For Thursday, January 15
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
Don’t forget!
Second semester begins on Tuesday, January 20 with an Enrollment Room
On the first day of each semester, students report directly to an enrollment room prior to their first-hour classes and the remainder of the day they follow the bell schedule below. Students’ Enrollment Room location is based upon grade level and last name. Posters will be hung in the Welcome Center before school on January 20th and staff will be on hand to direct them to their assigned location.
If a student has a morning off-campus class and will miss Enrollment Room, they must stop in the Main Office to obtain the information they missed in Enrollment Room and sign the second-semester enrollment verification paperwork.
Enrollment Room: 7:40-8:05
1st: 8:10-8:50
2nd: 8:55-9:35
3rd: 9:40-10:20
4th: 10:25-11:17
5th & Lunch: 11:22-12:47
6th: 12:52-1:43
7th: 1:48-2:40
Hey, Class of 2026 Seniors!
Now is the time to approve your senior picture AND ensure that your name is spelled correctly for the yearbook’s senior portraits. Visit the table outside the main office to check your portrait and name, and then write your initials next to your picture by Wednesday, January 21. Got questions? See Mrs. Alburtus in room 2120 or email her at aalburtus@portageps.org.
You don’t want to miss this!
Join us for our winter production, Newsies!
Shows are on Friday, February 6 & 13 and Saturday, February 7 and 14 @ 7:30 pm; Matinees are on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 8 & 15 @ 2 pm Tickets go on sale this Monday, January 19th @ pchsboxoffice.ludus.com.
And, parents of children in grades K-8th grade…
There is a Newsies Backstage Experience on Saturday, February 7th from 1 - 5 pm The cost is $60. To register go to www.pctheatrearts.org.
And, more information to put on your calendar…
Winter Homecoming is right around the corner
Winter Homecoming is the week of January 26th through January 30th. The Winter Homecoming Dance will be on Saturday, January 31st, from 8 pm to 11 pm. Tickets are $10.00 each. It is a semi-formal, and the theme is Winter Candyland. The dress up days are:
Monday: Groutfit Monday
Tuesday: Holidays
Wednesday: Mathlete vs. Athlete
Thursday: Blizzard Day
Friday: PC Spirit Day
More information on Homecoming Week will be in next week’s Mustang Minutes. Stay tuned…
Families of 8th, 9th, and 10th graders - save the date!
Learn more about the International Baccalaureate program at The IB Family Informational Night on Tuesday, January 20th
We are fortunate to have been an International Baccalaureate school for over 25 years now. This program focuses on critical thinking, research skills and service as a part of the learning process. We consistently hear back from our alumni that our IB Program provides outstanding preparation for college. Most colleges and universities also award credit and/or advanced placement based on how well a student does on their exams. We value the program, not just because it helps our kids get into the schools that they want, but it helps them be successful once they are there. If you have an 8th, 9th, or 10th grade student and are interested in finding out more, please join us at our IB Parent Informational Night, Tuesday, January 20th at 7 pm in the PC Community Room.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Take a look at the GLIC, check out the resource section for Mustang Families
This section is intended to share frequently-requested resources on topics like social media management, academic support, and substance-abuse prevention. Check it out here!
From the counseling office…
Seniors, do you need a mid-year transcript for your future college or university?
If so, please submit a 'Hold for Grades' request in Parchment BEFORE the end of the semester. All semester one transcripts will be processed and posted in early-February. Once posted all 'Hold for Grades' requests will be processed in Parchment. Also, please remember, if you originally applied to a college/university through the Common App, you will need to make your mid-year request to the Common App and NOT the college/university directly. If you have questions please contact your counselor or our registrar, Nicole Gutshall at ngutshall@portageps.org.
Just a reminder…
Want to learn more about the Career Connect Campus?
Click right here to get an overview of the programs at the new career and technical education campus. Students will learn even more on Tuesday, January 27th as CCC colleagues present in our English classes. Then, families will decide if they want their daughters and sons to attend a tour of the campus on Friday, February 6th from 9:30-10:30 am. (Students will likely leave PC about 9:15 for the ride over, and they will likely return to classes here at 11. So they will miss parts of 2nd and 4th hours, and all of 3rd.)
In order to attend the tour here are the steps ahead for each interested student.
Talk it over with your family.
Anytime between now and Thursday, January 29th at 3 pm, this link to sign up.
Also, anytime before Thursday, January 29th at 3 pm get these things completed:
download this permission slip, and print it;
ensure your parents or guardians have given their permission and signed it;
and return it to the Counseling Office.
The first 45 students to return the slip are guaranteed bus transportation to and from the CCC for the tour.
If we have more than 45 folks sign up, we will work with our Transportation district Department to see if they can provide more buses
If we cannot provide additional buses, parents can drive their own sons and daughters to the CCC for the tour. Just let the Attendance Office know if you plan to do this. Sorry, students cannot drive themselves.
And remember, as with all field trips, you have to be passing all your classes the week before the trip in order to participate. So stay focused on your success!
Seniors and families with seniors, save the date!
Senior cap-and-gown pictures will be Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22
To continue our tradition of taking class pictures since 1922, we will be taking pictures of each of our seniors Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22 up on the third-floor bridge, and these pictures will be used for our class composites that hang down near the Activities Office.
We will have our photographer at the 3rd-floor bridge taking pictures of our students wearing caps and gowns on
● Tuesday, hours 6-7
● Wednesday, hours 1-4
Seniors, you don’t need to bring your own caps and gowns; we will have some waiting for you. Wear a nice shirt; this picture of you will be hanging on our wall for at least the next 100 years. We will be calling seniors down alphabetically. If you have an off-campus class, stop up there when it works for you; we want to make sure that we don’t miss anyone. You might have to stand in line for a few minutes, so thanks in advance for your patience. Any questions? Drop me an email anytime – and thanks!
A friend shared this with me a while back, and I thought it might be helpful…
Supporting all our kids, at school and at home and everywhere in between
We work together to help our kids learn to identify and manage emotions, to set and achieve goals, to feel and show empathy, to establish and maintain positive relationships, and to make responsible decisions. Here are a few ideas or how to to support our kids:
Self-Management: Effectively regulating emotions, managing stress, and working toward goals
Engage in conversations about social problem-solving.
Help our kids identify their goals and encourage them to play an active role in meeting them.
Self-Awareness: Recognizing your own emotions, and accurately assessing your strengths and challenges
Offer encouragement and specific feedback.
Talk openly and describe your own as well as your child’s emotions.
Social Awareness: Understanding the perspective of and empathizing with others, including those who may be different from ourselves
Ask questions that encourage perspective-taking, such as “How do you think your friend is feeling? What do you think they need from you?”
Responsible Decision Making: Making respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions, and understanding the impact of those choices
Support and model for your student how to resolve conflict appropriately and brainstorm potential solutions or strategies. These include…
Listening for understanding
Keeping multiple and diverse perspectives in mind
Considering intent vs impact
Being aware of your thoughts and feelings
Identifying what you want your child to learn as a result of the experience
Relationship Skills: Creating healthy relationships, communicating clearly, cooperating with others, and peacefully negotiating conflict.
Provide your daughter or son with opportunities to practice being responsible by doing chores or helping around the home in other ways
Monitor access to social media and help them choose wisely, to support their learning, growth and connections.
And our thanks also goes out to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Airport!
The Kalamazoo-Battle Creek airport has been an incredible supporter of Portage Central and our whole community for a lot of years! And we are grateful that they have continued to be such a huge help. (Plus on a personal level, when I need to fly to see one of my kids, I always leave out of AZO because it is super convenient and super pleasant!)
Hoping all our kids are doing well on their exams,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…