District Info Archives - Page 6 of 10 - Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

P-H-M Board Approves Teachers’ Contract

Tonight (Monday, October 18) Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s Board of School Trustees overwhelmingly approved the contract with the district’s teachers. Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and P-H-M Administration presented the tentative agreement between the P-H-M Teachers Association (PHMTA) and the Corporation at tonight’s meeting.

Negotiations between the Penn-Harris-Madison Teachers’ Association (the PHMTA) and the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation took place in late September of 2021. A tentative agreement was reached on Thursday, September 30 and the PHMTA membership ratified the Agreement by an overwhelming margin on Monday, October 11.

Under this agreement (effective retroactive to July 1, 2021 and running through June 30, 2022), P-H-M teachers’ starting salary will move from $41,000 to a very competitive $42,000. State law requires a minimum of $40,000. The new salary range for P-H-M teachers will now be from $42,000 to $72,348.

The agreement covers a one-year period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. All teachers who have completed one or more years of experience will receive varying combinations of base salary increase and a one-time stipend shown in the following chart:

All Teachers will receive salary increases ranging from $1000 to $2,500, with an average increase of $1,650. Additionally, teachers with more than one year of experience will receive a one-time stipend ranging from $500 to $1,700. Teachers with five or more years of experience, who comprise approximately 77% of our teaching staff, will receive a total of $3,000 between an increase in salary and the one-time stipend.

There will also be a 2% increase in amounts paid to all Athletic and Extracurricular positions.

We are confident that this agreement will continue to support our talent acquisition and retention needs, and that our total compensation package remains a premier offering in our area.

About

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 thePlanetarium
Links to recommended astronomy and “sky events” websites

2021 Employee & Retiree Recognition

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.

Meals for eLearning Day on Tues., March 30, 2021

With the announcement that Tuesday, March 30, 2021 will be an eLearning day, the meal plan for March 30th is as follows:

Elementary:

Every elementary student in school on Monday, March 29th will receive a meal for Tuesday, March 30th as they leave.
Breakfast AND lunch will be included for students who attend Bittersweet, Elm Road, Elsie Rogers, Horizon, Mary Frank, Meadow’s Edge, Walt Disney, Moran & Madison.
Lunch only will be provided for students who attend Northpoint & Prairie Vista
Elementary School Menu

Middle:

When students leave school on Friday, March 26th, they will receive 2 days worth of meals. Those meals will cover Monday, March 29th and Tuesday March 30th.
Students at Grissom and Schmucker will receive pre-packaged breakfast and lunch.
Students at Discovery will receive pre-packaged lunches.
Middle School Menu

High School

When students leave school on Friday, March 26th, they will receive 2 days worth of meals. Those meals will cover Monday, March 29th and Tuesday March 30th.
High School Menu

Meals for 100% Virtual Learners:

Pick up meals at Door K at Penn High School
Day & Time: Monday, March 29, 1-3 p.m.
Students will receive a refrigerated box and a frozen bag with four (4) breakfasts and four (4) lunches since Friday, April 2nd is a recess day.

Additional Information

Students do not need to be present for the parent or guardian to pick up meals.
Student ID’s WILL NOT be required.

*Meals will not be provided on Recess Days.

Menus for all schools and virtual learners can be found here.

PHM School Board Elects Officers for 2021-2022 Terms

At the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees meeting held Monday, January 11, 2021, three Board Members were elected by their fellow Members to continue serving their officer positions: Mr. Chris Riley will continue as President, Mr. Larry Beehler will continue to serve as Vice President, and Mrs. Angie Gates will continue to serve as Secretary.
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Newly and Re-elected P-H-M Board of School Trustees Members Sworn-in

Newly elected Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustee Mrs. Clare Roach and re-elected Trustees Mr. Jim Garrett and Mr. Jamie Woods were sworn in Friday, January 8, 2021 at the Law Offices of May Oberfell Lorber by Attorney Jon Rogers. January 11, 2021 is the first P-H-M Board Meeting of 2021. Click here for a listing of the School Board Meetings for the 2020-2021 school year.

Mrs. Roach now holds one of the two Harris Township seats (Mrs. Angie Gates holds the other). Mrs. Roach is the Board’s newest member; she was elected in November 2020 and her term runs from 2021 to 2024. She was joined by her family at her swearing-in. See the picture below.

Clare Roach and family — *Left to Right: Husband Mr. Brandon Roach and children Jeremiah, Marie, Mrs. Clare Roach (middle), Daniel, and Jude*

Mr. Garrett and Mr. Woods each represent Penn Township. Both were re-elected in November 2020 and their terms also run from 2021 to 2024.

Click here to meet the members of the entire P-H-M School Board.

Return to Learn: School Specific Plans

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

High School

Kids Club

All Elementary Schools

P-H-M Athletics

High School & Middle School

P-H-M Band Protocols

High School & Middle School

Grief Resources for Parents

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:

Shock and Numbness (stunned, difficulty thinking clearly)
Yearning and Searching (restless, angry, guilty, bewildered)
Disorientation and Disorganization (extreme sadness, possible continued guilt and anger)
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, here are some helpful places to start:

National Alliance for Grieving Children

Payroll Forms

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Six P-H-M Schools Earn “Four Star School” Designation

The Indiana Department of Education released the list of Four Star Schools and six P-H-M schools have earned that distinction. P-H-M is in the Top 5 of Four Star Schools in the state, out of approximately 300 public school districts.

P-H-M's Four Star Schools for the 2016-17 school year are:

Meadow’s Edge is one of P-H-M’s five Title I schools and is in the top 1% of Title I schools in the state to be named a Four Star School (one of 9 out of 900)! This is the second year in a row Meadow’s Edge has earned this recognition.

The IDOE's criteria to be named a Four Star School changed from the 2015-16 school year. To qualify for the 2016-17 recognition, a school must meet the following criteria:

A school must have received an “A” for the 2016-2017 school year.
A school must have tested at least 95% of students on ISTEP English/Language Arts and Math.
Grade 3-8 & Grade 10 combined ISTEP Pass Percentage (Pass Percentage of English/Language Arts ISTEP + Pass Percentage of Math ISTEP) must be in Top 25th Percentile for each grade tested. (minimum of 10 students).
Grade 3-8 & Grade 10 Percent Passing Both ISTEP (Percent of students who passed both the English/Language Arts ISTEP + Math ISTEP) must be in the Top 25th Percentile. (minimum of 10 students).

Click here to see the full list of criteria.