Dear Portland Families,

If you do one thing this weekend, get out to see Portland High School’s performance of The Addams Family! Tickets are still available for all shows. Please see additional information below.

Thank you,

Kate Lawson

The freshman IPS class is learning about Kepler's laws of planetary motion. Using data from the Kepler space telescope, students were able to identify the existence of planets in another solar system of our galaxy. The data then was used with Kepler's third law, the orbital time period squared is equal to the orbital radius cubed, to find how far away from the star the planet is. If the planet falls within a "goldilocks zone," not too hot and not too cold, then there is a good chance of there being liquid water on that planet. Where there is liquid water, there is a better chance of the possibility of life existing. 

Our Junior and Senior Anatomy & Physiology students recently transformed their classroom into a medical map room! To master the complexities of the cardiovascular system, students took part in a hands-on exercise drawing and labeling the heart’s major structures.

By color-coding the intricate pathways of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, our upperclassmen gained a deeper understanding of how the body fuels itself. It was a fantastic way to visualize the "internal highway" that keeps us all moving!

This week, students in NGSS Chemistry were learning about Intermolecular forces and how to prepare for a Lab. They used Material Safety Data Sheets to collect information on the chemicals they were using and to learn how to work safely in a lab environment. They were also drawing intermolecular forces to see at the atomic level what is happening in the solutions. Next week, they will be given 4 unknown solutions and asked to determine each solution's identity based on its intermolecular forces. 

Portland High School is proud to recognize Rowyn Kootz, sophomore, for her outstanding achievement at the Connecticut DECA State Career Development Conference on February 26, 2026. Rowyn earned 4th Place in the Individual Sports and Entertainment Marketing event, competing against students from across the state.

In this competitive event, students analyze real-world marketing scenarios related to the sports and entertainment industry and present strategic solutions to industry judges. Rowyn demonstrated strong critical thinking, marketing knowledge, and professional presentation skills throughout the competition.

Her accomplishment reflects the dedication and hard work of our students involved in DECA and highlights the strength of Portland High School’s business education program.

Congratulations, Rowyn, on this impressive achievement! We wish her luck as she moves on to the International Career Development Conference in April.