MYPORTLEDGE '23 Middle School
What you need to know for the new school year.
Dear Middle School Families,
I hope this message finds you well-rested, relaxed, safe, healthy, and filled with memories following a joyful summer! Your teachers and the staff eagerly await your arrival back on campus and look forward to us all coming together for the start of a new school year, one we hope to make the best year yet!
To the returning families and students, you know just how special it is here at 355 Duck Pond Road, and to those new to the community, you will quickly realize that you made the decision of a lifetime in choosing Portledge. We remain committed more than ever to leading the way in independent school education through rigorous academic offerings, providing an environment where our students can learn and grow as critical thinkers while furthering their intellectual curiosity, and through the various extracurricular opportunities.
ON YOUR MARK…
The start of a new school year is the blank first page of a new chapter in your book, waiting to be filled with new experiences, knowledge, and passions. You may have feelings of excitement or even some nerves, but as I often share with students, dream big, work hard, be kind, and you got this! Teachers and students will lay the foundation for a great year ahead through the establishment of essential agreements, the outlining of expectations, and the overview of course materials. But, what remains at the center of that foundation is the relationship between the students and the community.
All rising sixth-grade students and new seventh- and eighth-grade students will attend a student-only orientation on Thursday, August 31st, from 9:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
At the conclusion of the orientation events, we invite all returning students to campus to decorate their lockers and meet their new classmates! A separate communication with more details on Orientation has been shared.
We hope you have had the time to review your child’s schedule and look at all of the information on myPortledge by now. Should there be issues with a schedule, concerns, or questions, we look forward to assisting and providing additional insight on specific circumstances. Please feel free to contact scheduling@portledge.org or bsullivan@portledge.org.
On Opening Day, students will have a special schedule providing additional Advisory time. During these meetings, students will receive their textbooks. If a student is missing a textbook, please connect with your child’s Advisor, who will facilitate the retrieval of the book. We will also host our annual Opening Day Convocation on September 5th.
Each child’s safety remains our top priority on campus, and we look to partner with you to ensure that our students can thrive. Please be mindful of our traffic and driving protocols and procedures during pickup and drop-off. Additionally, we ask that you remain patient in the first weeks of school as everyone establishes their routine and navigates campus appropriately. Students will be supervised during arrival and dismissal, which, if by car, will occur in front of the Middle School, and if by bus, will take place outside the Upper School’s Gilmour Library (supervised as well). If you have bussing or transportation questions, please contact aintreglia@portledge.org or security@portledge.org.
We also ask that you review the 2023-2024 Handbook. Please be mindful of our outside food policy, technology-acceptable use policy, and additional details that support our school’s mission statement and philosophy. Our community recognizes that the internet and social media are powerful and practical tools; they play a significant role in academic research and education. The internet, in general, and social media, in particular, plays a role in most individuals’ lives. Nevertheless, one’s social media profile and presence are not without rules, regulations, and consequences. Portledge does not tolerate cyberbullying, misuse, or abuse of social media and encourages responsible and ethical practices.
GET SET…
As you diligently prepare for the upcoming school year, teachers have carefully constructed supply lists that support their specific subject. Middle School is a time when students experience growing independence, and increased organization can allow them to flourish. Therefore, we ask that you do your best to follow the color requirements for each specific subject.
Class begins at a new start time of 8:20 a.m. this year (dismissal remains at 3:30 p.m.). All students who arrive late are required to sign in. If a student will be absent for the day or requires early dismissal, a note, phone call, or email from a parent is required. Communication concerning early dismissals and absences should be shared by 8:15 a.m. Should a student be aware of an upcoming absence, they must complete a Planned Absence form and return it to the Division Director prior to their departure. We thank you for your efforts in following these procedures in advance.
Portledge Middle School maintains an away-for-the-day cellphone policy. Students may not have their cell phones out during school hours and should leave them in their locker or in their advisor’s cellphone bin. We encourage you to limit communication with your child during the school day so that they can observe these beneficial rules and guidelines while socializing with their peers without distraction. Should you need to get a message to your child, please contact their Advisor, who will check in with the student. In the case of an emergency, please dial 516-750-3185 or 516-750-3214.
Go, Go, Go …
We cannot wait to have our community together once again; from the students, faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, Alumni, and all those connected to our home-Portledge. We look forward to seeing you on campus during Back to School Night, Information evenings, Student-Led Conferences, Parent Coffees, and more!
Please help us welcome the newest members of the Portledge faculty:
Carolyn Smith, Middle School Math
Jessica Schulteisz, Educational Psychologist
Emma Maurer, Middle & Upper School Dance
List of 1 frequently asked questions.
- Middle School Music Program
- Summer Work / Reading
- Orientation Schedule
- Athletic Placement Process 7th & 8th Grade
- 7th & 8th Grade Fall Sports
- 5th & 6th Grade Fall Sports
- Traffic Flow & Faculty Parking
- 1st time login to myPortledge
- myPortledge Forms
- Homecoming & Founders Day
- New Parent Cocktail Party
- Middle School Handbook
- Middle School Supply Lists
- 6th-12th Grade Dress Code
- Middle School Calendar
Middle & Upper Schools Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:20 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Contacts
-
-
Footer bG
FooterBg
-
Get In Touch
Legal
*NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
Portledge School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.
Portledge School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.
Web design by Digital Silk