Welcome to Portage Township Schools
September 2018
Welcome!
Welcome to the Portage family! My name is Melissa Deavers-Lowie, and I am the Director of Communications for the school district. I am so happy that your family is joining us at Portage Township Schools this year.
This is an exciting time for you, as you have a child who is new to our district this year. This can also be a busy and overwhelming time, and I want to make sure that you and your child have all of the information and tools you need to have a successful first school year at Portage. This is the first of a series of short newsletters you will receive from me throughout the school year. In these newsletters, you will find some tips, tricks, and a short electronic survey to complete. You can also contact me with any questions you may have, and I will be more than happy to find you the answers you need. If you just moved here and have questions about the area, I can answer those for you as well!
Grading Periods
Holiday Breaks/Teacher Records Days
Students will not report to school during certain holiday breaks and teacher records days. Teachers will be available for questions on their records days.
Late Start Wednesdays
The first Wednesday of each month will be a Late Start day. These are professional development days for our employees. All bus pickup and building start times will be exactly one hour later. January is the only month without a Late Start day.
E-Learning Days
We have scheduled three planned E-Learning Days this school year. In lieu of attending school, students will complete the day’s assignments at home. These assignments are often digital in nature and will require Internet access. We do offer open computer labs on those days, and free Internet access is available at the Portage Police Department, Portage and South Haven Public Libraries, and Woodland Park. Teachers will be available during school hours to answer questions and provide help via email.
When the weather doesn't cooperate...
School cancellations
When school must be cancelled for any reason, that day becomes an E-Learning Day. Completing an E-Learning Day on the day of the inclement weather prevents us from having to add additional instructional days at the end of the school year. In the case of a school closing, we will always contact you through our School Messenger system, which will generate either a phone call, text, or email to you. You can also check the PTS website, the local news, our social media pages, or the Emergency Closing Center website for closing information.
Two-Hour Delays
Sometimes, weather conditions are not safe first thing in the morning but will improve a little later. On these days, we will issue a two-hour delay. Everything from bus schedules to building start times will be pushed back exactly two hours. Dismissal will occur at normal times. Again, we will notify you of these via the School Messenger system and the information will be posted to our website, local media, social media, and the Emergency Closing Center website. No E-Learning will take place during this time.
Early Dismissal
Although rare, weather forecasts may force us to dismiss our students from school early. This allows our busses to safely run their routes and drop off our students in a timely manner; it also allows our high school student drivers to go home before the roads become hazardous. Again, we will contact you as soon as possible and information will be posted if this were to occur.
Here are a few things you can do now to make the rest of your school year easy!
Review the calendar
Make note of assessments
Sign up for communications
Follow us on social media
Complete your first communications survey
Need help? Contact me!
Portage Township Schools
Director of Communications
Email: melissa.deavers-lowie@portage.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.portage.k12.in.us
Location: 6240 U.S. 6, Portage, IN, USA
Phone: (219)762-6511
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/portagetownshipschools
Twitter: @pts_excels