PMPS Weekly Update October 26th, 2023

Posted October 26, 2023

Good Evening Mustang Families,

It’s been a good week at PMPS again! We post lots of updates to our school Twitter feed: @margaret_ps . I update our website regularly as well: www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ . Our school council also posts to Instrgram @princessmargaretps. We have so many great things happening at our school and I like to share with our community. Please take a moment to have a look. 

Upcoming Recognition/ Spirit Days:

October 31st: Black/ Orange or Costumes 

November 2nd: Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). Wear orange and yellow to represent the marigolds or flowers

November 3rd:Comfy Clothes Day

November 10th: Wear Red and Black for Remembrance Day. Wear poppies

November 17th: Anything but a backpack day (purse, grocery bag/bin, luggage)

Thursday November 23rd: Pink Day – Anti Bullying 

Important Dates:

-October 27th, 2023: PD Day. Staff will be working on workplace violence training in the morning and in the afternoon, and will be writing progress reports that go home in November. There is no school for students. Remembrance Day flag will be raised after 12pm until sunset on November 11th. 

-November 2nd: School Council meeting in person, new members are welcome always welcome. We meet at 6pm in the library and try to keep the meeting to one hour. 

-November 2nd: Curling program at PMPS: Grades 1-8 (no cost to students)

-November 6th to 10th: Treaties Recognition Week 

-November 8th: Indigenous Vetern’s Day (Flags at Half Mast)

-November 9th: Superintendent Denise Heaslip visit, Grade 8s to Career Pathways Event 

-November 10th: Remembrance Day Assembly (Flags at Half Mast) 

-November 14th: Grade 7 Vaccine Clinic at School (consent online)

-November 16th: Progress Reports Go Home

-November 20th to November 24th: Bullying Prevention Week 

-November 21st: Picture Retake Day & Class Photo Day 

-November 23rd: Dallas Squire visiting grade 6/7 & ⅞ classes

-November 24th: PD Day: No School Parent/Guardian Interviews (info will be coming) 

-November 28th: K-3 Dairy Farmer Presentations

-November 30th: Grade 8 Information Night at ODSS

-December 2nd, 2023: Holiday Craft Fair 

Community Recognition Board: We are #MargaretProud. If your child has done something wonderful in our community or accomplished a big goal, please send in a picture and a short note and/or a clipping from the newspaper or online site  to Mrs. PapaV. We have a board celebrating our amazing PMPS students across from the gym. 

Sporting Teams & Participation: We have a number of sporting opportunities available to all of our students. Once a student tries out for a team, it’s important to read and sign the Athletics Code of Conduct. Coaches will send it home. All athletes will be given three grace incidents and then will not be allowed to try out or stay on the school team. It is important to understand that academics at school are the athlete’s first priority and that they must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the board’s code of conduct. This has already been discussed with the intermediate division and teachers/coaches will clearly outline to the student when they have received a warning that courts as a grace incident. Thanks for your support. 

ATTENDANCE SUPPORT WEEK 4: This week, let’s discuss some things to do if all the strategies you’ve tried so far to encourage regular attendance at school with your child haven’t worked. 

  • Be consistent! Don’t give up. And know that there are supports for parents if you need them. “Put on your own oxygen mask, before others.”

  • There are resources available within schools and community supports if there are other barriers to attendance such as having enough food for lunches.

  • Here’s a great resources with existing handouts and evidence based information: https://www.attendanceworks.org/  

For more information, please visit the UGDSB website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/student-attendance-at-school-tips-and-strategies-for-families/ 

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY: PARENT VIRTUAL INFO SESSION FOR myBLUEPRINT:   

Parents and Caregivers have an important role to play in supporting students with career/life planning and course selection. We are inviting them to join us for a virtual information session around maximizing the 7-12 myBlueprint Digital Pathways Planning Tool on November 7 at 7pm as a key tool to support success with this. 

Parents and caregivers are invited to register for this session via this link: https://shorturl.at/euQZ8 . A meeting link and additional details will be sent to registrants. 

 

POLICY FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES: At the October 24th Board meeting, the following policy items were approved. All updates have been made on the board website (www.ugdsb.on.ca/board/policy).

 

The following updated policy was approved: Policy 208 – Smoke and Vape-Free Environment

 

Policy Feedback Opportunities: The following policies were released for public consultation:

 

You are invited to review the policy drafts and submit online feedback at www.ugdsb.ca/board/policy. The deadline for public input is December 8, 2023 at 4 pm EST. Persons without internet access may call 519-822-4420 (or toll-free 1-800-321-4025) ext. 544 to request a printed copy of the draft documents.

Reminders: 

Upcoming PD Day: Just a reminder that Friday, October 27th is a PD day. Staff will be completing health and safety training in the morning and writing progress reports in the afternoon. There is no school for students. 

Holiday Craft Fair Kid-Preneur Applications: At this year’s upcoming Holiday Craft Fair, on Saturday, December 2nd, we will once again be hosting a Kid-Preneur Market where our students can have their own table to sell their handmade items! These tables are offered free of charge to our students and will be securely located in one of our classrooms. If your child likes to make crafts and would be interested in selling them, please see Mrs. Mckenzie in the office for an application form with more information. 

School Council Terra Cotta Cookie Fundraiser: PMPS Parent Council is excited to present this year’s first fundraiser with Terra Cotta Cookies! Each cookie box comes with 40 pre-made/pre-proportioned cookie dough drops that can go straight from the freezer to the oven, easily making delicious cookies to share with your friends and family! There are 12 cookie flavours to choose from, all of which are peanut and nut-free, including 2 gluten-free choices and a vegan option!  Starting today, you can start selling cookies to your family and friends using a fundraising webpage exclusively for our school: https://fundraising.terracottacookies.com/current-fundraisers/princess-margaret-public-school-orangeville-2023/  No paper forms required! Every box of cookies sold raises funds for PMPS!  All orders must be placed on our webpage by 4pm on November 5th.  The cookie dough boxes will be available for pick-up in the school library from 3pm-5pm on Thursday, November 16th. Thank you for supporting our school! 

Weather & Being Dressed Appropriately: 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). We can help. 

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 (i.e. COVID pandemic). 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).

Cracker Donations: Thank you for your generosity so far! We are still in need of boxes of crackers! We are asking for students to bring in a box of crackers to help our snack program. Boxes can be brought to the front office to be fed to Snacker the Cracker monster. Thank you for all your support towards our snack program where we eat to fuel our minds. Any questions, ask Mrs. Larsen in the library! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!

Milk Sales: Student Council continues to sell milk, Monday to Friday 1st break only for $1.00. Milk sale profits support our Student Council.

CANADA DENTAL BENEFIT: Applications for the second period of the Canada Dental Benefit are open. Eligible families can receive up to $650, to help with expenses for their children under 12 who receive dental care between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. canada.ca/dental

Thank you for your continued support. See everyone back on Monday. 

Mrs. Andrea Papavasiliou (PapaV), Principal 

Categories: News