For Thursday, August 17
Hit the GLIC!
The Grade-Level Information Center has information that is relevant for each class.
An index and archive for this year’s weekly Mustang Minutes
Our Daily Announcements to our students
It will be great to see you next Thursday at our
First Night at McCamley Knight Field, on August 24!
Last year our community’s school board voted to change the name of our stadium from McCamley Field to McCamley Knight Field, to honor the commitment and dedication that Coach Bob Knight and his colleagues and students gave to our community for more than 50 years. We would be so grateful if you could join us in this celebration. Take a look at this graphic for more information!
Plus, we will be selling tickets next Wednesday and Thursday from 11-2 p.m. at our Welcome Center, which is located just inside the main doors (which face Centre Avenue) here at PC. Avoid the rush, get your tickets early and have a great time with all of us at the dedication celebration and the game!
And buy a shirt to commemorate this special event!
The School Store will be selling McCamely-Knight t-shirts at the opening home game on August 24th. Shirts are $15 and will be sold once you enter in through the main gates. These shirts are cash only with limited quantities available, so get to the game early for your shirt!
And don’t forget…
Freshman & transfer students orientation this coming Monday, August 21
For those of you who have a 9th grader entering Portage Central High School this fall or a student who is transferring from another school, August 21st is really important.
For Freshman parents, you are asked to drop off your 9th grader for Freshman Orientation no later than 8 a.m. at our Gymnasium. The purpose of this Orientation is to make your child’s transition from middle school to high school a positive one. Seniors and juniors will be serving as Leaders and mentors. Large and small group activities are designed to address the needs and concerns of Freshmen students in an enjoyable way. We will have plenty of signs directing you to where you need to go. They will also be given paper schedules for this year, but if they lose it, no worries. They can also access it in skyward.
We ask that all students wear comfortable clothes, wear tennis shoes and/or gym-ready shoes, and no shoes with heels or hard soles. You can also bring a water bottle if you want. Our Gymnasium was just redone, and we want to keep it as nice as possible for the start of the year. Also, please leave those cell phones at home, because you won’t need them. Travel light!
Then we are hoping you, as parents/guardians, will return at 11 am to our Auditorium to get more information from our principal, Eric Alburtus, and our assistant principals, Aja Kaylor and Tama Salisbury. Then, if you and your student need to stay for a Code of Conduct meeting, please stay in the auditorium, and we will bring your children to you from Orientation at 11:30 a.m. Code of Conduct meetings are required for all new student athletes and performers. Once you have attended one Code of Conduct meeting, you are not required to attend another one for your entire high school career.
For those families with a transfer student, please join us at 1 p.m., in the school Auditorium, to find out more about Portage Central High School, meet upperclassmen who will be there to help you throughout the school year and get a tour of the school.
Lastly, Chromebooks for all freshmen will be available at the Welcome Center desk from at 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, August 21st. If the line is too long or you are not here on that day, Mr. Marusek, our Chromebook guru, will be available Tuesday through Friday of next week, so you can come back during school hours to pick one up.
If you have any questions at all about this event, please contact Nikki Smith, Activities Director, at nsmith@portageps.org or 269-323-5265. We are so excited to welcome you all to Portage Central High School!
Don’t forget to join us for Open House!
The Portage Central High School Open House will be held on Wednesday, August 23rd from 6:30 pm to 8 p.m. There will be an Activities Fair in Centennial Park, weather permitting (otherwise it will be held in the Commons), so students can get club information before school starts. There will also be an open Meet and Greet to get to know your students’ teachers, find your lockers, classes, purchase Lunch/Parking/Athletic passes – and eat Sweet Caroline’s ice cream!
Just a reminder…
Be sure to move your car out of the West Student Parking lot after 3:30 p.m. on specific days
Our Portage Central Marching Band uses the surface of the West Student Parking Lot on all Monday and Wednesday evenings for their rehearsal, in addition to the evenings of any home football games. On those nights, we ask for all vehicles to be moved from the lot by 3:30 p.m. Any student involved in after-school activities and practices should park in the East Student Parking Lot. If a vehicle is left in the West Student Parking Lot, it will be towed and the owner will be responsible for the cost. Thank you for your help and support of the Portage Central Marching Band!
Take a look at the Welcome Guide and Senior Guide!
So many colleagues put countless hours into these two important resources:
The Welcome Guide. This is built to support freshmen and new students, and their families, to get a sense of our culture and values, and to help them get involved in the tons of activities that we are blessed to provide our kids.
The Senior Guide. So much happens during the senior year, from college apps to senior pictures; it can be overwhelming to keep track of. This senior guide can help seniors and their families stay on track throughout this important year.
Check out the new mobile app from Portage Public Schools!
PPS is launching a new mobile app to help students, parents, and community members know
what is happening on campus from their phones. Most families use their phones as a primary
means of communication, so we've created an app that is custom-built to your school for
smartphones. On the app, your students, parents, and community can read the latest
announcements, locate staff contact information, review upcoming events, and find important
documents. The PPS app is available to download free from the Apple App Store or the Google
Play store.
The new website is more mobile friendly and can also be translated into your chosen language. Be sure to sign up for notifications to receive alerts for snow days or emergencies directly to your phone! It's everything PPS, in your pocket.
Download for Android: https://bit.ly/3OXzqri
Download for iPhone: https://apple.co/42pWwtJ
Schedules and schedule changes for the 2023-2024 school year
We are thankful to be able to see all of your faces very soon, and will release the schedules to students in Skyward on Monday, August 21. Be sure to check your child's Skyward account for the high school schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Students will follow this Skyward schedule on the first day of school. Please note: Students are expected to start the first day of school in enrollment rooms assigned by grade and last name. Schedule-change request forms will be available in the Counseling Office starting on August 28. Schedule changes will be processed beginning August 29. The completed schedule change form, along with a parent signature, is needed for schedule changes. The students have the first five full days of the semester to make changes in courses, as long as there is room in our courses.
News from our friends at West Middle School…
In search of Pioneer Alumni who answered the call
Though it hardly seems possible, this year West Middle School will celebrate its 50th Anniversary! While we have many wonderful plans ahead to recognize West’s legacy, one particularly special group of people we want to identify and honor is our Pioneer alumni who have served - or are actively serving - in the military.
If this includes YOU, please complete the form here, so we can share details of our Pioneers Veterans Recognition later this fall. Please feel free to share this information and access to the Google Form with anyone you know who attended West and donned a uniform for any of the United States military branches.
Should you or any of your classmates have questions, please contact Betty Bianco at bbianco@portageps.org.
We are almost there, to starting a great new year,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…