PMPS Weekly Update April 4th, 2024
Good evening Mustang Families,
We had a great short week here at Princess Margaret. We had our OPP safety presentations and Chef L’Ecole visited our grades 4-8 and spoke French while making delicious chocolate lava cakes. Thank you to all of our parents/caregivers who volunteered their time! Our intermediate basketball teams completed their season at tournament this week. We are incredibly proud of them as they played with heart and grit. Thank you to Mrs. Mikulik and Mr. Navarro for coaching.
A reminder that it is a good idea to keep a close eye on the weather, so students know what to wear in the morning. Another good idea is to pack an extra pair of pants in your child(ren)’s backpack(s) as we have returned to muddy conditions. This avoids us having to call home for a pant request during the day.
We are also asking students to keep valuables at home. On another note, the school is not responsible for lost or stolen items that should be kept at home such as toys, Pokemon cards etc. Thank you for helping your child(ren) keep these items at home.
Our Twitter account is full of updates, please check it out: @margaret_ps . I update our website regularly as well: www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ . Our school council also posts to Instrgram @princessmargaretps. Please take a moment to have a look.
OPP Presentation for Parents in Person at PMPS April 23rd at 6pm with Officer Amy-Lynn Pitton: I am pleased to share that our OPP community engagement officer will be coming to PMPS on April 23rd at 6pm to host a one-hour parent information evening about how to keep your child(ren) safe online from bullying and predators. The officer will also take questions. All parents/caregivers are welcome. Children are not welcome to attend at the request of the officer, because of the subject matter. Please RSVP by email to: [email protected] by April 19th at 3pm with the number of parents attending, so we can plan accordingly. Currently, we have received very few RSVPs, so please RSVP so we can make the event run. Thank you.
Please check out https://www.dpsn.ca/ for free parenting workshops. The Dufferin Parenting Support Network is a great organization of parents supporting parents.
The April Communications Newsletter is out! This is the monthly public-facing newsletter from the communications department. In this month’s issue we have information about:
- Every Day Counts! Student attendance
- Student career fairs
- Mental health literacy for students
- And more!
Download the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/community/communications/communications-newsletter/
Why are we fundraising with Little Caesar’s Pizza?
Our Parent Council is working hard to support our school’s impactful initiatives. So far this year, they have supported our new musical instrument program, the Kindergarten garden, the art meditation workshops for mental health, and our school’s Family Transition Place programming, to name a few.
The Council’s ultimate fundraising goal is to create an outdoor learning space, for all grades to enjoy. Research has shown that children embrace a greater sense of freedom through learning outdoors, facilitating a more positive attitude toward school. Learning outside can help to improve children’s understanding of the curriculum, offering ways to better engage them in school subjects and to encourage working more closely with classmates. The many benefits of outdoor learning include enhanced social and communication skills, physical skills, increased self-confidence, and a deeper knowledge and appreciation for our natural world, all contributing to improved mental health and overall well-being.
Every item sold through our Little Caesar’s pizza kit fundraiser raises funds towards these goals. Please consider ordering a pizza kit (or cheesy bread or cookie dough!) this week! Our fundraiser closes at 11pm on Sunday, April 7th. The Little Caesar’s items will be available for pick-up at the school on Friday, April 19th, at school pick-up time.
To place your order, please follow these simple steps:
1) Visit our dedicated webpage: www.pizzakit.ca
2) Click on “products” and then “shop” on the top menu bar
3) Click on the orange “support a local fundraiser” icon
4) Type in our school’s Fundraiser ID: 439650 and you will see Princess Margaret appear
5) Click and shop!
** Please make sure you add your child’s name in the “Seller Name” field upon check-out, so that we can keep track of who ordered what upon delivery! Thank you for supporting our school!
Reminders:
Ramadan Accommodations: Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the holy month of fasting for Muslims. During Ramadan, many Muslims will fast (no food or water) from sunrise to sunset. Families often have a pre-dawn meal, suhur, to start the day and break their fast with a meal, iftar, at sunset. This year, Ramadan is expected to end on Tuesday April 9th, 2024, depending on the sighting of the moon. The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid al-Fitr, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world.
Our school has a designated prayer space (room 102), we can provide lunch time accommodations, students will not be penalized for missing class or assignments while observing, and we can reduce expectations of physical activities, as well as playing instruments. Please let your child’s teacher know if they are observing Ramadan and what accommodations we can support them with.
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/
Solar Eclipse Resources: In addition to the resources previously shared, please see the latest release from Public Health: Please see WDGPH’s website: eclipse webpage which is now live! Public Health has also prepared this Public Health Safety for Solar Eclipse (PDF) fact sheet in advance of April 8th.
Professional Activity Day Description: April 8, 2024 Full Day
Elementary Topic AM: Mathematics
Elementary Topic PM: Mental Health and Well-Being
- Morning (150 mins) – Mathematics
- A choice of math topics and strategies to focus on with staff, related to resources available in the Grade 3 Essentials, Let’s Go! UGDSB Let’s Learn.
- Afternoon (150 mins) – Mental Health and Well-being
- A curated session to support learning for teams around trauma and trauma informed practices.
Entity Hosting: Upper Grand DSB
Important Upcoming Dates:
*Little Caesars Pizza Fundraiser Ongoing (Last day to order: April 7th)
-April 8th: PD Day (am math PD for staff & , pm mental health training for staff) No School for students.
-April 9th: Kindergarten Oville Fire Presentations in LLC
-April 10th: Grade ½ Oville Fire Presentations in LLC
-April 11th: Michale Jacques Presentation am K-8 & Rescheduled Grad Photos
MichaelJacques_1Pager_2023-R.pdf
-April 19th: Little Caesars Pizza Fundraiser Distribution
-April 23rd: Parent Presentation from OPP Officer Amy Pitton 6pm Library
-April 24th: Office Coordinator Appreciation Day
-April 25th: UGDSB Director of Education & Superintendent Visit 1045-1145am
-April 26th: K-3 Author Visit in Library am
Upcoming Spirit Days for April & Early May:
April 10th: International Day of Pink
April 11th- Autism Awareness Day: purple
April 16th: Disney Character Day ( Pixar, Marvel, Princesses etc.)
April 26th: Comfy Clothes Day
May 3rd: Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you)- Star Wars, clothes representing space etc.
Reminders:
Emergency Lunch and Recess Supervisors Needed Urgently: 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 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 awesome students, please call me, Andrea Papavasiliou (Principal) 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.
Milk Sales: Our wonderful Student Council continues to sell milk. The milk costs $1.00 each. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.
Have a wonderful weekend. A reminder that Monday is a PD Day. We’ll see the students back on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024 at 830am.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Categories: News