Community Connections Fair

Saturday, March 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Schmucker Middle School

56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair!

Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!

P-H-M is inviting area businesses who want to participate in the Community Connections Fair to sign up. Click here to request a table at the event. 

The Fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. Families wishing to sign up to perform, click here.

Flyers about the event are available in the following languages, please click to download and print:

• English
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Spanish
• Gujarati
• Telugu
• Hindi
• Korean
• Punjabi

Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.

Come out and enjoy the many cultural performances and student work that will be on display representing countries from all over the world! 

Please join us!

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Parker

P-H-M Elementary ENL Coordinator

(574) 259-2486, Ext. 53261

nparker@phm.k12.in.us

Calling all Teachers:

If you missed our Teacher Job Fair on February 4, you haven’t missed out. We’re creating the opportunity for ALL certified teachers at ALL levels in ALL subjects–and those who anticipate being certified by Fall 2022–to have a virtual interview with a P-H-M administrator.

Click here to sign up today for virtual interviews that will take place between Monday, February 28 – Friday, March 18.

The email below was shared with P-H-M staff and families the evening of Feb. 17, 2022.

Dear P-H-M Families,

The past few days have been full of changes, as things with COVID have been from the very beginning.

Monday the P-H-M Board of School Trustees voted to go mask optional. I shared with you on Tuesday that per the Indiana Department of Health guidelines contact tracing and conditional masking would continue. 

Today, I’m sharing with you that the IDOH held a webinar for schools regarding COVID protocols that can be removed starting Wednesday, February 23. Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box stated schools that have already begun the transition and are able to implement optional masking and other changes can do so immediately and do not have to wait until Feb. 23rd.

When P-H-M students and staff return to school, the procedures listed below will be followed per the IDOH recommendations made today:

• Schools are no longer required to contact trace or quarantine.
• If schools are made aware of a positive case, notification is no longer required to staff and families.
• Schools do not need to report any COVID-19 case information to IDOH; both the Indiana and School dashboards will be discontinued. The P-H-M COVID Positive Dashboard will also soon be discontinued.
• Schools should continue to isolate positive individuals for at least 5 days per CDC. 
• Schools should notify their local health department and distribute exposure notification when there is a cluster of positive COVID-19 cases or an outbreak. 
• Schools should notify their local health department when absenteeism reaches 10% for COVID-like illness or when schools are concerned about the level of illness.
• If an individual tests positive, they should stay home and isolate from others for at least 5 full days.
  • People who are in isolation may return to school on day 6 as long as they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms have improved.
  • They should wear a mask when around others at home, in public and at school for days 6-10.
• A negative test or doctor’s note is no longer required to return to school. 

As a result, we have also updated our Health & Safety Plan. We are asking all staff and families to please review the updated plan and familiarize yourself with the changes. Many mitigation safety measures will remain in place such as increased ventilation, promotion of hand hygiene, sanitation and increased cleaning.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent of Schools

This letter was shared with P-H-M staff and families via email the afternoon of Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Good Afternoon P-H-M Families,

Some of you may be aware that at last night’s Board of School Trustees meeting, the Trustees unanimously voted for Penn-Harris-Madison schools to go mask optional starting Thursday, February 17, 2022.

The Trustees made this decision based on several factors:

• P-H-M has made vaccinations available to all staff members and students (5 and up).
• P-H-M’s layered COVID mitigation strategies outlined in the “Health and Safety Overview Plan” have worked to contain and minimize the spread of COVID in our schools.
• P-H-M’s positive COVID cases have been steadily declining for the past two weeks. Click to view P-H-M’s COVID-19 Positive Dashboard for the past 10 days.
• Locally, St. Joseph County cases are on the decline. Click to view St. Joseph County COVID-19 Data Summary on the Health Department website.
• Statewide, COVID cases are going down. Click to view Indiana’s COVID case data on the Indiana Department of Health website.

The Board and Administration realize that there are many families that have immune compromised members and that there are some staff and students that may elect to still wear their masks. The School Trustees support that decision and encourage anyone that still chooses to wear a face covering to do so.

Please note that it is still a federal requirement that everyone (staff and students) must wear a mask while riding on a school bus (even if fully vaccinated); this federal mandate is set to expire March 18, 2022. That means that students who are transported to and from school or for any other purpose must have a mask with them and wear it for the entire bus ride. Bus drivers do keep a small supply on buses in case a student forgets one, but please make sure your child has one.

Now that P-H-M will be mask optional, the district is required per the IDOH to have students who either test COVID positive or are symptomatic close contacts and they are not fully vaccinated (or previously had COVID in the past 90 days), they will be required to quarantine per the IDOH Guidelines for schools without a mask requirement (click here to read).
 

School principals and staff will need to contact trace when they are notified of a positive case so that safety measures can be followed.

Along with last night’s vote, the Board of School Trustees also requested that principals work to eventually allow visitors back into the buildings and to resume planning for student field trips, as school buses are available. For a full summary listing of things that will be reintroduced, please click here. It can also be found on page 4 of the Health and Safety Overview Plan.

We are asking for families to please be patient as there are a lot of logistics and details that our principals need to work out with our Custodians and Facilities crews, this includes removing barriers in the lunch rooms. We also request parents understand that there will not be an instant restart of school field trips, as there are a limited number of bus drivers available to drive during the school day.
 

Please expect that principals will share more details and outline of a plan to resume many school pre-pandemic practices (as listed on the P-H-M Updated COVID plan). While the initial emails may not contain all details to all questions, information will be forthcoming. Principals will reach out to parents tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Thank you for your continued support of our teachers and staff as they work to provide the safest and best learning environment for your children.
 

Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent of Schools
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

Mark your 2022 calendars for P-H-M’s Young Authors’ Conference:

Saturday, March 5

8:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Schmucker Middle School

P-H-M Elementary students, grades K-5

Registration Fee: $5 per child

Online registration is at phm.revtrak.net. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 18, 2022.

The Young Authors’ Conference is for P-H-M students in grades K-5. The event, sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation, provides an opportunity for students and their parents to meet and hear from a well-known children’s authors. Click here to view the photo gallery of the 2019 event.

This year students and their parents will meet and hear from well-known children’s author, teacher, and speaker, Gabrielle Balkan. Mrs. Balkan is best known for non-fiction books that delight readers ages 3-12 with curious and essential facts about the United States, animal record-breakers, and ground-breaking artists. Mrs. Balkan will share her experiences as a writer and illustrator during her engaging, grade-level  presentations.

Participants and parents will also enjoy an interactive, up-close animal experience from the Potawatomi Zoo staff.   As part of the morning activities, students will share their own writing piece in small, adult-led group sessions with students from other P-H-M elementary schools. While students are meeting with their peers, parents will join P-H-M Teacher and writing expert, Mary Nicolini, as she explores how writing can be a method for remembering and preserving events using real-life stories, drawings, and photographs. Elementary student attendees will also work in small adult-led breakout sessions sharing their own writing pieces with other P-H-M students.

COST: The registration fee of $5.00 per child is used for conference expenses. There is no cost for the parent. One parent only must accompany students!  However, keep in mind that students and parents will separate for a portion of the day.  YOUNGER siblings may not accompany adults. This experience is for your young author and parent.

REGISTRATION: Online registration will be available at phm.revtrak.net. If you don’t have a P-H-M Revtrak account, you will need to create one. There is a fee for using this service. The deadline for registration will be Friday, February 18.

CONFIRMATION: Participating students will receive additional information prior to the conference through their home school at the beginning of March.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Schirripa at lschirripa@phm.k12.in.us.

Mrs. Amanda Fox, 4th grade teacher at Elsie Rogers, was notified this week that she had been selected to receive a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Click here to read the White House news release. This is the highest honor bestowed by the United States to K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers. President Joe Biden named 117 teachers and Mrs. Fox was among the national winners! 

Mrs. Fox was chosen in December 2020 as the State's only PAEMST finalist in math. At the time Mrs. Fox was a 3rd grade teacher at Prairie Vista and had expanded the after-school coding courses at Prairie Vista. She also worked over the summers with the ND Department of Computer Science & Engineering on various research efforts funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF grants funded a K-6 ND computer science summer program, as well as her Prairie Vista after-school coding classes. Mrs. Fox was among the first cohort of teachers to help K-8 teachers develop age-appropriate curriculum to introduce students to computer science within existing STEM curricula. Notre Dame Professor Michael T. Niemier praised Ms. Fox for mentoring other area teachers. Mrs. Fox also helped create content for K-8 students in various local school districts other than just P-H-M. Click here to learn more about Mrs. Fox's background. She’s also established a northern Indiana chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). P-H-M School Trustee and Board Secretary Clare Roach got to know Mrs. Fox when she was a Prairie Vista parent and was also instrumental in Mrs. Fox's nomination for this prestigious award. 

This is the second time a PHM teacher has been honored as a PAEMST finalist. Penn High School's John Gensic was an Indiana finalist and was a national award recipient in 2017. Click to read that story.

Recipients of the PAEMST receive the following:

• A certificate signed by the President of the United States.
• A paid trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities.
• A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

If COVID-19 travel restrictions are a concern, a Virtual Announcement may be held with a live award ceremony to take place at a later date.

Are you looking for something unique to experience with your family or significant other?

The P-H-M Digital Video Theater (located at Bittersweet Elementary) kicks off their Spring 2022 Weekend Laser Show season just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Our Laser Shows are professional-quality shows where a laser creates intricate patterns and characters on our Dome Screen enhanced by a (water-vapor) haze machine, all to the beat of classic music!

There will be two shows on Friday, February 11^th (Laser Metallica & Laser Zeppelin) and two shows on Saturday, February 12^th (Laser U2 & Laser Vinyl).

After you’ve had your fill of classic rock, on Valentine’s Day, February 14^th, there will be a traditional show titled “Experience the Aurora”, which is a magical look at the Aurora Borealis that will be stunning when watched on the dome screen!

Click Here for the full schedule of Laser and Full Dome shows.

Cost:

• ALL Laser Music Shows are $5 Per Ticket.

Prices for MOST non-laser shows are as follows:

• Adult – $5.00
• Senior Citizens – $3.00
• Child – $3.00
• Students – $3.00

Tickets go on sale 7-8 days prior to the show. CLICK HERE to confirm prices for your show & to purchase tickets

Discovery 

Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Wednesday, Feb. 23

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Schmucker 

Monday, Feb. 28 and Tuesday, March 1

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Grissom 

Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 15

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band and orchestra at Schmucker, Discovery and Grissom Middle Schools.

Every P-H-M 5th grader who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall 2022 has the opportunity to join an instrumental music class, which includes either band or orchestra. “Instrument Selection Night” is when students and families get to make their choice!

At “Instrument Selection Night,” a music professional will be available to give students advice about which instrument may be best suited for them. They will be allowed to “try out” instruments from various instrument groups. Click here to download, view and print more information on Instrument Selection Night.

In order to join 6th grade band or orchestra, students must select an instrument that they will learn, practice and perform for the school year.  Click this link to sign-up for your appointment at your designated school and date. 

The annual P-H-M Teacher Job Fair is back and in-person for 2022! We’re looking for teachers who strive for excellence. If you are a new or veteran teacher, or just interested in becoming a teacher … WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU! 

Every teacher candidate will be GUARANTEED one face-to-face interview with a P-H-M administrator.

Click here for more about WHY you should become a teacher with us!

When & Where

• Date: Friday, Feb. 4, 2022
• Time: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EST)
• School Location: Schmucker Middle School (Door B)
• Address: 56045 Bittersweet Rd. Mishawaka, IN 46545

What to Expect

• Upon arrival, you will sign in before waiting in a common area until it is your turn
• These are REAL interviews, please dress professionally
• When it’s your turn to be interviewed, please turn off your phone or switch it to “Airplane Mode”
• It’s important to have your Application & Resume on file, please submit an online application prior to the job fair.
• If you do not have an updated online application on file with P-H-M Schools, a hardcopy of your resume is recommended, but not required.
• Masks ARE required

• Addition Questions? Please contact PHMhumanresourcesinfo@phm.k12.in.us

   

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation considers the health and safety of our school community as a top priority. The FDA has issued an extension of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), allowing the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 5 years of age and older. As such, in conjunction with the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, we are offering a free COVID-19 Vaccination clinic for all students, staff, and parents/guardians.

This voluntary event is being held after school hours as a convenience for those families wishing to participate. P-H-M recognizes and respects family decisions in regards to non-IDOH immunization requirements.

Who can get the vaccine?

• The vaccine is now available for children 5 – 11 and everyone age 12 and older. For the scheduled dates, we are providing an opportunity for any P-H-M student, parent/guardian, and staff member eligible to be vaccinated with their first dose, second dose, or booster shots to those already vaccinated.
• Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for the ages 5-11 age group at this time. Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are needed to provide full immunization. The first one primes the immune system, helping it to recognize the virus, and the second one strengthens the immune response. If the vaccine you received requires two doses, you should receive both doses, the second dose for this age group being 3 weeks after the first dose. An individual is considered fully protected 2-weeks after the second/last dose.

When will the vaccinations be offered?

• Tuesday, January 18th, 5-7:30 p.m.

Where will the vaccinations be offered?

• The walk-up clinic will take place at Schmucker Middle School
• Please enter through Door C (see map). Please note that this is the same door as the previous clinics. 
• Address: 
  Schmucker Middle School
  56045 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka  46545

Keynotes about the vaccine for ages 5 -11?

• All children in the eligible group of ages 5-11 will have to be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
• Children ages 5 through 11 years receive one-third of the adult dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.  Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are used for children ages 5 through 11 years.
• COVID-19 vaccine dosage does not vary by patient weight but by age on the day of vaccination.
• Your child will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine three weeks after their first shot.
• The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to the experience of getting routine vaccines. Use the tips to support your child before, during, and after routine vaccinations when getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Registration Form (needed for 1st dose Only):

• Pre Registration will NOT be required. Individuals will be served in the order in which they arrive.
  If possible, please print off and complete the registration before arrival.
  LINK: Registration (English)
• Although there is NO COST to the participants, St. Joseph Health Systems asks that you please bring your insurance cards & state-issued IDs to help the registration process. If you do not have insurance, you will not be turned away. 

If the dates or times won’t work for my family, how can I sign up to get vaccinated elsewhere?

• Vaccine Information and Sign-up Links