For Thursday, April 30
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 kids are so wonderful – and thank you
Kids are kids… and they make the decisions that kids do. Having said that, as I look back at kids over the past 30+ years, I am beyond grateful for the kids we serve today. Like one of our moms who volunteered last week wrote me, “Yesterday, helping out at the senior sign pickup was an activity I didn't know I needed... every single student (and I mean 100%) was gracious, patient, polite and said “thank-you.” It was the lift I needed to continue to restore my faith in humankind.
The same was true Saturday night. Our kids were kind, they showed gratitude, and they stayed throughout the evening and had a great time. (Awesome colleague Bonnie Moss took this bunch of pictures of them!) I am so thankful for them – and thankful for the families who entrust them with us.
On that note…
I wanted to share with all our families and students a really cool fact. Based on recently collected data, over 75% of our students are involved with some kind of extracurricular activity at Portage Central High School. Thank you for being such an important part of our school. Go Mustangs!!!!
Mrs. Smith :)
Thank you to everyone who was involved with Underclassman Academic Awards!
Today was another incredible reminder of how blessed we are to work with incredible kids.
Here is our YouTube Channel to see the programs. Check out the program here to see the names of all of our incredible students earning awards!
Want a graduating class composite photo?
Thank you so much for all the seniors who came to get their graduation picture taken with us for the class composite last week. We had the best turn-out ever in the decades I have served here – and I am so grateful! We have our composites back to 1924, and I am honored that our seniors will be part of this history.
We just spent last night checking the spelling of every student, and we think we have everything perfect. (But, if you see an error, please let me know and we will get it fixed for sure.) You can take a look by going to this website:
https://www.jpike.net/Clients/PCHS/PCHS-Activities/2026-Graduation/Portraits
Too, while you are there, you can choose to purchase a copy too, if you would like.
Seniors! Your cap and gown orders will be available for pickup on Monday, May 4th…
… during both lunch periods. Jim Ross from Jostens will be here at that time to help distribute your orders and to answer any last-minute cap and gown questions before graduation. If you'd like to reach out to him directly, feel free to give him a call at 269-217-6936 or email james.ross@jostens.com.
Last Senior Meeting is on Wednesday, May 13 during 3rd hour in the Auditorium
We will touch on some of the important reminders that we have discussed before – but the focus will be on the Mustang RideOut and Graduation. These slides will help focus our conversation. Got questions? Let me know as soon as you can, so you have everything you need for our last days together!
Just a reminder…
Seniors, want to walk through your old elementary school for the last time as a student?
The date for all 8 of our elementary schools will be Thursday, May 21. The times for each elementary building are all different and are indicated on this flyer. Remember, for all our Woodland graduates, remember to go to the temporary Woodland Elementary at 6633 Haverhill Ave. Also, remember seniors that you need to RSVP through your Portage Gmail account, not through a personal email or your parents' email. Here is the RSVP responder link.
Want to get community-service hours over the summer?
Cool! Let’s do them here at PC!
We have been blessed to have a lot of kids help out here over the summer for the past 20+ years, doing a wide variety of things, from watering trees to cleaning to creating cool projects that welcome our students back in August. If you are ever interested, drop me an email anytime – ealburtus@portageps.org – and we can get some fun work done together. Thanks for considering it!
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.
As we plan for Graduation…
Graduation and security
Graduation is an incredible experience. Our kids have worked countless hours over the past years to build their own success and the success of others. Moms and dads, colleagues and community members, friends and families have supported all our graduates so they could have the strength and commitment to arrive at Graduation Day on Friday, May 29 at 6:30 pm at the Wings Event Center. The folks at Wings are great hosts, and the place is huge so you can invite anyone you like! We are so grateful.
We are committed to making Graduation a special celebration. We are also committed to doing everything we can to ensure safety. When you arrive, you will notice that the Wings staff will be using metal detectors at the two entrances through which we will all enter: the main entrance for all guests, and the back entrance for our graduates. The Wings staff are well trained to help guests move through the process as thoughtfully and briskly as is appropriate. As you prepare to attend, we ask that you bring only necessary items, which include cell phones and cameras. We ask that the following items remain at home or in your car:
oversized bags or purses
selfie sticks, iPads, and laptops
laser-light pointers, noise makers (like air horns), and large signs
food or beverages, including any cans or bottles, and coolers
any type of weapon
illegal drugs or substances
Too, we would so appreciate it if you could share this information with any of your friends and family who are attending as well. Thanks!
Free summer meals and more news from our Food Service!
SENIORS
Congratulations on your graduation! We are excited to see you begin your next chapter of your
life!
SENIOR REFUNDS
Senior refunds will be issued to the parent listed in Family 1 in Skyward in early June for
accounts that have a balance of $5 and over. Food Service will first look for siblings to transfer
the balances to, then will automatically issue refund checks if there are no other siblings
attending PPS.
EXAM LUNCHES
The Mustang Café will be open for grab and go lunches during exams Tuesday, June 2 nd and
Wednesday, June 3rd from 11:45 am – 12:30 pm. You will be able to use the money on your
food service account or cash to purchase à la carte items.
END OF YEAR LUNCH BALANCES FOR UNDERCLASSMEN
Reminder: If you have a positive balance on your account at the end of the school year it will be
there when you return in the fall.
MEET UP AND EAT UP MEALS
There is such a thing as a “Free Lunch” in the summer! Portage Public Schools will be serving
FREE lunches for any child age 18 and under at the following locations this summer!
June 15th – August 21st
Monday – Friday (No meal service July 3)
Moorsbridge Elementary School Bus Drop Off
Breakfast from 8:30 – 9:00 am
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
June 15th – July 16th
Monday – Thursday (No meal service the week of June 29 – July 3)
North Middle School Cafeteria Entrance
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 PM
June 15th – August 7th
Monday – Friday (No meal service July 3)
Milham Meadows Apartments Laundry Facility
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Colonial Acres Mobile Home Village Playground
Lunch from Noon – 1:00 pm
Picnic lunch will be served Monday – Friday (weather permitting) You must eat lunch on site. No ID is required and you do not have to be a PPS student! So come on out and Meet Up and Eat Up with your family and friends!
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
Back by popular demand…
Buy a brick for McCamley-Knight or Mustang Field, or a tile for the new pool!
So many families and community members purchased bricks at the new McCamley-Knight and Mustang Fields and tiles at the new pool — to leave their mark in these spaces where so many great kids, parents, families, and community members celebrated and where so many more will celebrate decades into the future.
This sale continues until Graduation Day this spring. So if you are considering a brick at the new McCamley-Knight or Mustang Field, click here. If you would like a tile at the new pool, click here. Thank you — again and again — for all that you have done.
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 PC Baseball Camp!
And if you want to sign up, it’s easy!
Beginning May 4, families can register
Really excited for our seniors,
Eric Alburtus
And if you want even more PC news…