PMPS Weekly Update October 6th, 2023
Good morning Mustang Families,
It’s been another good week at PMPS. We had many runners from grade 1 to 8 represent us at the Dufferin Cross County meet. Our runners ran proudly and represented our school well. We want to thank our coaches for coaching. Volleyball has also started at PMPS as well. 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.
Don’t forget you can also follow our school Twitter feed: @margaret_ps . I update our website regularly as well: www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ . We have so many great things happening at our school and I like to share with our community.
Upcoming Important Dates:
-Monday, October 9th, 2023: Thanksgiving for those who celebrate. No School.
-October 17th, 2023:-IEPS (Individual Education Plans) for students who have them, go home. Please sign the consultation page and return. Any feedback or questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
-October 17th, 2023: Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day: We are thankful for our wonderful ECEs, Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Taylor
-October 18th to October 20th, 2023: CCAT Grade 3 Writing 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.
-December 2nd, 2023: Save the date: Our Holiday Craft Fair is on the first Saturday of December. We are still looking for vendors. If you are interested in being a vendor please contact Mrs. Mckenzie in our office.
BOYD Policy (Cellphones): Children are expected to store their phones with staff during the day in the classroom. We have some students who are refusing to do this or even hiding their phones from staff. Please understand that phones can be very distracting to learning and can become problematic on the yard, in bathrooms etc. If students need to call home, they can do so at the office. Please avoid texting with your child during the school day. If you need to contact your child, please call our office and we will be glad to help. On another note, if phones are not stored with staff and they are misplaced or stolen, staff will not be responsible for the phone or investigating its whereabouts. Thank you for your support.
Stolen scooters and bikes- lock them up: We have had a few scooters and bikes stolen that have not been locked up from our bike rack. If your child rides a scooter or bike to school, please make sure that it is locked up. The school is busy and it is hard for me to find the time to follow up on unlocked, stolen, or damaged items.
UGDSB ATTENDANCE SUPPORT WEEK 1:
Is your child struggling with attending school? We are here to help! Throughout the month of October we will be sharing tips and strategies with parents/guardians to help encourage regular school attendance.
This week, we are going to focus on strategies around attitudes and beliefs – try some of these tips at home!
- Keep in mind that attendance issues can quickly escalate. Parents/guardians need to intervene and reach out for support as early as possible before it becomes the norm.
- Keep the expectation in your home of attending school and staying all day. Don’t give up. Even if your child is anxious about school, ensure the expectation of regular attendance doesn’t change. Work with the issue, not around it.
- Talk to your child to find out what is behind them not wanting to go to school. Anxiety can show up in a lot of ways and one of them can be not wanting to go to school. Encourage your child to talk back to their anxiety! Tell themselves they can do it!
- Ask questions about your child’s worries about school. Although you know your child well, try not to assume you know the answers. Keep an open mind. Validate your child’s concerns.
- If your child is having difficulty with attendance try setting a goal with them such as if they attend for a certain amount of time, they can have a special treat or do a special activity.
For more information, please visit the UGDSB website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/student-attendance-at-school-tips-and-strategies-for-families/
Professional Activity Day Description: October 27, 2023
Information for Parents/Guardians
Date: October 27, 2023
Length: Full Day
Topic 1: AM – Workplace Violence Prevention Training
Entity Hosting: Upper Grand DSB
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School Administrators and Online Modules
Description: Staff will spend the morning completing mandatory Workplace Violence Prevention Training on the board’s Online Learning Platform. This is self-directed learning made of online modules for staff to work through independently.
——————————————————————————————————
Topic 2: PM – Progress Reports
Entity Hosting: Upper Grand DSB
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Independent / Individual
Description: Staff will be engaged in evaluating assessments to develop and prepare Progress Reports for distribution to students and families in November.
GRADE 1-8 LANGUAGE CLASSES THROUGH CON ED:
If your child in grades 1-8 are interested there are classes on Saturday mornings 10 am – 12 pm in the following languages: Dari, Hindu, Punjabi, Bengali, Spanish or Tingrinya. Classes will be held at Willow Rd. PS starting October 21st (enrolment dependent). Registration can be done online using the QR code on the poster or by going to the following link: https://bit.ly/48dxySz Any questions, please call the Continuing Education office at 519-836-7280.
SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESOURCES FOR PARENTS: Did you know that over 10% of children have a communication disorder? A new resource for parents has been added to your school website. Parents of children who have a persistent difficulty in speaking, listening, reading and/or writing will find helpful information and strategies to support their child. www.ugdsb.ca/clsparents
Reminders:
Milk: Milk is currently on sale 1st lunch break. Each milk (plain or chocolate) is $1.00 and students require cash to purchase.
Delivered Lunches to the School: Please note that Skip The Dishes/ UberEats etc deliveries are discouraged. Often drivers drop food, not indicating who the delivery is for. We often have student office helpers at lunch time, as our hardworking Mrs. Mckenzie needs a break. As you can imagine, having multiple meals delivered without indicating who they are for and without a label can confuse everyone. If you are dropping off a lunch or having it delivered, please make sure your child knows it is coming, what it is, what time (1040am or 1250pm) it is being delivered, and to come and get it after coming in from recess. We do our best, but mistakes can happen. We had a driver drop lunch this week to one of our EAs who was working with a student, while walking by the front of the school. The driver did not leave a name and the EA was busy with the student. The student who the lunch was attended for, never came down to the office for their food. We had no way of knowing who it was for. This is frustrating for parents/families and for our staff. Rest assured, we will never let a child go hungry, as we have our food program here. Thanks for your support and understanding.
Have a fantastic weekend Mustang Families! Monday is Thanksgiving and there is no school for students. We wish everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving a happy one. We’ll see everyone back to school on Tuesday at 830am.
Andrea Papavasiliou (PapaV)
Principal
Categories: News