Principal: Kimberly Cugnetti
Assistant Principal: Justin Walker
Central Middle School Main Office: 269-323-5600
(Office Hours: 7:00 - 3:45)
To report an absence: 269-323-5696 or Skyward Family Access (instructions)
Counseling Office: 269-323-5661
6th grade(ALL) and 7th grade (A-L) Counselor: Chris Palmer
269-323-5627
7th grade (M-Z), 8th grade (ALL) Counselor: Teresa Caron
269-323-5675
WEEK OF MAY 10 - 16
On behalf of the entire CMS staff, I want to thank the CMS PTO for the amazing effort you put into celebrating our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. From the treats and fun games to the surprises and prizes, every detail helped us feel appreciated, supported, and truly valued. Your time, creativity, and generosity meant so much to all of us. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a caring and supportive PTO. Thank you for making this week so memorable!
As we celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, I also want to recognize and honor all the wonderful moms, grandmothers, stepmothers, and mother figures in our school community. Your love, encouragement, and support make a lasting difference in the lives of your children and help strengthen our entire school community. On behalf of our staff, thank you for everything you do each day. We hope you have a relaxing, joyful, and well-deserved Mother’s Day filled with love and appreciation.
QUICK LINKS TO WEEKLY UPDATE:
Sunday, May 10
Mother's Day!! 💐
Monday, May 11
A Day
Track Meet @ Home; 4:00
Tuesday, May 12
B Day
ELA FastBridge Testing - taken in all 6-8 ELA classes
7-8th Grade Spring Band Concert @CHS Auditorium; 7:00
Wednesday, May 13
A Day
Thursday, May 14
B Day
Spring Choir Concert Solo Auditions; 3:00 - 5:00
Friday, May 15
A Day
Saturday, May 16
8th Grade Choir Trip to Cedar Point
KAMSL Track Meet
May 18
PTO Meeting in the CMS Community Room; 5:30
May 19
Culver's Dine Out Night **Featuring CMS Staff Servers!**
May 21
6th Grade Spring Band Concert @ CHS Auditorium; 7:00
May 25
No School - Memorial Day
May 26
Final Meeting for the 8th Grade DC Trip in the CMS Commons; 6:30
May 27
Orchestra Concert @ CHS Auditorium; 7:00
May 28
Choir Concert @ CHS Auditorium; 7:00
June 3
8th grade Recognition Night; CHS Auditorium, 6:00
June 4
8th grade Trip to Michigan Adventure
June 5
Last Day of School - 1/2 day - dismissal at 10:55
FOOD DELIVERIES DoorDash and other food delivery orders will no longer be accepted at school. This change is in place to help keep our front office running smoothly and to maintain a safe and focused learning environment.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
MAY 19 - CULVER'S DINE OUT NIGHT Join us for a fun Dine Out Night at Culver’s this Tuesday, May 19 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. CMS staff will be there serving meals, and a portion of the proceeds will support our school. It’s a great way to enjoy dinner, connect with staff, and support our school. We hope to see you there!
A MESSSAGE FROM MRS. CUGNETTI I wanted to let you know that I will be out of the building starting Monday, May 11. I am having surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. After the surgery, I will be home for the remainder of the school year to recover.
While I am away, Assistant Principal Justin Walker will be here to help and make sure everything at school runs smoothly. Please feel free to reach out to him if you need anything. Additionally, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Pascoe will be visiting frequently as well to assist where needed.
As we finish the school year, I hope everyone has a strong and positive end. I’m thankful for our school community and look forward to being back at the start of next school year.
KRESA CAREER CONNECT SUMMER CAMP KRESA Career Connect is hosting the first-ever Career Connect Summer Camp, and registration is now open! - SHARE
Spots are still open for the Healthcare Pathway.https://www.kresa.org/career-connect/summer-camp
Rising 7th and 8th-graders are encouraged to apply for this fun, four-day adventure of career exploration. Summer camp runs June 15-18 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Career Connect Campus.
Apply today and get ready to dream big and dive into your future!
CMS BOOK DRIVE Are you spring cleaning? As we welcome the spring season, many of us are taking the time to reorganize our homes. It’s the perfect opportunity to pass along books your children have outgrown or don't read, and share the joy of reading to others!
We are excited to announce our book drive. We invite your family to donate gently used books for children of all ages. This is a wonderful opportunity to declutter your home and make an impact in our community. Every book we receive helps to donate books to students at Portage Central Elementary School.
What to donate:
Gently used children's books for all ages K-5 (picture books, chapter books, early reader books)
Books in good condition (no missing pages, books in good shape)
Where?
In the commons, right when you walk in the student door.
Thank you for helping us make a difference and for your support! We want to encourage the elementary kiddos to read over the summer and provide a variety of books for them to enjoy.
Finally, if your student donates, they’ll receive a raffle ticket for every 3 books they donate. Raffles items include fidgets, candy, or even a pizza party. We are including “Deal Days” next week.
Monday: In addition to the raffle tickets, every six books donated earns a Jolly Rancher.
Wednesday: In addition to the raffle tickets, for every nine books donated, students get to spin a prize wheel.
Friday: In addition to the raffle tickets, students will have an opportunity to get gum.
If you have any questions, please email: smolitor@portageps.org or dramsdell@portageps.org
Thank you!
Portage Central Middle School Student Council
PCHS PTO INFO FOR 8TH GRADE FAMILIES Incoming 2026-27 PCHS parents - The PCHS PTO invites you to our May meeting! See What The PTO Is All About!!
Mark your calendar for Monday, May 11th (5:30 PM) and stop by the PCHS PTO meeting. The meetings are held in the main office (staff kitchen).
All are welcome! This is a great opportunity to connect with other parents and hear updates on school happenings from Mr. Alburtus.
The PTO is a laid-back, fun group
The PTO would love your input on events and organizing staff appreciation activities, fundraising, conference dinners and more.
Flexible involvement - help as little or as much as you are able
Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the month during the school year and typically last under an hour
Questions? Email pchsptopresident@gmail.com for more information
Make sure to follow our Portage Central High School PTO Facebook page!
STAFF SHOUT OUTS! The Staff Shout-Out Form remains open through the end of the school year. Please feel free to share your appreciation anytime. If there’s a staff member you’d like to recognize, take a moment to fill out THIS FORM, your kind words will be shared directly with them!
8TH GRADE EVENTS DATES Below are the dates of 8th grade specific events.
Wednesday, June 3 - 8th grade Recognition Night; CHS Auditorium, 6:00 - 7:00
Thursday, June 4 - 8th grade Trip to Michigan Adventure
8TH GRADE CHROMEBOOK TURN-IN Chromebook return for 8th grade is Monday, June 2. All 8th grade students must turn in their Chromebook. A new Chromebook will be issued to students in the Fall, as they enter high school. Also, as a reminder to students, no stickers on the devices (on the case is ok). There is a $15 fee if stickers are on the device.
Below is a list of any fees that may result from damage to the Chromebook.
Lost Charger: $20
Broken Screen: $25.00
Broken Keyboard: $25.00
Stickers on device (case is ok): $15.00
Missing Device: $240.00
UPDATED 2025-26 TARDY POLICY Our tardy policy has a few updates. Please see HERE for the policy.
ELEVATOR USE For students who need elevator access, a doctor’s note is required. Each student may have one helper. The elevator fob should stay in the building and be returned to Mrs. Newsted at the end of the day. A $20 fee applies if the fob is lost. Thank you for helping us keep the elevator safe and accessible for everyone!
MY RIDE K-12 Download “My Ride K-12” today for real-time updates and notifications about your child's bus! My Ride K-12 will give you access to your student’s:
Bus number
Bus stop location
Estimated pick-up and drop-off times
Real-time notifications for bus delays and changes to bus stop locations, routes, or pick-up/drop-off times.
My Ride K-12 on the App Store & My Ride K-12 - Apps on Google Play
Click here to read more from Transportation.
AWAY FOR THE DAY CELL HOURS Students are not to use their cell phone or ear buds/headphones during the school day, which begins at 7:40 through the final dismissal bell of the day (2:40). If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call the office. Students may also come to the office if they need to contact you. We appreciate your support of keeping phones and headphones/ear buds away for the day.
BAGS/BACKPACKS To help us keep our classrooms safe and free of clutter, students may not bring bags of any kind (including purses, tote bags, or drawstring bags) into classrooms. Students are welcome to carry a small pencil pouch for their school supplies.
DRINKS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY We ask that students have only water during the school day, outside of lunch times.
STUDENT HANDBOOK The Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct can be found HERE.
SKYWARD FAMILY ACCESS Please see HERE for help in accessing Skyward. In Skyward, you will be able to check your student's grades, attendance, enter absences, as well as find your student's email and password.
STUDENT MEDICATION PROCEDURES For any medication kept at the school, whether prescription or non-prescription (over-the-counter medication, ointments, medical creams, etc.), will require a medication consent form filled out and signed by a parent or guardian. For prescription medication, a physician's signature is also required. This Medication Authorization Form must be completed before any medication can be administered at school.
If your child has allergies, asthma, diabetes, or seizures, an Emergency Action Plan is also required. You can obtain these forms from your child's physician, or may use these generic forms below for your convenience. Please note that these also require a physician's signature. If your child has any other chronic conditions that may require care at school please let our school nurse know.
DROP OFF AND PICK UP Please practice patience in the drop-off/pick up line. We will utilize the dual lanes, with the lane closest to the sidewalk as the drop off/pickup and the outside lane as the moving lane. STUDENTS ARE NOT TO BE DROPPED OFF IN THE OUTSIDE MOVING LANE AT ANY TIME. Please remember to use your blinker when merging into the moving lane.
We also ask that you do not drop off or pick up students in the parking lot or in the receiving lane on the west side of the building. The drop off and pick up lanes are busy; we ask this for the safety of all students.
