6th Grade Orientation Information
A partial calendar for the 2025-26 school year was approved by the Board of Education Monday, July 21.
A complete 2025-26 school year calendar is not yet available due to ongoing contract negotiations with the Portage Education Association. The partial calendar covers August and September, and the District will also follow the Kalamazoo RESA Common Calendar for major school holiday breaks.
A monthly District calendar will be established and affirmed by the Board until a complete school year calendar is approved between the Board and the PEA. You can view the School Year Calendar at portageps.org/o/pps/page/school-year-calendar.
We are hiring! Join us from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, at Portage Central High School Centennial Park, 8135 Westnedge Ave. At our On-Site Enrollment Event, HR staff will be in attendance to help you apply for a variety of different positions at PPS!
Please join us in welcoming our new Superintendent Johnny Edwards! You can hear from Superintendent Edwards on his plans for the future of our school district on our website at portageps.org/page/supt90.
Central Elementary has been part of the Portage community since 1969. As students and staff anticipate moving to the new school in the fall, they are inviting the community to walk the halls one last time. Please join us.
The Board of Education will review candidates for a new superintendent at Portage Public Schools at a special meeting Wednesday, May 7.
At this meeting, the Board will meet in closed session as allowed under the Open Meetings Act to review the candidate applications. Following the closed session, the Board will -- in open session -- select and name the candidates to advance in the search process. To read more about the process, visit portageps.org/news.
Today we are celebrating Assistant Principal Week with our own Assistant Principal, Justin Walker! Our school is grateful for all he does for our students and staff!
If you couldn't make it to yesterday's focus groups, there is still time to participate in the superintendent search survey online at portageps.org. You will find the link at the top of the home page. The survey is open until midnight on Sunday, March 2nd.
Reminder: The Community Focus Group for the Superintendent Search is tomorrow, Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 6pm, at the Administration Building. Community Members are invited to participate in a focus group as part of the search process for the next Superintendent of Portage Public Schools. Participants will be asked to share their views regarding the qualifications desired in a new superintendent. Mr. Andy Ingall from the Michigan Leadership Institute, who is helping the School Board conduct the search, will lead these meetings. In addition, participants will also contribute to developing the district “Points of Pride” which will describe to candidates the advantages of living and working in the Portage community. The meeting will be held in Conference Room 1 at the Administration Building, 8107 Mustang Dr. If you are unable to attend but would like to share your thoughts, please access a short survey at portageps.org. Each Focus Group is scheduled for approximately 45 minutes.
Future CMS Families!
5th Grade Welcome Night is Wednesday, February 26 from 6:00-7:00pm! We look forward to seeing you there!
Due to weather conditions and safety concerns PPS is closed Thursday, February 6, 2025. Curious Kids will open at 9am.
The window for In-District Transfer is now open through March 1. This program is for families living within the District who would like to apply for an exception to our school building boundaries. Apply at portageps.org/enrollment.
The cold spell continues! PPS will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. Curious Kids will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Due to the continued freezing temperatures and snowy conditions, PPS will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Curious Kids will also be closed and Winter Walking is canceled Tuesday.
Due to the extreme cold and snow PPS is closed Monday, January 20th 2025. Curious Kids childcare is closed as well.
It's time for a break! Thursday, Jan. 16, is a half day for all students and there is no school on Friday, Jan. 17. We will see you all back at school Monday for the start of second semester.
🎶🎵 The choir collaboration between our middle and high school students was a success! The Tenor Bass Choir Clinic was a chance for students from across the District to come together to rehearse and learn best practices for making music. Great job!! 🎶🎵
Do you have an 8th grader? Or know someone who does?
8th Grade Family Night is coming Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m.
It might seem like next August and the start of high school are a long way off, but it will be here sooner than we realize. Plus, there are a lot of important decisions that families need to make to prepare their 8th-grade kids so they are ready to make the jump to high school. This event starts all of those conversations. More information will go out in Mustang Minutes about this and other events in the weeks ahead. For now, we would ask that you get this date and time on your calendar so you will be ready! Thanks for that -- and we can't wait to meet you!
A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors who helped with Portage Central Middle School's Elf Project. With the help Honor Credit Union, Blue Ox Credit Union, Jersey Giant, Ignite Credit Union and First National Bank, CMS was able to make the holidays brighter for some of their students.
Snow Day!
Due to the weather and safety concerns, PPS is closed today, December 12, 2024.
