At the Board Meeting held Monday, November 11, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees approved the agreement between the P-H-M Teachers Association and the School Corporation increasing the minimum base starting salary for current P-H-M teachers and new hires for the 2019-2020 school year to $41,000, which P-H-M believes to be the highest in our area!

The new salary range for P-H-M teachers will be $41,000 to $70,148 marking the first time that the top of our salary range exceeds $70,000.

“We are grateful to the Governor and the Indiana Legislature for the one-time funding increase to the Teacher Retirement Fund (TRF); this freed up extra money for school districts to pass along to teachers,” said P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker. “Coupled with P-H-M’s conservative budgeting, we are proud to be in the position to compensate our teachers at a competitive rate.”

“At P-H-M, we are committed to attracting, retaining and rewarding highly qualified teachers,” Dr. Thacker went on to state. “They are a crucial component to our Triangle of Success by which our students benefit. We are proud to offer academic excellence at all levels, for all students. We recognize and value our teachers’ contributions to that excellence.”

The PHMTA membership overwhelmingly ratified the agreement on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The collaboration between P-H-M administration and the Teachers’ Association shows the value and vision that both sides share in attracting and retaining the area’s most highly qualified teachers.

P-H-M’s teacher agreement covers a one-year time period from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.  All teachers who have one or more years of experience will receive varying combinations of base salary increase and a one-time stipend as shown in chart below:

Teachers with more than one year of experience will receive salary increases ranging from $900 to $2,200, with an average salary increase of $1,646, or 3.38%. Additionally, teachers with one or more years of experience will receive a one-time stipend ranging from $500 to $1,580. Teachers with three or more years of experience, who comprise approximately 85% of P-H-M’s teaching staff, will receive a total of $2,700 between an increase in salary and the one-time stipend.

This agreement also enhances compensation received by P-H-M teachers when they:

• Sub for other teachers,
• Teach Dual Credit/Advanced Credit Placement courses incentivizing them to obtain a master’s degree in their content area or reward them for obtaining their master’s to comply with the Higher Learning Commission’s 2022 requirements, or
• Who agree to sell back certain unused sick days to reward long service employees with a commendable attendance record.

Adding to these favorable pay enhancements for teachers, there will be no plan changes to either of Penn-Harris-Madison’s insurance plans. Employee contributions will increase by a modest 4% starting January 1, 2020.

For weeks, we’ve been documenting the joint student project to build a larger than life Hulk Halloween wheelchair costume for 4-year-old Zephan Cantu from Elkhart.

The local news coverage of the story got the attention of CBS Evening News producers and CBS National Correspondent Don Dahler.

They visited Penn High School to interview students and teachers on Oct. 17 and also attended the reveal for Zephan’s costume on Oct. 19. The story aired on national network news on Monday, Oct. 21. Take a look …

TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE NOW SOLD OUT!

Breakfast with Santa is an annual beloved family event sponsored by P-H-M’s Community Education Department held at Bittersweet Elementary. The program is only for children in grades kindergarten through 3^rd grade and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets must be purchased for each person attending.

Breakfast with Santa event

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019

8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., & 11 a.m.

Bittersweet Elementary School

$7 for all tickets

Online ticket sales were on Monday, November 4, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. through phm.revtrak.net. 

Tickets will be mailed to you prior to the event on Dec. 7. 

There will be no refunds and tickets will not be available at the door.

Penn Biology Teacher and STEM Academy Leader John Gensic is being recognized in Washington, DC this week for being a 2017 national award recipient for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). John was named an Indiana Finalist for the Science Award in October 2017. John is one of just four teacher finalists (two for Math and Two for Science) in Indiana to be recognized and receive this prestigious national award. The announcement was made on Tuesday, Oct. 15 by the White House.

Today (Friday, Oct. 18), John is visiting the White House, take a tour, and attend a VIP lunch for PAEMST alumni.

Last night (Thursday, Oct. 17) was the awards ceremony for the country’s PAEMST award winners.  Awardees from 2017 and 2018 were recognized last night and received their awards. Penn Principal Sean Galiher traveled to DC this week with John to also attend recognition events and professional development opportunities. Principal Galiher captured this video and these pictures …

John was among 215 teachers from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, and schools in the United States territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. 

Presidential Awardees receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States; the trip to DC; and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award given by the U.S. Government to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science.

Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

John Gensic was also P-H-M's 2016 Teacher of the Year and a Top 10 Finalist for Indiana Teacher of the year. He has been very creative in bringing STEM learning activities to life, not just for his Penn Early College Academy students, but also elementary students. In 2016, John used the funding he received from a P-H-M Education Foundation grant to plant fruit orchards first at Horizon Elementary, and then a year later at Elsie Rogers and Mary Frank. This September John literally saw the fruits of his labor bear fruit! The apple and pear trees at Horizon’s orchard were ripe for picking. Current Horizon 3rd graders and the elementary students who originally planted the trees (now in 6th grade at neighboring Discovery Middle School) got to pick the fruit. Click here for the full story, video and pictures.

The P-H-M Education Foundation hosted Dr. Jerry Thacker’s annual Superintendent’s Luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 15. More than 300 community leaders, business partners, P-H-M parents, and P-H-M staff attended (Click to see the full photo gallery below). Dr. Thacker is in his 14th year as superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison. 

The highlight of the Luncheon was feature speaker 2011 Penn High School Alumna and World Championship Female Wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt. Sarah’s lists of accomplishments are long since leaving Penn as Indiana’s first female wrestler to qualify for IHSAA Wrestling Semi-state her junior year under Penn Wrestling Coach Brad Harper. She won her 4th gold medal at the Pan American Games this summer. 

Sarah got a very enthusiastic “Welcome Home” from the Luncheon crowd, thanks to Coach Harper who was thrilled to introduce her to the crowd. And Sarah did not disappoint with her heartfelt “Thank You” to all her teachers and coaches throughout her years as a P-H-M student. Sarah’s Discovery Middle School teachers and coaches were also present.

The audience included current members of Penn’s Female Wrestling Team as Sarah and Coach Harper’s special guests. The students had a chance to practice with her on Monday evening. And after the Luncheon, they got to enjoy some “one-on-one” time with Sarah where she answered their questions about juggling wrestling, academics in high school and college, as well as how hard it is to compete in a male dominated sport. Sarah did a great job of not only giving great advice, but inspiring the next generation of female wrestlers!

Take a look at the video below highlighting Sarah as a Kingsmen Making a Difference in the World …

Sarah was joined at the luncheon by her family Mom and Dad Chris and Nancy Hildebrandt, brothers Drew and Cory, sister Amy, and her grandmother. Their attendance made it very special for Sarah when PHMEF Executive Director Mari Linn Wise made the surprise announcement that Sarah’s parents, Chris and Nancy Hildebrandt, had donated $15,000 to name the wrestling room at Penn High School “The Hildebrandt Family Wrestling Room!” (Click to see the full photo gallery below).

Other highlights of the Luncheon included Dr. Thacker’s State of the District Address as Superintendent. Dr. Thacker highlighted some of the school corporation’s most recent points of excellence which included, some not all, of the accomplishments below: 

• Out of Indiana public school corporations (292 school districts), P-H-M ranks 12th in the state for combined ELA & Math scores in grades 3-8.
• P-H-M has four elementary schools that rank among the state’s Top 15 schools in combined ELA & Math Proficiency: #1 Northpoint,  #4 Prairie Vista, #8 Mary Frank, and #11 Horizon
• Mary Frank’s 3rd grade English/Language Arts ILEARN scores are also the highest in the entire state!
• Among the state’s public middle schools grades 6-8 (219 schools), Discovery Middle School is ranked #5 in Indiana.
• Penn High School is 12th among public schools for combined ELA & Math scores in grade 10.

All of this was accomplished with having the lowest state tuition reimbursement in the area (P-H-M receives $5,804.21 per student vs. South Bend Community Schools which receives the most at $6,866.10). P-H-M also has the lowest tax rate in the area at $.091 compared to Concord, which has the highest tax rate at $1.78.

Some of Dr. Thacker’s special guests included Mishawaka Mayor David Wood and State Senator Ryan Mishler.

Also as part of the Luncheon, PHMEF Executive Director Mari Linn Wise recognized 2019 P-H-M Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year Christine Austin and Jeannie Mitchell. Both received a commemorative brick in their name that is a part of the walkway outside of Penn High School.

The past school year’s grant recipients were also featured as part of the event to highlight the Education Foundation’s mission to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in P-H-M by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

WSBT news anchor Bob Montgomery emceed the event (Bob is married to 1st grade Prairie Vista teacher, Rose Montgomery, and is also a P-H-M parent).

A special thank you to all of the Luncheon and table sponsors, especially …

• Presenting Sponsor TCU
• Contributing Sponsor Gibson Insurance
• Supporting Sponsors Low Associates

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Some big news came out of Dr. Thacker’s annual Superintendent’s Luncheon held on Tuesday, Oct. 15 …

In a surprise announcement made by P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Mari Linn Wise, Penn 2011 alumna and World Championship Wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt (and the rest of the 300+ luncheon attendees) learned that Chris and Nancy Hildebrandt had donated $15,000 to PHMEF to name the wrestling room at Penn High School “The Hildebrandt Family Wrestling Room!” The gift was made through PHMEF’s Naming Rights Campaign. 

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. Per PHMEF’s naming rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent will directly fund professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. 

Sarah was the featured speaker at the annual luncheon. She was joined by her family Mom and Dad Chris and Nancy Hildebrandt, brothers Drew and Cory, sister Amy, and her grandmother. Sarah was just as surprised as everyone else to learn of the donation. Click to see all the highlights of the 2019 Superintendent’s Luncheon.

Sarah has made an indelible mark on Penn’s Wrestling history. She was Indiana’s first female wrestler to qualify for IHSAA Wrestling Semi-state her junior year under Penn Wrestling Coach Brad Harper. She accomplished this weighing just 103 pounds! Sarah also helped Penn win an IHSAA Team Regional Championship with a pin vs. Jimtown's Cody Koebel (4:54). Penn defeated Jimtown 37-25 for the Team Championship.

Sarah got her start in wrestling when she was in middle school. At Discovery she wrestled under Coaches Raoul Donati and Scott Vandergriff winning the Big 11 Conference!

Sarah got a very enthusiastic “Welcome Home” from the Luncheon crowd, thanks to Coach Harper who was thrilled to introduce her to the crowd. And Sarah did not disappoint with her heartfelt “Thank You” to all her teachers and coaches throughout her years as a P-H-M student. Sarah’s Discovery Middle School teachers and coaches were also present.

Her list of accomplishments since leaving Penn are long … This past August she earned another gold medal at the Pan Am Games, making that her 4th gold medal at Pan Am Games. She also won gold in 2013, 2015 and 2018 for USA Wrestling. Hildebrandt was the 2018 USA Wrestling Women’s Wrestler of the Year and also earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the Pan Am Games in 2018. She was last year’s U.S. Open champion and was a world silver medalist.

She was more than happy, elated and exuberant actually, to share her story with Penn’s current Female Wrestling team who attended the Luncheon as as Sarah and Coach Harper’s special guests. The students had a chance to practice with her on Monday evening. And after the Luncheon, they got to enjoy some “one-on-one” time with Sarah where she answered their questions about juggling wrestling, academics in high school and college, as well as how hard it is to compete in a male dominated sport. Sarah did a great job of not only giving great advice, but inspiring the next generation of female wrestlers! Click here to see the full photo gallery.

She truly is a Kingsmen Making a Difference!

ILEARN is Indiana’s standardized test. It is an online computer adaptive assessment designed to measure students’ proficiency of the Indiana Academic Standards in Grades 3–8. At the high school level, students enrolled in Biology and U.S. Government take ILEARN as End-of-Course-Assessments (ECA).

Last school year (2018-19) was the first time ILEARN was administered. This year it will be administered again to students in the spring.

What does it mean that the test is computer-adaptive? 

Every time a student answers a question, his or her response helps determine the next question presented. The difficulty of the test will adjust to each student’s skills, providing a better measure of what each student knows and can do.  For more information, click here to visit the IDOE website. 

Because the ILEARN test is online it has built in tools for students to use while testing:

• Built-in glossaries allow students to select unfamiliar words and read their definitions.
• Glossaries are available in English, Arabic, Burmese, Mandarin, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
• Students are provided with authentic tools, such as spell check, a dictionary, and a thesaurus for use when responding to the writing task.
• The Desmos calculator (provided for Mathematics Grades 6–8) is available for students to practice using free of charge at: desmos.com.
• Spanish translations (stacked over the English version) are available for Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

Online resources parents can use at home to help prepare their students

• Indiana’s Released Items Repository allows students to interact with released items and try some of the tools and features:  https://login12.cloud1.tds.airast.org/student/V367/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Indiana_PT
• Indiana’s ILEARN Portal provides information and resources for understanding the assessment at: https://ilearn.portal.airast.org/
• The ILEARN for Families website answers questions about ILEARN:  https://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/ilearn-families

Student ILEARN reports

• Reports provide a scale score as an indication of overall student achievement in a grade level, as well as several subscores.
• Parents and guardians may request rescores of open-ended items through the local school. 

Questions?

Contact INassessments@doe.in.gov

Tuesday, Oct. 15
5:30 p.m.
Schmucker Middle School, 56045 N Bittersweet Rd.

Indiana law (IC 20-19-3-11) now requires that all schools provide age appropriate and research based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in grades kindergarten through 12th. Penn-Harris-Madison has partnered with the Family Justice Center, Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County and the St. Joseph County Special Victims Unit to provide this instruction for our students.  

In November and early December, staff from the Family Justice Center, Youth Service Bureau St. Joseph County and St. Joseph County Special Victims Unit will present the materials to secondary students in grades 6-12. Each unit is age appropriate specific to the grade level.

The elementary (grades K-5) curriculum can be viewed at http://fightchildabuse.org/. The program’s main goal is to educate children about what to do when confronted with abusive behavior, safe and unsafe touches, going to a parent or another trusted adult if they are confronted in an unsafe situation, and that it is not their fault. An “Unsafe Touch” is defined as touching private parts of the body that are covered by a bathing suit. Stranger safety, Internet safety and other situations are also presented. 

For middle school, P-H-M will be utilizing the Teen Lures Prevention curriculum on a variety of safety issues. For additional information about the curriculum, please visit https://childluresprevention.com/grades7-12/.  

At the high school level, students will watch a video created by the St. Joseph County Special Victims Unit will be presented about ways youth can prevent, respond to and report all forms of child abuse, dating violence and sexual assault.  By talking openly with students about what constitutes healthy and respectful relationships, we prepare young people to better recognize and resist all forms of mistreatment.

To learn more about the new State mandated child abuse/sexual abuse prevention curriculum, all P-H-M parents are invited to attend an optional parent information night on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m., at Schmucker Middle School, 56045 N Bittersweet Rd.

Parents have the option to have their student(s) participate in the state mandated educational program.

Parents are asked to complete the online permission slip through their student(s) school website. *Please note a permission form needs to be returned to your student’s school for each individual child enrolled in a Penn-Harris-Madison School.

Please see the list below to click for each school’s online permission slip:

• Bittersweet 
• Elm Road
• Elsie Rogers
• Horizon
• Madison
• Mary Frank
• Meadow’s Edge
• Moran
• Northpoint
• Prairie Vista
• Walt Disney
• Discovery Middle School
• Grissom Middle School
• Schmucker Middle School
• Penn High School

This is a follow-up communication that the District shared with parents and staff on Friday, Sept. 20 regarding Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) health concerns in communities surrounding St. Joseph County (Indiana). At this time, St. Joseph County still has not released a warning, alert or advisory for EEE.

EEE is a potentially serious disease that can affect anyone, but children under the age of 15 and people over the age of 50 are at greatest risk. Click here for more information on EEE. We want to make families aware that Penn-Harris-Madison allows all students to possess and use a topical, non-aerosol insect repellent product (such as lotions or wipes) while on school property or at a school sponsored event or activity. Non-aerosol products are recommended in order to prevent students from getting the products in their eyes. Students do not have to have a physician’s note or prescription for the product, nor is the student required to store the product in a specific location if the product is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective. Local and state county health departments recommend the use of EPA-registered insect repellents that contain one of these active ingredients: 

• DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para menthane-diol (PMD),  2-undecanone. Click here to find the insect repellent that’s right for you by using EPA’s search tool.

Corporation personnel shall not assist with the application of the topical insect repellent product. Therefore we still strongly encourage parents to use a long lasting insect repellent and apply on your child before they leave for school. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants is also effective and insect repellent can also be applied to the clothing for a longer lasting effect. Again, students are allowed to bring repellent lotions or wipes to school to reapply.

Penn-Harris-Madison Facilities Department and Groundskeeping crews will also be extra vigilant in maintaining our school properties and campus areas to minimize these risks for students when they are with us. If you are aware of areas of concern at one of our schools or properties, we encourage you to reach out to your building principal who will notify P-H-M Facilities Department.

We appreciate your cooperation as heightened awareness about EEE continues to grow in our area. As we become aware or receive updates from area and state Health Departments, we will pass that information along to our families and staff. We will also post any important updates on the P-H-M District website. Please also feel free to share that information with us by way of your building principal.

Thank you for your collaboration in helping to keep our students and staff safe.

The P-H-M Education Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of the Fall 2019 Grant Cycle. PHMEF grants are eligible to any P-H-M staff member who can demonstrate a program’s innovation and creativity, and reflect a commitment to excellence in education. Deadline for all grant applications is 4 p.m. Thursday, October 24 at the ESC.

Please carefully read through the attached Grant Applications. PHMEF is seeking innovative programs that have not been previous funding through past grant cycles. Note there are funding restrictions. A complete list may be found on the traditional form on page 4. Those applications requesting non-funded expenses will not be presented to the Grants Committee.

Grants Presented for Funding at the Superintendent's Luncheon

New this year – The grants committee may select up to 5 grants that could be presented at the Superintendent's Luncheon for funding by community members, if applications are received by 4 p.m. October 4, 2019. Both EZ and traditional grants will be considered. If a grant is selected, you will be asked to create a small visual "centerpiece" for the luncheon (will follow up with details if the grant is selected). If a grant is selected for presentation at the luncheon, the grant will be funded either by the luncheon attendees or by the Foundation. Please note that PHMEF is not guaranteeing that any grants will be selected for this special opportunity. The submitted applications must meet typical PHMEF grant criteria. 

EZ Form for grants less than $250
 

PHMEF understands that sometimes your needs may not equate to a full request, but you still are looking for support in the classroom. PHMEF’s Grants Committee will accept requests for $250 or less with an one-page application form we are calling an “EZ” form. 

“EZ” form does not need:

• A second signature
• 10 copies

“EZ” form does follow:

• Deadline of 4 p.m. Oct. 24 via email or at the ESC
• Submit the “fillable” PDF via email to mlwise@phmef.org or via inner school. The ‘fillable” boxes are shaded in blue. Click here to download the form.
• Same funding restrictions as the traditional form, i.e., no funding for substitute teachers, etc.

Traditional Form

This form has been used for numerous years. It should be used for grants requesting $250 or more and/or a request that is comprehensive (multi-classroom, school-wide or district-wide requests). This form can’t be emailed. It must be sent with 10 copies each and with the appropriate signatures. Forms that don’t have these requirements and/or are not complete, will not be considered. Click here to download the form.

Grant applications also may be downloaded at www.phmef.org. Questions about the application or process, contact Mari Linn Wise, executive director, at mlwise@phmef.org or 254-2893. To ensure that PHMEF has received your application, Mrs. Wise will send an email to confirm receipt within two business days. If you do not receive an email within this timeframe, please contact her at mlwise@phmef.org or 254-2893.