Mustang Minutes / January 2018 SAT Success USTANG Page 2 INUTES January 2018 M The official monthly publication of Portage Central High School minuteby Portage Central High School • 8135 S. Westnedge Ave. • Portage, MI • 49002 • (269) 323-5200 • www.chs.portageps.org minute Join us for IB Parent Meeting Interested in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! knowing more about the International Baccalaureate (IB) The award-winning program at Portage Portage Central Central High School? Theatre Department There will be an is proud to announce informational meeting that this February we in the Community will perform the stage Room at Portage Central adaptation of the much on January 16th at 7 loved movie musical, p.m. This meeting is Chitty Chitty Bang intended for parents Bang, and we couldn’t and students who are be more excited! in the 8th, 9th and 10th Originally written for grades. There will be his son, Ian Fleming’s book became the much a brief presentation loved 1968 film, Chitty Caractacus Potts Child Catcher (Isabella you will join us on followed by a time for Chitty Bang Bang. A (John Hart, 12), his Wilson, 12). this phantasmagorical questions and answers. sensational score by children(Carly Koch Join us as 42 Portage adventure! The the renowned Sherman and Brady White)and Central actors and 21 Portage Central Online Brothers (Richard and an out-of-the-ordinary middle and elementary Box Office will open Wearing something Robert) includes such car that flies through the school actors from Monday, January 22. bright at bus stops unforgettable songs as air and sails the seas. across our district Simply visit www. As we head into “Truly Scrumptious”, But the villainous Baron bring all the beloved pchsperforminarts. and Baroness Bomburst characters you know org or www. winter, and drivers are “Toot Sweets”, (Mitchell Harpenau, 12 from the film to life. pchsstudentactivities. distracted by slippery “Hushabye Mountain”, and Kathryn Fulton, 11) Chitty presents an com Student and roads, please encourage and, of course, its Oscar- want the magical car opportunity to share child tickets are $16, all our daughters and nominated title song for themselves and will the nostalgia of this and adult tickets sons to wear as bright “Chitty Chitty Bang stop at nothing to get it! classic film with a new are $18. Please call of coats and jackets as Bang.” The family joins forces generation! our Box Office for possible, so that they Reaching a new with Truly Scrumptious Performance dates for more information: can be seen easily and generation through (Kate Morrissey, 12) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 269.323.5270. so we can keep all our an enthralling and and batty Grandpa will be February 2, 3, Get your tickets soon! kids safe. Thanks! enchanting stage musical, Chitty Chitty Potts (Brady Mills, 11) 4, 9, 10, 11 including You won’t want to Bang Bang details the to outwit the dastardly Saturday Matinees miss Portage Central’s fantastic adventures Baron and Baroness and perfect for younger production of Chitty of eccentric inventor their evil henchman, the audiences. We hope Chitty Bang Bang! THE MUSTANG WAY Mustang Minutes / January 2018 2 Getting all Mustangs ready for SAT, other spring tests Visit the PCHS homepage at www. WorkKeys; and the M-STEP Michigan a College Board account. In addition, portageps.org/schools/high/chs , and online testing. Also in the spring our 9th students learned how to view their PSAT click on Counseling, then visit the “All and 10th graders will be taking the PSAT. test scores, and most importantly, they About Testing “ tab for lots of important Put these dates on your calendar, and were shown how to link their PSAT test information about standardized testing at watch for more info soon. scores to their Khan Academy account so PC. You will find… Please note that classes will begin for that each student can have personalized •Instructions for your student on how to all students, grades 9-12, after testing practice for the SAT. set up a College Board account, along with concludes on April 10 and 11, with a So if your son or daughter has some instructions on how to like test scores to modified schedule. Watch for more details down time over the next few weeks, the Khan Academy for personalized test soon. encourage them do some SAT test-prep prep. Our kids worked on this right before Helping your son or daughter prepare for on the Khan Academy website. It goes the Holiday break. Also, our students these tests without saying that the best preparation have been preparing for the SAT in all our The SAT with essay is the state of for a high-stakes test like the SAT is required classes, like math and English, Michigan’s required college-ready studying and practicing! social studies and science, and many more. assessment that all juniors will take on PSAT/NMSQT scores will be available •A great article explaining the redesigned Tuesday, April 10. The PSAT that our for viewing beginning in December SAT, along with a weblink to a College freshmen and sophomores will take this Our juniors had the option to take Board website on Michigan and the spring is also an important test that gives the PSAT/NMSQT back in the fall on transition to the SAT a great preparation for the SAT. This will October 14th, and those scores will be •A chart comparison of the SAT and the be the third year of administering these available online for students beginning ACT important tests here at PCHS. in December. Just so you are aware, •Information about the PSAT 9 and PSAT The College Board (makers of the SAT this test is entry into the National Merit 10 and PSAT) has partnered with the Khan Scholarship Competition, and several area •FAQ’s, and more Academy to provide to our students some employers have a scholarship associated Also, please watch for an important letter test-prep resources for the upcoming SAT, with this test. Recently we announced to be mailed home in late January/early and we have been working hard to get to juniors to be sure and set up a College February as well as updates on the PCHS these resources to our students well in Board account so they can retrieve their website with much more information on advance of test day in April. scores online. Paper score reports will be our spring testing schedule. Recently some of our staff members mailed to PCHS very soon, and we will get The schedule here visited the juniors in their English those to your student, along with their test Our spring testing schedule includes the classes and the sophomores in their book, so they can review their test results Michigan Merit Exam for juniors, which Government and Economics classes, and in detail. Lots of testing news ahead, so has 3 components; the SAT; the ACT assisted them in making sure they had please watch for more info to come! Parent-teacher More information on student scholarships conferences are coming The state organization, MI Michigan colleges please In this electronic age, it is up on Monday, March 5 and Student Aid, now has their go to www.michigan.gov/ still wonderful to meet face to Wednesday, March 7 from own scholarship database, mistudentaid and click on the face and to talk about the most 3:30 to 7:15 p.m. Plus these compiled of Michigan tab for scholarships and grants, important topic: our kids. So conversations are a perfect scholarships where students then fill out the Michigan it would be wonderful if you time to talk about selecting can submit a request and scholarship search request could attend our next parent- classes for next year. We hope get scholarships sent right form. You can also follow teacher conferences, coming to see you! to their email inbox. To them on all of their social access scholarships for media accounts @mistudentaid We Work • Learn • Lead • Teach • Care • Commit • Excel ... We are diverse. We are one Community. We are MUSTANGS Mustang Minutes / January 2018 3 Need money for college? Now is the time to check out the scholarship information on the who participated in the EFE program and plans to pursue a Counseling tab of the PC website chs.portageps.org/counseling. technology-related field Several deadlines are approaching, but it is not too late to submit • Laura C. Dunlop Scholarship Available for the first time in 2014, entries this renewable scholarship was created in memory of Laura C. for many of the opportunities. Stop by the Counseling Office for Dunlop, a 1986 graduate of Central High School. CHS seniors help. may apply for this scholarship and renew it for up to three The Portage Education Association also offers a number of additional years dependent on specific criteria. The scholarship scholarships for graduating seniors, including will honor Laura’s compassion, love of sports and willingness to • Sue Nelmes Scholarship for PCHS females interested in help people less fortunate than herself. studying History • Joyce A. Vliek Endowed Scholarship for a senior planning • Amy Bousfield Scholarship for a PCHS senior planning to study to study elementary education with a preference for special musical theatre or theatre education • Ken Draayer Scholarship for a senior planning to pursue an • Pat Johnson scholarship for students who excelled in social automotive career studies at Portage Central and who took more than the required • Board of Education Endowed Scholarship in honor of Dr. Kevin number Hollenbeck, for a senior planning to pursue a career in Education, Deadline for all PEF Scholarships is February 12.