For Thursday, April 10
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
After the Golf Cart Fire of ‘25
First, thank you. Thanks for your patience with us having to cancel school here on Monday. We did all we could to have school, and sometimes one’s best is not quite enough. Too, thanks for the dozens and dozens of students and families who reached out and offered to help. Like so many times before, when situations get us down, folks in our community lift us up. One of the millions of examples of why I am so blessed to be a part Us.
Just to keep you in the loop on some news in the aftermath of the fire…
Graduation caps and gowns likely ruined – and we will be ready for Graduation. Our shipment of caps and gowns came in just before break and were sitting in the custodial bay not far from the golf cart. They escaped the fire – but they were soaked by the sprinklers. But Jimmy from Josten’s met us here Sunday morning, and we will have everything we need before Graduation. Normally seniors get their caps and gowns in April, but because of the fire, we will not have all we need until the first or second week of May. We will keep you posted as we learn more.
The show must go on – for the Bus Guys. For about 20 years now our volunteer Bus Guys roam the parking lots after school to get our buses out on time and to help our kids drive a smidge better. We found a loaner golf cart that they can use until the dust and smoke clear, so they can continue their good work.
And our thanks continue to go out to the Portage fire department and all the good folks who responded so well to the fire and who have worked tirelessly to get everything cleaned up. We are so grateful. Out of bad things, good people come together to do incredible work.
Hey Parents of Class of 2025 Seniors!
The Roundup yearbook staff wants photos of YOU and of your 2025 grad for the 2025 Senior Book publication. Want to learn more? Open this Google Form to see what photos are needed. Deadline for submission is Thursday, May 1. Got questions? Reach out to Roundup yearbook adviser Ann Alburtus at aalburtus@portageps.org.
We would so appreciate feedback from our families
Last week we as a district emailed a link to a survey for all families, so we can get your feedback on what is working well – and most importantly, what is not. We are not a perfect place, and we are not a perfect people – and we care deeply about our kids and our community and the work we do, Together. We would be so grateful if you could take 10-15 minutes to share your thoughts at this link: Portage Public Schools – Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey
The survey will ask you to select your child’s school, and you can complete a separate survey for each of the schools your children attend. The survey will be open until Friday, April 25. Thanks again for your time and thought on this!
The Office Will Be Closed on Friday, April 25
This is a professional development day for teachers, as well as for all office staff. Please note that there is no school for students on Friday April 25, and the office will be closed that day.
Celebrate your senior with a custom yard sign! Pre-orders are open now through April 18th.
Have questions? Contact Sarah Allen at pchsptopresident@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to save the date!
Underclassmen Achievement Awards are coming Thursday, May 1 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. Stay tuned to Mustang Minutes for a specific assembly schedule in the weeks ahead.
The city of Portage is partnering with Portage Central and Portage Northern high schools to promote a NexTrex Recycling Challenge. A NexTrex recycling bin, located in the PC Welcome Center, can accommodate the following clean plastic bags: grocery, store, bread, produce, Ziploc and other reclosables, dry cleaning bags, e-commerce mailers, bubble wrap, case overwrap, and others. Materials collected until March 2026 will be used to produce a useful park bench, to be placed on site at one of the many Portage parks. This friendly competition between PN and PC will net $300 for the winning school and $100 for the runner-up. Questions? Contact the PC Recycling Club adviser, Cheryl Braford, at cbraford@portageps.org.
Speaking of awesome dates…
Share the date of graduation with friends and family!
And while you do that, you can also share with them this presentation that we discussed with all our seniors a week ago. In that presentation you will be able to see all kinds of details about where to sit at the Mustang RideOut and at Wings – plus so much more. We can never be too ready for this wonderful celebration. 
“Dancing Queen” Prom information that you don’t want to miss!
The Dancing Queen Prom 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
Tickets went on sale at the Welcome Center and online for SENIORS ONLY starting Monday, March 24. They are $35.
Tickets will go on sale for Juniors and Seniors starting Monday, April 14, and all ticket sales will end Friday, May 2 at 3 p.m. No tickets will be sold past this date or at the door – and like I said, we could sell out sooner.
We highly recommend you purchase a ticket as soon as possible as we have sold out of tickets the past several years. (Just for context: the number of tickets we sell is based on how many people that the facility – in this case the KIA – can hold legally based on our community’s fire codes.)
All school fines must be paid before purchasing a ticket. Students will be receiving notifications really soon to let them know if they have fines.
Remember, if you purchase a ticket online, hit this link Prom Tickets, and you must pick up your actual ticket from the Welcome Center prior to prom, or you will not be allowed to enter.
Lastly, to buy a ticket for anyone who does not attend Portage Central High School, you must have a completed Guest Pass Form; this includes Northern and Community High. Please see Mrs. Darrah at the Welcome Center for these forms.
For any questions, contact Nikki Smith, Activities Director, at nsmith@portageps.org. Find that disco fever and get ready to boogie the night away!
Featured Summer Sports Camp of the week: Registration opens May 5!
Hey there, Mustang Families! Each summer, our amazing athletic programs host summer camp opportunities for our student-athletes to continue to develop and improve. Click right here to reuse all our summer camp options. And this week we are featuring boys lacrosse!
And if you want to sign up, it’s easy!
Beginning May 5, 2025, families can register
Or go directly to the PPS GoFan Page
We are accepting online registrations only, and credit/debit payment accepted.
Just a reminder…
Some important reminders if you want a 2025 yearbook!
Future you will thank you for getting a yearbook now, if you haven’t already done so. Plus there is an additional book just for seniors! We still have some copies of both the 232-page full-color main yearbook left for pre-order online, as well as copies of the 24-page soft cover Senior Book. Go to yearbookordercenter.com and use school code 3604 to see if you’ve already ordered a 2025 Roundup yearbook or to purchase yours today! As long as copies are available, the online order center is open through April 26. Got questions? Reach out to yearbook adviser Ann Alburtus at aalburtus@portageps.org.
Forensics Friends and Family Night on Tuesday, May 6th
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 6th, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. if you would like to attend the Forensics Friends and Family showcase. This evening is a celebration of their season and promises to be an entertaining night of performances. 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 will be for sale on Ludus.com beginning Monday, April 28th. If you have any questions, contact Nikki Smith in the Activities Office: nsmith@portageps.org.
Grateful for good friends, especially during fires and other weird days,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…