Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is limited access to our administrative offices until July. 

We have created an easy electronic registration process for families new to P-H-M or existing families with new students to enroll.

Please click here to visit our Enrollment page for more information and details.

P-H-M making school meals available during COVID-19 national Emergency through June 3, 2020:
 

“To Go” sack lunches for ALL students have been available for pickup at three sites since March 24:

• Early Meals (8-9 am)
  • Prairie Vista & Grissom 
• Midday meals (11 am – 1 pm)
  • Prairie Vista, Grissom, & Penn
• Late meals (5 – 7 pm)
  • Penn High School only

*We will not be handing out meals on Memorial Day, May 25. In addition to the additional sack meals we give given out at each meal, we will give out extra sack meals for the long weekend. We will be giving out backpacks Friday, May 22 at lunch at Grissom and Penn. They will have enough food for two meals for two kids in each pack.

This meal service schedule and locations will continue through June 3, 2020. The current pickup school locations (Prairie Vista, Grissom and Penn) will continue throughout the summer.

The summer meal program will operate Monday through Friday, June 4 – August 18 at nine locations. Each location has different hours and dates of service. Please click here for more information and a complete list of sites and dates.

All sites will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2020.

FREE MEALS will be available to children 18 years of age and under, or persons more than 18 who are determined by a state or local public education agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or non-profit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled. 

Please ignore!!

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Longtime P-H-M employee Rita Szweda got the surprise of her 19-year career when P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker surprised her with the news that she had been named P-H-M’s Classified Employee of the Year!

Last Friday, May 1, Rita was on a video call with Horizon Principal Tressa Decker and Assistant Principal Amy Fadorsen when Dr. Thacker and other P-H-M administrators popped in on the call to surprise Rita with the news. Watch the video below …

Rita Szweda is the Secretary/Treasurer at Horizon Elementary School, a role she’s held for nine years. Rita began working at P-H-M when she was hired as a Teacher’s Aide at Horizon in 2001. She reflects back on her time as a TA and remembers fondly helping to instruct students; at one point, she even knew every student at Horizon by name! Rita continued to serve Horizon’s students, families, teachers and building staff when she became a full time Office Aide at Horizon in 2007.

Rita loves P-H-M and bleeds black and gold as a Kingsmen. When the position of Freshman Cheerleading Coach at Penn High School came open in 2004, Rita was a perfect fit for the job! In 2010, she became the Varsity Cheerleading Coach. She enjoys not only training the female student-athletes, but also getting them involved in a number of service opportunities/projects in the community. “Representing Penn High school in a positive way with these athletes has been so rewarding,” said Rita. “I feel I have been able to install confidence and friendship in the teenagers that I have worked with over the years and brought a cheerful heart to many students and staff members that have crossed my path.”

Rita is praised by Horizon’s Leadership Team, Mrs. Decker and Fadorsen, as being a dedicated and diligent employee who always has a smile to share. “Rita never stops working, whether it is as our Treasurer (the busiest treasurer in P-H-M) or as our building Secretary or as the Varsity Cheer Coach at Penn,” remarked Principal Decker. “She eats, breathes, and sleeps Penn-Harris-Madison Excellence!”

Amy Zimmer, Penn High School Exceptional Education Teacher, learned in a surprise pop-in video call on Friday, May 1 that she had been named P-H-M’s 2020 Secondary Teacher of the Year. Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker surprised Amy by joining a Google video Hangout meeting she was having with a colleague. Click to watch the video below …
 

Amy teaches Applied Biology/Life Skills Science at Penn High School working with Exceptional Education students. Amy jointed P-H-M in 2015 from School City of Mishawaka where she worked as an Exceptional teacher 23 years in a variety of roles from preschool and elementary to middle school. Amy was even named School City of Mishawaka Teacher of the Year in 1998 when she was an Ex Ed teacher at then Beiger Junior High School.

Amy’s devotion to her students is well recognized and admired by her fellow teachers, “She has provided hundreds of Exceptional Education students with the best learning experience not only concerning academics, also but their wellbeing,” said Colleen Gish Penn High School teacher who nominated Amy for the award. “Amy works tirelessly as a teacher, case manager, CPS liaison, special need's advocate, and team-player (substituting for her colleagues).”

Teaching Applied Biology/Life Skills Science at Penn, Amy looks for opportunities to expose her students to “maximize each student’s potential, whatever that potential may be.” This school year, she piloted a program with her students and local non-profit Cultivate Food Rescue. Once a month, a team of Penn Exceptional Education students volunteered at Cultivate learning how to process and package food in a commercial kitchen facility while following health and safety protocol. This unique learning experience as Amy describes it “allows students to develop citizenship and leadership skills as well as many important life skills. To date, my Exceptional Education students have packaged 1,696 balanced meals for underprivileged kindergarten and first grade students participating in Cultivate’s Backpack Program.” Through this program, students are learning so much more than how to do a job, Amy says her students “have gained a sense of pride in their work, possessed a feeling of satisfaction knowing they are helping children.” Little did Amy and her students know that the 300 meals they helped package on their last visit to Cultivate on March 9th would go to help students and families affected by the COVID-19 school shutdowns and the Shelter in Place order. 

There’s no doubt about the passion Amy has for her students, stating “It takes a village and at Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, we prioritize the collaboration of students, parents and teachers. … I incorporate the Triangle of Success model when developing differentiated instruction for my science lessons. … By utilizing all of the resources and supports available, I guide and connect students to opportunities, services, experiences, personnel, and programs.”

Amy along with P-H-M’s Elementary Teacher of the Year, Jessie Kinney, will be considered for the honor of the Indiana Teacher of the Year. Both P-H-M Teachers of the Year will receive a $500 classroom grant from P-H-M’s Education Foundation.

In a surprise video meeting drop-in morning of Friday, May 1 Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker named the District’s 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year … Jessie Kinney, Technology Curriculum Integration Coach for P-H-M elementary schools. 

Click to watch the video below to see Jessie’s reaction when Dr. Thacker and other P-H-M Administrators dropped in on her Google Video Hangout Meeting with a colleague …

Jessie Kinney has 13 years’ experience as an educator starting her career as a reading specialist with Portage Township School District. She joined P-H-M in 2009 as a traveling Physical Education teacher serving Prairie Vista, Horizon, and Walt Disney elementary schools; she also served as an Assistant Volleyball coach at Penn High School.  Jessie moved to Elsie Rogers Elementary School as a 5th grade teacher in the fall of 2010 and taught 4th grade for the next six years there. In 2017, Jessie moved into the role of Elementary Title I Technology Integration Coach for the district. In this teacher on assignment position, Jessie regularly supports more than 200 elementary teachers in the successful integration of instructional technology with the goal to increase student engagement and improve student learning outcomes. Now in her 11th year with P-H-M, Jessie is currently based at Moran Elementary School.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that shutdown schools, Jessie traveled between P-H-M’s elementary schools working with students in small group settings on hands-on projects like coding miniature robots. But more directly, she helps students by teaching their teachers! She assists educators with ways to incorporate STEM into all facets of their curriculum.

While providing supports to all P-H-M elementary teachers spread out over 11 buildings, Jessie has a targeted focus of supporting P-H-M’s five Title I schools. Most recently, she put her passion and knowhow for technology to work by supporting Elm Road Elementary’s application to become an IDOE STEM certified school. While the outcome of the IDOE certification process is not yet known, Jessie’s contributions to help Elm Road land this designation are appreciated by her fellow teachers … “She has made a difference in every student's life by investing energy in training, encouraging, and motivating the Elm Road team of teachers to be their best for students who need to be college and career-ready in a new era,” said Elm Road teacher Heidi Tornquist, who nominated Jessie for P-H-M Elementary Teacher of the Year.

When COVID-19 abruptly shut down our schools, Jessie shifted gears quickly to help support and collaborate with teachers as a tech resource on how to keep their students engaged during this period of extended eLearning. She sends weekly “Tech Tips” on new educational tools that teachers can use in their virtual classrooms.

“By embracing technology and being open to the change,” says Jessie, “we have learned that relationships are stronger and can come in many different formats.  My message to my fellow teachers would be to remember sometimes all you need to overcome your limits is a little encouragement and the ability to jump in and build your wings on the way down.  The last few months have taught us to be flexible, embrace the unknown, and that technology can be used as a tool to enhance relationships and the learning environment.   Embrace the technology and be open to the change, and with a little bit of grace we will be able to create a new and possibly even better new-normal within our classroom.” 

Jessie along with P-H-M’s Secondary Teacher of the Year, Penn High School’s Amy Zimmer, will be considered for the honor of the Indiana Teacher of the Year. Both P-H-M Teachers of the Year will receive a $500 classroom grant from P-H-M’s Education Foundation.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation was named among the Best Communities for Music Education (​BCME) in the country by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the 9^th year in a row!

Now in its 23rd year, the 2022 Best Communities for Music Education program has recognized 738 school districts and 80 schools across 44 states for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children. This 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 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.

Internet resources all over the world are currently very busy! You may encounter errors with websites, school curriculum or other internet resources. If you receive an error message when trying to access resources, please be patient and try again after a few minutes. If you continue to receive an error message after trying multiple times, you can email the teacher who assigned the work to let them know.
 

P-H-M’s Guide to Technology on the district website will provide parents with many of the resources you need to help your student with eLearning, click here to view that webpage.  
 

Parents can set up parental controls on the P-H-M issued Chromebooks issued for student eLearning. Securly is the application the district uses on Chromebooks to filter objectionable content; it also allows parents to receive reports on internet use of the P-H-M issued Chromebook. Parents should have received an email from Securly providing instructions on how to set up. Please click here to learn more. 
 

If your student’s Chromebook is in need of repair, please send an email to the P-H-M Technology Department at chromebooks@phm.k12.in.us. Please include all of the following in your email:

• Parent’s name
• Student’s name
• Student’s email address
• School Name
• Describe the issue/problem Chromebook is experiencing
   

P-H-M Technology will respond back with details on how and where you will exchange the device for a new one. However, please note that you must turn in the damaged Chromebook and the charging cable to receive the new device. New Chromebooks will not be issued unless you return the damaged Chromebook first.

With music education programs at all grade levels (K-12), Penn-Harris-Madison has once again been named one of 2020 Best Communities for Music Education for its outstanding commitment to music education! P-H-M is one of only 754 districts nationwide and 16 in Indiana to receive the honor from The NAMM Foundation. This is the 7th year in a row that P-H-M has received this prestigious national designation!

The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. The BCME award acknowledges the commitment of P-H-M’s music teachers and administrators in the District’s 11 elementary, three middle schools and Penn High School.

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.

Dear P-H-M Families,

As you are aware, this afternoon Governor Eric Holcomb ordered a “Shelter in Place Order” for the state of Indiana to go into effect tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24 (11:59 p.m.) through April 7, 2020 (11:59 p.m.). 

The Governor called on all state agencies to do their part in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 by closing offices and ending in-person non-essential contact. The Governor’s order calls for all state agencies that are able to shift to providing services online or virtually to do so starting tomorrow. Click here for more information on the Order.

For Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation this means that most of the essential staff who still remained in our buildings will not report on site for work starting tomorrow, March 24. Building principals and secretaries will work remotely continuing to serve and support our students, staff, and families during this period of extended eLearning. If you do not have your building principal and secretary’s email address, you can find it on your school website. Just click the yellow alert at the top of the homepage. Teachers, of course, are already working remotely from home facilitating eLearning for our nearly 11,000 students grades K-12. 

The only staff who will continue to report to work in person are those needed to ensure our buildings are safe and maintained. Those who are necessary to conduct essential district business operations will still also report for work on site as permitted by the Executive Order. 

Food Service has now become a critical service that we are providing to our families. Yet out of an abundance of caution, we are reducing the number of sack meal pickup sites to just three sites effective tomorrow, March 24:

• Early Meals (8-9 am)
  • Prairie Vista & Grissom 
• Midday meals (11 am – 1 pm)
  • Prairie Vista, Grissom, & Penn
• Late meals (5 – 7 pm)
  • Penn High School only
     

Essential school and district staff members who are working at home remotely will be reachable via email. This is the best way to reach someone initially.

These are definitely unprecedented times for our country. Every single person is being impacted by COVID-19 in some way or another. Today Governor Holcomb called on all of us to do our part to help all Hoosiers. Cooperation by all citizens in all communities across Indiana for these next two weeks will hopefully prevent an overload to our state’s healthcare system. This is something we can all do to help the healthcare providers on the front line. Self-sacrifice for these next two weeks will also put our state in a better position to rebound economically.

I strongly urge all of you to take this Executive Order seriously. For more information on what the Executive Order permits and restricts, click here.

The sooner this pandemic crisis ends, the sooner our students can return to school and we can get back to doing what we love the most … educating and supporting your children!

Stay healthy, safe and well,

Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent of Schools