Written by John Zack, Assistant Principal
Often at this time of year, people find themselves enjoying the natural social phenomenon of looking back at what has been successfully accomplished. At Portage High School, we are no different. Although we find ourselves only just shy of the half-way point of the school year it warms the heart to think of all the caring, sharing, growing, and learning taking place on a daily basis in our halls. Being an alumnus of PHS, it holds an even dearer place in my heart to compare what we are seeing accomplished now and comparing it to "back in the day."
While it has not been a terribly long time ago that this assistant principal walked the hallways as a student, there is a clear difference between now and then. Fashions have clearly changed, cliques have faded and emerged, and even some of the staff has moved on towards the great reward of retirement. It is indeed interesting to notice the differences in the hallways, the classrooms, the teaching styles, and the overall lifestyle of students today compared to the perspective of being "one of them" just shy of two decades ago.
Being a member of this community, one of the many things found to be proud of is what has not changed: the spirit of our students. The amount of energy put into helping others, caring about one another, and contributing to the community has never been stronger. Students have rallied behind crisis, raised money for charity, done good deeds for community members, as well as taken their time and donated it to many varied and worthy causes all because they wanted to.
None of this was required, no one stood over them to tell them to care, they just did it and they have done it with class and style. Sure, you have good-natured teachers to provide ideas and opportunities for students to invest themselves in, but as an adult who deals with students daily, it is safe to claim that they invest fully and completely only when they believe. Weekly you can find reports in the newspaper of the good things that students do out of the kindness of their hearts. For example, just this past month, during our Tribe Time, students have organized and created mini-volunteer projects that have greatly impacted our community such as: adopting families for the holiday season, presenting performances, collecting food for the needy, donating dental hygiene kits for the underprivileged and the list goes on and on.
This is a testament to the character of our community, the beliefs in which we hold our families and neighbors and the strengths that we find amongst all who walk these halls. Portage, you have much to be proud of at your high school. Your students care, they work hard, and they embody the hope that we have for creating a better place to live and work. Thank you for sharing your children with us, thank you for your help and support, it is a privilege to work with your sons and daughters, one that we take very seriously and we hope that you are as proud of these young members of our community as we are. We at Portage Township Schools hope you enjoyed your holiday season and take heart that the values and principles that we together work to instill in our students has taken root and begun to flourish.