The letter below was shared with P-H-M Staff and Families on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

Good Afternoon,

The CDC released an update last week regarding masking for fully vaccinated people and the St. Joseph County Department of Health’s (SJCDH) subsequently rescinded its Public Health Order 1-2021 on Thursday, May 13.

In our weekly conversation with SJCDH on May 13, we discussed the County Health Department’s requirement of masks in schools. The following guidance was shared with us:

• Overall county case rates for COVID are down. It’s the first time since September it’s been this low.
• Governor Holcomb issued the continuation of Executive  Order 21-12 on April 29. It is through the end of the school year. Students, staff, and external school visitors must be masked while in any school building, facility, or grounds.
• For P-H-M Summer School and Summer Camps (beginning Monday, June 7), SJCDH gave approval for optional masking; it will no longer be required as long as social distancing and hand washing are still in place. If all of this is in place, SJCDH will not require masks indoors for classrooms for summer indoor classes and outdoor activities. 
  • SJCDH made these recommendations for the following reasons: 
    • Students ages 12+ (which is middle and high school age) have the opportunity to now get vaccinated.
    • Elementary age students are least likely to have serious complications and least likely to transmit.

Therefore based on the guidance from the St. Joseph County Department of Health at last night’s Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees meeting (Monday, May 17), I shared the following information:

• Masks will still be required on all P-H-M buses and property through the evening of Friday, June 4. This includes the last day of school, Wednesday, June 2, for all P-H-M students grades PreK-12 and Penn High School’s Commencement Ceremony on Friday, June 4, 7:00 p.m. Should rain or inclement weather delay the ceremony, Graduation will be moved to Sunday, June 6th at 7:00 p.m., and the mask requirement will be in place through the end of that evening’s ceremony. All the prior details that Principal Sean Galiher has shared with senior families remain in effect. Click here for that information shared back in April.
• Masks are optional starting Monday, June 7, for summer school students, summer camps, and all P-H-M staff working through the summer. Please click to read the updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols that will be in place for P-H-M summer school and camps.
• Through the summer masks will remain required on all P-H-M buses for drivers and summer school students using P-H-M transportation per the U.S. Dept. of Transportation regulation. 
• The First Day of School for the 2021-2022 school year is Wednesday, August 18, 2021. When school starts in the fall, the following will be in place: 
  • We will return to five (5) days per week of in-person instruction for all students.
  • We will return to normal school start times as listed on our website at this link, https://www.phmschools.org/p-h-m-school-directory
  • COVID-19 health safety protocols will continue to be adopted based on the guidance from the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and St. Joseph County Department of Health (SJCDoH).
  • The Administration will continue its commitment to transparency through communication and the COVID dashboard. 

(Click to read Dr. Thacker’s Return to Learn presentation shared at the May 17 Board Meeting).

Safety is our top priority, and we are committed to promoting an optimal, safe learning environment for our students and an optimal, safe work environment for our staff members. 

Sincerely, 
Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent of Schools

At the Monday, May 17 Board Meeting, the P-H-M Board of School Trustees approved two new positions, recognized P-H-M’s Teacher of the Year candidates, and outgoing staff members. Congratulations to everyone!

At the Monday, May 17 (2021) Board Meeting P-H-M Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerry Thacker recommended the appointment of Madelyn Beers as the new principal of Elm Road Elementary. Current Principal Dr. Lisa Soto Kile will take on the role of Director of Professional Development and Student Learning at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Madelyn Beers worked at Elm Road as Assistant to the Principal for the 2019-2020 school year. For several months, Madelyn worked with the Elm teachers and Principal Dr. Lisa Soto Kile on the school’s application process to become an IDOE STEM Certified School; the IDOE recognition came last May. Madelyn also developed a five year sustainability plan for STEM integration at Elm, along with writing and receiving grants for STEM programs. While at Elm, she was intricately involved with tracking and analyzing formative and summative assessment data from DIBELS and ClearSight to ILEARN. 

Madelyn was part of a cohort of P-H-M teachers who applied and were selected to participate in IU Kelley School of Business’ MBA in Educational Leadership program free of charge! Madelyn received her MBA in November 2018. She participated in this program while serving as a 5th grade teacher at Elsie Rogers (2018-2019) and at Meadow’s Edge teaching 4th grade (2017-2018), 3rd & 4th grades (2016-2017), and 3rd grade (2015-2016). This school year Madelyn has served as Assistant to the Principal to Gary Gardner at Meadow’s Edge Elementary. 

Among the many programs that Madelyn has either assisted with, participated in, or helped manage were: served as principal of virtual summer school for summer 2020; developed district wide professional development on PBIS and motivation, Girls on the Run, American Heritage Girls, 5 Star Life, and Seeds of Science. On her personal time, Madelyn also volunteers for Cultivate Culinary. In her first year of teaching at P-H-M, she also donated her time at Ray of Light Orphanage. While completing her work for her B.A. in Education at Spring Arbor University (MI), she did a summer abroad and worked full-time teaching English using the Kumon method to Japanese students.

Madelyn has impeccable credentials and will do a wonderful job carrying on the academic excellence that Dr. Soto Kile has built at Elm Road. 

For the second year in a row due to the pandemic, P-H-M staff were not able to gather together in person to honor and celebrate retirees, Classified Employee of the Year, Teachers of the Year, and the dedicated employees for their years of dedicated service. But everyone deserves to be honored.

Therefore the Employee Recognition Dinner Committee Members worked with the Communications Department to create a video recognizing this year's class of  Service Award Winners & Retirees. Before he retired Human Resources Director Mike Lureman and P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker recorded the video. P-H-M also thanks Teachers Credit Union, who sponsors the annual dinner, for covering the cost of the Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year plaques among other costs.

Please click to watch the video of the 30^th annual celebration of honoring our employees who’ve achieved these important milestones. And if you see a co-worker celebrating their retirement or their 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years of service with the School Corporation, please congratulate them.

Another sign that things are slowly are getting back to normal … hundreds of P-H-M’S 4^th and 5^th grade boys took part in the annual Running is Elementary, although things looked a little different this year. Last spring due to COVID shutdown, the district wide case was not held. This year, instead of holding one giant race at Penn High School Cross Country track at Elm Road Elementary, individual races were held at the 11 elementary schools. 

The races are held in groups: 4^th grade girls, 4^th grade boys, 5^th grade girls, and 5^th grade boys. Running is Elementary encourages fitness, healthy choices and wellness. Fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to sign up for the free running club. Designated coaches at each school are then tasked with training the runners for the 6-week club which then culminates with the Running is Elementary one mile race.

The students are cheered on by their families, principals, teachers and running coaches; it’s amazing to see the dedication and hard work the students put in to complete the race. The event also serves as a community and relationship building real life, real time exercise. Students cheer on their fellow racers and friends. And many times, coaches, teachers, parents and students join in to run alongside a runner to keep their spirits up and help them finish the race.

Click to see photo albums of some of the races on our Facebook page: Madison, Mary Frank and Elsie Rogers Elementary Schools.

Cindy Batalis (P-H-M’s 2009 Teacher of the Year and physical education teacher at Mary Frank Elementary School) began the yearly tradition of Running Is Elementary back in 2008. Batalis’ own love for running and her desire to pass that love on to students is evident in the passion she puts into the Running is Elementary event each year. 

The event is sponsored by P-H-M Education Foundation and the Corporations for Education.

Teacher Appreciation Week brought more surprises and honors for one Mary Frank Elementary School teacher. Today the 5th grade students of Mrs. Alexandra (Lexi) Banks were on hand to help surprise her that she had been chosen as the 2021 P-H-M Education Foundation’s Jeneane Arter Excellence in Education Award. Please see the full photo gallery below.

The Arter Award is named after Northpoint Elementary School teacher Jeneane Arter and and is given to an outstanding P-H-M staff member. Students nominate their candidate to P-H-M Education Foundation by submitting an essay describing how a P-H-M teacher or staff member has contributed to their educational experience in P-H-M. Mrs. Banks’ students wanted to honor their teacher for all she’s done during this challenging school year. Fifth grade co-teacher Mrs. Erin Horvath helped the students with their nomination. The winner of the Arter Award receives $2,000, which is underwritten by Jason and Darla Lippert. 

These are some of the comments students submitted as part of their nomination:

~I love it when she gets excited during morning meetings, it always makes me happy.

~Mrs. Banks makes coming to school fun because she is so funny, she helps you with whatever you need, and if you are ever feeling down, she'll make you feel so much better.

Click to read the student’s full nomination submission.

Mary Frank Principal Christie Heerschop and Mrs. Horvath orchestrated this morning’s surprise by telling Mrs. Banks there was a 5th grade Assembly in the cafeteria. While Mrs. Banks and her students waited for the “Assembly” to begin. Mrs. Banks was surprised when PHMEF Executive Director Jennifer Turnbloom walked in with Mrs. Lippert and a giant check! Also hand for the surprise were Mrs. Banks’ mother Lisa Pawlik, Penn High School Volleyball Coach and teacher.

Prairie Vista teacher Amanda Fox was recently honored at a luncheon with Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner as one of Indiana's three state finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation's highest honor for STEM teachers. Ms. Fox was also recognized in Dr. Jenner’s weekly IDOE enewsletter that is distributed statewide to all Indiana School Districts. At the luncheon, Ms. Fox was recognized for her work in computer science and her collaboration with the University of Notre Dame.

The national PAEMST selection committee reviews state finalists’ applications and ranks state finalist and recommends up to two finalists per state as a Presidential Awardee. Winners receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States and a $10,000 award and attend an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

Penn Biology teacher John Gensic won the PAEMST award in 2017 and was recognized in 2019.

National History Day® (NHD) announced April 20th that the NHD program in Indiana has nominated Discovery History teacher Tanner Givens, for the 2021 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award in the junior division of the NHD National Contest.

Each of the 58 NHD affiliates across the country may nominate one middle school teacher for this award, and Mr. Givens is the junior division nominee from Indiana. This award is sponsored by Patricia Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students.

To be nominated for this award, NHD states that Mr. Givens demonstrated commitment to engaging his students in historical learning through innovative uses of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in National History Day. 

One national winner in each division will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at the NHD National Contest Awards Ceremony to be held virtually due to COVID-19. All nominees will receive $500 as a result of their nominations, and the two national winners will receive $10,000. Click to read more about NHD, and the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award.

This afternoon P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker surprised Schmucker Middle School 8th grade teacher Mrs. Wendy Schuster with the news that she is the district’s 2021 Secondary Teacher of the Year. Dr. Thacker was joined by Schmucker Principal Dr. Lavon Dean-Null, Schmucker Assistant Principals, and other members of P-H-M Administration; they all walked into the classroom shortly after her Social Studies class had begun surprising her with the news. Mrs. Schuster’s students gave her a thunderous round of applause when Dr. Thacker announced the news. Click to watch the video below

Schmucker Assistant Principal Lucas Fry and Chief Operations Officer Aaron Leniski were especially pleased with the news because Mrs. Schuster taught them both when she was a teacher at Grissom. Click to see the full photo gallery below.

Mrs. Schuster joined P-H-M in 1990 as a teacher at Grissom Middle School and worked there through the 2011-2012 school year teaching both Language Arts and Math. She then moved to Schmucker where she’s taught both Math and Social Studies. This is her 31st year of teaching in Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. She received her bachelor’s in education from Indiana University-Bloomington, and a Master’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from IUSB.

Mrs. Schuster is known as a teacher who strives to build “community” among her students (in every class) and among her co-workers in Schmucker Middle School. “Wendy takes the time to celebrate even the smallest moments in her room,” said one teacher who nominated her for the award. “She consistently pushes her students to embrace one another and share successes within our community.”

During a challenging school year of many changes impacting what a normal school day looks like due to COVID-19, Mrs. Schuster leads the “Sunshine Committee” for the school staff. She is in charge of organizing special recognition and celebration days for everything from marriages to birthdays, while also heading up supports for staff members who were sick or who had lost a loved one. Mrs. Schuster had to get creative at creating and maintaining the sense of community among her fellow staff members while also keeping social distancing.

“One of the hardest things about dealing with COVID,” said Superintendent Dr. Thacker, “is that we haven’t been allowed to gather like we used to do. For safety reasons, we have had to wear masks hiding our faces and smiles. So it’s especially important now more than ever, to reach out to each other and let people know how much we care. Wendy Schuster’s kind and cheerful attitude has been just what her students and colleagues have needed.”

Mrs. Schuster also works on a committee of teachers that decide the Advisory topics for students. Advisory period is held for the first 30 minutes of every school day, like a homeroom. It gives middle school students a core group of classmates and a teacher to start their day with, again helping to build that sense of community. “At Schmucker, Mrs. Schuster helps set the greatest example for what community building and positive culture building could and should look like within a classroom,” said a teacher who nominated her for Secondary Teacher of the Year. “Not only is she innovative with her own ideas, we also know that she can support counselors and administration in our new ideas. Whenever we want to try something new or pilot a new program, we turn to Wendy for her expertise and willingness to go the extra mile.”

Other programs Mrs. Schuster is involved in include Schmucker’s annual Veterans Day program and a mentor to the school’s “Shine Girls Group.”

On the topic of teaching, Mrs. Schuster says her teaching philosophy is the following … “It is important for teachers to know that being a good teacher is really very simple. It all revolves around respect and rapport. When you invest time into your students and they know that you care about them, it takes care of many discipline issues in the classroom and most students will naturally be motivated, engaged, and willing to challenge themselves in learning.”

Mrs. Schuster along with P-H-M’s 2021 Elementary Teacher of the Year Mrs. Kathy Shreiner (announced yesterday, Thursday, April 29) will submit applications to be considered for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Both 2021 P-H-M Teachers of the Year will receive a $1,000 classroom grant from P-H-M’s Education Foundation! The 2020 Teachers of the Year will also submit their applications for Indiana’s TOY. Last year during the pandemic, Elementary Title I Technology Integration Coach Jessie Kinney was named P-H-M Elementary Teacher of the Year and Penn High School’s Applied Biology/Life Skills Science teacher Amy Zimmer was named P-H-M Secondary Teacher of the Year. 

A photo album of high resolution JPG files are posted below. To view the images from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge! If you are a member of the media and you are using these photos for news purposes, please credit Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation.

Every year Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation employees have the opportunity to nominate a classified employee as Employee of the Year. This year the person we honor is being recognized posthumously. Nancy Banks was hired to work as a Teacher’s Aide at Horizon Elementary in January 1996, just a few months after the school had opened in the fall of 1995. Nancy faithfully worked at Horizon for 25 years before passing away unexpectedly on March 26, 2021. Horizon staff nominated Nancy for P-H-M’s 2021 Employee of the Year award before her death.

“Nancy Banks is woven into the fabric of Horizon's culture more than any other employee at Horizon,” said Horizon Principal Amy Fadorsen when she nominated Nancy for the award. “[She] is ingrained in more areas of the everyday functioning of Horizon than anyone else. Her role is, officially, a Teaching Assistant. She tutors, teaches small groups, substitutes for teachers, and excels [at everything] …” Nancy jumped in to do whatever was needed to help out, doing everything from troubleshooting technology to managing drop-off and pickup of 180 cars in the span of 10 minutes. Nancy also led the cafeteria team helping to provide lunches to more than 600 students. Principal Fadorsen noted on the nomination form “she has been instrumental in creating the most efficient way to ensure our students receive their lunches in a timely manner and with a smile on her face. The kids absolutely adore her.”

“P-H-M’s Employee of the Year Award seeks to recognize someone who has demonstrated and represents the qualities all employees admire,” P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker stated. “That classified employee then represents all of the outstanding employees in P-H-M. This was Nancy Banks; her Horizon co-workers admired her for patience, kindness, and dedication to the students and the Horizon school community. She will be sorely missed by those who knew her.”

Along with this award, Nancy will also be recognized for her 25 years with the district as part of this year’s P-H-M Employee Recognition video.

Nancy’s plaque will be sent to her husband Frank. It is something that her husband and two children, Matt and Beth, and their families will surely cherish along with Nancy’s memory.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Banks family and we thank them for sharing such a special woman with the P-H-M family for so many years.