Portage Central High School

For Thursday, September 18

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

• Our website 

• Our YouTube channel 

  
  

Homecoming is almost here! Friday, September 26!

The traditional Homecoming parade steps off on Marigold Street at 6 p.m. and proceeds down Westnedge. Community members and families line Westnedge Avenue all the way to McCamley-Knight Field before joining us for the game. Plus, join us for dinner – with food trucks owned by PC friends. We all will have a great time! And, students, the Homecoming Dance will be on Saturday, September 27th from 8 to 11 pm in the Commons. Make sure to have your ID and $10.

• We will have wonderful community food trucks coming in about 4:30 – so join us for dinner! Here is who is on tap:

  • Top Shelf Catering

  • Off the Cuff

  • Sweet Caroline’s Ice Cream Truck

  • Ohh Yeah 

Same yourself time and buy tickets online!

The Homecoming game vs. Mattawan is Friday, September 26 with kick-off at 7 pm. We encourage you to pre-purchase tickets with the link below to avoid the long lines, so you will have more time to enjoy friends, family and the game!

https://gofan.co/event/2375398?schoolId=MI10167

Just a reminder…

Please remember to drop off students in the drop-off areas, and not elsewhere

Between when we built the new PC in 2011 and 2019, the number of students who rode school buses before and after school declined by 50%. And bus ridership declined further through the pandemic.

So it is more important than ever to make sure we are all communicating to one another as we drive near and on campus. One way we do this well is by only dropping off our kids at the drop-off loops -- and nowhere else. We have had some really close calls, particularly when folks drop off or pick up students on the drive off Westnedge or in the roadways. 

Too, parents of PC, please do not drop off students in the middle-school loop, unless of course you have a middle-school student too. They have many of their own families, and our presence makes their world more congested. 

Thanks for helping keep our kids safe!

When students are away, make sure they sign back in at the Attendance Office

Any late arrival or early dismissal will be recorded as an absence until the student checks in at the attendance office upon their arrival or return.  This will help keep our attendance records accurate throughout the day.  Please advise your student to check in when they arrive at school or return back from an appointment.  Failure to do so could result in inaccurate attendance records, which may affect their total number of absences and eligibility for lunch passes.  Thank you so much!

PPS is seeking a new bond to finish the job at our elementary schools

Voters will be asked to consider a $132.4 million bond proposal in the November election to finish replacing three of our oldest schools, modernize another, and update vital technology and services to serve PPS students for years to come, all with no increase in the 2024 millage rate
Why make this request? The COVID-19 pandemic upended supply chains, causing high inflation (especially building materials, equipment and labor) and construction delays.

Here is what the new bond would cover:

• Build the new Amberly Elementary School and the new Angling Road Elementary School – the last two elementary buildings to be replaced.

• Renovate Moorsbridge Elementary School.

• Replace PCEC to support Community High School and Early Childhood Education.

• Continue important updates to educational and safety technology.

• Replace buses that have outlived their mechanical lives.

Request your absentee ballot online at mvic.sos.state.mi.us/AVApplication or plan to vote Nov. 4. You can learn more about the 2025 Bond through this flyer and at portageps.org/2025bond.

The GLIC is back up and running in all its forms

The Grade Level Information Center has been a useful resource for our kids and families to get all kind of nuts-and-bolts information about Portage Central. We have always been able to access the GLIC through the website by hitting this link.

But the shortcut – pcGLIC.com – was grumpy for the past few weeks. As of Monday morning, it is up and working again! Thanks for your patience. 

Bring the whole family!

The 4th Annual PC Marching Invitational is this Saturday!

Portage Central Bands is excited to host our 4th Annual Scholastic Marching Band Invitational on Saturday, September 20th at McCamley-Knight Field from 3:05-9:20 p.m. 16 High School Marching Bands will be competing at this event plus an exhibition performance by our Portage Central Marching Band at 8:45 p.m. 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. Also, check out the Virtual Program here!  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!!

Just a reminder… 

Our next Count Day for the district is coming up on Wednesday, October 1

This day is important because it determines our school's funding. We want every student to be counted! Having all of our students here on that day ensures that PC receives the needed state funding so that we all can do our important work, together. With that in mind, we ask that you please avoid scheduling any non-critical, out-of-school appointments for your student on Wednesday, October 1. In addition, please encourage students who drive to school to arrive on time that day. Thank you for your help with this! 

October PSAT/NMSQT testing information - Late start on Wednesday, October 8

On October 8th, PC will be administering the PSAT, which is also the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (thus the really long abbreviation).  Juniors will test in the morning and other students will have a late start that day.  Regular classes will start at 11:35 that day and run through all classes with shortened periods.  Bus transportation times will be normal, so 9th, 10th, and 12th graders who rely on district transportation will be able to use the area in the Commons as a study hall for the morning. Other students may arrive between 11:00 and 11:30. Lunch will be served at 11:00 for all students here at that time. Here is the schedule for the day:

Testing - 7:40 to 11:00

Lunch - 11:00 to 11:30

Digital Readiness Check and Senior Meeting - Tuesday Sept 30th

The PSAT/NMSQT is now all digital.  To get students registered for the test and also to make sure that their Chromebook is working and has all the necessary updates, we are going to have them go to their testing rooms and log in about a week ahead of time.  Hopefully this will provide them with some familiarity with the program ahead of time and will give us time to track down any issues before test day.   

That day, we will use the modified class schedule below, with shortened hours 1-4. Then during this Digital Readiness Check (DRC), juniors will meet with their test proctors – the same ones they will work with at the PSAT on October 8. 

Seniors will meet with Mr. Alburtus in the Auditorium for a Senior Meeting.  At this meeting, Seniors will get reminders about Graduation and other Senior information.  Freshmen and Sophomores will have an extra Seminar Period that day during this period. 

The DRC is required for all Juniors.  Off campus classes that may be impacted have been notified.

College Board Student Search and BigFuture Services

College Board has traditionally offered a service called Student Search Service where they shared information about students with outside organizations.  There are advantages to students from that service and also significant privacy concerns so they have created a new system which addresses many of those issues.  The new service is called BigFuture.  Through BigFuture students can still opt in to the traditional Student Search Service.  We will be directing students not to opt in to these services at school.   We encourage you as a family to look into these services and make a decision about whether your student should sign up - which connects how well they did on their PSAT and SAT to other information that they input into the College Board system.   More information and directions on how to opt in through your student’s College Board account can be found here: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

Community-service hours update

The deadline for summer hours submission was September 12th. Additional summer service hours will not be considered for the PC community service award. Some other reminders:

• all hours must be served in person with a non-profit organization 

• the authorizing person cannot be a relative. 

• 9th graders cannot use their required Modern American History service hours towards the community service award.

Service forms must be submitted to Mr. Brown in room 1133 or the Main Office within four weeks from the service date. For example, a service date of September 1 must be turned in by September 29. Click here for more detailed guidelines and service form.

IB and AP Test Sign Ups

Students sign up and make payments for any IB or AP tests that they intend to take in the spring October 1st through 31st.  IB and AP Testing Information and Sign Ups (once open) can always be found at https://www.portagecentralexams.com/  For more information please reach out to our IB Coordinator Jason Frink at JFrink@PortagePS.org

The city of Portage is organizing a food drive as we head toward our game with Northern! 

The Portage Central Mustangs and Portage Northern Huskies are gearing up for their biggest game of the season on Friday, October 10 – but this year, the competition starts long before kickoff.

Now through October 9, fans can show their school spirit by dropping off non-perishable food donations at Portage City Hall (7900 South Westnedge Avenue), Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM and on Fridays from 8 AM - 12 PM. When you donate, place your items in the Mustangs bin or the Huskies bin to give your team the edge.

The team with the most donations will be crowned the champion – but when it comes to fighting hunger, the whole community wins. All food collected will be distributed to Twelve Baskets, helping families across Portage. Popular donation items include canned vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, pasta, rice, cereal, and other shelf-stable goods. (Please, no glass or expired items.) 

So, whether you’re rooting for Central or Northern, step up for your team and your city. 

Looking forward to dinner with you all at Homecoming,

Eric Alburtus

ealburtus@portageps.org

And if you want even more PC news…

Athletics