Tiger Update
Information about Pickerington High School Central 3/7/26
Message from Mr. Parker
Tiger Nation! 🐅
Quarter 3: Week 9 ⚓
Staying the Course Toward Excellence!
What a great week to be a Tiger! We continue to navigate exciting waters as our students, staff, and community partners work together to chart a course toward success.
A huge thank you to the various business owners and community members who were in the building this past week conducting Senior Interviews through our senior English classes. Our community partners were incredibly impressed with our seniors. They truly represented PHSC with confidence, professionalism, and pride. Special shoutout to Mrs. Julie Brunner and our senior ELA teachers for leading this powerful experience that helps prepare our students for life beyond high school. These opportunities help our seniors sharpen their sails as they prepare for their next voyage after graduation.
Congratulations to our Girls and Boys Basketball Teams who continue to make waves in postseason competition! Our Girls Basketball team competed in the Regional Finals tonight and dominated the New Albany High School Eagles, 59–28, to capture the Regional Championship! 🏀🐅 Next stop: Dayton for the Final Four! Our Boys Basketball team will compete tonight (March 7) against the Upper Arlington High School Golden Bears at Ohio Dominican University in the District Finals. We are incredibly proud of the heart, grit, and teamwork our student-athletes continue to display while representing Tiger Nation at the highest level. Keep sailing strong!
Academically, we are also full steam ahead. OELPA testing will be taking finishing up at the high school in the coming weeks as we support our multilingual learners in demonstrating their academic growth. We also want to remind families that the end of the grading period is Friday, March 13th, so please help students stay on course and finish strong. Looking ahead, OST testing is also on the horizon, and preparation now will help ensure smooth sailing when those assessments arrive.
These are exciting currents for Tiger Nation. Let’s stay focused, support one another, and continue striving for excellence - ensuring every student has the opportunity to RYFP: Reach Your Full Potential.
Sail on, Tiger Nation! 💨
As Always,
Tigers T.I.E.
(Trust, Integrity, & Empathy)
Mr. Parker
Important Dates (Sunny Days Not Far Way!!!)
February 24th - March 11th: School Counselors meeting 1:1 with individual students (9th-11th grade) for course registration. This is happening through Social Studies classes.
March 13th: 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.
March 13th: End of the 3rd grading period. No School for students. Teacher Records Day
March 13th: Band OMEA Contest at Teays Valley (7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.)
March 14th: Choir OMEA Contest at Upper Arlington (Symphonic @ 9:40 a.m., Chorale @ 11:00 a.m.)
March 18th: ACT Testing for Class of 2027... All other students learn from home that day.
March 19th-22nd: Pickerington Central Theatre Presents: Mama Mia!
March 27th: Building wide St. Patrick's Day(ish) Trivia Competition (AM Survey Schedule)
March 28th: Jazz Band will be performing at OSU for their "High School Jazz Band Day!"
March 30th - April 3rd: Spring Break!!!
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.
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: 3/2/2026
How to see your School Counselor:
Please use your counselor's link below to request a meeting
26-27 Scheduling (UPDATE):
As we begin scheduling for the upcoming school year, the PHSC Counseling Office is excited to share that we have started our individual, one on one meetings with every current PHSC student. This personalized scheduling process is something we are very proud of. While many high schools rely solely on large group presentations or online course requests, we intentionally meet with each student individually to ensure thoughtful academic planning and meaningful connection.
This approach reflects best practice in comprehensive school counseling programs and aligns with the student centered model supported by the American School Counselor Association. These meetings allow us to review graduation requirements, discuss academic progress, explore postsecondary goals, and ensure that each student’s schedule reflects both their needs and their aspirations.
Most importantly, these conversations provide students with dedicated time and individual attention from their school counselor. We value the opportunity to connect with every student, answer questions, provide guidance, and advocate for their success. We truly enjoy this time with them, and we believe the one on one care they receive is a distinctive strength of the PHSC experience.
Dates to Remember:
2/25 - 3/11: Individual Meetings Through Social Studies Classrooms. If you do not have a Social Studies class, please do not worry, your school counselor will call you down
ATTENTION DATE CHANGE:
Due to recent adjustments at the district office that were outside of our control, we needed to move our scheduling deadline from March 20 to March 12. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work to meet updated district timelines while continuing to provide individualized support to our students.
Scheduling Supplements:
**While you are waiting to meet with your counselor, use the days leading up to that conversation to talk with your teachers about classes for next year. They can help you think through your options and provide recommendations on what courses you should consider taking. Remember, if you don’t have a Social Studies class, that’s fine - we will still call you down.
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
You can still apply, but the priority deadline has passed. Please still get your application in if you are interested.
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.
Free ACT for Juniors
The ACT test will be given to all JUNIORS on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026. There will be NO SCHOOL for all Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors on March 18th. Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors will be required to complete work at home on March 18th and turn it into their teachers when they return to school. JUNIORS should report to school as usual on March 18th and arrive at their testing location by 7:55am. Late admittance will not be permitted per ACT policy. The test should end around 11:45AM. Buses will be provided. List for testing locations will be posted in the Class of 2027 Google classroom and posted on the wall by the counseling office by Tuesday, March 10. If you do not wish to take the test, please fill out the ACT JUNIOR OPT OUT FORM.
This link PHSC ACT for Juniors Information has the newsletter which contains detailed information regarding the free ACT.Students in AP Classes - this DOES NOT apply to Pre-AP courses
AP Fees were posted this week, with the expectation that exams are paid by April 24. If you feel you/your student should qualify for free or reduced exam fees, you must complete the form linked below. It will be reviewed by our finance office, and if you qualify your fees will be reduced/removed. Important note - late cancellation/late order fees of $40 are not covered by free/reduced fees.
In order to be considered for free/reduced testing fees, please complete the Educational Benefit Form as soon as possible. Per our finance office: "the form must be filed with the district in order for families to overtly share household income, household size, and state benefits with the district to be eligible for a fee waiver... This form must be filed annually, only applies to the year of application, and cannot be used in retro or future years."
To be considered - please complete the form linked above (by clicking on "apply for benefits" on the page) no later than April 1, so it can be processed in time to be applied to the student's IC and College Board accounts.
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
Career Navigator Update - March
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.
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:
