For Thursday, April 25
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
If your student is attending prom...
Here are some important reminders for students who will be attending "A Night in the Clouds" junior/senior prom this Saturday, April 27!
All students will need to bring their student ID and physical ticket to check in
If students are bringing a guest, they should have received an email letting them know that their form has been approved
If students are bringing a Portage Northern or Community guest, they will NOT receive an email but will need to bring their student ID to check in
If you ordered a ticket online, please have your student come to the Welcome Center to pick up their physical ticket
Doors open at 8 pm and parking is free in the lot across from the Fetzer Center
Prom ends promptly at 11 pm so please ensure your student has a ride at that time
If you have any questions, please reach out to Sarah Smith-Moore at sesmith@portageps.org. Happy prom week!
Really important, late-breaking news for all seniors and parents of seniors!
Due to a technical issue between Parchment and the Common App, we are asking that ALL seniors submit a new 'hold for grades' transcript request DIRECTLY to the college they will be attending in the fall. Making a request directly to the college will ensure that their college receives a copy of their final transcript. If you have any questions please reach out to your student's counselor or our registrar, Nicole Gutshall, at ngutshall@portageps.org
Just a reminder for Seniors and your families, this is your…
Step by step to graduation!
Ready or not, graduation is right around the corner, so make sure you are ready for all of it by reading through the Step by Step to Graduation; just hit this link! You will see all the dates and times to make sure you are right where you need to be.
IB and AP tests begin this week and will run through May
We allow parents/guardians to choose whether to excuse students from the rest of their classes on days that they have either an IB or AP test. These absences will not count against their lunch pass or against class credit. Students must be off campus and will not be under school supervision if the absence is excused.
There are arguments to be made both for and against excusing students from these classes: These are intense tests and students may be worn out. Students may also have another IB or AP test the following day that they need to study for. On the flip-side, students are responsible for any material that they miss, and part of what they might miss could be review sessions with the teacher and their classmates for any upcoming IB or AP test. Our best advice is to sit down with your student and determine which days you choose to excuse and which you don’t based both on the testing schedule and the class schedule. Parents and Guardians can notify the Attendance Office in the normal way -- just make sure to indicate that the absence is due to an IB or AP test on that same day. (We will take care of their attendance while they are in the testing room.)
Just to get it on your calendar…
Yearbook Distribution Day is Friday, May 17
The yearbook staff sold over 900 books this year, and books are scheduled to be passed out during 7th hour on this day. If a student is not going to be at school on this day, they can go to Room 2120 on Monday, May 20 to get their book. There will be no early distribution of books before 7th hour on May 17. More details to come in early May. Got questions? Reach out to Ann Alburtus at aaburtus@portageps.org.
Upcoming events and dates for the arts:
Forensics Friends and Family Night is Tuesday, April 30, from 7-9 p.m. in our Auditorium
The evening will be broken into two parts: Act 1 is "Forensics for All'' where everything performed will be appropriate for everyone in the family. After a short break, we will have Act 2, which is "The Heavier Stuff"--while obviously not anything beyond what students should be performing, this section will feature pieces that are more mature and may not be suitable for all audiences. This event is $5 per person and tickets are on sale at this link. Forensics Friends and Family Night Tickets
Some other important dates!
The CHS Band Spring Concert is Wednesday, May 1, from 7-9 p.m. in the Auditorium.
The CHS Orchestra Spring Concert is Thursday, May 16, from 7-9 p.m. in the Auditorium.
The CHS Choir Spring Concert is Tuesday, May 21 from 7-9 p.m. in the Auditorium.
Make sure you clean out your lockers before summer
By Friday morning, June 7 at 10:15, all students must have everything taken out of the lockers. And I mean truly: everything must be taken home or thrown out. Because starting at 10:30 this morning, a group of wonderful students and I will be cleaning out lockers. We will send additional reminders in future issues of Mustang Minutes, and thanks in advance for helping to remind all our kids about this!
Another reminder about…
The Underclassmen Achievement Awards next Friday, May 4 during the school day!
…and you are invited to attend in person or via livestream! Freshmen, sophomore and junior award recipients are invited to their grade-level assembly and will have an opportunity to mingle with family and friends for photos in Centennial Park for a short time following their assembly. See the grade-level assembly times below and watch the livestream on our YouTube channel if you aren’t able to make it in person:
Junior Awards Assembly: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Freshman Awards Assembly: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Sophomore Awards Assembly: 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball meeting for incoming ninth-graders
The Mustang girls basketball coaches will host an informational meeting for any ninth-grade girls interested in playing basketball next year on May 6 at 3:15 p.m. in room 1133 at Portage Central. During this meeting, we will discuss the summer schedule and provide you with important details about the 2024-25 basketball season. Interested players, please fill out this Google Form. Additionally, we have a basketball website that includes our basketball calendar. We hope to see you there!
From our awesome PTO!
Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 6-10. The PTO will be celebrating the staff with a variety of treats and surprises. Take a look at the Staff Appreciation Sign Up Genius - we would be grateful for any donations. Please drop off donations to the Welcome Center on either Friday, May 3 or Monday, May 6. Make sure to label the items PTO Staff Appreciation Week.
Also, the PTO would like to send a hearty THANK YOU to PCHS families for all of your contributions this school year. We truly couldn't do it without your support.
New from the good folks with our Food Service
Exam Lunches
The Mustang Café will be open for grab and go lunches during exams Tuesday, June 4th and Wednesday, June 5th from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. You will be able to use the money on your food service account or cash to purchase ala carte items.
End-of-the-year lunch charges
Reminder: Starting on Tuesday, May 21 please make sure to remember to have a positive balance on your account so you can continue to purchase your favorite ala carte items. If you have a positive balance on your account at the end of the school year it will be there when you return in the fall.
Meet Up and Eat Up meals
There is such a thing as a “Free Lunch” in the summer! Portage Public Schools will be serving FREE lunches for any child age 18 and under at the following locations this summer!
June 10th – August 16th
Monday – Friday (No meal service July 4 & 5)
Moorsbridge Elementary School Bus Drop Off
Breakfast from 8:30 – 9:00 am
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
June 17th – August 8th
Monday – Thursday (No meal service week of July 1 -5)
Northern High School Cafeteria Entrance
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 PM
June 17th – August 9th
Monday – Friday (No meal service week of July 1 -5)
Milham Meadows Apartments Laundry Facility: Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Selinon Park Apartment Community: Lunch from Noon – 12:45 pm
Colonial Acres Mobile Home Village Playground: Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Picnic lunch will be served Monday – Friday (weather permitting) You must eat lunch on site. No ID is required and you do not have to be a PPS student! So come on out and Meet Up and Eat Up with your family and friends!
An invitation to join us for the Talons Out Mission 24 Homecoming here on May 4!
Honor Flight Network recognizes American veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by flying them to Washington, D.C. to see their memorials at no cost. Top priority is given to World War II, Korean War, Vietnam Era and terminally ill veterans. Want to learn more about how you can help this veteran-support organization, hit this link!
Featured Summer Sports Camp of the week - Sign up today!
Hey there, Mustang Families! Each summer, our amazing athletic programs host summer camp opportunities for our student-athletes to continue to develop and improve. Take a look at this week’s featured Summer Sports Camp!
Grateful,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…