessons, including that we each have our own superpowers. Andrew reminded us that just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and that when life knocks us down, we choose how we get back up. He emphasized that everyone faces challenges, and it is absolutely OK to ask for help — that’s how champions grow stronger.
We are excited to welcome him back to our school on March 10th, when he will speak more about the Paralympics and the theme of ability. He will also be presenting to School Council on March 5th at 6:00 PM in our library as well.
It has been another fabulous week here at Princess Margaret! We have been busy cheering on our Olympians, recognizing Black icons during Black History Month, celebrating the 100th Day of School, and enjoying lots of basketball and curling. We are very much looking forward to our outdoor play day tomorrow.Please remember to dress very warmly. We will be outdoors for two out of three periods; only recess will be indoors.
Report Cards & IEPS Coming Home the 18th: As with Student Progress reports in the Fall, the UGDSB is continuing to use the online report card system. If you previously accessed our Electronic Report Card system in the last few years,, no action is required at this time for you to access your child(ren)’s term one report. Please note, we have also chosen to send home paper copies of the report card as well with each child. Elementary reports should be available for parents to download from the Parent Portal on Wednesday the 18th Please check your child’s backpack for the paper copy. To access reports;
Please visit the UGDSB website at https://sites.google.com/ugcloud.ca/parenthelp/report-cards-parent-portal and see https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/connected/ for further help in accessing and downloading student reports in the portal (if the links do not work, please try cut/copy/paste into your browser)
If your email address has changed, or you are new to our school board since the November progress reports, please contact your school office coordinator, Mrs. McKenzie at 519-941-3731 ext 221 or push 0.
IEPS (modified and alternative goals only) will be going home on the 18th as well. Please remember to read the IEP, keep it, but to send back the signed consultation page please.
Attention Parents/Caregivers Public Health Immunization Notices: Immunization notices have been sent for elementary students who do not have up-to-date immunization records. To get missing vaccines listed in the notice, you can book an appointment with your healthcare provider or with Public Health at wdgpublichealth.ca/appointments. To check or update your child's immunization record, visit immunizewdg.ca. Visit wdgpublichealth.ca/vaccination for more information about receiving a notice. Please note all inquiries and concerns go through Public Health. As a school we have no control over the immunization notices.

Free webinar series for parents/caregivers: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health from School Mental Health Ontario:

We are excited to share a valuable opportunity to support your child’s well-being. School Mental Health Ontario is offering a free webinar series as part of the By Your Side Learning Hub, designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics to support their children’s mental health. The webinars will also include answers to questions that parents/caregivers can provide ahead of the webinar, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain practical guidance. 
 
📅 Sessions run March to June 
💻 Register for free today  

Important Dates:
-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:
-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.
We have a great day of learning and fun planned on Friday! Dress warm! Take care and we’ll see everyone back on Tuesday at 830am! Have a great Family Day weekend. Have fun and be safe!
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Good evening Mustang Families,

As February continues, we are recognizing Black Heritage, Black Brilliance, and Black Futures month here at our school. We are learning about influential black icons 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. Walking from classroom to classroom students are participating in read alouds, reading independently, writing poetry and biographies about black brilliance. Please ask your child all about it.
Our junior and intermediate classes have worked very hard on their speeches and will be picking the students who will represent them at our school wide speak off next week.. Public speaking is no easy task, but our students are doing it with confidence and grace. Our curling team continues to learn the game. Our primary students are also getting excited about the 100th day of school. Our grade 6-8 students go to Hockley Valley early next week to enjoy some skiing and snowboarding. The Olympics is in full swing already at PMPS and we are excited about our upcoming guest speakers and play date.
February Communications Newsletter: The February Communications Newsletter is out! In this month's issue we have information about:
Black History Month
2026-27 School Year Calendars
National Sweater Day
And more!


You can view the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter


Important Dates:
-February: Black Heritage, Black Brilliance, and Black Futures month
-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:
-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:
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
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 and we’ll see everyone back on Monday! Have a great weekend.


Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

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 and the school office will be closed.

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. 

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

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

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 

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

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!

We have a great day of learning and fun planned on Friday! Take care.

Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal