-Tanzanian Proverb
October 21st, 2025
Dear PMPS Families,
Snacker the Cracker Monster is back!
We need your help as our cracker supply for our nutrition program is running low. We are asking for help re-stocking our shelves with more boxes of crackers.
Extra boxes of crackers will be stored so we can continue to provide snacks to students all year long. We kindly ask that donations be peanut-free! Donations can be fed to Snacker the Cracker Monster located near the school's front entrance.
Thank you for your continued support.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Early Childhood Educator Day — a special time to recognize the incredible impact that early learning professionals have on our youngest students. At Princess Margaret, we are so lucky to have two amazing educators: Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Taylor!
Their warmth, creativity, and dedication help our littlest learners feel safe, curious, and excited to explore the world around them. Every day, they bring joy, patience, and love into their kindergarten classrooms, helping children build strong foundations for learning and life.
Thank you, Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Taylor, for all that you do. You are truly appreciated, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our PMPS family!
Please see the attached picture for anyone who is in search of a family doctor in our area. I have no knowledge about this doctor, but thought some of our families who are using walk ins as a source for family care, might be interested.
Thank you.
Dear Mustang Families,
It’s been a great week at PMPS again this week. Our volleyball teams are busy, our garden club is cleaning out the gardens for winter, choir is sounding great, band is coming along quickly, our grade 8s went to Career Day at the argiculture centre, and our grade three students are preparing to write the CCAT test next week. Thank you to all of our families who supported our donut fundraiser. Your support is appreciated.
IEPs: If your child has an IEP, please remember to return the consultation page to your child’s teacher.
FYI: Memorial for the late Honourable Hilary M. Weston, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario - Friday, October 17, 2025: Our flags will be lowered from sunrise to sunset on Friday, October 17, 2025, the day of the memorial service for the late Honourable Hilary M. Weston, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, who passed away on August 2, 2025.
YMCA Before and After Care: If you are a parent/caregiver who drops off or picks up from the YMCA please use the front door only. This is for safety reasons and helps staff secure the building. Please also do not park in the fire route and bus route at any time. Bylaw has been by and it is a $125 ticket. Thank you for your cooperation.
Video Surveillance Reminder:The purpose of video surveillance at UGDSB schools is to serve the safety and security needs of the board and is not intended to infringe on anyone’s right to privacy. Please take some time to read the policy. Policy 203.
Weather & Being Dressed Appropriately: It’s that time of the year when it feels like summer on some days and winter on others. Please make sure to be checking the weather in the morning so children are appropriately dressed for the weather. Children go outside in light drizzle and snow. Storing an extra set of pants and socks is a good idea in your child’s backpack, as this avoids a call home for wet pants. If your family needs help purchasing boots and warm winter wear, please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs. Papavasiliou (PapaV). Check out our free items starting tomorrow in our front foyer (see email sent previously).
Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) will be hosting its Grade 8 Information Night on Wednesday, December 4th at 630pm. Grade 8 families please mark your calendars and make sure you attend this important event.
Grade ⅞ 2nd Recess & Lunch: A reminder to our grade ⅞ families that students must remain off property from 1230-110pm. If they have permission to leave, that no outside drink or food is to come back and up to classrooms, and that permission to leave for lunch must be arranged prior to the start of the school day with a parent/caregiver, not during the school day. Please understand that we are not responsible for your child’s safety when they are off school property. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher.
Important Upcoming Dates:
-October 17th: 2025: Officer Amy Visit to Grade 7/8s classes
-October 20th, 2025: Happy Diwali to those who celebrate!
-October 20th to November 21st: WHY Survey completion for students, staff, and parents/caregivers (letter went home to all grade 4-8 families)
Parent Survey: https://redcap.link/2026parentwhy (link will be active as of October 20th)
-October 21st, 2025: ECE (Early Childhood Educator) Appreciation Day. Thank you to Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Taylor, the best ECEs around!
-October 21st, 2025: Public Health Fluoride Treatment- all grades (info sent home)
-October 22nd-23rd, 2025: Grade 3 CCAT Testing (info sent home in September)
-October 23rd, 2025: Officer Amy Visit to kindergarten classes (Rescheduled from the 15th as Officer Amy presented at the Careers Day for the Intermediates)
-October 23rd, 2025: Class Pictures and retakes
-October 24th, 2025: PD Day ( AI Cyber Training, Keeping Schools Safe, and Progress Report writing (No School for Students)
-October 29th: Donut Fundraiser Pick Up
-October 31st: Halloween
Upcoming Spirit Days:
-October 22nd: Celebrate accomplishments and contributions of Canadian Women throughout history (wear purple, green, and white)
-October 31st: Halloween: Orange and Black or costumes
Don’t forget about our Mustang Spirit Cup!
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a great weekend.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
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 and expect more in the coming weeks.
We’ve organized all of our coats, snow pants, mitts, and hats in the front foyer. Starting tomorrow morning (Friday) at 8:15 a.m., 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.
Warmly,
Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal
Thanks for your understanding.
A reminder that IEPS went home this afternoon on October 15th: If your child has an IEP, a copy of it went home on the 15th. There was a letter that accompanied the IEP which explains more. A reminder about digital IEP Access for Parents/Guardians on the UGDSB Family Portal: After a successful pilot last year with secondary schools and some elementary schools, digital access to IEPs for Parents/Guardians will be expanded for all students with IEPs. An instruction doc specific to accessing IEPs has been developed to guide Parents/Guardians through the initial setup of their UGDSB Family Portal account and accessing IEPs.
LAST CALL! School Council’s First Fundraiser: Donuts anyone? Have you ordered your pumpkin donuts yet?! You have less then one day left to place your orders for our tasty fundraiser! In partnership with our local Quest for Cakes Bakery, School Council is selling packs of 12 small, plain-flavoured donuts, decorated as pumpkins! You can see a colour photo of the donuts on School Cash On-line, where the donuts are available for purchase. The cost for a pack of 12 is $15.00. Donuts are nut-free, kosher dairy, and the full list of ingredients is on each box. Order deadline is this Wednesday, October 15th, and donuts will be available for pick up at the end of the school day on Wednesday, October 29th, just in time for Halloween!! Thank you in advance for supporting our school!
From The Orangeville Curling Club:
Hello teachers/coaches, I am reaching out in the hopes that you can spread the word regarding an event we'll be hosting at the Orangeville Curling Club. With a focus on exposing curling to more youth participants, we will be hosting a "try-it" event for kids.
When: October 26, 2025 @ 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Where: 76 Fifth Ave Orangeville
What: Kids can learn about and try curling. This can include members of any current (or previous) elementary/high school school teams, but also any other youth interested in trying the sport. We will have instructors to teach kids about the sport, proper technique, etc. We also have the necessary equipment on site, so there is very little required on behalf of the participants (only a clean pair of running shoes).
The club will require guardians to sign the club waiver, which will be available at the club on that day - this includes Rowan's law (helmet rules) for kids 12 and under.
Grant Peters
President
Orangeville Curling Club
Dear Mustang Families,
It’s been another good week at PMPS. We had over 20 runners from grade 1 to 8 represent us at the Dufferin Cross County meet. Our runners ran proudly and represented our school well. One of our runners finished 3rd and another 8th in their races. This is spectacular as there are sometimes hundreds of runners in each event. We have a number of clubs continuing this week including: choir, gardening, and art expression club. We want to thank our teachers who coach and run these clubs. School Council met last week and the minutes are included on our school website under this week's news.
IEPS Home on October 16th: Another reminder that if your child has an IEP, that a copy of it will be coming home on the 16th. There is a letter that is accompanying the IEP which explains more.
Digital IEP Access for Parents/Guardians on the UGDSB Family Portal: After a successful pilot last year with secondary schools and some elementary schools, digital access to IEPs for Parents/Guardians will be expanded for all students with IEPs. IEPs will be available for access on October 15, 2025. An instruction doc specific to accessing IEPs has been developed to guide Parents/Guardians through the initial setup of their UGDSB Family Portal account and accessing IEPs.
School Council’s First Fundraiser: Donuts anyone? Have you ordered your pumpkin donuts yet?! You have less then one week left to place your orders for our tasty fundraiser! In partnership with our local Quest for Cakes Bakery, School Council is selling packs of 12 small, plain-flavoured donuts, decorated as pumpkins! You can see a colour photo of the donuts on School Cash On-line, where the donuts are available for purchase. The cost for a pack of 12 is $15.00. Donuts are nut-free, kosher dairy, and the full list of ingredients is on each box. Order deadline is next Wednesday, October 15th, and donuts will be available for pick up at the end of the school day on Wednesday, October 29th, just in time for Halloween!! Thank you in advance for supporting our school!
HALLOWEEN: Many schools celebrate Halloween with costume dress up and/or black and orange. Halloween is a day that is not observed by all students or staff. With this, it is considered a choice to participate as are all spirit days. Alternate and supportive accommodations are provided for students if school events take place (e.g. parade). Please reach out to your child(ren)’s teacher to speak more about accommodations.
Costumes: It is our responsibility to ensure that all school community members (e.g., students, staff, parents in our building…) avoid using identities and cultures as costumes. This includes appropriative costumes/cultural stereotypes (i.e. cultural garments), black/brown face, transphobic costumes (i.e. man dressed as a woman), body-shaming and objectifying costumes, and costumes that joke about situations that have caused harm. Such costumes perpetuate stereotypes and can cause harm that can further marginalize and oppress community members. We also ask that violent, scary, and bloody costumes are also not worn, as these costumes scare some students. All props and accessories stay at home as well, so they are not lost. If costumes violate the above criteria, students will be asked to remove their costume and parents/guardians will be notified. Thanks for helping to make our school a safe and inclusive environment for all. Teachers will provide more guidance about the details around Halloween (e.g. when costumes should be worn etc).
UGDSB Job Fairs - Educational Assistants;UGDSB Job Fairs focusing on EA Supply and Emergency EA recruitment is quickly approaching!
Guelph Job Fair - October 15, 2025
Orangeville & Area Job Fair - October 22, 2025
Upcoming Spirit Days:
-October 10th- Prep for Diwali (Each class can make a colourful paper chain with a sunflower on it, so it is ready for Diwali on the 20th)
-October 15th- -Learning Differences Awareness Day: Celebrate unique strengths and abilities of individuals (Wear orange, silver, and blue)
Important Upcoming Dates:
-October 13th, 2025: No school, Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate
-October 15th, 2025: Grade 8 trip to Career Day
-October 16th, 2025: All IEPs go home (Individual Education Plans)
-October 17th: 2025: Officer Amy Visit to Grade 7/8s classes (letter coming home)
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate and enjoy the long weekend after a full day of learning tomorrow. We’ll see everyone back on Tuesday, October 14th at 830am.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
From October 20th to November 21st, the Upper Grand District School Board is collecting information on student health and well-being from youth, parents and school staff. The Well-Being and Health Youth Surveys are designed to help us understand how well we are doing creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments in our schools. It also provides important information about the physical and mental health of youth in our area.
Please review this letter for more detailed information. https://5il.ca/x89
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the link to sign up for fluoride varnish at Princess Margaret Public School were temporarily unavailable. The link are now working and available for registration.
Parents can now register their children for fluoride varnish application on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Please visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca/fluoride to complete the registration process.
If you need help registering or have questions, please call WDG Public Health at 1-800-265-7293 ext.2661
As announced on Friday, tomorrow, October 6th is blue and white day and/or wear your Jays gear to PMPS. Let’s show our support for Canada’s Team! #BuiltForFall #JaysAffiliateSchool #GoJayGo #Mustang Proud #PostSeason
🌍 Happy World Teacher’s Day! 📚✏️
Today, we proudly celebrate an extraordinary group of individuals who inspire, lead, and shape the future every single day — our dedicated, hardworking, and phenomenal Princess Margaret. teachers. If you see or talk to a PMPS teacher today, please thank them!
To our PMPS teachers:
Thank you for showing up with passion, patience, and purpose.
Thank you for going above and beyond to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Thank you for being the heart of our school and the guiding light in so many lives.
Your impact reaches far beyond the classroom walls — and today, we honor your unwavering commitment and the difference you make in the world.
Happy World Teacher’s Day — you are truly appreciated! 💙🍎
Dear Mustang Families,
What another great week here at PMPS! Our school was represented proudly at the County Cross Running Meet. The team showed true grit and determination as they ran their hardest and represented us with true Mustang pride! We had a student finish 3rd overall and another 8th overall. What an accomplishment! We recognized concussion awareness last week on Friday, recognized National Truth and Reconciliation Day with many classes learning about the calls to action in our junior and intermediate grades, and Fire Prevention Officer Kelly came and presented to our grade 7 and 8 students.
We are also fortunate to have student leaders who contribute their time and efforts to many things that make our school better. Students help with our food days, spirit days, our school sign, our announcements… the list goes on. We know all of our students are working hard and trying their best. Milk sales started last week and now continue. Students require $1.25 cash to purchase.
Daily Attendance as of September 29th, 2025: Did you know?
24% or 69 of our students have been absent 10% or more
16.7% or 48 of our students have been late 10% or more
Attendance notes of interest:
Most absent day of the week: Monday &Tuesday
Best attendance day of the week: Wednesday
Days most students are late: Thursday
Most punctual day of the week: Wednesday
Most absent grade: kindergarten
Best attendance: grade 3, grade 4, & grade 8
Most late grade: grade 3 and grade one
Most punctual grade: grade 7
September 29th: First set of attendance letters went home. If we can help, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
School Council’s First Fundraiser: Donuts anyone? Our School Council is excited to share our first fundraiser for this new school year: In partnership with our local Quest for Cakes Bakery, we will be selling donuts decorated as pumpkins! We are selling packs of 12 small, plain donuts dipped in orange icing with green buttercream leaves. You can see a colour photo of the donuts on our School Cash On-line, where the donuts are now available for purchase. The cost for a pack of 12 is $15.00. Donuts are nut-free, kosher dairy and the full list of ingredients is on each box. Donuts will be available for pick up at the end of the school day on Wednesday, October 29th, just in time for Halloween!! Thank you in advance for your support! Our School Council fundraisers help to fund important school programs, equipment, and outdoor education materials, to name a few!
October Communications Newsletter: The October Communications Newsletter is out! In this month's issue we have information about:
iWALK & iWHEEL Month
The UGDSB Family Portal
And more!
You can view the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter
Important Upcoming Dates:
-October 1st to 15th: School Council Pumpkin Donut Fundraiser (purchase through school cashonline)- more information to come.
-October 3rd, 2025: Superintendent visit to Princess Margaret. Mrs. Heaslip has retired and our new superintendent is Mr. Viveiros.
-October 2nd, 2025: Cross Country Meet (grades 1-8, information to come home soon for participating students)
-October 2nd, 2025: 2nd School Council meeting of the year 6-7pm in the school library. New members are always welcome!
-October 5th, 2025: World Teachers Day
-October 6th, 2025: Anti Black Racism Workshop GET REAL Grades 4-8 (letter went home last week)
-October 13th, 2025: No school, Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate
-October 15th, 2025: Grade 8 trip to Career Day
-October 15th, 2025: Officer Amy Visit to kindergarten classes (letter coming home)
-October 16th, 2025: All IEPs go home (Individual Education Plans)
-October 17th: 2025: Officer Amy Visit to Grade 7/8s classes (letter coming home)
-October 20th, 2025: Happy Diwali to those who celebrate!
-October 21st, 2025: ECE (Early Childhood Educator) Appreciation Day.
-October 21st, 2025: Public Health Fluoride Treatment- all grades (info will be sent home)
-October 22nd-23rd, 2025: Grade 3 CCAT Testing
-October 29th: Donut Fundraiser Pick Up
-October 31st: Halloween (more details to come)
We’ll see everyone for another day of learning on Friday. Have a wonderful weekend after a full day of learning tomorrow.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
September 30th, 2025
Dear PMPS Families,
It’s hard to believe that September is almost over. Where did the first month of school go? This is a good time for me to check in on student attendance and reach out to families who may need support. I pulled attendance data on September 26th for the first 18 days of school. Students will come home tonight if they have been identified as being persistently absent and/or late from school.
The Ministry of Education defines persistently absent as a student who is absent 10% or more of the time. Below you will find the information about your child who is persistently absent or late 10%, 20% or 30% of the time. The calculation is based on the days they have been enrolled at our school this school year from the start of September 2025.
In the UGDSB and at Princess Margaret, we know how important school attendance and established routines are for students to build knowledge, skills and confidence. We also recognize that ensuring consistent attendance at school relies on strong home/school relationships and consistent communication. September is a great time to offer support to students and families who need it before it becomes a bigger problem.
Every day that a student is absent from school is a lost opportunity for that child or adolescent to learn, build social skills, receive academic instruction, and receive the benefits associated with the sense of community found within our schools. Chronic or prolonged absenteeism can also result in decreased academic success and related prospects later in life. Increased feelings of anxiety following long periods away from school are also common as students begin to worry about their grades, catching-up on missed assignments, as well as interactions with their peers who may wonder where they have been.
For students struggling with attendance, the UGDSB offers many supports including access to Attendance Counsellors, Social Workers, referrals to community agencies and support staff in schools, in addition to many ways to ensure students keep connected and on top of their learning for periods when they have to be absent from school. We are here to help. The UGDSB board offers tips on their website about attendance as a starting point. https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/student-attendance-at-school-tips-and-strategies-for-families/.
While Ontario Law states that children between the ages of 6 and 17 must attend school, we do understand that sometimes illness and other circumstances mean that a student must be away for a period of time. These situations, however, should be exceptions and I have a responsibility to follow up and address extended or chronic absences with families.
Please contact me if you need support improving your child’s attendance. Our school day is from 830am to 250pm every weekday.
Your partner in education,
Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal, PMPS