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
We are currently seeking public input on Policy 518 - Students with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions.
This policy conveys the board’s commitment to supporting students with prevalent medical conditions, such as asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes and epilepsy, to ensure they have full access to school in a safe, inclusive, and healthy environment. This includes fostering well-being and empowering students to manage their medical needs to the best of their ability.
To review the draft documents and provide feedback, visit the UGDSB website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/o/ugdsb/page/policy-518-students-with-life-threatening-medical-conditions
Get to know the UGDSB’s Family Portal
Upper Grand District School Board
September 30, 2025
This fall we are launching the UGDSB Family Portal to all families in the board. Some families may already have access to the Family Portal as it was soft-launched last year.
The UGDSB Family Portal puts your child’s school information in one secure place. See bus updates, IEPs, School Cash Online, and more—anytime. It’s easy to use, with single sign-on for many tools (and we’re adding more).
https://family.ugdsb.on.ca/
Need help? Please see this FAQ or contact your school office for support.
The UGDSB Family Portal puts your child’s school information in one secure place. See bus updates, IEPs, School Cash Online, reset students’ passwords, and more—anytime. It’s easy to use, with single sign-on for many tools (and we’re adding more). Get started: https://family.ugdsb.on.ca/. Need help? Please see this FAQ: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/family-portal-faq
Join us at our Orangeville & Area Job Fair to explore supply opportunities as a Casual or Emergency Educational Assistant.
📍 Grant Evans Education Centre: 40 Amelia Street, Orangeville
🗓️ Wednesday, October 22, 2025
⏰ 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
✅ Take part in on-site interviews!
📲 Click the link below or scan the QR to sign up!
🔗 https://UGDSB_orangevillejobfair_EAEEA.eventbrite.ca
🙌 Be part of a team recognized as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture 2025!
I wanted to send out another reminder about our school parking lots:
-Please do not park in our front bus loop at any time. This includes our families who use the YMCA before and after school. Although we have limited bus students, we still have a couple of buses that carry students on them. It is also a fire route and blocks staff who need to park in the five parking spots in front of the school.
-The front parking lot is closed, except for those who have an accessibility permit. Do not park in the front parking lot, as children and parents walk through the parking lot and are not expecting cars to pull out.
-Parking is available on the road and the train station (go bus) is another alternative.
On Friday, we had a parent who briefly parked in the fire route and ran into the school to pick up their child. During that very short time, the ByLaw Officer came by and quickly issued a $125 ticket. I want to ensure that all families know this for safety and also because of the high cost of the ticket.
Thanks to your attention to this matter.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Dear Mustang Families,
Thank you. What a wonderful feeling it was to have our families back in our building to see what a great start students have been off to.I sensed how excited families were to start another school year. Thanks for coming and supporting your student(s). Didn’t the student work look great? Thanks to our parents/caregivers who were able to attend our first school council meeting of the year last week. Minutes from that meeting are at the bottom of this update.
We’ve had a busy week here at PMPS. The junior and intermediate soccer teams represented our school with #MustangProud. The choir has started as well. Thank you to all of our families who were able to donate to our Terry Fox run. We are excited to continue to honour Terry’s legacy. Thanks to Mrs. Landry’s class who made daily announcements encouraging us to donate and educating us about Terry. They did a tremendous job.
On another note, please continue to address your student concerns with teachers first, before coming to the office to discuss. Teachers are ready to help and spend the majority of the day with your child(ren). Thank you. All requests for Child and Youth Worker support (Tania) must also go through the classroom teacher.
Our PMPS Bullying Prevention Plan & Safe, Equitable and Inclusive School strategy has been updated. You can review it here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/o/pmps/page/resources. Thank you the parents, community members, staff, and student who helped review the plan.
If you have not already done so, please take some time to review the email I sent home last night about scooter safety. It is also posted on our live feed on our school website too. https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ Grade ⅞ families, please also be sure to review the email I sent home about the use of cellphones. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to review these important emails.
Please note Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day is on Sunday, September 28, 2025. Flags will be lowered at the end of day on Friday, September 26th, and raised on Monday morning to mark Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. Our flag will also be lowered on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation onTuesday, September 30, 2025.
UGDSB Family Portal: This fall, the UGDSB is launching the UGDSB Family Portal to all families across the board. The Family Portal puts bus updates, report cards and more in one secure place for families. Many tools use single sign-on and more are being added. The portal is equipped with language translation. Information about the Family Portal will be sent out centrally to all families starting next week.
Our First School Council fundraiser: Quest for Cakes Donuts! Council will be selling a dozen donuts for $15, once again. This time, they are decorated like pumpkins and all one flavour. The fundraiser will begin on October 1st through to the 15th. The pick-up will be on October 29th at pick-up time. Lots more information to come.
Spirit Wear: Spirit wear can be ordered at any time during the year now. Please visit http://princessmargaret.deco-apparel.com/
Equity Update: I want to remind everyone of the Identity Based Harm button found on every school's website and on the main UGDSB webpage. The Report Identity-Based Harm and/or Bullying tool gives students and parents 24/7 access for reporting. You can also speak to your child’s teacher and/or me concerning any harm as well.
Mobile / Recording Devices : Please see this reminder from UGDSB’s Responsible Use of Digital Resources and note how it aligns with the revisions to the Code of Conduct last year related to the use of cellular devices: The UGDSB recognizes the critical role that parents play in educating their children on the appropriate use of mobile devices and in monitoring the use of these devices as today’s responsible digital citizens. This partnership of parents and schools is essential in achieving success in ensuring appropriate use of technology. Some tools available on mobile devices allow them to be used by parents as tracking devices to monitor a child’s activities and locations throughout the day. It is important to note that while some of these applications may serve legitimate purposes they can also be used in an intrusive manner. The privacy, safety and dignity of others could be violated by the inappropriate use of audio and video recording devices. Mobile devices may not be used to record audio or video while on school or board premises. Mobile devices may be used for recording purposes for instructional use only with teacher approval.
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
Late this afternoon I received the following email from the Town of Orangeville Crossing Guards Supervisor. I think it is important to pass along to all of your families, so you can review this critical information with your child(ren). Teachers will be reviewing with their students tomorrow as well.
Thank you. Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
“Good afternoon,
I would like to introduce myself. I am the Supervisor, Crossing Guards for the Town of Orangeville. I am reaching out to ask for your assistance in helping to educate students and parents about the use of electric scooters. We are finding more students are riding E-Scooters to school. Unfortunately many are not wearing helmets and not following the rules of the road. Yesterday, there was an incident with one of your students on Bythia where the student was almost hit by a car, as the student was travelling in the middle of the road and not paying attention to vehicles. They did not have a helmet on. Here are the requirements for e-scooters:
Device Requirements
Wheels & Motor: Must have two wheels and an electric motor no more than 500 watts.
Speed: Maximum speed of 24 km/h on a level surface.
Braking System: Must have a braking system capable of stopping the scooter within 9 metres at 24 km/h.
Safety Features: Requires a standing platform, a handlebar, a horn or bell, at least one white front light, one red rear light, and reflective material on the sides.
Maintenance: The e-scooter and all its components must be kept in good working order.
Modifications: Motor modifications that increase power or speed are not allowed.
Rider Requirements
Age: You must be at least 16 years old to operate an e-scooter.
Helmet: You must wear a helmet if you are under 18.
Standing: You must always stand while riding.
Passengers & Cargo: You are not permitted to carry passengers or cargo.
Rules of the Road: E-scooter operators must follow the rules of the road as outlined in Ontario's Highway Traffic Act (HTA).
Where You Can Ride
E-scooters are permitted on public roadways in municipalities that have opted into the provincial e-scooter pilot program and have passed a by-law to allow them.
You cannot operate an e-scooter on controlled access highways (such as the 400-series highways).
Always check with your local municipality for their specific e-scooter policies, as they may have further restrictions on where e-scooters can be ridden.
Penalties
Violating e-scooter rules can result in significant fines under the Highway Traffic Act, ranging from $250 to $2,500.
The crossing guards are most concerned about the students safety when riding E-Scooters and just would hate to watch a student get hurt.
Thank you very much for your support.
T. Elrick
Supervisor, Crossing Guards, Town of Orangeville”
Hello Grade ⅞ Parents/Caregivers,
It is hard to believe that next week is October already. Time is flying by. For the most part, we had a great start in the intermediate division. I like to address issues early with students and their families knowing that together, we can address them and see an improvement in behaviour and therefore learning. Cellphones are a problem this school year.
As previously communicated, all cellphones and smart watches must be turned off and placed in the tech box in their classroom. This has been a practice at PMPS for the last two years and last year the Ministry of Education made it mandatory. The following comes directly from our school and board code of conduct, policies and procedures 213 in regards to cellphones:
“not use personal mobile devices during instructional time except under the following circumstances:
○ for educational purposes, as directed by an educator
○ for health and medical purpose
○ to support special education needs
Students in Grades 7-12
Personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode during instructional time, except when their use is explicitly permitted by the educator.”
You can access the complete code of conduct again at: https://www.ugdsb.ca/o/pmps/page/pmps-school-code-of-conduct
Teachers remind all students at the start of the day to store their phone in our tech lock box. Some students are telling their teachers that they do not have their phones, but are using them at their backpack hook in the hall, at recess, and in the bathroom. Lately, some students are stuffing them down their pants to hide their cellphones from staff. If students are found hiding their phones or using them, there will be consequences for not following the direction that has been clearly communicated several times this school year. Not following staff direction or being dishonest with staff is a breach of our school code of conduct.
If a child needs to contact his or her parent/caregiver, they will be given a phone pass and can use the phone in the office. Please do not call or text your child during the school day. We need parent and caregiver support to keep students engaged in learning and to protect them from the problems cellphones can cause (eg., social media conflict, taking pictures and videos that violate student and staff confidentiality…). .
Students are also reminded that cellphone use is not permitted outside before and after school. Several students have been uncooperative with our morning and afternoon staff. If students need to use their phone, they are asked to do so once off school property.
Teachers will be reviewing this information once again with students. If you could also follow up with your child, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your support.
Andrea Papavasilou, Principal
Reminder: Please see the attached information for dental screenings for JK/SK/Grade 2 students, as well as anyone else who wishes to have one. Please see the attached information for opt in and opt out information. Dental Screenings are happening at PMPS on September 30th. Thank you.
Opt In/ Opt Out Info for Dental Screenings
Dear Grade Seven Families,
Please see below for details about your school’s upcoming Grade 7 vaccine clinic.
The clinic at your school is scheduled for November 25th, 2025 .
Thank you.
Public Health
Important Information Grade 7 Vaccine Clinic
Tonight is the night!
Meet the Teacher is tonight (September 18th, 2025) from 5:30-7:00pm. It is also our first meeting of the year for school council from 6pm-7pm. Please check us out and consider joining.
This is not an interview evening, but an opportunity to take a stroll through your child’s classroom and meet their teacher. If you require a meeting, please schedule one with your child’s teacher at a later date.
I want to remind everyone that parking is limited as our back parking lot is closed due to construction. Please walk, wheel, or bike, park at the train station (Go Bus) or neighbouring streets where parking is allowed.
We look forward to meeting everyone tonight.
Andrea Papavasiliou
Principal