Good evening Mustang Families,
It was another excellent week here at PMPS! I am sending this email out a little earlier to remind families of the upcoming PD day this Friday, June 5th. There is no school for students.
Happy Pride! Our equity club, The Welcoming Mustangs, Tania our CYC, and Mrs. Brodie organized a school wide flag raising ceremony with a decorate our tarmac event for all students to spread kindness and inclusivity. Ms. Patel’s class sang a song as well. It was really neat to see all students participating and the messages they created. Daily announcements continue all month long long, along with student displays.
Thank you to everyone who was able to come out for our art show and family fun night this week. The artwork was stunning and our band and choir played and sang beautifully. Thank you to our staff, our student and school council, and all the student volunteers who made the evening a great success! Mrs. Ellis is the driving force behind our arts education and this evening. She is an artist herself and brings out the artist in all of our students. Thank you Mrs. Ellis. A big shout out to Mrs. Penney and Mrs Mikulik as well and their contributions.
A reminder that students from other schools who do not have a sibling at our school should not be attending school events. As well, our school events such as Family Fun night is considered a family event, so a parent or caregiver should always be accompanying students. Thanks for your support.
Today, we also welcomed our final guest speaker of the year—what I like to call the Papavasiliou Speaking Series. Over the year, our students have had the opportunity to hear from a Canadian service member, engage in important learning around inclusion and anti-Black racism, and be inspired by both a Paralympian and an Olympian. Today, I truly feel we saved the best for last. Amaya James joined us to inspire our students to recognize their potential and to pursue their passions and interests. She also shared her incredible new book. You may remember that Amaya visited us four years ago with her first book, Afro-No. Several students asked how they could get a copy of her new book. Please know that I have purchased a few copies for our school library. If you are interested in purchasing a personal copy, you can find it on Amazon or through her website at www.amayajames.ca. Amaya’s new book is called, Emmie’s Next Chapter. It’s safe to say that Amaya left us all feeling inspired—reminding us that we are capable of achieving our dreams, that we should do what we enjoy, and encouraging us to ask, “Why not me?”
We want to wish Bon Voyage to our grade intermediates who travel to camp on Tuesday to celebrate a successful year. Best of luck to all of the Bike Roadeo participants who head to the Orangeville wide competition June 13th! Go Mustangs go! Congratulations to our grade 3 and 6 students who worked hard and did their very best.
On Thursday, June 4th we are hosting our last School Council meeting of the 25/26 school year. The current council will hold elections for next year and discuss ideas for the upcoming year. New members are always welcome to attend. We meet at 6pm in the school library.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated co chairs Emily M and Billie Jo for their passion and hard work leading our School Council. Thank you to Ida C who was our hardworking and efficient secretary providing all of our minutes. From Holiday Craft Fair to Family Fun Night, all of our Council members have worked so hard to enrich PMPS for students and staff. They have worked hard to fundraise to provide resources and opportunities for our students. Thank you on behalf of our entire PMPS school community. #MustangProud
Important Dates:
*** Freezie Sales are now over. Thank you for your support for our grade 8s***
-4th: Compass Run @ PMPS- last block (please donate a non perishable item if you are able)
-4th: School Council- Last meeting 6pm (elections-everyone is invited to run for positions)/ First meeting of 26/27 September 24th/26 6pm in the library (same night as Meet the Teacher)
-5th: PD Day: am curriculum & pm report card writing: no school for students
-9th & 10th: Intermediate Trip
-12th: School wide play day
-12th: All school library books due back.
-13th: Finale for Bike Roadeo: Alder Street
Upcoming Spirit Days:
June 12th: School Colours to celebrate our PMPS outdoor playday!!
Make sure to wear a hat and some sunscreen!!
We’ll see everyone on Thursday for another great learning day- remember Friday is a PD day. This means no school for students as teachers are engaging in learning about math and language and in the afternoon are writing report cards. We have a few fabulous weeks of school left- let’s make the most of them.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Good evening Mustang Families,
Happy Eid to all of our families celebrating this week! We wish you a joyous celebration with family and friends.
It’s been a very busy week here as May wraps up (where does the time go?). Our grade 3 and 6 students are done writing day one of EQAO and made us proud by how hard they worked. Our big event, Arts Night & Family Fun Nights is coming up on Tuesday, June 2nd from 5-7pm. We are very excited to see all of our families out. We are also looking forward to Monday and our ‘Bursting with Pride’ Pride Month kick off! We will have flag raising and art activities that focus on kindness and inclusion.
June is National Indigenous History Month, a month to continue learning and work in Indigenous Education and Reconciliation, and to learn about and celebrate the histories, cultures and futures of Indigenous Peoples. June is not about learning about residential schools or Indigenous trauma. It is a time to celebrate. National Indigenous History Month is a time for learning about as well as appreciating and acknowledging the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. National Indigenous Peoples Day is also in June. It takes place on June 21st as it is the summer solstice, a significant day for many Indigenous Peoples. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.
Monday, June 1st is Ontario Day. The province has named June 1st of each year as Ontario Day. “Ontario Day is an opportunity to celebrate the province and the significant milestones and contributions of past and present generations, highlighting the province's important role in Canada. It is also a time for students to deepen their understanding of Ontario's history and develop a shared appreciation for the province and its future.” (Ministry Guidelines) As outlined in the Ministry of Education’s Celebrating Ontario Day Guidelines, schools are required to dedicate some instructional time on June 1st to learning about Ontario. Ontario Day is intended to provide students with opportunities to learn about and celebrate key milestones in Ontario’s history, as well as the contributions Ontarians have made to the province and to Canada’s broader social, economic and cultural fabric. Schools may recognize Ontario Day in a variety of ways, including classroom learning, announcements, assemblies, guest speakers, performances, projects or other educational activities that are developmentally appropriate and accessible to all students.
Compass Run: On Thursday, June 4th we are having our annual Compass Run/Walk/Wheel. We are asking everyone to bring in a non-perishable food item for our local food bank. Please bring what you can.
Important Dates:
*** Freezie Sales start week of May 12th and runs each Tuesday and Thursday until we run out- 2nd break. ***
-May 28th & 29th: EQAO grades 3 & 6
June:
-Bike Week - June 1 to June 5, 2026: Bike to School Week is a celebration of the journey to school on wheels.
-1st: Bursting with Pride @ PMPS: Happy Pride Month
-1st: Ontario Day!
-2nd & 3rd: EQAO continued grades 3& 6 ( EQAO make up June 4th)
-2nd: Family Fun Night 5-7pm
-June 3rd: Author Visit: Amaya James. Child author of Afro No and her latest novel, Emmie’s Next Chapter (more information will be emailed home)
-4th: Compass Run @ PMPS- last block
-4th: School Council- Last meeting 6pm (elections-everyone is invited to run for positions)/ First meeting of 26/27 September 24th/26 6pm in the library (same night as Meet the Teacher)
-5th: PD Day: am curriculum & pm report card writing: no school for students
-9th & 10th: Intermediate Trip
-12th: School wide play day
-12th: All school library books due back.
-13th: Finale for Bike Roadeo: Alder Street
-17th: Grades ¾ (pm) & ⅘ (am) at Island Lake for Indigenous Learning
-18th: Pozniak/Szabo/Ditchburn Trip to Orangeville Library ( permission form coming home)
-21st: Summer Solstice & National Indigenous People’s Day
-22nd: PMPS Grade 8 Grad
-25th: Last day of School with students
-26th: PD day for staff (school improvement plans and transitions)
Upcoming Spirit Days:
May 29th: Beach Day!
June 1st: Colour Day!
(Dress in as many colours as you can to celebrate Pride month)
June 3rd: Red Shirt Day!
(Wear red in support of National AccessAbility Awareness Week)
June 12th: School Colours to celebrate our PMPS outdoor playday!!
Make sure to wear a hat and some sunscreen!!
June 19th: Share the Sunshine Day
Dress in yellow or bright colours to symbolize sunshine and positivity.
June 25th: Celebrate Canada!!
Dress in red and white or orange and wear Canadian accessories
Have a fabulous June and a wonderful summer!!
From your amazing Student Council!!
Thanks for taking the time to read through my weekly emails and your continued support. We’ll see everyone on Friday for another great learning day!
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
I wanted to share a brief update from today. Some of you may have noticed a meeting taking place on our school front lawn with Mayor Post, Deputy Mayor Taylor, Office Fines, Town of Orangeville staff, parents from our community and myself. We discussed traffic concerns in our community while observing the road and surrounding area.
Please know that student safety is our top priority, and this concern is shared by all who were involved. While the core issue ultimately comes down to drivers slowing down and respecting both the rules of the road and parking rules, we also explored additional ways to improve traffic flow and enhance safety around our school property.
As a first step, there will be a focus on education. You may notice an increased presence from both officers and town staff, supporting awareness around safe driving and adherence to parking rules. In addition, there will be increased signage and the town is investigating a placement of a crossing guard at Sarah Street. These changes are expected to be in place by September, followed by a check-in meeting in the fall to assess progress.
You may also see some physical changes to the road, such as additional markings and the installation of permanent pylons. Most of these improvements will take place over the summer.
In the meantime, we kindly ask everyone to take a deep breath, be kind to each other, drive cautiously, and remain vigilant for pedestrians—especially near any school in our community, at cross walks, and where crossing guards are stationed. This is not only a PMPS problem, but a concern in all of our Orangeville schools and beyond.
Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe.
Sincerely,
Andrea Papavasiliou, PMPS Principal
Please check your communication book this evening for an attendance letter if your child has been absent 10% of the time and/or arrived late 10% of the time since March Break.
It is important that students continue to put in their best effort right through to the final days of June. It is never too late to improve attendance.
Currently, on any given day at Princess Margaret, approximately 8.5% of our students are absent and about 6.5% arrive late. Our most frequent days for absences are Tuesdays and Fridays, while the highest number of late arrivals occurs on Mondays.
The grade with the highest number of late arrivals is Grade 8, while Grade 6 has the highest rate of absences. Our most frequently absent classes are our Grade 6/7 and Grade 5/6 classes. The classes with the most late arrivals are our Grade 2/3A class and one of our Grade 1/2 class.
If you need support in improving your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to reach out—we are here to help.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
Good evening Mustang Families,
Wow, what a great week here at PMPS! Our Special Olympians and peer coaches attended their meet on Thursday and did a fantastic job demonstrating their skill and resilience. I am very proud of our older students who coached and encouraged our younger students. Our whole school cheered them out and back in at the end of the day. It was so heart warming to watch our olympians show off their ribbons and medals. We have wonderful students at PMPS! Go Mustangs go! A big shout out to our incredible staff led by Mrs. Brodie and supported by Mrs. Cairns and our EA team, who made this day possible.
Our grade 3 and 6s start EQAO next week and I am proud of their hard work. EQAO continues the week after as well. It is important that all students attend school and arrive on time. Please ensure a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast. Don’t forget we have breakfast club from 8am to 825am each morning. Thanks for your help with this.
Thanks to the generous support of our School Council, we were lucky to host rock climbing all week at Princess Margaret. Each class participated in two sessions and had the opportunity to try a variety of obstacle courses and climbing challenges. It was wonderful to see students demonstrate bravery and step outside their comfort zones while having so much fun. Our kids deserved this experience and it was so wonderful everyone got to participate.
Thank you to our families who are working hard on their community garden plots. Much appreciation to our coordinator, Emily M. who organized the garden this year and who has been weeding.
Supervision: Please remember that students should not be arriving before 820am in the morning and need to be picked up/ or leave the school at the dismissal bell at 250pm. Morning supervision begins at 820am and end of the day supervision ends at 3pm. We have been noticing that some students are coming at about 8am.
Amaya Has a New Book — Be Among the First to Read It! I am excited to share some wonderful news from a familiar face in our school community! You may remember Amaya, the talented student author who visited our school a couple of years ago and spoke with students about her book Afro, No! We are thrilled to share that she will be returning to our school on June 3rd to introduce her latest work.Since her first visit, Amaya has delivered over 100 presentations across more than 60 schools and three school boards, and has sold nearly 1,000 copies of Afro, No! Our school has been part of her journey, and we are excited to welcome her back and celebrate her continued success. She will read from her new book, talk about her writing process, and answer questions from students. I have purchased copies of the new books for classes to read before she visits.
Important Dates:
May:*** Freezie Sales start week of May 12th and runs each Tuesday and Thursday until we run out- 2nd break. ***
-25th: Primary Track and Field Standards Day
-26th: Junior Track and Field Standards Day
-27th: Intermediate Track and Field Standards Day
-26th: Spring ⅞ Vaccination Clinic at PMPS
-28th & 29th: EQAO grades 3 & 6
June:
-June 1st: Bursting with Pride @ PMPS: Happy Pride Month
-2nd & 3rd: EQAO continued grades 3& 6 ( EQAO make up June 4th)
-2nd: Family Fun Night 5-7pm
-June 3rd: Author Visit: Amaya James. Child author of Afro No and her latest novel, Emmie’s Next Chapter (more information will be emailed home)
-4th: Compass Run @ PMPS- last block
-4th: School Council- Last meeting 6pm (elections-everyone is invited to run for positions)/ First meeting of 26/27 September 24th/26 6pm in the library (same night as Meet the Teacher)
-5th: PD Day: am curriculum & pm report card writing: no school for students
-9th & 10th: Intermediate Trip
-12th: School wide play day
-13th: Finale for Bike Roadeo: Alder Street
-17th: Grades ¾ (pm) & ⅘ (am) at Island Lake for Indigenous Learning
-18th: Pozniak/Szabo/Ditchburn Trip to Orangeville Library ( permission form coming home)
-22nd: PMPS Grade 8 Grad
-25th: Last day of School with students
-26th: PD day for staff (school improvement plans and transitions)
Upcoming Spirit Days:
May 15th: Backwards and Inside Out Day!
May 21st: Special Olympics Day! Wear Olympic Red and Olympic grey in support of our 15 PMPS Special Olympics team.
May 29th: Beach day(Dress like you are going to the beach - no bathing suit.) Sunglasses sunscreen Hat Shorts
Thanks for taking the time to read through my weekly emails and your continued support. We’ll see everyone on Friday for another great learning day! Here’s to beautiful sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Dear Families,
I am excited to share some wonderful news from a familiar face in our school community! You may remember Amaya, the talented student author who visited our school a couple of years ago and spoke with students about her book Afro, No! We are thrilled to share that she will be returning to our school on June 3rd to introduce her latest work.With the support of her family, Amaya has spent the past year working diligently on her newest project. On May 20th, she will officially launch Emmie’s Next Chapter — a fast-paced, highly illustrated 100-page graphic chapter book filled with humor, heart, and expressive storytelling. The story follows Emmie, a girl who loves her life exactly the way it is—until her family announces they are moving from San Francisco to New York City. This engaging story speaks directly to children experiencing change, whether that means starting a new school, moving to a new place, or learning to embrace the unfamiliar. It is a powerful message about courage, resilience, and discovering that sometimes the hardest changes lead to beautiful new beginnings. As the story reminds us, home is not just where you come from—it is where you grow. Now 13 years old, Amaya wrote every word and illustrated every page herself, and she is incredibly proud to share this book with young readers. Since her first visit, Amaya has delivered over 100 presentations across more than 60 schools and three school boards, and has sold nearly 1,000 copies of Afro, No! Our school has been part of her journey, and we are excited to welcome her back and celebrate her continued success. She will read from her new book, talk about her writing process, and answer questions from students. I have purchased copies of the new books for classes to read before she visits.
Thank you. Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
