Welcome Back: Important Information to Start the 23/24 School Year
Welcome Back PMPS Mustang Families!
It is hard to believe that August is almost over. We hope everyone had a safe and happy summer! We are excited to start the 2023/2024 school year. Staff have been working hard to get the building ready for our students.
Our first day of school for all students Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 is Tuesday, September 5th at 830am. To our new JK families, please note all JKs start on Tuesday, September 5th. There is no staggered entry in the UGDSB, all students start on the same day and same time.
Below you will find some additional information that might be helpful as we return next week. More information will be coming home the first few days of school.
What to Expect of the First Day:
Students will meet on their regular hard top areas (i.e., Kindergarten., Primary, Junior or Intermediate). Teachers will have lists and staff will be there to greet and ensure all students get to the right spots. To help with this, grade signs will be posted. Students will gather at their grade signs, and staff will tell students what class line to join. Please see the attached map for where grade signs will be located.Once teachers have their full class, they will make their way into the school and then classroom.
Meeting Spots First Day Of School
Change in Before & After School Supervision:
A reminder that our school day begins at 8:30am and dismissal is at 2:50pm. The back tarmac is supervised at 820am and the kindie yard at 815am. Supervision starts at 820am in the primary, junior, and intermediate yard in the morning. Please do not have children arrive to school any earlier than 820am in the morning. Please note that we have limited supervision after school and all students must be picked up or be able to walk home when they are dismissed at 250pm. These changes mean that we can put more staff out on duty during recess time. Thanks for your support.
Change Back to Whole School Recess & Lunch:
We are moving back to having all of our students eating and out for recess at the same time. Please note that lunch for all students is between 1040am and 11am and again at 1250-110pm.
Classroom Assignments and Organizations:
Each year, we begin with the staffing that was allocated in June. As in past years, our actual numbers are reviewed following the first days of school. This means students may begin their first day in one class, yet find themselves being reassigned to another class by September 18th. If this happens, we will communicate with families. Please see the attached PDF for more information.
Staffing Message Regarding School Organizations September 2023
If you have moved over the summer, please call into the office (519-941-3731 ext 221) so we can make those changes to our class lists before the first day of school.
Drop off and Pick up:
A reminder to all our families, that the front parking lot in front of the school is closed and is a walking area only. We encourage our families to walk or park on the adjacent streets to create a safer area for our students.
Communication:
At any time, if you have questions or concerns about what is happening at school, please reach out to your child’s teacher. It is far better to communicate early rather than grow frustrated. Often, a quick phone call or email can help to clarify situations as they arise. Please make sure you continue to refer to our website often, and update your email address with the front office if it has changed.
Our Princess Margaret website is https://www.ugdsb.ca/PrincessMargaret/ and our Twitter/ X page is: @margaret_ps . Please note you don’t need to have a Twitter/X account, it can be viewed on our website instead.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS START UP LINK
The following webpage has been created to provide common information about this year’s start to school for all members of our school community. This will be particularly helpful for families inquiring about support for illness prevention this fall. https://www.ugdsb.ca/blog/back-to-school-2023-24-school-operations-and-health-and-safety-information/
Information about our upcoming PD Day:
Date: September 18, 2023
Length: Full Day
Topic 1: AM – Literacy
Entity Hosting: School board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School Administrators
Description: Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers will receive professional learning on early reading instruction, universal design for learning, and screening. to ensure educators are prepared to support their students in a manner consistent with the recommendations in the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read report for the full school year. Additionally, staff will focus on the implementation of the new Language curriculum in grades 1 – 8 and on embedding high yield strategies in reading across the various subject curriculum areas. In Secondary schools, teachers will continue professional development on the de-streamed grade 9 course and on effective practices for teaching reading across various subject areas. Furthermore, enhancing teacher efficacy in supporting students to consolidate foundation knowledge and skills in Grade 9 destreamed English will be a focus of this professional learning time.
Topic 2: PM – Student Well-being, School Safety and Violence Prevention
Entity Hosting: School board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School Administrators and Online Learning Platforms
All staff will receive training related to PPM 161 – Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions. Additionally, educators will engage in continued learning regarding detection and intervention of sex trafficking related to students. Finally, staff will review procedures and policies regarding school safety and violence prevention including but not limited to emergency response, child abuse and protection, student crisis response protocols and suicide intervention.
We look forward to welcoming back our students and having a wonderful school year full of fun and learning! Enjoy this final week of summer and we’ll see everyone back on Tuesday, September 5th at 830am.
Andrea Papavasiliou, Principal
Categories: News