Tiger Update
Information about Pickerington High School Central 1/10/26
Message from Mr. Parker
Tiger Nation! 🐅
Quarter 3: Week 2 ⚓
Back in the Groove & Charting a Course for Excellence
We had a great first week back after our long holiday break! The energy in the building has been extremely positive, and it has been great to see students and staff reconnect, share stories from their time away, and get back on board together. While the break was well-deserved, it feels even better to be back at school with our community, finding our rhythm, and rowing in the same direction once again.
This week also marked the first full week of implementing the day-long cell phone ban at the high school level. As expected, we’ve had to issue frequent reminders, and yes—phones have been confiscated when necessary. As we continue forward, reminders will decrease and enforcement will increase. We ask that you please help us by reminding your students of the law and supporting our efforts. Your partnership is essential as we work to keep our ship focused, steady, and on course for success.
Coming back from break, our Word of Wisdom of the Week centered around Excellence. Two quotes really resonated:
“The foundation of excellence lies in self-control.” — H.L. Baugher
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
As we move through the new year, let’s continue to build winning habits—keeping phones stowed away, staying locked in on connecting, communicating, and catching the goals we’ve set for ourselves. If we remain focused and committed to pulling together as one crew, we will continue to Reach Your Full Potential (RYFP).
Sail on, Tiger Nation! 💨
As always,
Tigers T.I.E.
(Trust, Integrity, & Empathy)
Mr. Parker
Important Dates (Snowy Days!!!)
January 11th: Deadline for Cap and Gown Early Bird Ordering Discount/Delivery to School (see information in the Senior Corner of the Tiger Update below).
January 15th: College Credit Plus Parent Presentation - Pickerington HS Central's PAC - 6pm
January 19th: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 20th: Senior Class Meeting 3rd Period in the PAC (note - Seniors will be called down by announcement) - (See Senior Corner for more updates)
January 21st: College Credit Plus Parent Presentation - Pickerington HS North's PAC - 6pm
January 22nd: MLK Celebration and Awards - Violet Baptist Church - 6pm
February TBD: High School Information Night (for incoming Freshmen) to prepare for the 2026-27 school year @ Central - 6pm - 8pm
Keep up to date:
The Senior Corner of the newsletter contains all of the important information for our students in the Class of 2026. Be sure to check it out every week to make sure you don't miss the fun.
Updated Information:
* Please note that this document is FLUID. Dates, times, and locations are subject to change. Please check frequently and see Mrs. Melton with any questions.
Graduation RSVP & Staff Selection
* This form is REQUIRED for ALL GRADUATES.
* We need to know a) if the student is intending to attend graduation and b) if so - who they would like to hand them their diploma.
*Please note: the Staff is NOT required to attend graduation
** If a Student does NOT fill this form out, they will automatically be placed with either Mr. Parker or Mrs. Wells.
Class of 2026 Baby Photo Submission Form
* The baby photo will be used with their cap & gown photo at graduation
* ONE picture per student. Any student with more than one photo submitted will default to the first picture that was sent in.
*January 20th Class Meeting - 3rd period in the PAC
PHSC Administrators and Important Message from School Counselors
Administrators: Roshawn Parker, Principal
HB410 / Attendance - Carly Wells, Lead Assistant Principal
A-Gi - Michael Yinger, Assistant Principal
Gl-Or - Lazaro Fuentes, Assistant Principal
Os-Z - Joseph Cooper, Assistant Principal
PHSC School Counselor Weekly Update: 1/5/2026
How to see your School Counselor:
Please use your counselor's link below to request a meeting
EFCTS Application:
Sophomores! The EFCTS application has opened up. Please use this link to submit your application: EFCTS Application
If you need help filling out the application, please use this guide to help you through the application: EFCTS Steps to Apply
Be sure to apply soon, the priority window is open Dec. 4 - Feb. 11!
College Applications and Transcript Requests
Important Information about deadlines: It is important to be aware of your application deadlines. PHSC requires no less than 10 school days to fulfill all transcript, scholarship, and letters of recommendation requests for college materials.
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is open!!!.
Prior to October 1, students/parents can set up their FAFSA ID. The FSA ID is required for completing the FAFSA. Students/Parents, make sure to meet the FAFSA deadlines. The deadlines are different for each college/university.
Ex. (Students are strongly encouraged to verify information on college websites, as the dates listed below are subject to change)
Bowling Green State University's FAFSA deadline is February 15, 2026.
The University of Cincinnati FAFSA deadline is February 1, 2026.
FAFSA Application Quick Guide provided by SchooLinks.
College Credit Plus
PHSC CCP Liaison-Jennifer Dashner (jennifer_dashner@pld.us). Please reach out with any questions.
College Credit Plus Parent/Student Meeting (Flyer attached to the weekly newsletter)
Please plan to attend one of the CCP Meetings in January to learn about the CCP Program. This is for students currently enrolled and students planning to enroll for 26/27SY in the CCP program.
January 15-Pickerington Central at 6 PM, Location: PAC
January 21-Pickerington North at 6 PM, Location: PAC
Junior ACT
PHSC ACT for Juniors Information
Students in AP Classes - this DOES NOT apply to Pre-AP courses
Please check out our PHSC AP Google Site for any information regarding AP exams and logistics. This site will be updated and sent out rather than an email or document. The ordering deadline is passed. If you wish to order a late exam or cancel an existing order please reach out to Ms. Hoffman (ashlee_hoffman@plsd.us); there will be a $40 late order/cancellation fee.
Fairfield County Workforce Development Center
No update this week
Career Center Students:
Mr. Peirano and Ms. Hoffman are the counselors who work with Eastland and Fairfield Career Centers, respectively. We will make in-person visits to each career center on a regular basis to keep you connected with Central events and happenings. We will also send weekly homeschool updates via your EFCTS email and Remind101 texts. Please use the information below to join our Remind texts as a parent or student:
Eastland: Text @phscecc to 81010
Fairfield: Text @phscfcc to 81010
Satellite: Text @phscsat to 81010
Please join the School Counselor’s Google Classrooms:
The Counseling office will be keeping you informed of important information regarding your future plans and events, and deadlines that the School Counselors work with. If you have not already done so, please join our Google Classroom to stay informed:
Class of 2026 rugnepm
Class of 2027 6plgntd
Class of 2028 437pgrk
Class of 2029 75rgh2hy
See Important Message from our PTSO
Please join our PTSO!! See attached information on how to join.
The next PHSC PTSO Meeting will be held on Tuesday January 13th at 6pm in the Media Room.
See you there!
NCAA Initial Eligibility Information
Student-athletes continuing their athletic career at the collegiate level need to ensure they are taking the correct high school courses and meeting NCAA initial eligibility requirements. Please do not wait to ensure you are meeting the requirements.
NCAA Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes 2025-2026
Find PHSC’s (or other high schools attended) Approved High School Courses
NCAA Initial Eligibility for College-Bound Student-Athletes Presentation
If you have questions, please contact
PHSC Contact: Jennifer Dashner (jennifer_dashner@plsd.us)
Stay in the Game Attendance Initiative!
We are proud to partner with The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, in collaboration with the Columbus Crew, to launch a new initiative to improve student attendance: "Stay in the Game! Keep Learning Every Day!"
September is Attendance Awareness Month, and we understand the importance of daily attendance for our students' academic and social-emotional growth. Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up quickly:
● Missing just two days a month adds up to 20 days a year.
● That's 30 hours of math and 60 hours of reading and writing missed over the school year.
● These absences can add up to more than one full year of missed school by graduation!
During September, schools will host activities to encourage attendance:
Initiative Updates for the 2025-26 School Year: Electronic Hall Pass Procedure
Maximizing Learning Time Together!
As your Principal, I am writing to clarify a crucial change regarding personal communication devices (cell phones) for the upcoming school year, driven by our experience with student engagement and well-being. Last year's trial demonstrated that while our students thrive when phones are put away, having the devices physically present led to overwhelming distraction, consistent compliance issues, and detrimental loss of instructional time. Therefore, to enhance the academic and social experience for all students, we are implementing a new protocol: students are required to power down their phones and place them in classroom-provided phone caddies upon entering all classrooms, restrooms, and study halls—creating a clear "no-phone-zone."
Students may earn the privilege of using their phones during transition times and lunch. If a student is found with a phone out and not in the caddy, it will be immediately confiscated by an administrator (unless medical documentation is on file), leading to escalating consequences. We know this requires a strong partnership, and we ask for your support in discussing this adjustment with your student to ensure a successful, focused school year.
Introducing Our New Electronic Hall Pass System
To help us manage and monitor hallway activity during learning periods, we're transitioning to an Electronic Hall Pass system. This new system will let us track who's in the hallway and how often. While most students use passes responsibly, this will help us identify and address any patterns of overuse, ensuring our hallways remain clear for safety and focus.
Parents, you'll be able to see when your student is out on a pass directly through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Please make sure your portal access is up-to-date so you can easily track this with us!
Our main goal is to significantly limit non-essential time out of the classroom and truly protect this valuable instructional time. Of course, we'll always accommodate students with documented medical needs requiring more frequent access. Our overall approach will be to encourage students to "stay in class" as much as possible, focusing on their learning.
We truly believe that by reducing disruptions and keeping students focused in the classroom (especially with our new cell phone procedure!), we'll see increased engagement, better communication, and ultimately boosted student achievement for everyone.
Thank you so much for your partnership and support in this important effort!
As Always,
TigersT.I.E.
(Trust, Integrity, & Empathy)
