PHS NEWSLETTER

October 2024

The Principal's Letter

The Portage School staff and I are grateful for a great start to the 2024-2025 school year, including all our Homecoming activities. As we settle into the fall season, I am excited to share the latest happenings at our school. October is a busy and exciting month filled with opportunities for students to engage in academics, extracurriculars, and community activities.

Upcoming Events

Referendum Informational Meeting: We will hold an informational meeting on the upcoming referendum on Wednesday, October 16th, at 6:00 p.m. in the PHS Auditorium. If you are unable to attend, please see the Referendum Slideshow for Information. 2024 PCSD Referendum

Parent/Student-Teacher Conferences: The October Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, October 14th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and guardians to meet with teachers and discuss student progress. Students are encouraged to attend with their family members. The conferences will be held in classrooms and do not need to be scheduled. If you need a phone or virtual conference, please email the teacher to make this appointment.

Academic Reminders

End of First Trimester: November 26th: The first Trimester will end next month. Please remind your students to check their grades and meet with teachers if they need additional help before the trimester ends. We encourage all students to utilize WIN time for extra academic support or to complete missing assignments.

Extracurricular Highlights

Fall Sports and Marching Band: Our fall sports teams and Marching Band Productions are off to a fantastic start! We encourage all students to attend games and cheer on their classmates. Check our website for game schedules and updates.
Clubs and Activities: Many clubs and student organizations are in full swing, offering opportunities for students to explore interests and make new friends. It's not too late to join!

Safety Reminders

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. We encourage students to speak up against bullying and support one another in creating a positive, inclusive environment. As a school community, we offer two online options to report any bullying behavior. Speak Up Speak Out Wisconsin and Incident Report Form

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making Portage High School an excellent place for our students to learn and grow. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of our staff with questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Wishing you all a wonderful October!

Jennifer Jones Garrigan Ed.D.

Principal Portage High School

Portage Community School District

(608)742-8545 ext. 1001

garriganj@portage.k12.wi.us

District Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year

Monthly Calendar of Events

Dates to Remember

Tuesday, October 1

10:20 am Senior Caps/Gowns Meeting a with Jostens in the Auditorium followed by the Sophomore Class Ring Meeting

Monday, October 14

4 - 7:00 pm Parent/Teacher Conferences
6:30 pm Board of Education Meeting

Wednesday, October 16

PSAT Exam
6:00 pm Referendum Informational Meeting in the PHS Auditorium

Saturday, October 19

State Marching Band

Thursday, October 24 - Friday, October 25

NO SCHOOL

Monday, October 28

Picture Retake Day

October Early Release Fridays- 4, 11, 18

Academic Students of the Week

Course Fees

Course fees for trimester 1 have been assigned to student accounts. You can view your student's fees in Infininte Campus. Credit and debit card payments can be made online; cash and check payments can be made in the high school office.

Cookies and Conferences

Trimester 1 Teacher Conferences are Monday, October 14 from 4-7:00 pm. This fall's conferences will be in teacher's classrooms and no appointments are necessary. If you would like to schedule a phone conference or a conference at a different time, please email your student's teacher to set up a time. PHS Teacher Emails

Picture Retake Day

Galley Studio will be at the high school the morning of Monday, October 28 to take school pictures. If your student still needs their picture taken, order forms can be found here- School Picture Form or are available in the office. If your student needs their photos retaken, please send their photo packet with them. We need all students to have their pictures taken so they have a photo ID.

Senior Class Information

Linked is the timeline provided by the counseling office ~ Senior Year Timeline.

Jostens will meet with the Senior Class during WIN time (10:20 am) on Tuesday, October 1 about ordering caps and gowns. Orders can be placed directly through the Jostens Website. A variety of packages and products are available but only caps and gowns ($33.99 if you order early) are needed to walk in the ceremony. If you do not plan to order a cap and gown, please let Mrs. Cohee know if you have one to use or if you would like to borrow one from the school.

The 2025 Graduation Ceremony is Friday, May 30, 2025 at 7:30 pm.

It's not too early to start thinking about senior photos! Additional photo information will be sent to families at a later date but please keep in mind, all yearbook photos need to be taken in a vertical format.

German Club

German Club’s September meeting included officer introductions, the traditional ”Fliegerlied,” T-Shirt design contest, Brezeln und Apfelsaft (pretzels and apple juice), and a pretzel locker decoration, kicking off Oktoberfest! The energy is wunderbar!

Sophomore Class Ring Meeting

Sophomore students can attend an optional meeting with Jostens during WIN Time on Tuesday, October 1 about class rings. If your student misses the meeting, information packets will be available in the office.

Homecoming 2024

Visit our Facebook page for more pictures and videos!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PortageCSD

From the District Nurse

October has three important health and learning related events: World Sight Day on the 10th, PCSD School Immunization due date on the 14th, and Global Handwashing Day on the 15th.

On October 10th, World Sight Day offers a reminder that children’s vision plays a critical role in their learning and access to their education. Children learn as much as 80% through their sight in the lower grades. Kids do not realize that a blurred picture of the world can often be made better through prescription eyeglasses. An eye exam by an eye doctor is just as important as a wellness check up by the family doctor or provider. The eye doctor will examine the health of eye, especially on the inside, along with the visual acuity, or how clearly the sight is at certain distances. If a child is prescribed glasses, know when the glasses should be worn and share this with your school nurse. This allows the school team to support your child’s correct use of the glasses. (How to make an appointment with eye doctor.)

If you have concerns about your child’s sight, speak with the school nurse for resources if you do not have insurance coverage for an exam and or eyeglasses. Here is a list of the local eye doctors and their clinic phone numbers. Please note that if your child is covered by Medicaid/BadgerCare, they are eligible for an eye exam and glasses every 12 months.

If your child loses their glasses, contact the school office and bus company right away. This allows each of us to try to help locate the lost glasses. Having a picture of the glasses can also help in finding them.

As children grow, some may choose to obtain contact lenses instead of eyeglasses. This is a big step. Be sure your child keeps a contact lens care package in their backpack or locker with a case and solution should a contact fall out or there are issues.

On October 14th, School Immunizations Due Date is the day that schools must assess compliance for the Age/Grade Requirements each school year. Immunizations protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases. For 2024-25, new requirements for meningococcal ACWY containing vaccine went into effect for grade 7 and grade 12. Also, anyone who is a new enterer or has a new case of varicella (chickenpox disease) must have a healthcare provider confirm the diagnosis. * A parent report that their child had a history of varicella is no longer acceptable. *If you had reported your child having had a history of varicella prior to May 2024, you do not need to submit a new report.

The next school-located immunization clinic will be October 16, 2024, 3:00-5:30 p.m. at the Gerstenkorn Administration Building. O’Connell Pharmacy will again be available to support your child’s immunization needs for school requirements and other optional ones (Influenza or COVID-19). Immunizations may also be obtained through a healthcare provider or the local health department. Be sure to notify the school any time your child receives an immunization, so the school record is updated. If you choose to waive a new requirement, complete a waiver indicating your waiver choice, which immunizations you are waiving, sign and date the form. Return this form to the school.

PCSD did not meet the 99% compliance rate for 2023-24 so we are required by statute and school board action to exclude students from school for up to 10 days this school year if the child is not compliant with immunizations this year. Notices of exclusion will be included in the 2nd legal notices being mailed to families on 10-7-2024 if your child will be impacted. Your attention to immunization requirements is very important. Your school nurse is a great resource to assist you.

On October 15th, Global Handwashing Day reminds us of the number one way to stop the spread of germ. Handwashing with soap and water is preferred. Be sure to dry your hands completely using a paper towel or dryer. An alternative is using hand sanitizer that contains alcohol. Rub hands together vigorously until dry.

Spend time helping your child learn handwashing. Also, talk about covering coughs and catching sneezes. Visual reminders support children to wash hands following the use of the restroom, coughs, sneezes, blowing the nose, as well as before and after eating.

Mr. Krueger is offering sawmill classes or lumber sawing opportunities in October and November. If interested please contact him for more details and to discuss what you want out of the class.

October 7, 16, 21, 28 4-6 pm

November 4, 11, 18 4-6pm