Our school hosted the Monday, October 7 P-H-M Board of School Trustees meeting. It was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on some of the amazing things our students and staff are doing.

Principal Shonda Masterson kicked the meeting off by sharing with the School Trustees Bittersweet’s test data–Bittersweet students scored in the Top 5% of schools on last year’s ILEARN. Principal Masterson credited the teachers and the use of formative assessment with a focus on fostering stronger and more confident student writers. 

Creative writing exercises are being used at all levels. As an example second graders wrote about their field trip to Kercher’s Apple Orchard using their story vocabulary words. Alyssa Moles, Emmalyn Fazi, Steven Johnson, Cami Cromartie read their stories to the Board Members.

Other Bittersweet highlights included:

• pictures from 1st grade’s visit to nearby Garden at Chapel Hill Cemetery last Memorial Day to honor deceased veterans
• the Pen Pals program for 1st and 5th graders to other P-H-M elementary schools
• sharing the Bittersweet P.A.W.S. Pledge written by Media Aide Julie Villalba 

The spotlight on Bittersweet ended with a performance by Mrs. Cayleen Balbo-Veal’s 5th grade music students.

P-H-M’s annual Community Tailgate is a tradition and a great way to kick off the start of the Kingsmen football season. This year’s home opener will be against Valpo on Friday, August 23rd.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. You must have a ticket to the football game to enter. Once inside the stadium head down to the white tents in the south end zone at the Zolman’s Tire Concessions Stand.

At 6:15 p.m. a special dedication for recently retired Penn Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman. Penn-Harris-Madison  Superintendent Dr. and Mrs. Thacker donated $10,000 to the P-H-M Education Foundation Naming Rights Campaign to name the plaza located at Penn High School’s Everwise Freed Field the Yeoman Family Plaza, after former Penn High School Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman and his family.

The Yeoman Family bleeds black and gold. Coach Cory’s father Wally Yeoman was an assistant coach with legendary Chris Geesman. Coach Cory played for Penn, earning all-state honors at defensive tackle. In 1979, he led a Kingsmen defense that only allowed 33 yards rushing a game. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs. Cory graduated from Penn in 1980. 

Cory Yeoman played for Miami (Ohio) University. He was a roommate and teammate of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning head coach, John Harbaugh. He joined the Kingsmen coaching staff after graduation from Miami, and has been on the Kingsmen sidelines for 40 seasons.

In his first season after replacing legendary Coach Geesman, Yeoman guided Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game. Yeoman also led Penn to Semi-state titles in 2017, 2015 and 2011. In addition to winning four Semi-state Championships, the Kingsmen have won nine regional crowns under Yeoman’s leadership, 13 sectional titles and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. 

Yeoman retired at the end of the 2023-2024 school year after 40 years with P-H-M.

Male members of Yeoman family and those who married into the family have either played for or coached for the Long Black Line at some point.

The dedication of the plaza in the name of the Yeoman Family is a great way to honor such strong supporters of the Kingsmen Family and all they’ve contributed to the Penn Football program!

Dr. Thacker has been superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation since 2006 and has supported the Education Foundation wholeheartedly. Over the course of 18 years, Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have donated $232,500 to the P-H-M Education Foundation. Most of this money has either been unrestricted donations or used as matching funds for fundraising initiatives.

Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have made five donations since 2021 totaling $65,000 as part of the Naming Rights Campaign, recognizing the contributions P-H-M employees have made to the community:

1. Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center (formerly the Kingsmen Athletic Center), $25,000 donated in December 2021 ($5,000 per year over five years, for an overall period of 12 years)
2. Al Rhodes Kingsmen Court, $10,000 donated in October 2023 (one lump sum)
3. Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium (formerly the  P-H-M DVT & Planetarium), $10,000 donated in January 2024
4. Yeoman Family Plaza, $10,000 donated in March 2024 
5. Greg Dikos Field, $10,000 donated in August 2024 

P-H-M’S Board of School Trustees approved the renaming of Penn High School’s Center for Performing Arts through the P-H-M Education Foundation’s Naming Rights Campaign.

P-H-M parent Tania Bengtsson of three (Penn High School and Discovery Middle School) is donating $50,000 to the Education Foundation to have Penn’s CPA renamed the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems) – Tania Bengtsson Center for Performing Arts. The naming rights will be effective May 1, 2025 and will last for 12 years. 

Per the Naming Rights Campaign, 80% of Mrs. Bengtsson’s donation will go to PHMEF’s endowment, and 20% comes back to P-H-M to pay for teacher professional development.

 

Friday, August 23rd was the Home Opener for Kingsmen football. It was a perfect night for the dedication of the Yeoman Family Plaza at Everwise Freed Field. See the full photo gallery below.

Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. and Mrs. Thacker donated $10,000 to the P-H-M Education Foundation Naming Rights Campaign to rename the plaza after former Penn High School Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman and his family.

The Yeoman Family bleeds black and gold. Coach Cory’s father Wally Yeoman was an assistant coach with legendary Chris Geesman. Coach Cory and brothers Trent and Todd all played for Penn. Male members of the Yeoman family and those who married into the family have either played for or coached for the Long Black Line at some point. The wives of Cory, Trent, Todd, their children and grandchildren were all present for the dedication along with Dr. and Mrs. Thacker and P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom.

Click here to see the full photo gallery on Penn High School’s website.

Cory earned all-state honors at defensive tackle. In 1979, he led a Kingsmen defense that only allowed 33 yards rushing a game. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs. Cory graduated from Penn in 1980. 

Cory played for Miami (Ohio) University. He was a roommate and teammate of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning head coach, John Harbaugh. He joined the Kingsmen coaching staff after graduation from Miami, and has been on the Kingsmen sidelines for 40 seasons.

In his first season after replacing legendary Coach Geesman, Cory guided Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game. Yeoman also led Penn to Semi-state titles in 2017, 2015 and 2011. In addition to winning four Semi-state Championships, the Kingsmen have won nine regional crowns under Yeoman’s leadership, 13 sectional titles and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. 

Yeoman retired at the end of the 2023-2024 school year after 40 years with P-H-M.

Dr. Thacker has been superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation since 2006 and has supported the Education Foundation wholeheartedly. Over the course of 18 years, Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have donated $232,500 to the P-H-M Education Foundation. Most of this money has either been unrestricted donations or used as matching funds for fundraising initiatives.

Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have made five donations since 2021 totaling $65,000 as part of the Naming Rights Campaign, recognizing the contributions P-H-M employees have made to the community:

1. Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center (formerly the Kingsmen Athletic Center), $25,000 donated in December 2021 ($5,000 per year over five years, for an overall period of 12 years)
2. Al Rhodes Kingsmen Court, $10,000 donated in October 2023 (one lump sum)
3. Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium (formerly the  P-H-M DVT & Planetarium), $10,000 donated in January 2024
4. Yeoman Family Plaza, $10,000 donated in March 2024 
5. Greg Dikos Field, $10,000 donated in August 2024 

Penn High School welcomed a new member of the Kingsmen Athletics team when Culver’s Sports Performance Center was dedicated on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Keith Remington and Mark Nowak co-owners of Culver’s Restaurant (on McKinley Avenue near Penn High School) donated $125,000 to P-H-M Education Foundation’s Naming Rights campaign. 

The partnership between Culver’s, P-H-M, P-H-M Education Foundation, and Penn High School signals a new chapter in Kingsmen Athletics Excellence.

P-H-M Board of School Trustees VP Ryan McCullough, P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, PHMEF Exec. Dir. Jennifer Turnblom, P-H-M Chief Operating Officer Dr. Aaron Leniski, Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, Assistant Athletic Director Bridget Williams, and Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Cates welcomed Remington (1997 Penn grad) and Nowak and their families today.

The new Culver’s Sports Performance Center signage in Penn’s weight room and upstairs student fitness center were unveiled. Remington and Nowak also got to see for the first time Penn’s new Strength & Conditioning class “uniform” shirts. Several Penn student-athletes, including Remington’s daughter Anna, were on hand wearing the T-shirts.

Per P-H-M Education Foundation’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide funding for PHMEF teacher/classroom grants and various co-curricular and extracurricular programs in P-H-M schools. The remaining 20 percent directly funds P-H-M teacher professional development initiatives. To date the Foundation has given $1.6 million disbursements in classroom grants.

The T-shirts that the student-athletes were wearing at today’s event are an additional annual gift from Culver’s valued at $7,000.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

“Community support is vital for our ability to support excellence in education in P-H-M schools,” PHMEF Director Jennifer Turnblom said. “Culver’s generous donation shows their dedication to our schools and positive impact on our community and we are honored to partner with them through the naming rights program. Their commitment allows us to continue to increase grant funding and support district wide programs in all 15 P-H-M schools.” 

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees approved the Naming Rights partnership between the P-H-M Education Foundation and Culver’s at the Feb. 12 Board Meeting.

According to the agreement, Culver’s co-owners Keith Remington and Mark Nowak and agree to pay PHMEF $125,000 over 12 years to name the weight and performance center at Penn High School the Culver’s Sports Performance Center.

Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart said that Culver’s sponsorship will provide a positive impact in the performance and lives of more than a thousand Penn students each school year.

“We sincerely appreciate the commitment that Culver’s is making to our school community,” Hart said. “By sponsoring our weight rooms, Culver’s is helping to put a spotlight on the Strength and Conditioning program at Penn and the importance that a successful program can have on our 1,100 student-athletes.

“The leadership at Culver’s understands the benefits this program provides through the prevention of injuries, self confidence, improved athletic performance, and long-term health,” Hart continued. “We look forward to an exciting partnership.”

The Culver’s Sports Performance Center is nationally renowned. The National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) named Penn’s Strength and Conditioning program a NHSSCA Program of Excellence School. This honor recognizes that Penn High School’s Strength & Conditioning program operates at a highest level of professionalism.

In awarding Penn and Coach Cates with this honor NHSSCA noted …

“This honor recognizes that this High School Strength & Conditioning program operates at a highest level of professionalism. To earn this honor Coach Cates & Penn High School has displayed excellence in safety, quality, efficacy, outreach & highlighting. While also displaying excellent continuing education & technology usage in their Strength & Conditioning program.”

Penn Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Cates was named the National High School Strength Coaches Association 2024 National Coach of the Year.

 

Housekeepers and Custodians make great contributions to providing safe and nurturing learning environments for our students. When students feel emotionally, psychologically and physically safe, their academic performance is greatly enhanced. They love their students and the students love them. One of our beloved custodians, Mr. Scott Nate at Bittersweet Elementary School, was featured on WNDU-TV. Click here to watch the story.

Click to apply and join the P-H-M today!

Full-time housekeepers and custodians enjoy these benefits:

• Comprehensive Major Medical
• $30,000 Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Opportunity to enroll in Section 125 plan
• P-H-M currently funds 14.2% of Public Employees Retirement Fund. Click here for an explanation of Indiana State Employee Pension Benefits
• 12 paid Sick days annually and accumulate without cap
•  3 paid Personal Business days annually
• 11.5 paid Holidays
• Vacation – 2 weeks after 1 year; 3 weeks after 7 years; 4 weeks after 15 years
• Longevity Bonuses
• Perfect Attendance Bonuses
• Shift differential pay for 2nd & 3rd shift
• Annual Clothing Allowance
• Opportunities for Advancement

Click to apply and join the P-H-M Family today!

The Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium, named after long time P-H-M educator and administrator Mr. Art Klinger, is an outstanding educational resource to P-H-M schools and the greater St. Joseph County community, supporting learning across the curriculum and at all grade levels.

Open during the P-H-M School year. It provides “digital” lessons projected in the state-of-the-art dome to P-H-M students and teachers, as well as hundreds of students and educators from neighboring districts who also visit for scheduled field trips. 

Additionally, the facility hosts nearly 50 informative and entertaining public shows each year, with topics ranging from Astronomy to Rock & Roll.  These shows are offered at a nominal cost and are also open to members of the general public. 

The Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium also includes an air and space museum that contains artifacts donated by astronauts and some which are on loan from the Johnson Space Center and the Smithsonian. Some artifacts have actually traveled to space and been on or come from the Moon! So plan on arriving for your show a bit early to take time to look around.

P-H-M Teachers visit the Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium website for more details on:

• The list of shows available or recommended for classroom visits
• How P-H-M teachers should schedule their classroom visits
• Frequently asked questions about visiting the Planetarium
• Links to recommended astronomy and “sky events” websites

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The death of a student has a profound, deep impact on the P-H-M community.  In order to provide support to students, families and staff, P-H-M is offering some tips from the National Association of School Psychologists regarding the process of grief, possible reactions to grief and loss, and ways we can support our children. 

The process of grief is personal.  The process will be impacted by a person’s developmental level, religious beliefs, cultural practice, mental health, family supports, personality and previous experiences. Generally, there are four phases to grief, although the phases may not occur in a linear fashion: 

1. Shock and Numbness (stunned, difficulty thinking clearly)
2. Yearning and Searching (restless, angry, guilty, bewildered)
3. Disorientation and Disorganization (extreme sadness, possible continued guilt and anger)
4. Reorganization and Resolution (accept the loss)

Understanding the process as well knowing children’s response to grief may manifest differently than it often does in adults will help us meet the child in their moment of need. The following is a general guideline of what to expect at different ages:

• Preschool – Regressive behaviors, decreased verbalization, increased anxiety
• Elementary – Elementary aged students may ask questions to understand what happened, so it is important to be patient. While it is important to be truthful, over-sharing details is too much for a child to handle at this age. Therefore, it is best to stick the facts and be brief.  Up to the age of approximately eight years, the child may engage in magical thinking and believe they hold the power to bring the deceased back to life.  Listen and recognize the feelings, but do not validate these feelings.  Children ages nine to twelve may be less comfortable sharing feelings so help children who are in this age range show grief in other ways. Symptoms of grief at this age may include:  decreased academic performance, difficulties with attention/concentration, and attendance; irritability, aggression, and disruptive behaviors; somatic complaints; sleep/eating disturbances; social withdrawal; guilt, depression, and anxiety; and/or repeated re-telling of the event.
• Middle and High School – Students in middle and high school may seem to express their feelings much like an adult would do so.  Provide opportunities to allow the student to share their feelings, especially privately, but do not force the child to share.  People in this age range may share more with a close peer present.  Older teens may tend to use more physical contact to show support and empathy (e.g., hugging, linking arms, etc.).  Possible grief reactionary symptoms may include decreased academic performance, attention/concentration difficulties, and attendance; avoidance, withdrawal, high risk behaviors or substance abuse, difficulty with peer relations, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional numbing or depression.

When the grief reaction starts to impact daily functioning for a long period of time or if your child is having extreme reactions, your family may want to consider seeking outside help if the following symptoms or behaviors are present: changes in eating habits, wishing to be with the deceased, fear of being alone, significant decrease in academic performance, or increased somatic complaints (e.g., headache, stomach, body aches).  If there are thoughts of suicide, it is vital this is taken seriously. Call 911 or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. 

Naturally, when our children are grieving as parents you want to help. It is important to remember you provide so much support just by being present and actively listening to your child in a non-judgmental manner. During the process, it is helpful to maintain routines as much as possible to provide predictability during an unpredictable time, structure and comfort.  Although listening is key, it is also important to talk with your child and ask questions to gain an understanding of what your child is thinking and feeling so you can provide guidance and support. You may also need to tell your child it is okay to grieve while discussing, encouraging and modeling healthy coping strategies.

If you or your child need additional supports, click here to visit the National Alliance for Grieving Children website.