For Thursday, September 4
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
Please come to next Friday’s Hall of Fame football game!
PC high school students, wear PC colors, bring your ID – and pay only $5 cash to get into the game!
We will have wonderful community food trucks coming in about 4:30 – so join us for dinner! Here is who is on tap:
We are inducting five PC graduates into the Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the game, starting about 6:50 p.m. The inductees are
Chris Middleton, class of 1995
Lea Foerster, class of 2014
Shannon Rietscha, class of 1992
Matt Johnson, class of 2007
Maddie Umberger, class of 2015
It will be so wonderful seeing all of you there! Thanks so much!
Yahhhhhooooooo!
It looks like we have a solution for KAMSC, KVCC and CTE students and their Chromebooks!
Here are the directions for these students to use, to address the problems we have experienced. The directions are for how students are to add those secondary accounts. Students can only add accounts that are pre-approved, which means they are not able to add personal Google accounts.If students run into any login issues after they work through the directions, they can submit a support ticket at support.portageps.org
Mark your calendars…
The 4th Annual PC Marching Invitational is coming on Saturday, Sept. 20th!
Portage Central Bands is excited to host our 4th Annual Scholastic Marching Band Invitational on Saturday, September 20th at McCamley-Knight Field. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens, and children five and under are admitted for free. Bring the whole family, enjoy as many bands as you’d like, and you’ll be supporting your Portage Central Band program with every ticket you purchase and every item you grab at the concessions stand!
More information about the PCMI - General Info can be found on the PC Bands Website. You can also view the 2025 Schedule of Performing Bands and see our event site map.
We would LOVE to see you check out this event and watch local bands perform in competition. Our very own Portage Central Marching Band will perform at 8:45 pm. We hope to see all of you on Saturday, September 20th!!
Some changes in what and how we report to our county health department
At the start of the pandemic, we were responsible to report the names of students who had Covid – and that expectation continued through last year. But now, we are responsible to report only the number of students who have Covid to the health department. We also have to share other numbers, for example like how many folks have colds and flu, or how many of our kids have Hand and Mouth Disease (which I didn’t know still existed – but it definitely does).
With that in mind, when you reach out to us with a student absence, please let us know what she or he has, we will tally up the numbers, and together we can meet our responsibilities as a community. Thanks for this!
PCHS Activities Craft Show: Saturday, November 1 from 9 am - 3 pm
The PCHS Activities Craft Show will be held on this day. We still have availability for vendors, so if you are interested, please contact Nikki Smith, Activities Director, nsmith@portageps.org. Or, print and return the application 2025 Craft Show Information & Application. Thanks so much!!!
Want to order your student’s pictures?
Last Thursday, students had their photos taken by Strawbridge Studios, our district’s photography service provider. Just hit this link for more information on ordering. A proof of your student’s photo will be shared with you in the upcoming weeks. Have questions? Contact Strawbridge at 1-866-624-6229 or customerservice@strawbridge.net.
Picture retakes coming on Monday, October 13
If our kids were not able to get their pictures taken last Thursday, they have one more chance! Too, if a student did not like their picture and would like to have a retake, they can do that on October 13 as well. More information coming in upcoming Mustang Minutes, so stay tuned!
Order your 2026 Roundup Yearbook today for $70, the lowest price of the year!
Go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and use school code 3604. Yearbooks increase to $80 a copy on October 4. Got questions? Reach out to yearbook adviser Ann Alburtus at aalburtus@portageps.org.
Just a reminder…
Our community-service awards
Every spring, Portage Central recognizes students who consistently commit their time and energy to community service. You can visit the Community Service page for more information and get a copy of the Service form. Any hours served throughout the school year that you want to count toward the award must be turned in to Mr. Brown in the Study Lab or main office within four weeks of the service date, even if the hours are part of an ongoing activity. Any hours completed over the summer must be turned in by Friday, September 12. No summer hours will be accepted after this date. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Brown in the Study Lab (Room 1133) or email rbrown@portageps.org
Tensions on social media away from school
There is not a lot of difference between high school kids today and when I was a high schooler. (In fact, I think kids are better today then they were then… or at least better than I was.) But a big difference between today and then is, back then, we had breaks from each other. In the evenings at home, or on the weekend, we did not have to interact, giving us breathing space to have a chance to calm down.
That’s not true for kids today.
With social media and instant messaging, sharp words and unsettling pictures can be shared instantaneously in the heat of the moment, increasing tensions and making great kids feel vulnerable. With that in mind…
Talk with your kids often. Check in on how relationships are going. Ask them if they receive messages online that unsettle them. Good parenting has always needed good communication.
Let us know how we can help. If a message is threatening, please reach out to the police department; they are there to help. Or reach out to me or another colleague here you trust. The more we can work with kids when the problems are small, the better chance we can help them navigate the tensions – and help them learn from them.
From Athletic Director Jim Schafer…
PC athletes, are you thinking about playing at the college level?
We get questions regarding what it takes to be eligible to play sports in college. While this path is certainly not for everyone, it's essential that families understand the requirements for eligibility if this is a goal a student-athlete hopes to attain. Luckily, the NCAA Eligibility Center has made it easy for families to have all the information they need to ensure they are on the right path. Check out https://s3.amazonaws.com/fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Student_Resources/CBSA.pdf and then visit the following website: https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/ and create an account.
Do you want to get some community-service hours by helping at West?
The good folks at West Middle are in need of some responsible and customer-oriented volunteers for West Middle School Athletic Games. Please see the sign up genius link here and email Mrs. Moon with any questions: bmoon@portageps.org.
Just a reminder…
Be sure to move your car out of the West Student Parking lot after 3:30 pm on specific days
Our Portage Central Marching Band uses the surface of the West Student Parking Lot on all Monday and Wednesday evenings for their rehearsal, in addition to the evenings of any home football games. On those nights, we ask for all vehicles to be moved from the lot by 3:30 p.m. Any student involved in after-school activities and practices should park in the East Student Parking Lot. If a vehicle is left in the West Student Parking Lot, it will be towed and the owner will be responsible for the cost. Thank you for your help and support of the Portage Central Marching Band!
Happy we are back together,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…