For Thursday, October 31
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
There is no school tomorrow, Friday, November 1
We are doing a series of training sessions for all our colleagues here. So we hope all our kids enjoy the day – safely!
The incredible musical, “Hadestown,” opened on Friday, October 25th to rave reviews. You can still see it this weekend on November 1st and November 2nd at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students. Go to www.pctheatrearts.org to get your tickets today. You will not want to miss this amazing show.
PC Activities Craft Show: Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The PCHS Activities Craft Show will be held on this day. Get your Holiday shopping done early!!! See you there!
Come see our first-round playoff game against Northern this Friday!
Admission to the event will be accepted through GoFan Pre-Purchase Online Ticketing or GoFan Box Office Credit Card sales at the gate. There are no cash sales for MHSAA play-off football games. The price of admission is $7 for all spectators. And the The GoFan Online Purchasing Link is…
https://gofan.co/event/1183281?schoolId=MI10167
Gates for spectators open at 5:30 pm. GoFan Online Ticketing Redemption should only be done at the admission gate; don’t validate your GoFan ticket prior to arriving at the event. To save time, please purchase your GoFan ticket prior to the game.
As a reminder, no backpacks, no outside food/beverages, no noise makers, no ski masks… and be nice, as always.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are right around the corner
They are once again held virtually on Monday, November 4th and Wednesday, November 6th from 3:30-7:15 p.m. You should have received emails from your child’s teachers with their sign-up link. (If you have not, let me know; sometimes The Google can be a fickle partner.) Instructions on how to use the links can be found here.
Just a reminder…
Get ready for a night to remember at the PTO Fall Formal, "Bright Lights, Neon Nights!"
Join us on November 9th from 8-11 p.m. for a glowing evening of dancing, fun, and neon vibes. Tickets will be on sale during lunch from November 6th to 8th and can also be purchased at the door the night of the dance for $10 each. If you're bringing a guest from another school, don’t forget—guest forms are due by November 6th to Lora Darrah at the Welcome Desk.
Don’t miss out on one of the brightest events of the season!
Just a reminder…
Please remember to drop off students in the drop-off areas, and not elsewhere
Between when we built the new PC in 2011 and 2019, the number of students who rode school buses before and after school declined by 50%. And bus ridership declined even further through the pandemic.
So it is more important than ever to make sure we are all communicating to one another as we drive near and on campus. One way we do this well is by only dropping off our kids at the drop-off loops -- and nowhere else. We have had some really close calls, particularly when folks drop off students on the drive off Westnedge. Too, leave home early. I know that is not always easy with high-school folks. If you are on campus before 7:15 or 7:20, it’s not bad around here – but after that, the lots are packed and drivers get testy. So the earlier you can arrive, the better.
Thanks for helping keep our kids safe!
Back by popular demand for the Holidays…
Buy a brick for McCamley or Mustang Field, or a tile for the new pool! Great Holiday Gifts!
So many families and community members purchased bricks at the new McCamley and Mustang Fields and tiles at the new pool — to leave their mark in these spaces where so many great kids, parents, families, and community members celebrated and where so many more will celebrate decades into the future.
This sale continues until Graduation Day this spring. So if you are considering a brick at the new McCamley or Mustang Field, click here. If you would like a tile at the new pool, click here.
Thank you — again and again — for all that you have done!
Central Middle School needs your help!
They are looking for volunteers to help out with boys basketball this season, in the Central Middle School Gym, 3:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. to run the scoreboard and score clock for each game. (No prior knowledge is needed.) Here are the dates they need help:
11/12-Tues
11/14-Thurs
11/19-Tues
11/21-Thurs
11/25-Mon
12/2-Wed
12/4-Mon
12/9-Wed
12/11-Mon
12/16-Wed
If you are interested, please email Athletic Coordinator Fleming at pfleming@portageps.org
Want money for college?
Portage Education Foundation scholarships are now accepting applications. Please visit https://sites.google.com/portageps.org/pefscholgeneral to learn more and apply.
Remember the state of Michigan Okay to Say system
No community is immune from the threats of violence and drugs that endanger students and schools in Michigan.
OK2SAY is a student safety initiative available to Michigan students in grades K−12 which enables students to confidentially report potential harm or criminal activities aimed at students, teachers, staff, or other school employees. The nationally recognized program is run through the Michigan State Police, state agencies, schools, local law enforcement, and community mental health. Tips can be submitted 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
• Telephone: 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)
• Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
• Email: ok2say@mi.gov
• Website: ok2say.com
• OK2SAY Mobile app: Available in the Apple Store or Google Play.
OK2SAY tips have helped thousands of students and saved many lives because students are stepping up and speaking out when they are concerned about a friend or peer. There are 31 tip categories to choose from when submitting a confidential tip. Most tips were related to bullying, cyberbullying, self-harm, anxiety, stress and depression, and suicide. Other top tips include drug/alcohol use, weapon possession, or assault. Upon receipt of a tip, specially trained OK2SAY technicians address the immediate need and forward the information to the appropriate responding law enforcement agency or organization. Tips go to schools, local law enforcement agencies, community mental health agencies or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
To ensure tips are acted upon, agencies receiving tips are asked to submit outcome reports detailing how the tip was handled. Annual reports on the program’s impact detail the types and numbers of tips handled. Annual reports are available on the OK2SAY website.
More information is available on the OK2SAY website (ok2say.com).
And our gratitude goes out particularly to Sprinkle Road Veterinary Clinic!
Like you saw in past Mustang Minutes, we started last spring raising funds for a new counseling dog, as Phoebe headed to retirement. And thanks to so many incredible PC families, we met our goal – and all of us here are so thankful.
And there will be additional costs for Toby months and years into the future. Some of those costs will be taken care of by our friends at Sprinkle Road Veterinary Clinic; we are so thankful to have a relationship with them for years ahead!
The other on-going costs will be food and training snacks. If you would like to help with those, you can hit this link anytime. Too, if you know of a pet store or other food supplier that might be able to help, let me know. Thanks – again and again and again.
Thankful for the support you give all our families in our community,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…