For Thursday, April 23
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
If you are attending prom...
Here are some important reminders for students who will be attending “A Night in the Emerald City” junior/senior prom at the WMU Fetzer Center.
Please make sure that you have your student ID. You will get in much more quickly!!!
If you have a guest, please make sure they have their ID and that you have yours. You will need to go to the guest form line.
Everyone else can go to the other two lines to get checked in.
Doors open at 8:30 pm and there is plenty of parking available.
Prom ends promptly at 11 pm, so please ensure your student has a ride at that time.
We are excited for a fun-filled evening with dancing, caricature artists, games, photo booths, and trivia. It will truly be a night to remember, so get ready to dance the night away at the Oz Dust Ballroom!.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Nikki Smith, nsmith@portgageps.org
See you soon!
Last call! It’s not too late! The survey ends Friday!
We would so appreciate feedback from our families
Dear Parent/Caregiver,
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are conducting a survey in partnership with Studer Education to monitor our progress in creating a positive school experience for you and your child(ren). Your feedback is crucial in helping us identify areas for recognition and improvement.
The survey will ask you to select the school your child(ren) attends. Once you complete the survey for 1 school, you will have the option to provide feedback on another school, if you have a child at another school in the district. Providing feedback to each school should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. We encourage you to complete it in one sitting, as your responses will be saved once you click submit.
The Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey can be accessed here:
The survey is scheduled for 4/6/2026 through 4/24/2026.
To maintain confidentiality of the Parent/Caregiver Survey, our partners at Studer Education will be administering the survey, managing the data collection, and aggregating the data to provide results reports to leaders.
Thank you for your partnership,
Johnny Edwards, Superintendent
Did you know that the Portage Central PTO is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization?
A tax deductible contribution can be mailed with a check payable to: PCHS PTO -- 8135 S. Westnedge, Portage, MI 49002 or visit: https://pto-general-fund-donation.cheddarup.com to make on online contribution (transaction fees apply).
Does your employer offer a matching gifts program for charitable donations? If so, please consider maximizing your contribution to the PTO. For questions about the PTO’s tax-exempt status and all donation related questions, please contact our treasurer at pchsptotreasurer@gmail.com.
Seniors and your families, this is your…
Step by step to graduation!
Ready or not, graduation is right around the corner, so make sure you are ready for all of it by reading through the Step by Step to Graduation; just hit this link! You will see all the dates and times to make sure you are right where you need to be.
Recognizing our Class of 2026 future military personnel
Seniors! Be sure to let your PC counselor know if you plan to enlist in the military. We want to make sure this decision is recognized at the Mustang Ride Out.
IB and AP tests begin this week and will run through May
We allow parents/guardians to choose whether to excuse students from the rest of their classes on days that they have either an IB or AP test. These absences will not count against their lunch pass or against class credit. Students must be off campus and will not be under school supervision if the absence is excused.
There are arguments to be made both for and against excusing students from these classes: These are intense tests and students may be worn out. Students may also have another IB or AP test the following day that they need to study for. On the flip-side, students are responsible for any material that they miss, and part of what they might miss could be review sessions with the teacher and their classmates for any upcoming IB or AP test. Our best advice is to sit down with your student and determine which days you choose to excuse and which you don’t based both on the testing schedule and the class schedule. Parents and Guardians can notify the Attendance Office in the normal way -- just make sure to indicate that the absence is due to an IB or AP test on that same day. (We will take care of their attendance while they are in the testing room.)
Make sure you clean out your lockers before summer
By Friday morning, June 5 at 10:15, all students must have everything taken out of the lockers. And I mean truly: everything must be taken home or thrown out. Because starting at 10:30 that morning, a group of wonderful students and I will be cleaning out lockers. We will send additional reminders in future issues of Mustang Minutes, and thanks in advance for helping to remind all our kids about this!
Don’t forget to save the date!
Underclassmen Achievement Awards are coming Thursday, April 30 during the school day
…and you are invited to attend in person or via livestream! Freshmen, sophomore, and junior award recipients are invited to their grade-level assembly and will have an opportunity to mingle with family and friends for photos in Centennial Park for a short time following their assembly. Check out the program here to see the names of all of our incredible students earning awards!
If your daughter or son is on this list, please consider joining us for the ceremony in our auditorium and the celebration in Centennial Park immediately after! Below are the times of each grade level ceremony. Click right here to see where you can park – and where you would ask you not to park. That link will also show you where to enter the building, and more. Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 30 at 8:00 AM: Junior Awards Ceremony and Celebration
Thursday, April 30 at 10:00 AM: Freshman Awards Ceremony and Celebration
Thursday, April 30 at 1:15 PM: Sophomore Awards Ceremony and Celebration
Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 4th - 8th!
The PTO plans to shower the PC Staff with appreciation the entire week. Can you help us spoil them? Please consider a financial donation to make this week extra special. Donate HERE
Or, there are a few food/drink items still in need if you would prefer to drop off donations by May 4th. Please reach out to pchsptopresident@gmail.com for additional info.
And, a reminder Senior Sign Pickup continues next week; stop by the table at the Main Entrance:
Thursday, April 30th - during lunch
Friday, May 1st - before school (7:15 AM - 7:40 AM) and during lunch
We'll have a limited number of signs available to purchase: $20 cash, check (made payable to PCHS PTO), or credit.
Interested in apprenticeships?
KRESA Career Connect is excited to announce an opportunity for you to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities in our area! The Apprenticeship Awareness Presentation will take place during 3rd & 4th hours on Tuesday, April 28th in the Community Room and will include an overview of apprenticeship training and employment options in skilled trades, healthcare and early childhood education. Interested students can sign up here: Apprenticeship Awareness Sign Up.
Want to attend CTE’s Orientation Night?
If you are signed up for a CTE class, or would just like to learn more, you are invited to the CTE Orientation Night on Thursday, May 14. Click here for more information.
Featured Summer Sports Camp of the week: Registration opens May 4!
Hey there, Mustang Families! Each summer, our amazing athletic programs host summer camp opportunities for our student-athletes to continue to develop and improve. Click right here to see all our summer camp options. And this week we are featuring our Little Mustangs Basketball Camp!
And if you want to sign up, it’s easy!
Beginning May 4, families can register
Grateful, as always,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…