For Thursday, May 29
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
The final exam schedule for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors starts tomorrow!
Also, hit this link so you can read more information about transportation and food service during exam week. Note that neighborhood bus routes don’t drop students off at their doorsteps, but they get our kids pretty close. Too, our students could also wait in the Commons until 2:50 p.m. on those days for our district’s normal, 2:50 p.m. bus runs if needed.
Exam week attendance
Just like the SAT exam administration, a student must stay in their assigned classroom until an exam period has concluded, even if they finish their exam before their peers in class. Students should plan to either be present for the entire exam period or have a pre-planned excused absence for the entire period; early dismissals to leave the building are not processed or delivered during exam periods. This supports a quiet, distraction-free and optimal testing environment for all students.
If a student has a prearranged appointment during part of an exam period that can’t be changed, or if they will miss a full exam period due to illness or an appointment, they should make a plan with their teacher to make up the missed exam during the makeup exam session following the 7th-period exam on Friday, June 6, or take an Incomplete in the class and be prepared to come in as soon as possible over the summer to take their exam in the Main Office. Final exams may not be taken early. Reach out to your teachers if you miss an exam for any reason, and thanks for your help!
Graduation is tomorrow!
Take a look at these slides from our Senior Meeting to make decisions on where you want to sit and graduation, as well as other pieces of useful information – like all the dates and times to make sure you are right where you need to be.
And if you or friends or family can’t attend graduation, you can watch it right here – because of the terrific work of our PCTV students!
Just a reminder, 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!
IB Family/Community Focus Group
As an IB World School, every 5 years, the IB Organization does an evaluation of our program, and we need your voice in that conversation! We are meeting with students, staff members, and with our parents/guardians/family/community members. Our family/community focus groups will be informal small group discussions on Tuesday, June 3rd from 5:30 to 6:30 here at PC, led by Eric and Jason (our IB Coordinator). We would love to talk with you, whether you’ve had several IB Diploma Graduates or are just beginning to hear about the program -- this study is really about who we are as a school, not specific classes. We hope you can join us!
The Mustang Corral store is a great place to order summer and fall gifts!
As we head into summer, don't forget to connect with the PCHS School Store on Facebook (PCHS School Store) and Instagram (@pchsschoolstore). And, even though temperatures are heating up, fall sports are just around the corner. Don't get caught freezing in the stands or shivering on the sidelines, pre-order your PCHS Spirit Blanket now until Monday, July 7th. The custom, machine-washable 60x70 blanket will be ready for pickup during the Freshman and PCHS Open Houses. Get yours today for only $30 using this link!
Our summer office hours
Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Closed Fridays)
Please note the office will be closed on Thursday, July 3.
Just another reminder, because we don’t want any folks to lose their stuff…
Students, don’t forget to clean out your lockers by Friday, June 6 at 10 a.m.
We wash out all the lockers over the summer. Anything left in lockers after that Friday morning at 10 a.m. will either be thrown away or donated to a local charity. So please take everything with you for the summer. Thanks!
And while you’re at it, please clean your bedroom and check under your bed for any stray school textbooks that may have lost their way. Get those back to your teacher or to the main office so that you don’t end up with a fine.
Stop by and see Kaiya’s tree!
Our campus continues to look pretty doggone good since 2011 because of the work of terrific colleagues and students – like Kaiya Caswell, sitting on our right side of the bench! One of our strongest Grounds Crew leaders ever, Kaiya has done tons of community-service hours here over the years, and just a couple of weeks ago she and some other great Mustangs planted a dogwood tree in the space that used to be our Community Garden and that we are now changing to a Michigan wildflower garden. Kaiya’s tree will be a part of our place for decades to come; stop by this summer or 20+ years from now and say hi!
Taking home medications for the summer
With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, I wanted to send out a reminder that all medications kept at the school, prescription and non-prescription, will need to be picked up at the end of the year by a parent or guardian. Any medication remaining after the last day of school will be properly disposed of. If you need more time or want to set a time to pick up your child’s medication, please reach out to me at 269.323.5667
As a reminder for next fall, all medication administered at school requires a medication consent form signed by a physician no earlier than July 1 of that school year. If your child has allergies, asthma, or seizures, an Emergency Action Plan is also required. Updated medication consent forms and other medical forms will be available on the Portage Public Schools district site by July 1.
~ Cara Laforest – 269.323.5667
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 over the past 20+ years, doing a wide variety of things, from watering trees to cleaning to creating cool projects to 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!
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.
Ready, excited and a little sad about Graduation tomorrow,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…