For Thursday, March 19
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
Sometimes it's so hard to say goodbye -- but not to those annoying pennies!
Take some weight out of your pockets and drop them in the jars outside the Main Office. All money collected will help build our Mustangs Care fund, which helps future Mustangs in need, years into the future.
With one week down, folks have contributed over $50 in pennies – with Austin Giles as Coach Beard in the lead right now. And though pennies are what we are asking for, for sure we will take any other donations you would like to give!
As a reminder, Mustangs Care is a new 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 next week 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. 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.
Congratulations to the Portage Central Men’s Swim & Dive Team on their historic 4th place finish at the MHSAA Division II State Championship this past weekend!
The state team of Ben Allen, Justin Chen, Evan Corradini, Qihan Davis, Von Dawson, Ryan Greene, Hugo Hernandez Ornelas, Elijah Meldrum, Matthew Penner, Rodrigo Perales, Adam Sagin, and Aidan Stolsky finished this year’s season strong at the MHSAA Division II State Championship after leading their team through two undefeated seasons and back to back SMAC Conference Championship titles. Here are some highlights from the State Finals:
The 200 Medley Relay team of Allen, Chen, Perales, and Corradini finished in 2nd place earning both All State honors and All American consideration. This relay team holds the current school and SMAC Conference record.
Ben Allen - Earned All-State Honors in both the 200 free (4th place) and the 500 free (6th place).
Justin Chen - Finished 3rd in the 100 breast while earning All-State Honors and 12th in the 50 free. Chen is also the current school and SMAC Conference record holder in the 100 breast.
Von Dawson - Took home 4th place in Diving while earning All-State Honors.
Evan Corradini - Finished 10th in the 50 free and 11th in the 100 breast.
Matthew Penner - Finished 12th in the 500 free and 17th in the 200 free.
Hugo Hernandez Ornelas - Finished 14th in the 200 IM and 18th in the 100 fly.
Rodrigo Perales - Finished 14th in the 100 fly and 31st in the 50 free.
Qihan Davis - Finished 24th in the 100 fly and 26th in the 200 free.
Ryan Greene - Finished 27th in the 100 back.
Elijah Meldrum - Finished 35 in the 100 fly.
The 200 Free Relay team of Corradini, Perales, Hernandez Ornelas, and Chen finished in 7th place while earning All-State honors.
The 400 Free Relay team of Hernandez Ornelas, Qihan Davis, Penner, and Allen finished in 9th place.
Just a reminder…
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!
One other senior reminder…
Class of 2026 Senior Sign Pre-Ordering is available through Monday, March 23rd
Standard signs are $20, and customized signs (with name) are $25. Pre-order via this LINK
Signs can be picked up at school on April 23rd, 24th, 30th, or May 1st (see times in the LINK). The PTO table will be located near the main entrance.
A limited number of standard signs will be available for purchase at pickup dates, while supplies last. Please bring exact cash ($20) or a check payable to "PCHS PTO".
Make sure to visit our PTO Facebook page for the latest updates.
Wait, one more senior reminder…
Are you interested in speaking or performing a musical selection at graduation?
If the answer is yes, then we ask that you please stop by Señora Reidel's room (1105) to sign up for an audition time slot. The deadline to sign up to audition is Thursday, March 26. Auditions for graduation speakers will be held on Thursday, April 16, and auditions for musical performances will be held on Tuesday, April 14th. We hope you will consider taking part in our special graduation tradition.
A state survey coming out next week for freshmen, juniors
Next week we will be administering the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY) Survey supported by the Michigan Department of Education. This survey will ask about the health behaviors of 9th and 11th grade students -- it will ask about behavior and attitude related to nutrition; physical activity; injuries; tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; and sexual behaviors.
Students will complete the online survey using their Chromebook in their social studies class. They will not be asked to provide their name or any other identifying information. The survey is voluntary and students can skip any question that they do not wish to answer. In addition, they may stop participating in the survey at any point without penalty.
Please read this Parental Notification Form and fact sheet for more details. If you choose to opt your student(s) out of the survey, please return the form by March 20th to Nicole Gutshall at ngutshall@portageps.org or have your student(s) drop it off in the main office."
Annual Big Band Bash is Friday, April 10th
On Friday, April 10, PC will be hosting the Big Band Bash in the Commons. Tickets are $5 each and are available at the door or thru Ludus at this link. This year's BBB will be featuring Portage Northern HS Jazz Band, Central HS Jazz Band, as well as the WMS/CMS William Short Rock/Jazz Ensemble. Cost of tickets also includes a beverage and dessert. Come and join us for a night of fun and live jazz music!
Tickets are limited…
“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 Tuesday, April 7th, 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!
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.
So important for our kids and what they choose to do next…
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.
We will complete a Student Readiness Check (SRC) next week to ensure all students are ready for spring PSAT/SAT testing upon their return from spring break. The SRC will take place on Wednesday, March 25 from 10:20 to 11:17 am. During this time Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors will be going through the steps to set everything up for their tests; Seniors will have a mandatory class meeting.
This is a required activity for all students. PCHS students with virtual seminars 4th hour must stay and attend their (SRC) or the Senior meeting. The shuttle bus heading to the Career Connect building will leave at 11:45 am to provide time for CTE students to eat lunch. CTE instructors understand that students from Portage Central with afternoon CTE classes will arrive late on March 25.
One last reminder of a deadline that is important for a lot of our students…
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!
Super excited about the Teacher Talent[less] Show – and hoping you will join us,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…