West Middle School

Pioneer Families,

This is your last chance to order Pioneer gear before the Spirit Store closes for the fall!

Shop now: https://www.pwms.ctoutfit.com/

Store closes in less than 24 hours. Don’t miss out—place your order today!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

Winston, we made it!

Week of 1 of the 2026-27 school year is officially in the books!

Way to represent The West Way all week, Pioneers! Shout out to our students, staff, families, and community for helping us get the year off to a great start!

Looking for some new Pioneer gear? Don't forget to check out the Portage West Spirit Store: https://www.pwms.ctoutfit.com/

Enjoy the long weekend, Pioneers! You've earned it!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

PIONEER FAMILIES!

The Portage West Spirit Store is OPEN!

Check out the latest Pioneer gear—including some oldies but goodies and several fresh new styles. A portion of every purchase directly supports Portage West Middle School!

Shop today at https://www.pwms.ctoutfit.com/. Orders must be placed by September 14.

Gear up and show your Pioneer pride!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

DAY 1 IS IN THE BOOKS! ❤️🤍💙

We kicked off the 2026-27 school year with Assistant Superintendent Gerbers and Portage City Councilmember Ledbetter welcoming our Pioneers as they entered the building!

We ended the day with a pep assembly celebrating our newest Pioneer Leaders and a school-wide rendition of our school chant!

What a great first day, Pioneers! The energy was high, and it was great having our students back in the building!

See you tomorrow for our first full day!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

PIONEER FAMILIES — WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

See the attached reminders to help your Pioneer get ready for the first couple days of school!

🔴 6th Graders: Bring your red folder from orientation. If you weren’t able to make it to orientation, no worries! We’ll have one for you when you arrive.

🎥 WELCOME BACK VIDEO: If you haven’t watched the “Welcome Back” video from Mr. Bailey, set aside some time to watch it with your Pioneer. It includes information about:

• The first two days of school
• Drop-off and pick-up procedures
• Lunch schedules
• Michigan’s wireless device law and what it means at Portage West
• WMS and PPS handbooks

Watch the video here: https://www.wevideo.com/view/4164477879

💻 CHROMEBOOKS: Students will not need to bring their Chromebooks this week.

7th & 8th graders can leave their devices at home. 6th graders will receive their devices this week and can leave them at home once they receive them.

All students should begin bringing their Chromebooks to school daily on September 8.

That’s it for now! Our staff is excited to get the new school year going!

See you tomorrow, Pioneers!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to the forecast of storms this afternoon, cross country and football practices are cancelled today, Wednesday, August 26th.

#AllIn #TheWestWay

Are you a high school student looking for volunteer hours?

Portage West is looking for volunteers to assist with our Open House on Wednesday, August 26th.

Interested? Click to sign up here!

And as a bonus, we'll have food trucks and vendors on site - grab a bite while you're here helping out!

We appreciate your support!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

PIONEER FAMILIES!

The countdown is on to welcome our Pioneers back to West, and we are excited to introduce the newest members of our staff! Each brings a unique background and skill set that will strengthen our community and support our scholars.

Take a moment to scroll through the graphics and learn more about each of our newest Pioneer Leaders.

Please join us in giving them a HUGE Pioneer welcome as they begin the 2026–27 school year with us!

See you soon, Pioneers!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

PIONEER FAMILIES!

The countdown is ON! We have a busy and exciting week ahead as we get ready to welcome our Pioneers back to West!

Check out the graphic attached for all of our important Back-to-School dates and details.

A FEW EXTRA REMINDERS:

6th Grade Orientation – Monday, 8/24
Orientation is for 6th grade students only from 7:57 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Parents/Guardians are invited to join Mr. Bailey for a brief session from 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Blue Gym.

Missing Orientation? Stop by the main office Tuesday–Thursday from 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. to pick up your schedule and locker information.

Extra Locker & Schedule Practice
For 6th graders and new 7th/8th grade students who want a little extra practice before school begins:

• Wednesday, 8/26 | 1:00–3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, 8/27 | 9:00–11:00 a.m.

These are self-guided opportunities to walk your schedule, find your classrooms, and practice your locker.

Then join us Wednesday evening from 6:00–7:30 p.m. for our WMS Open House!

Summer is winding down, Pioneer Families. Enjoy these last few days, and then it’s time to get ALL IN for an incredible 2026–27 school year!

We’re ready for you, Pioneers!

#AllIn #TheWestWay

Our 8th grade WEB Leaders began their training today in preparation for Monday’s 6th Grade Orientation!

WEB stands for Where Everybody Belongs and pairs our incoming 6th graders with trained 8th grade leaders who will help welcome and support them throughout their first year of middle school. Beyond Monday’s orientation, our WEB Leaders will periodically check in with their 6th grade friends to see how they’re doing and help them along the way.

One more day of training tomorrow! Thank you to our friends at Moorsbridge for hosting us, and great work today to our WEB Leaders and advisors!

#WEBLeaders #8thGrade #AllIn #TheWestWay