For Thursday, May 1
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
Thank you, National Honor Society, and Student Council members!
A really nice mom told me last week, “Your landscapers do such a great job of getting the campus ready for spring!”
I chuckled, and thanked her, and told her that we don’t have any landscapers. Instead, we have awesome kids and terrific teachers who organize work weekends where our kids rake and weed, pull out old rotted weed barriers and plant trees. They work so hard and do such great work – and we are so thankful! Bring on spring!
If your student is attending prom...
Here are some important reminders for students who will be attending "Dancing Queen: 70’s Disco Dance Party" junior/senior prom!
There will be three lines at the KIA:
One for students who have their student ID and physical ticket. You will get in more quickly this way!!!
Guest form line, please check in with Mrs. Darrah & Mrs. Kaylor
No ID or no ticket. This may take you a little longer.
If you ordered a ticket online, please have your student come to the Welcome Center to pick up their physical ticket by 3 pm tomorrow as tickets will not be available at the door.
Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and there is parking across the street or around town.
Prom ends promptly at 11 pm so please ensure your student has a ride at that time.
We are excited for a fun-filled evening with dancing, caricature artists, games, photo booths, charcuterie, and incredible art. It will truly be a night to remember.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Nikki Smith, nsmith@portgageps.org
See you soon!
Here is our YouTube Channel to see the programs. Check out the program here to see the names of all of our incredible students earning awards!
Last Senior Meeting is on Wednesday, May 14 during 3rd hour in the Auditorium
We will touch on some of the important reminders that we have discussed before – but the focus will be on the Mustang RideOut and Graduation. These slides will help focus our conversation. Got questions? Let me know as soon as you can, so you have everything you need for our last days together!
Just a reminder…
Looking at exam week at the end of the school year
Due to religious days of observance, our exam schedule is different this year. 1st and 2nd hour exams will be Friday, May 30. No exams will be given on Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 3. And then exams resume:
Wednesday, June 4: 3rd and 4th hour exams
Thursday, June 5: 5th and 6th hour exams
Friday, June 6: 7th hour exams and then our make-up exam session
Senior yard signs are on their way!
Did you order one? Great! Did you not order, but you still want one? No problem – it’s not too late!
Either way you can pick them up during the lunch periods 11:20 to 12:40 on the following dates:
May 7
May 9
May 14
May 16
Order now https://my.cheddarup.com/c/class-of-2025-yard-signs-58724/items?cart. Each sign costs $16. Have questions? Contact Sarah Allen at pchsptopresident@gmail.com.
Just a reminder…
Seniors, want to walk through your old elementary school for the last time as a student?
We are so excited for our Senior Walk Around at the Elementary Buildings! Our elementary-school students and colleagues are so grateful for the seniors coming back to visit us and share their huge accomplishments. The eight elementary buildings have coordinated a mutual date for a Senior Walk Around at their buildings. The mutual date is Wednesday, May 21st at each of the elementary buildings. Please RSVP so they know in advance who will be attending. Here is the hyperlink for the RSVP; students must sign in through their PPS email address.
Also, if there are seniors who did not attend a Portage elementary building, but would still like to participate, that's great. They should simply call and speak to the Engagement Specialist at whichever school they would like to attend so the building is aware they are coming.
From the PTO…
Donations still needed for STAFF APPRECIATION, coming up next week!
Can you help? The PTO has a number of donation items remaining on the Sign Up Genius All food donations can be dropped off at the Welcome Center on Friday May 2nd, or by 8 AM on Monday, May 5th. Make sure to label the items "PTO".
Or, consider an electronic monetary donation, 100% of your donation will be used for Staff Appreciation week - it's easy to donate, hit this LINK.
THANK YOU for your generosity towards creating a special week for the staff!
Want to get community-service hours over the summer?
Cool! Let’s do them here at PC!
We have been blessed to have a lot of kids help out here over the summer for the past 20+ years, doing a wide variety of things, from watering trees to cleaning to creating cool projects that welcome our students back in August. If you are ever interested, drop me an email anytime – ealburtus@portageps.org – and we can get some fun work done together. Thanks for considering it!
As we plan for Graduation…
Graduation and security
Graduation is an incredible experience. Our kids have worked countless hours over the past years to build their own success and the success of others. Moms and dads, colleagues and community members, friends and families have supported all our graduates so they could have the strength and commitment to arrive at Graduation Day on Friday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wings Event Center. The folks at Wings are great hosts, and the place is huge so you can invite anyone you like! We are so grateful.
We are committed to making Graduation a special celebration. We are also committed to doing everything we can to ensure safety. When you arrive, you will notice that the Wings staff will be using metal detectors at the two entrances through which we will all enter: the main entrance for all guests, and the back entrance for our graduates. The Wings staff are well trained to help guests move through the process as thoughtfully and briskly as is appropriate. As you prepare to attend, we ask that you bring only necessary items, which include cell phones and cameras. We ask that the following items remain at home or in your car:
oversized bags or purses
selfie sticks, iPads, and laptops
laser-light pointers, noise makers (like air horns), and large signs
food or beverages, including any cans or bottles, and coolers
any type of weapon
illegal drugs or substances
Too, we would so appreciate it if you could share this information with any of your friends and family who are attending as well. Thanks!
Mustang Announcements from our Food Service colleagues
SENIORS
Congratulations on your graduation! We are excited to see you begin your next chapter of your life!
EXAM LUNCHES
The Mustang Café will be open for grab and go lunches during exams Friday, May 30th, Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th from 11:45 am – 12:30 pm. You will be able to use the money on your food service account or cash to purchase ala carte items.
END OF YEAR LUNCH CHARGES
Reminder: 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 9th – August 15th
Monday – Friday (No meal service July 4)
Moorsbridge Elementary School Bus Drop Off
Breakfast from 8:30 – 9:00 am
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
June 16th – July 24th
Monday – Thursday
(No meal service week of June 30 – July 5)
North Middle School
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 PM
June 16th – August 7th
Monday – Thursday
Milham Meadows Apartments Laundry Facility
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Colonial Acres Mobile Home Village Playground
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Picnic lunch will be served Monday – Thursday (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!
Come out and support a wonderful event on May 3rd…
The Matt Thrasher Memorial Challenge Day of Lacrosse
Matt Thrasher was a freshman goalie on the Portage Central - Portage Northern combined men’s lacrosse team in the 2004 season, and was killed in a boating accident in the summer of 2004. Matt loved lacrosse, and when the teams split for the 2005 season, the programs knew they had to honor him and his love for the game in some way, thus creating the Matt Thrasher Memorial games and scholarships. On this day each year, all of the lacrosse teams in town take the same field on the same day to play in their respective rival games: the boys compete PC vs PN and the girls take on Mattawan. Each varsity program also awards scholarships in Matt’s honor to select seniors from each school, chosen based on an essay competition. This year’s event takes place here at PC.
Back by popular demand…
Buy a brick for McCamley-Knight or Mustang Field, or a tile for the new pool!
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.
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.
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 see all our summer camp options. And this week we are featuring our summer Volleyball Camp!
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
Really excited for our seniors,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…