Park Center Pirate Newsletter

May & June 2025

Just a few weeks until graduation for the Class of 2025! 🎓

Sunday, June 8th at 1:00 p.m.

3M Arena at Mariucci

Tickets are not required. You can find all of the information about senior wrap-up and the ceremony here: tinyurl.com/PCSHGrad2024

It's Spirit Week leading up to Prom on Saturday, May 10th!

• Tuesday: Dress Like Your Favorite Musician (or wear their merch)
• Wednesday: Pink Goes with Green Day (a Wicked theme)
• Thursday: Throwback Thursday
• Friday: Pirate Pride

Awards night honors students for academic, athletic, and community achievements, as well as showcasing our annual National Honor Society initiation.

In an effort to provide some end of the trimester motivation and enthusiasm, the PCSH Junior Advisory Council, in partnership with a number of other student groups, will host a new PC tradition: the Spring Carnival on Friday, May 23.

• Students will be able to attend various choice activities if they are in good academic standing
• Students who are receiving below a 1.5 in a class will be assigned to a tutoring space during the event to get support in work completion

There will be no school and the district will be closed for Memorial Day.

Seniors will get their caps and gowns as they celebrate their last day at Park Center!

We wrap up our school year on June 6th!

We will be celebrating our graduating seniors during our commencement ceremony at Mariucci Arena at 1pm

We are almost to the end of the 2024-25 school year. Now is a great time to make sure your student is on-track to pass their classes.

• Review your student's current grades with them. Celebrate their hard work so far this year!
• For any grades they want to improve, look at what assignments, tests, or projects they are missing
• Help them come up with a plan to complete missing work and prepare for upcoming tests and projects
• Reach out to your child's teachers (or have them reach out to their teachers!) with any questions
• Have your child attend Homework Center Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 2:00-4:30

Huge shoutout to our PC students and families for an awesome 2024–25 school year! Our Pirates crushed it — the effort, the growth, the learning, the good vibes all year long. Have a fun, chill, and safe summer. You’ve earned it! #PiratePRIDE

We are excited to offer an opportunity for students to recover core credits again this summer!

• Dates: Wednesday, June 11- Thursday, Aug 7 (Monday through Thursdays; no programming the week of July 4th)
• Time: 8:30am to 11:30am
• Location: PCSH Media Center (2nd floor)
• Breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided. Students must arrange their own transportation. (McKinney-Vento students should speak to Ms. Emily)

We will be offering the following core classes:

• English 9 and 10, Science 9 and Biology, Non-linear Algebra and Geometry, Human Geography and US History.
• Additionally, students can recover credit for an 11th or 12th grade core class IF they had a final grade of 1.0 or above.

Here is the link to the PCSH Summer School Registration Form: PCHS Summer Credit Recovery Registration Form

If you need to recover credit for a Junior or Senior Level core course that you had a final grade of less than a 1.0 in you will need to register for the OALC Summer School Program. Here is the link to the OALC Summer Credit Recovery Information Sheet and here is the Student Application - Deadline 5/22/25 at 3:00 pm

Yearbook Distribution Reminder!

• Yearbook Distribution will take place in the cafeteria during all three lunches on Wednesday, May 30th and Friday, June 1st.
• Students who purchased a book online should bring their student ID to pick up their copy.
• There are only 149 copies left—first come, first served! A limited number of yearbooks will be available for purchase for $55 (CASH ONLY).
• The online ordering link is still live at www.buytheyearbook.com — use school code 6612177.
• Please contact Ms. Mathers with any questions.

Park Center Senior High School’s Hmong teachers, Yer Syhaphom and Chayeng Yang, recently applied for and received a District 279 Foundation grant to provide a series of Hmong cooking experiences for their students. A professional chef, Dyane Garvey, came to the Hmong classes each day the week of March 31 to explore Hmong cooking with the students. Learn more here!

Learn about how our own Emily Juaire ended up in her dream job and all the ways she helps our school, including:

• Holiday backpack project
• Say Yes to the Dress prom dress giveaway program
• Groceries on Wheels food deliveries
• Pirate Pantry

Join us for the 7th Annual Hmong Program Showcase and see what students in our PCSH Hmong classes have been worked on this year!

When: Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Where: Park Center Senior High, enter through Door L

Free admission and dinner provided. See you there!

Summer is an excellent time for students to explore their interests, engage in new learning experiences, or gain valuable work experience. The Career Resource Center (CRC) regularly receives information about a wide range of opportunities available to Park Center students. We encourage students to visit the PC CRC website, where they can find regularly updated listings for Employment Opportunities, Learning Opportunities, and Volunteer Opportunities. New opportunities are added frequently, so we recommend checking the site often. Wishing you a safe, fun, and enriching summer!

Are you a 10th grader interested in going to college after high school? Do you have a lot of questions or want more support? College Possible might be a good fit for you! College Possible is a free program for students at Park Center. Students in College Possible are paired with a “Coach” each year starting from their junior year of high school until they graduate college! Your College Possible Coach will actively help guide you through each step of applying to college, applying for scholarships, receiving financial aid, enrolling in college, and being successful once in college. We have limited spots open! Make junior year count with College Possible—your future is waiting! If you have any questions, please reach out to Seun Williams, at owilliams1@collegepossible.org, or Cici Vang, at hvang@collegepossible.org.

The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered at Park Center on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, and is open to all 10th and 11th grade students. Taking the PSAT is a great way for students to practice for the SAT, explore their college and career readiness, and access scholarship opportunities—especially for 11th graders, who may qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program based on their scores. The cost to take the exam is $18, and spots are limited. Students must register online, and payment must be received in the CRC by Friday, September 26, 2025 to reserve a spot.

Revolution Prep is offering Park Center students FREE PSAT Online Practice Exams on Sat, Sep 20 or Sun, Sep 21. The exams are online and begin at 11:00 am. Students MUST register for the event using this link: https://www.revolutionprep.com/partners/parkcenter/

To learn more about the PSAT/NMSQT, visit the College Board website.

There’s a common misconception that trade careers don’t offer strong salaries—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many skilled trade professionals earn competitive wages, often above the U.S. median household income of $74,580 (as of 2023). In fact, some trade careers can lead to salaries over $100,000 per year, especially with experience and specialization.

Trade careers are jobs that require education or training beyond high school but typically do not require a four-year college degree. These careers are ideal for students who enjoy hands-on work and want to enter the workforce with in-demand skills. Pathways into the trades include attending a vocational or technical school, beginning a paid apprenticeship, or joining a trade union.

Locally, there is a growing demand for skilled workers in areas such as electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, welding, construction, and more. Many companies are actively hiring and offering strong starting wages, benefits, and career advancement opportunities. To learn more and explore current opportunities, visit the PC CRC website or stop in the CRC.

All graduating seniors will need to complete four tasks for the CRC to be eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony. More information will be shared with seniors in Advisory on April 21. For those that can’t wait, the four tasks are listed below.

1. Complete the CRC Postsecondary Survey

2. Complete the Scholarship Survey

3. Request your final transcript*

4. Upload a recording of the pronunciation of your full legal name

*Information on how to request a transcript is found on the PC CRC website. IMPORTANT: when you request your transcripts, be sure to choose the “HOLD FOR GRADES” option.

Here are some great scholarships that are due soon. Check out the CRC Scholarship Bulletin on the PC CRC website > Scholarships for more upcoming scholarships.

• Steve Lampi Memorial Scholarships ($2,000) due May 1

• Kopp Family foundation Scholarship ($1,000) due May 9

• Missy L Olson Scholarship ($500) due May 23

• LACEK BIPOC Scholarship ($5,000) due May 31

Spring activities will soon be wrapping up and we will be full swing into summer programming! Keep your eyes on pcactivities.com for updates!

Important Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday July 30: Fall Sports PAC Meeting
Monday, August 11: Fall Sports begin
September: Fall Activities begin

At Park Center we expect every student to demonstrate P.R.I.D.E.

• Participate in your education
• Respect yourself and others
• Inspire others
• Do the right thing
• Excel in all you do

For all Park Center rules and expectations, refer to our Student and Family Handbook