This Week @ Port Huron Schools

Friday, September 4, 2026

Upcoming events at Port Huron Schools

September 8.........Welcome Back Students
September 8.........Middle School Sports Tryouts
September 21.......Board of Education meeting, PHHS PAC
October 2..............Professional Development Day - No school for students
October 2..............Port Huron Northern Homecoming Game
October 9..............Port Huron High School Homecoming Game

2026 - 2027 District Calendar

Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas can be reached at: superintendent@phasd.us
Port Huron Schools: (810) 984-3101

Make sure you are ready for the first day:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH

Half Day for Elementary & Middle Schools

Full Days for High Schools

Bell Schedules for full days, half days, early release

OPENING DAY

It's not the Tigers at Comerica Park, it is a much bigger deal! On Tuesday, September 1st, the entire Port Huron Schools Team gathered in McMorran Auditorium to kick of the 2026-27 school year. Laurie Oldford, President of our Board of Education, addressed the crowd, followed by Mr. Kerhoulas and our Husky and Red Hawk mascots shooting t-shirts into the audience. The event concluded with our keynote speaker, Chase Mielke, an award-winning author and nationally recognized speaker on topics of resilience, mindset, applied neuroscience, and positive psychology.

Opening Day has become a great tradition for Port Huron Schools. It is an chance for building staff to share their summer adventures with co-workers, and a fun way to kick off a new academic year. But even more importantly, it is a opportunity for the entire team - teachers, parapros, secretaries, bus drivers, grounds and maintenance, nutrition services, technology, administration - to come together as one district, recognizing each department's contribution to the success of our students, to support each other, and to begin the year knowing we are, indeed, Stronger Together!

A Big Welcome to our New Educators

Port Huron Schools would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new teachers who have joined our team. If you see one of these faces in your student's building, take a moment to thank them for their commitment to shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Ensuring the safety of our students is a shared responsibility between school, home, and our community. A key part of this responsibility is preparing for emergencies in a calm, age-appropriate way. By using simple language, modeling calm behavior, and giving students opportunities to practice, we can teach them essential safety actions without causing fear.

Adoption of State-Wide Safety Terminology

Beginning this school year, the State of Michigan has officially adopted standard terminology for all public schools to use during emergency situations. To prepare for this shift, our administrative team and School Resource Officers (SROs) have trained our staff on these updated protocols. During the first week of school, teachers and administrators will begin sharing these concepts with our students so everyone in our buildings understands what to do in any scenario.

We believe it is equally important for our parents and community members to be aware of these changes. Michigan’s standard response protocol centers on clear, straightforward actions designed to help students and staff respond quickly to both emergencies and unusual events on campus:

Hold: Used when corridors need to be kept clear (e.g., a medical emergency in a hallway). Students stay in their classrooms and continue learning.
Secure: Used when there is a potential threat or hazard outside the school building. Outside doors are locked, and business continues inside as usual.
Lockdown: Used when there is an immediate threat or hazard inside the building. Locks, lights, and sightlines are secured.
Evacuate: Used to move students and staff from one location to a safer location (e.g., during a fire).
Shelter: Used when severe weather or environmental hazards require personal protection actions.

Building the Foundation with Community Helpers

Before practicing these specific actions, our younger students will learn about the people who help keep them safe at home, at school, and in the community. As part of these lessons, we will introduce first responders and local emergency personnel so children view these figures as trusted allies whenever help is needed.

How You Can Support Your Child at Home

You play a vital role in reinforcing these safety concepts. Here are a few practical ways to support your child at home:

Address Questions: Encourage your child to ask questions and provide honest, reassuring, age-appropriate answers.
Identify Helpers: Talk about trusted adults and first responders who keep your child safe during an emergency.
Practice Personal Information: Teach and regularly quiz your child on their full name, home address, and a primary phone number.
Role-Play & Practice: Revisit safety steps in a low-stress way to reinforce what they learn at school.
Monitor Emotions & Encourage Communication: Watch for signs of anxiety or fear, reassure them, and let them know it is always okay to talk about their feelings.

By working together and approaching safety with care and consistency, we ensure our students feel confident, secure, and prepared. Thank you for your continued partnership and support in keeping our school community safe.

FGMS Green Team Honored by "Friends"

During the 2025-26 school year, the Green Team began at Fort Gratiot Middle School. Led by Mrs. Stein and Ms. Shock, the team's mission was to make their school a cleaner, greener place, working together to protect the environment by recycling, saving energy, reducing waste, and encouraging others to make eco-friendly choices.

The hard work and dedication of the Green Team has not only made FGMS a better place, it has earned them recognition from one of our community partners: Friends of the St. Clair River. During their annual River Bash Banquet coming up on September 17th, Friends of the SC River will be honoring the Green Team with the 2026 Environmental Excellence Award! FGMS was the only school in St Clair County to achieve the Michigan Green School certification in 2026, and are being recognized right here in our community for their commitment to our environment. On behalf of Port Huron Schools:

CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Stein, Ms. Shock, and the entire FGMS Green Team!

PHHS at the Big House

The season opener for any sport is exciting, but for Port Huron High School Football that excitement climbed to a new level! On September 27th the Red Hawks traveled to Ann Arbor to face off against Anchor Bay High School in the football stadium at University of Michigan - AKA The Big House. 'What could top that?', you might be asking. How about double OT that resulted in a great big W for the Red Hawks!

The Varsity Cheerleaders, Red Hawk Marching Machine, and Thunder Hawk Dance Team all made us proud with great performances on the field during the game, and many students, parents, friends and PHS staff were in the stands cheering from start to the amazing double-overtime-finish. Congrats to the PHHS Red Hawks - way to make us proud!

Class of 2027 Claims Their Spot

Have you seen the parking lots at PHHS or PHN? If you have, you probably noticed a fresh and bright look created by the Class of 2027. About 10 years ago, both high schools started the tradition of incoming seniors signing up for their own parking spot and laying down their custom paint job. When you're out and about cruise through - we have some seriously talented seniors!