PHS NEWSLETTER
October 2023
The Principal's Letter
The Portage School staff and I would like to express our gratitude for a great start to the 2023-24 school year. We are already reaching the halfway point of the first quarter. We will hold In-Person Conferences on Monday, October 16 and Tuesday, October 17. This is a great time to meet with classroom teachers and discuss academic progress and expectations. If you cannot attend our Fall Conferences in person, please contact your child’s teacher for a virtual or phone conference. You may also check Infinite Campus to review grades, assignments, and attendance patterns.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Garrigan
Dates to Remember
Tuesday, October 3
- Senior Meeting with Jostens during WIN Time
Monday, October 9
- 6:30 pm Board of Education Meeting
Tuesday, October 10
- Sophomore Meeting with Jostens during WIN Time
Monday, October 16
- Picture retakes
- 4:00 - 7:00 pm Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, October 17
- 4:00 - 7:00 pm Parent/Teacher Conferences
Saturday, October 21
- 7:00 pm Cabaret
Thursday, October 26 & Friday, October 27
- No School
October Early Release Dates: 10/6, 10/13, 10/20
Academic Students of the Week
Cookies and Conferences
Both nights of Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences will be in-person this year. Join us for conferences and grab a cookie!
If you need to schedule a virtual or phone conference, please contact your student's teachers directly.
Monday, October 16 from 4 - 7 pm
Tuesday, October 17 from 4 - 7 pm
School Pictures
Photo make-up day is the morning of Monday, October 16. If your student needs their picture retaken, please have them bring their picture packet with them. If your student hasn't had their picture taken yet this year, photo packets are available in the office.
We need all students to have their pictures taken so they receive a photo ID.
German Exchange
Herzlich Willkommen to our German Exchange students from Gütersloh! They will be a part of our PHS students' and families' lives from October 2-24. We are celebrating the 48th year of one of the longest established German Exchange programs in the state. Our PHS students will travel to be a part of their lives in Gütersloh in June 2024. Please let us know if you would like to connect with them!
Senior Class Information
Senior students and families should watch for emails and announcements throughout the school year leading up to graduation. Please click here for the Senior Year Timeline.
Our Jostens representative will be here during WIN time Tuesday, October 3 to meet with senior students. Information will be provided about ordering caps and gowns as well as other graduation supplies.
Senior Photo information will be sent out later this fall. Senior pictures need to be in a vertical format and will be due in December.
Junior Class Information
Academic and Career Planning (ACP) Conferences for all juniors /parents occur in November and December. You'll meet with your counselor to discuss post-secondary plans and goals, Aspire and Forward test results, progress toward graduation, and senior year course selection. More information is coming next month.
Sophomore Class Meeting
Our Jostens Representative will be here Tuesday, October 10 to talk with sophomores about optional class rings.
Grief Resources
Please click here.
From the School Nurse
“Students must be healthy to be educated and educated to be healthy.”
Author unknown
Greetings from the school nurses! As we settle into the 2023-24 school year, the school nurses would like to share some basic school health information:
Research shows that students are better learners when they are healthy. Once school starts, it’s not uncommon to see an uptick in illness across the student population. If your student is not feeling well, it’s likely they will struggle to participate in their school day. We ask for you to review Portage Community School District’s Student Health Exclusion Guidelines. If your student meets criteria to stay home from school, please keep them home and contact your student’s school to report the absence. If your student has COVID 19 or they are showing symptoms of COVID 19, please see our COVID 19 protocol.
You might wonder, “What are some ways to keep my student healthy and ready for school?” The school nurses have a few recommendations to encourage healthy habits for your student(s):
Sleep/rest: Ensure your student gets plenty of rest each night. Adequate amounts of sleep will help your student remain focused at school, improve their performance in class, and lead to lifelong health benefits. The CDC recommends that students ages 6-12 years old get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and students ages 13-18 years old get 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
Breakfast: Good nutrition is important for a growing mind! This is why it’s important for your student(s) to start their day off right by eating breakfast. Many studies show that students who have eaten breakfast have higher energy levels, are able to concentrate better, have better standardized test scores, and miss less time out of the classroom. Breakfast is offered at school daily. Please visit our Food Services website for additional information.
Handwashing! Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of illness. Encourage your student(s) to wash their hands frequently throughout the day, especially after using the restroom and before and after eating. More information about hand washing and key times to wash hands can be found on the CDC website.
The school nurse at the high school for the 2023/24 school year is Jessica Schaub BSN, RN. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the school nurse if you have questions about your student’s health.
Cabaret
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 @ 7PM in the HS Auditorium.
Cost is $5 to support the PHS choir department.
This year's show will feature songs from MOVIES by the choirs and as usual, a variety of talent acts by individual students, etc. Our emcees this year are Jess Anderson and MyaMarie Vazquez.
Fall Play ~ CLUE
December 1 @ 7:00pm, December 2 @ 7:00pm, December 3 @ 1:00pm
Ms. Pulliam is a Badger Outstanding Educator!
Ms. Pulliam, who was nominated by PHS teacher Elizabeth Hansen, was recognized at at the September 24 Wisconsin Badgers Volleyball match at the UW Field House.
Additional regarding Ms. Pulliam's award can be found on the Wisconsin Education Association Council's website: https://weac.org/sarah-pulliam-is-a-badgers-outstanding-educator/
Congratulations Ms. Pulliam!
Keeping Kids Safe Online/Cyber Security Awareness Month
Did you know that the WI Department of Instruction has valuable resources for parents, students, and teachers at their Internet Safety website? As we celebrate cyber safety this month, it is a great time to catch up on what is available to our students and how to spot potential dangers. Resources such as guides to the latest technology, age based media reviews, and Speak Up, Speak Out are available through the parent/guardian section of this site: https://dpi.wi.gov/internet-safety/parents. If you are a podcast fan, be sure to catch the DOJ Podcast found here: https://dpi.wi.gov/internet-safety/DOJ-podcast on Protecting Students Online too. You can also get your students involved and start up great conversations with these Safety Month Contests:
Elementary Bingo Fun: https://dpi.wi.gov/internet-safety/keeping-kids-safe-online-month-october/elementary-contest
Middle School Public Service Announcement Contest https://dpi.wi.gov/internet-safety/keeping-kids-safe-online-month-october/middle-school-contest
High School Digital Breakout https://dpi.wi.gov/internet-safety/keeping-kids-safe-online-month-october/high-school-contest
Thank you for your support of our learning community and your students’ safe use of technology all year through!
Athletics
Winter Sports Registration
Please click here for details ~Winter Sports Registration
Athletics Website
Portage High School
Website: https://www.portage.k12.wi.us/schools/high/
Location: 301 East Collins Street, Portage, WI, USA
Phone: 608-742-8545
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PortageCSD
Twitter: @PortageCSD