For Thursday, March 5
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
Pennies for your thoughts?
As you may have heard, pennies are going away – and we are wondering if you might give them to our kids who need some extra help?
We are starting Mustangs Care, a fund to support our kids in need with a little extra help so they can stay on track with their education. And our first fundraiser for this will be our biennial Teacher Talent[less] Show coming up right before Spring Break, on Wednesday, March 25 at 7 pm. This event is a ton of fun, and two springs ago we packed the Auditorium and raised over $5000 to get our new counseling dog, Toby. This time all our proceeds will go to Mustangs Care, so we can help our kids years into the future.
And this all starts now! Can you find any pennies around your home and care and drop them off at the Welcome Center. Click here for more details – and thanks for considering this!
And speaking of the March 25 Teacher Talent[less] Show…
PC staff will be showcasing their for-real creative arts, crafts, and baking talents for our first-ever Mustangs Care Raffle at the Teacher Talent[less] Show. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 with drawings to take place for a crocheted animal, a wood-turned bowl and pen, embroidered PC wear, framed artwork, a custom t-shirt quilt, frosted sugar cookies, and more! So bring your dollars, Mustangs, and buy your tickets to win something that showcases our teachers’ talents outside the classroom and that helps Mustangs Do Good.
A district-wide opioid education event coming this March
This past year, the city of Portage granted Portage Public Schools funding from the Michigan Opioid Settlement to offer services to our PPS students and local community in the 2025-2026 school year. Thanks to this financial support and the organizational efforts of some incredible PC educators, we are pleased to announce the details of a district-wide opioid education event coming soon to our community.
Becky Savage, author of #OneChoice and co-founder of the 525 Foundation, a nurse educator, and National speaker who educates teens, parents, first responders, and school officials on the dangers of prescription drug misuse will be coming to PPS on March 9-11.
She will be speaking to all 8th graders, 11th and 12th graders. Her mission is to "prevent loss through education and awareness.” As a mom who lost two of her boys to opioids, this topic is near and dear to her heart. She educates students about the impact one choice can make on your life, discusses refusal skills, pill identification, and more.
We would also like to invite you to hear Becky speak on the evening of March 11. This event is free and open to the community. The conversation will be centered on the dangers of alcohol and prescription drug misuse and abuse.
We understand the sensitivity of these topics and will have support in place during and after all of our school events for anyone who wants to talk, needs support, or just wants more information.
We hope you can attend the evening event at Portage Central High School Auditorium. More information to come on these upcoming events.
Save the dates!
Parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner:
Tuesday and Thursday, March 10 and 12 from 3:30 to 7:15
And they are fully online through Google Meet, just as they were in the fall and last year. Watch for emails from your teachers, to get all the information you need to connect with all the teachers you need. And, colleagues here pulled together this step-by-step guide to show you how to connect with your daughter’s or son’s teachers.
Always grateful for your help!
PTO needs help with dinner for parent-teacher conferences...
Parent-teacher conferences are coming up next week. We provide dinner for approximately 100 staff members and are still in need of donations (soda and dessert). Please consider signing up using this LINK. Items can be brought to the Welcome Center / main office at your convenience beginning Monday, March 9, until Thursday, March 12, anytime from 7 AM - 2 PM.
Monetary donations are also accepted, and 100 % of the donations received are used for conference dinners - LINK.
We are grateful for your support.
Class of 2026 Senior Yard Signs – On Sale
Celebrate your senior with a yard sign! Pre-orders are open via this LINK, through March 23rd.
NEW this year - customized sign option (with name) as well as the standard senior sign option
We will have a limited number of signs available for purchase at pickup, while supplies last. Please bring exact cash or a check payable to "PCHS PTO" to any of the pickup dates in April/May.
Pickup Dates:
Thursday, April 23rd, during lunch
Friday, April 24th, before school (7:15 am - 7:40 am) and during lunch
Thursday, April 30th, during lunch
Friday, May 1st, before school (7:15 am - 7:40 am) and during lunch
Follow this LINK for additional information and to place your order. Questions? Email: pchsptotreasurer@gmail.com
“A Night in the Emerald City” Prom information that you don’t want to miss!
The Night in the Emerald City Prom 2026 will take place on Saturday, April 25 from 8:30 pm to 11 pm at the WMU Fetzer Center.
Tickets will go on sale at the Welcome Center for SENIORS ONLY starting Monday, March 16. Tickets are $35.00 each. Remember, if you purchase a ticket online, you must pick up your actual ticket from the Welcome Center prior to prom, or you will not be allowed to enter.
Tickets will go on sale for Juniors and Seniors starting Monday, April 6, and all ticket sales will end Thursday, April 23 at 3 pm No tickets will be sold past this date or at the door.
All school fines and fees must be paid before purchasing a ticket.
We highly recommend you purchase a ticket as soon as possible as we have sold out in the past.
For any questions, contact Nikki Smith, Activities Director, at nsmith@portageps.org. Get ready to head down to the Oz Dust Ballroom and defy gravity!
Just a reminder…
Link Crew Applications were available on Wednesday, March 4 and are due on Wednesday, March 11 at 3 pm
For those of you who may or may not know, Link Crew is a program at Portage Central High School where upperclassmen (11th and 12th graders) build relationships and encourage participation with our 9th graders. Link Crew sets the tone not only for the freshman class but also for all of PC because of each Link Leader's commitment to modeling what it means to be a Mustang and an active, integral part of this special place. So, if you are an upcoming Junior or Senior for next year, and you think this is something you could do, please fill out the attached application and submit it by 3 pm on Wednesday, March 11th. Be sure to check the required dates and the time commitment. The link will also be in the announcements and on the GLIC. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Smith, Activities Director, at nsmith@portageps.org.
2026-2027 Link Crew Leader Application
Spring Testing is almost here!
Soon after we get back from Spring Break it will be time for spring SAT/PSAT/WinWork/M-STEP testing. Remember that these tests are required by the State of Michigan and are also a Portage Public Schools graduation requirement. Here is a quick summary of the schedule on those testing days:
Students with extended-time testing accommodations will obviously be done later than the schedule listed above.
9th and 10th graders will have a Seminar period in their testing rooms after their test while the Juniors are finishing up. They will have access to their Chromebooks, but will not be able to access any books or other materials during this post-test Seminar period.
All students will have class in the afternoon of both days.
Yearbook applications for the 2027 Yearbook Staff are due before spring break!
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors: Are you hoping to be a part of the 2027 Yearbook crew? If so, be sure to complete the 26/27 Yearbook Staff Application and email it to Mrs. Alburtus at aalburtus@portageps.org before spring break. The application is also available on the GLIC, or you can scan the QR code on the bulletin boards around school to get your copy. Got questions? Reach out to Mrs. Alburtus.
Just a reminder…
Are you interested in earning the Community Service Award?
The deadline for the 2025-2026 Community Service Award is approaching. All service hours worked before spring break must be submitted by March 26 to count toward the 2025-26 school year awards. Hours worked over spring break must be turned in by April 10. Remember: 50 hours earns you the yearly award, the 200 hours earns you the four-year award for seniors.
All community-service sheets should be turned in to Coach Brown in the Study Lab – except for the week of March 23, when he needs to be away from school. During that week, please bring your sheets to the Main Office for Mr. Alburtus. Thanks for this!
Thankful for rest I got at Mid-Winter Break,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…