For Thursday, December 12
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
Holiday Shopping at the PC Corral
Purchase your PC essentials at your favorite school store on Friday, December 20th from 3 - 5 p.m. Don't forget, we are always open at https://pcschoolstore.ludus.com/. Contact Irene Mayfield (imayfield@portageps.org) with questions.
Communicating about conferences
Virtual parent-teacher conferences this spring – and where we can go from here
During the pandemic we moved to online parent-teacher conferences as a necessity: we all wanted to keep communication open during that strange and difficult time. As the pandemic ebbed away, we worked to move back to business as usual, with Homecomings and food trucks, with new and more engaging Open Houses to concerts, from musicals to dances, and more.
But one thing that has remained is online parent-teacher conferences. And we all get it. We all agree that nothing beats a face-to-face conversation. At the same time, none of us loves waiting for 15, 20 or more minutes for that brief face-to-face conversation, like some of you may remember doing in the old system. As busy Americans, we also value efficiency; with online conferences, we can often connect with all our kids' teachers in less than an hour. So it’s little wonder that our number of parents who engage with their students’ teachers at conferences has grown a good deal since we moved to online conferences. The teams at all three of our high schools value connecting with more families rather than fewer, which is why we have agreed to have both sessions of our conferences online again in the spring.
Still, though, we value face-to-face interactions. And we are wondering and talking about how we could blend the efficiency of online conferences (which are important for all of us, including for our teachers as they work with 150 to 180 kids each day) with the personal touch of in-person conversations. As we keep thinking, we would also be grateful for your feedback. Over the years so many of our best ideas have come from our families. In the weeks and months ahead, if you have ideas, please share with one of the folks below:
Tre Lowder, principal for Portage Northern High School
Clint Wagner, principal for Portage Community High School
Eric Alburtus, principal for Portage Central High School
Thanks in advance for your thoughts, and your support for all our community’s kids, and we look forward to seeing what we come up with together.
Back by popular demand for the Holidays…
Buy a brick for McCamley-Knight or Mustang Field, or a tile for the pool! Great Holiday Gifts!
So many families and community members purchased bricks at the new McCamley-Knight 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-Knight 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.
Save the date!
IB Parent Informational Night on Tuesday, January 21st
We are fortunate to have been an International Baccalaureate school for over 25 years now. This program focuses on critical thinking, research skills and service as a part of the learning process. We consistently hear back from our alumni that our IB Program provides outstanding preparation for college. Most colleges and universities also award credit and/or advanced placement based on how well a student does on their exams. We value the program, not just because it helps our kids get into the schools that they want, but it helps them be successful once they are there. If you have an 8th, 9th, or 10th grade student and are interested in finding out more, please join us at our IB Parent Informational Night, Tuesday, January 21st at 7 p.m. in the PC Community Room.
A yearbook reminder for seniors…
Yearbook Senior Memory Ads
Just a reminder that if you’d like to purchase a Senior Memory Ad for your Class of 2025 Graduate, all ad designs are due by midnight on December 21, 2024. Purchasing and designing your Senior Memory Ad is easy! Just visit www.yearbookordercenter.com and use code 3604. Scroll down and click Start Your Ad.
If you have any questions, reach out to adviser Ann Alburtus at aalburtus@portageps.org.
A reminder about money, money, money…
Holiday break is a great time to look for scholarships!
Seniors, don't forget to check out all the scholarship information on our scholarship website; hit this link to take a look!
In particular, the PEF (Portage Education Foundation) scholarships on this site are available only to PPS seniors; go to this site for more information or scan the QR code in the Counseling Office. The deadline to apply for the PEF scholarships is Feb. 15.
Just a reminder…
First-semester final exams are coming soon
Exams take place Monday through Thursday, January 13th-16th. And to our kids prepare for those exams…
Link Crew Cocoa and Cram on Saturday, January 11 in the Commons
This will be held in the Commons at Portage Central from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open for any student that needs assistance preparing for exams, 9th through 12th. There will be coffee, hot cocoa and donuts. Tutors will be available to work with students. Students do not need to schedule a time to come; they just drop in with their materials, and we will find someone to work with them. Also, if students want to work with a group of peers on preparing for exams, they can work here quietly together. Please encourage your students to attend or to sign up to tutor other students during this time. They will receive service hours and also truly help others. Tutors for 2024-2025
Thank you to our local businesses who support us in so many ways!
They help us accomplish tasks as varied as helping families in need during the Holidays, to getting food and training-treats for our new counseling dog, Toby. So continuing over the next few weeks we will continue to publicly thank these businesses here in Mustang Minutes and elsewhere on campus.
Excited to hear our kids perform at all our Holiday concerts,
Eric Alburtus
