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.

The first week of May is national Teacher Appreciation Week. Leading up to this special week every year Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent surprises the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year with the news that they have been chosen. This afternoon Dr. Jerry Thacker walked into the Elm Road Elementary classroom of 5th grade virtual teacher Mrs. Kathy Shreiner to let her know she had been chosen as the district’s 2021 Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Shreiner was in the middle of conducting class with her 5th grade virtual learners. She was just as surprised as her students were when Dr. Thacker, Elm Road Principal Dr. Lisa Soto Kile, P-H-M Administrators, and some of her colleagues walked into the room to give her the good news.

One of the Administrators on hand for the surprise announcement was P-H-M Chief Operating Officer Mr. Aaron Leniski, who was in Mrs. Shreiner’s first class when she became a teacher in P-H-M 32 years ago! Click to see the photo album below.

Mrs. Shreiner joined P-H-M in 1989, teaching at Elm Road Elementary School; she has been teaching at Elm for her entire tenure! She received her BA in Education from Goshen College and a Master's degree in Elementary Education from IUSB.

Four of her colleagues nominated Mrs. Shreiner for the P-H-M Elementary Teacher of the Year award. As a veteran experienced teacher, her co-workers have praised Mrs. Shreiner on what a great resource she’s been to the other virtual teaching team members … “She has such a positive outlook and is always looking for solutions to the problems we face in a digital world. She has worked tirelessly to learn all the new platforms and continually contributes to the group to help us find ways to meet the needs of all of our learners.” Her excitement for teaching has not waned in 32 years, co-workers say she’s just as energetic today as when she first started teaching, even during these challenging times. One of the creative ways Kathy has worked to keep her students engaged is using her dog in some of her recorded lessons. She maintains a personal connection with her virtual students by sending them surprise prizes and notes via “snail mail!” Mrs. Shreiner also works extremely hard at keeping the parents of her virtual teachers informed so they are a part of their students’ educational experience.

“All of our teachers have work extraordinarily hard during the pandemic, going above and beyond to engage their students and maintain relationships,” said Superintendent Dr. Thacker. “Kathy Shreiner, and many of teachers like her, are dedicated to helping our students close the learning gaps and help them continue to achieve academic success.”  

Mrs. Shreiner is well respected by her peers, whether she’s worked with them for 26 or five years. One of the teachers who nominated Mrs. Shreiner stated … “She is always willing to help and really thinks deeply about each situation prior to giving advice or helping in any way. She is a person that I know I can always go to for guidance in any situation.” The IDOE named Elm Road a STEM certified school in May of 2020; and Mrs. Shreiner was an integral part of the application process.

Mrs. Shreiner along with P-H-M’s soon-to-be announced Secondary Teacher of the Year will submit applications to be considered for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Both 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.

Penn High School has once again been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation's best high schools. Penn ranks 1st in the South Bend area, 14th in Indiana, and #1,225 in the national rankings (out of nearly 18,000 high schools nationwide). This puts Penn in the top 7% of the nation's best high schools for 2021!

Penn’s other points of distinction noted by the prestigious national magazine ranking, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Penn High School is 45%. The total minority enrollment is 27%, and 20% of students are economically disadvantaged. And with the release of the Spring 2019 ISTEP (grade 10) results, Penn High School as 12th among Indiana’s public schools for combined ELA & Math scores in grade 10.

The rankings are based on the 2018-2019 school year, detailed school-specific information on enrollment, graduation rates, student body demographics, location, school type, and results of state assessments as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. Click here to read more about the methodology.

Indiana high school students typically follow the Core 40 curriculum, which includes required classes in English Language Arts, math, Social Studies and Science, among others. Students who fulfill additional requirements can earn a diploma with academic or technical honors. Penn has a 97% graduation rate with more than 85% of students graduate with Academic Honors, High Honors,  or Technical Honors. 

Class of 2020 included these points of distinction:

• @820 graduates earned more than $9 million in scholarships
• 17 valedictorians and 3 salutatorians

• 12 students have named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, 11 were named Finalists

• 11 students were named Commended Scholars

• 5 students were nominated for Presidential Scholars

• Indiana Regional Academic All-Star, one of only 40 students across our state to be honored

• 3 students were awarded the Community Foundation of Saint Joseph County Eli Lilly Endowment Scholarship based on their high academic merits and test scores

The Academies at Penn High School provide the framework for student success. Through their work in each academy, students find relevant and meaningful coursework taught in a supportive environment where each student is known well by his teachers and peers. Through these “smaller learning communities,” students build relationships while engaged in relevant learning experiences.

Penn’s Early College Academy has received an endorsement as an Early College High School by The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning. As an endorsed Early College High School by the CELL, Penn’s Early College Academy is regarded as an exemplar for other high schools across Indiana implementing an Early College program.

Penn is a Four Star School earning the Project Lead the Way Distinguished School distinction in 2017-18 (for the 2016-17 school year), and the STEM Academy has been certified as a Full STEM Certified Program by the Indiana Department of Education. 

Click to see the full list of Indiana High Schools as ranked by US News & World Report in 2021. 

Mr. Seth Molnar to the position of Director of Human Resources effective May 1, 2021. Mr. Molnar will be replacing Mr. Mike Lureman who retired the end of April.

Mr. Molnar began his career in P-H-M in 2016 as the assistant principal at Grissom Middle School. While at Grissom, Mr. Molnar led Professional Learning Communities for the school as well as created a RtI system of school wide intervention, restructured the PBIS committee and expectations, as well as created monthly professional development initiatives, oversaw student discipline and was a principal for middle school summer school. 

In July of 2018, Mr. Molnar became the Director of Alternative Education and Special Projects, which included leading Pennway Alternative and Pennway Night School. In this role Mr. Molnar was able to implement Restorative Practices, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program, and alternate programs and state grants. Mr. Molnar was also the district administrator over programming and staff for Kid’s Club and the English as a New Language (ENL) program. 

Mr. Molnar’s experience overseeing Kids Club and Pennway staff, along with his leadership position as the Director of Alternative Education and Special Projects have helped prepare him to take on this new role within P-H-M. Outgoing HR Director Mike Lureman will be working with Mr. Molnar before his last day before retirement Friday, April 30.

As the Director of Alternate Education and Special Projects, he also served in the role of Middle School Instructional Leader and Due Process Administrator. Mr. Molnar mentored P-H-M’s six middle school assistant principals and led their monthly PLCs in addition to training them on student due process procedures.

Mr. Molnar began his career in education in 2002 as a Social Studies teacher and coach at Concord High School. Also holding the position of assistant principal, assistant to the principal and dean of students in the same district. 

He received a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Studies Education from Purdue University in 2001, a Master’s of Science in Integrating Technology in Education from Walden University in 2007 and a second master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Indiana University South Bend in 2016. Mr. Molnar is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Purdue University with an expected completion date of December 2022.

Mr. Molnar is a certified trainer in Restorative Practices, ACE Interface, Crisis Prevention (CPI), and Google.

Mr. Molnar’s administrative appointment will appear on the May 17, 2021 Personnel Report and he will be introduced to the Board following approval of the consent agenda.

Dr. Lisa Soto Kile as the new Director of Professional Development and Student Learning. Dr. Soto Kile is the current principal at Elm Road Elementary School and will begin her new position at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Dr. Soto Kile began her career in P-H-M in 1992 as a teacher at Prairie Vista. In 1998, she became the Schoolwide Enrichment Specialist and then moved into the Gifted and Talented Coordinator in 2000. Dr. Soto Kile also held the position of Assistant Principal at Northpoint Elementary (2002-2003), Title I Director (2005-2011) and principalships at Northpoint (2003-2005), Madison (2005-2011) and her current role as principal of Elm Road Elementary which she began in 2010. During the 2010-2011 school year, she served a dual principal role leading both Madison and Elm Road Elementary schools.

Dr. Soto Kile’s dissertation focused on balanced literacy programs and the impact on students in Title I schools according to gender, race, and socioeconomic status. This along with her many years of experience in meeting the needs of students in Title I schools will make a positive impact on the culture, environment, and educational experiences for our students and staff.

Dr. Soto Kile received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University Bloomington, a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University South Bend, Elementary and Secondary Principal’s License from Indiana University South Bend, and completed her Ph.D. in Educational Studies, Superintendent’s License from Purdue University. She also holds memberships in many associations including the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Indiana Association of School Principals, IU South Bend Teacher Education Advisory Board, as well as the National Science Teaching Association. 

Under Dr. Soto Kile’s Leadership, Elm Road Elementary has been an “A” rated school and in 2020 earned the distinction of being named a STEM Certified school by the IDOE. Elm is one of 90 schools in the state to have received this designation.

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees approved Dr. Thacker’s recommendation of Dr. Soto Kile to the Director of Professional Development and Student Learning position at the April 19, 2021 Board Meeting.

Dr. Soto Kile is replacing Dr. Jayson Snyder who had previously held the Director of Talent Acquisition and Development position. Dr. Snyder was named the new Superintendent for Middlebury Community Schools on March 31. His last day with P-H-M is June 30.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation was named among the Best Communities for Music Education (​BCME) in the country (686 school districts, in 40 states) by the the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.  This is the 8^th year in a row that P-H-M has received this national honor!

This week the NAMM Foundation celebrated and recognized K-12 music teachers in school districts who found creative ways for the “show to carry on” despite schools moving online or to in-person settings where masks were required not only for student musicians and instruments.

In 2020, as districts shut down for in-person learning, teachers began sending sheet music, videos, and audio to students via the internet. Classes went from the band room to Zoom. Music education became much more individualized and difficult.

Within P-H-M, music teachers worked really hard to make sure their students’ music education did not suffer due to the necessary pandemic safety protocols. Here are a few examples:

• In December, Penn High School Choirs’ annual “Sounds of the Season” concert was held virtually.
• Also in December, Discovery Middle School Choir teacher Jennifer Graybill led the schools’ choirs in a virtual, recorded performance of “One Candle.”.
• In March Penn High School’s annual musical was held in person with many safety precautions: a limited audience, live streamed, and the student actors wore masks. Click to watch a video about how Penn Musical Director pulled it off.

These examples are just a few out of the many ingenious ways P-H-M music, choir, band, and orchestra directors/teachers succeeded in reinventing music instruction and performances. Their successes wouldn’t have been possible without the flexibility and support of students’ families and the larger community. This is just one of the many reasons why P-H-M and other districts were recognized by the NAMM Foundation this week as “Best Communities for Music Education.”

In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes. Beginning in 6th grade, P-H-M students at our three middle schools (Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom) have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as their music elective. Students at Discovery also have the option of choosing Piano Lab.

Penn High School offers the Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs, either Choir, Orchestra, Band or another music program.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, P-H-M answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study from the University, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improves how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Beyond the Northwestern research, other studies have indicated that music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving and flexibility in work situations, as well learning how to give and receive constructive criticism to excel.