Princess Margaret Public School

PMPS Weekly Update March 22nd, 2024

Posted March 21, 2024

Good Morning Mustang Families,

We had a good return this week to learning after the March Break. Our olympic playdate before the break was fun as students participated in a variety of activities. Our student leaders did a tremendous job of leading the younger students through the events. Our curling team finished their season this week with their good play at the Orangeville curling club Bonspiel. We’re very proud of their accomplishments as they finished second overall after going to a tie breaker- it was a nail biter! Our amazing basketball teams also won some games this week as well. Go Mustangs go! 

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 pack an extra pair of pants in childrens’ backpacks as the snow melts and we have a return to mud. This avoids us having to call home for a pant request during the day.

We are asking our junior and intermediate parents to review a few things with their children at home as we have seen an increase in some undesirable behaviour:

-Please go to the bathroom before going outside for recess and wear your jacket. We have large groups of children wanting to go in and some hide in the bathroom or run around in the school. Some students have pushed their way in or yelled at staff. This is not safe and also breaches our school code of conduct. Students need to be outside where there is supervision. Thank you for your support. 

-Please review proper bathroom etiquette with your children. Our upstairs bathroom toilets are constantly clogged with items that do not belong in the bathroom or large amounts of toilet paper. This is frustrating for our hardworking custodial and maintenance staff, and reduces the amount of toilets we have available for students. Please encourage your child to report any behaviour discreetly to their teacher or myself. Thank you. 

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.

Our School Council met on March 7th. Please see the minutes below. Our next meeting is on April 4th at 6pm in the school library. New members are always welcome. 

https://www.ugdsb.ca/princessmargaret/school-council-minutes-march-7th-2024/

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. 

Emergency Management Ontario – Eclipse (Bruce Sector) 

Please see these safety sheets as additional resources and information for the upcoming Solar Eclipse

April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse – Safety Sheet.pdf

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/

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

-March 29th & April 1st: No School (Good Friday & Easter Monday) 

-April 2nd-3rd: Chef a L’Ecole Grades 4-8

-April 4th: Grades 6-8 OPP Presentations & Custodial Appreciation Day

-April 4th: School Council Meeting, 6pm in the Library (LLC)

-April 8th: PD Day (am math PD for staff & , pm mental health training for staff)

-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 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 March:

Reminders: 

Parking lot reminders: Please no pets on school property, our parking lot is closed from 815am- 310pm everyday, no parking in special needs parking without a permit, no parking in the bus loop, no entering through the exit, and please be kind to staff who are helping to enforce these rules. In the last week we have had a few vehicles come through the parking lot the wrong way (enter through the exit).Thank you for your cooperation. You’ll now notice our new signage. Please take note. Have you seen the posters the grade 6s have added about idling? 

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 great weekend.

Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal

Categories: News