PMPS Weekly Update April 20th
Good Evening Mustang Families,
It’s been another great week at PMPS. Our choir and some primary classes have been busy preparing for our Earth Day and Arts assembly, the ‘You’re the Chef” program started with some delicious food: strawberry apple salsa with baked pita wedges and homemade pizza pockets, our basketball teams continue to play games with other schools and show great sportspeople ship, and our students and staff in each division are working hard to understand fractions and decimals (our EQAO and diagnostic data shows us this is a concept our students and staff need to learn more about).
Our Twitter account is full of updates, please check it out: @margaret_ps. I update our website regularly as well: www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ . Please take a moment once and while and check out all of our great news!
Important Upcoming Dates:
April 28th: Class Picture Day
May 1st: School Council Meeting (virtual) Call the office for the link. We always want new members.
Upcoming Spirit Days:
April 21st: Earth Day: Wear earth colours & Challenges: division walk around the school, learn with lights off, outdoor learning
April 28th: Wild & Creative Outfit Day Needs to be canceled due to Class Picture Day
Emergency Response Training & Spring Drills: The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. Although we hope that an incident that requires response from emergency personnel will never occur in our school, we must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively in case it does. Each year our school must conduct drills to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of a real emergency. The following number of drills are required in the spring time
- 3 fire drills
- 1 lockdown drill
- 1 tornado drill and 1 evacuation drill
For each of these drills, there is an education component to explain why they are necessary. All drills are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Papavasiliou. Our drills will be starting again in the next couple of weeks.
REMINDERS:
PIC HOSTING FREE SCHOOL COUNCIL ENGAGEMENT EVENT – APRIL 26TH :
As a reminder, The UGDSB’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is hosting a free event for parents and guardians on April 26th at Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus beginning at 5:30pm. PIC presents “Building Engaging School Councils.” Whether currently part of a school council or if they are looking to become involved, this event is an opportunity open to all parents and guardians to discuss, learn and share with each other. Administrators and staff school council representatives are also invited to attend with their Council representatives. Here is a link to more information about this event and instructions for registering:
Reach Ahead Credits (Grade 8 Students): Reach-ahead credits allow graduating Grade 8 students to earn a high school credit prior to entering secondary school in September. Learners will get a head start on credit accumulation and develop learning and technology skills that will be useful in all secondary settings while gaining self-confidence through the successful completion of a high school credit. UGDSB students will register via myBlueprint. Registration will open @ the start of May. Please see our school website for a pdf with more information or your child’s teacher.
Parent/Guardian Survey: Parents and guardians of elementary school children are invited to participate in the Strengths to Grow research study. This brief study is entirely online and can be completed at any time. Participants will complete two 10-minute surveys and the 30-minute Strengths to Grow program which helps parents identify and develop their child’s unique strengths. Every participant receives free access to the Strengths to Grow program. For more information, follow this link:
https://bit.ly/strength-research
Dogs on School Property: Please remember that dogs are not allowed on school property. Some of our students have a fear of dogs. Please wait with your dog off school property for your child(ren). Thank you for your support.
School Council Fundraiser: Our School Council is working hard to raise funds for Princess Margaret. The funds raised go directly back to our students. Council is currently working on plans for an outdoor classroom, and has supported important student presentations at our school, our grade 7/8 end of the year trip, our kindergarten butterflies, and many more activities and projects. Please take a look at the attached flyer for more details. Thanks in advance for your support.
How does it work?
- Order: Pay through School Cash Online from April 3 – April 24. (Please order quickly, as quantities are limited.)
- Receive voucher: To be sent home with students the week of May 8.
- Redeem: Visit 10 and 10 Garden Centre to redeem your voucher between
May 15 and 23.
- Enjoy! Thank you for supporting the Princess Margaret Public School
Milk Sales: Our wonderful Student Council continues to sell milk. The milk costs $1.00 each. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.
Attendance Support in the UGDSB:
This week our tips for supporting your child’s attendance at school focuses on ways to involve the school. See below for some strategies you could try.
- Know that there are supports in your child’s school. Connect with them as soon as an issue starts. Connecting earlier is better than when your child has missed a lot of school.
- If your child wants to leave school, try to have them connect with a caring adult in the school first to see if things can be worked out before your child goes home.
- Reach out to your school Principal and/or Guidance department for help if your child is not coming to school. Let’s talk! There is no judgement!
- A welcoming school approach has proven to be quite effective. Ensure your child is familiar with their school Principal, Vice-Principal and other caring adults in the building.
- Talk to the school team about anything you are hearing might be difficult for your child at school. School staff are always ready to help problem solve.
- Have a mental health plan created with your child and school staff and ensure there is a safe place to go in the school when your child may need some quiet time.
- If going into the classroom is hard – remember coming into the school building and meeting with a caring adult in a safe space is an important step in getting back to school.
For more information, please visit the UGDSB website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/student-attendance-at-school-tips-and-strategies-for-families/
Emergency Lunch and Recess Supervisors Still Needed: If you love working with wonderful children, who are enthusiastic, fun and engaging, Princess Margaret wants you as a Lunchroom/Yard Supervisor. We have an urgent need for supplies while our regular staff are away. We are currently hiring for this position for the 2022/2023 school year. We require individuals who are caring, energetic, and have the ability to ensure the safety and security of our students. The position requires a commitment of approximately 80 minutes per day (two 40 minute nutrition breaks: 20 minutes eating and 20 minutes outdoor recess time). This is a paid position, minimum wage per hour. Your responsibilities include: monitoring lunchrooms and outside recess. Our two nutrition breaks/ yard times are from 10:20- 11am and again from 12:30-1:10pm. Lunchroom supervisors are required to have a vulnerable sector criminal record background check. If you want to be part of a great school community with wonderful students, please call Principal, Andrea Papavasiliou at 519-941-3731 ext 223. Similarly, if you know someone who would be fantastic in this role, please pass this information along to them. Thank you.
We will see everyone tomorrow for another great day of learning tomorrow and then we hope everyone has a great weekend.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Categories: News