Walt Disney Elementary School Principal Ryan Towner experienced the "Luck of the Irish" a day early! In a surprise assembly today, Wednesday, March 16,  was named a recipient of the Milken Educator Award for his excellence and innovation in education AND received a $25,000 check! Click to watch the video below to see his reaction …

Click here to see the photo gallery on Walt Disney’s website.

Filling the auditorium were members of the local media, cheering students, teachers and colleagues, P-H-M Board Members and Administrators, representatives of Milken, members of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), and local and state officials. Notables on hand to help surprise Principal Towner were:

• Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley
• Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner
• Director of Leadership & Innovation, IDOE, Ms. Rebecca Estes
• P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker
• P-H-M Board of School Trustees President Mr. Chris Riley
• P-H-M Board of School Secretary Mrs. Clare Roach
• Indiana State Representative Dale DeVon
• Representing U.S. Senator Mike Braun's Office Mary Martin

Towner is one of the few principal recipients of the Award for the 2021-22 school year chosen from among Indiana's 80,000 plus incredible educators. He’s also among more than 60 educators nationwide to be named a Milken Educator this season.

Towner and Walt Disney teachers educate the school's diverse students with differentiated instruction. He leads by providing unique professional development methods and gets students excited about school through unique engagements like playing the ukulele and piano for students at arrival and dismissal.

Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards celebrate, elevate and activate the American teaching profession and inspire young, capable people to join it. The Milken Educator Award is not a lifetime achievement honor. Recipients are heralded while early to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities inherent in the Award.

“Educators are an invaluable resource, and the Milken Family Foundation seeks to emphasize that this work does not go unnoticed,” said Dr. Foley, who is herself a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator. “Ryan Towner fully embodies the qualities of an effective leader: innovation, enthusiasm and the ability to inspire those same merits in his colleagues.”

“Mr. Ryan Towner represents the best of Indiana’s educators, as he engages with students daily in unique ways to get them excited about learning,” said Dr. Jenner. “Leveraging his passion and his creative side, he leads by bringing his fellow educators, families and community members together to help students learn and grow. We’re thankful to have him representing Indiana and setting a great example for how we might best serve our students.”

“Ryan is one of P-H-M’s many excellent and dedicated educators,” said Dr. Thacker. “His devotion to his students, staff, and school is limitless. We are so proud of Principal Towner and the Walt Disney community; winning Milken Educator award is an amazing opportunity for Ryan to grow professionally, but to also help Disney become an even better school.”

More About Principal Towner

Innovation: Raising the bar for both student and educators’ practices, Towner introduced tiered academic interventions with ongoing progress monitoring, new curriculum maps with common assessments and a renewed focus on phonics instruction for the school’s younger students. He creates an environment where students and staff feel valued, motivated and appreciated and often brings lightheartedness to campus where he greets each student by name as he plays the piano or ukulele at arrival and dismissal. He created Walt Disney’s annual Culture Night, which celebrates the school’s linguistic and cultural diversity and is one of the best attended events in the district.

Leadership: A role model to both students and colleagues alike, Towner created a teacher leadership team that holds regular professional learning community meetings, encouraging staff to make data-informed decisions in curricular planning, differentiate instruction and collaborate across grade levels. Since taking the helm, his school has charted steady gains in student achievement and exceeded state averages with some of the strongest growth in the district. He helped create a three-week STEM camp, chaired the district’s wellness committee and led its federal grant program for several years. Education runs in Towner’s family—his father served as a longtime administrator for a nearby district and has strongly influenced the principal’s career.

Education: Towner earned a bachelor’s in education in 2010 and a master’s in education administration in 2016 from Indiana University South Bend.

Career: Towner is a creative leader and has been with P-H-M since 2011 when he joined the district as a teacher with Prairie Vista. He did an administrative internship at Madison Elementary for a year and then came to Walt Disney as Assistant Principal in 2014 and became principal of Walt Disney 2017.

Click here for more details about Mr. Towner's Milken Educator Award on the Foundation's website.

More about Walt Disney Elementary School:

Walt Disney is part of the “A” rated Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, where excellence in education is pursued and achieved at all levels. Walt Disney is one of P-H-M’s five Title I schools. Our students feel supported and encouraged to reach their full potential. 

Walt Disney has also earned the distinction of being among Indiana’s Top 30% of Public Elementary Schools by U.S. News & World Report (data is based on the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years). Click here to learn more.

The school values and celebrates diversity. More than 40 different languages are spoken in the homes of the students. Which is why one of Disney’s annual traditions that they love to celebrate is Culture Day and Cultural Night. Click to read an Edutopia article about how Walt Disney celebrates it’s diversity (this article was written by Clare Roach in 2015, before she was elected to the P-H-M Board of School Trustees).

More About the Milken Educator Award

The very first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. The Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Along with the $25,000 financial prize, recipients join the national Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,800 top teachers, principals and specialists. The network serves as a rich resource for fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others dedicated to excellence in education.

• The honorees will also attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to increase their impact on K-12 education. In addition, they will learn about how to become involved in the Milken Friends Forever (MFFs) mentoring program, in which freshman Milken Educators receive personalized coaching and support from a Milken Educator veteran on ways to elevate their instructional practice and take an active role in educational leadership, policy and practice.
• Over the years, more than $140 million in funding, including $70 million for the individual cash awards, has been devoted to the overall Milken Awards initiative, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout recipients’ careers. 
• Veteran Milken Educators frequently go on to serve in leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 
• “We find you. You don’t find us!” Unlike most teacher recognition programs, the Milken Educator Awards initiative has no formal nomination or application process. Candidates are sourced through a confidential selection process and then reviewed by blue ribbon panels in each state. The most exceptional candidates are recommended for the award, with final selection made by the Milken Family Foundation. 
• The $25,000 cash award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. For instance, some have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.  

This year’s Young Authors' Conference, held this past Saturday, March 5, was a huge success!  Gabrielle Balkan was this year’s celebrity speaker. Mrs. Balkan is best known for non-fiction books that delight readers ages 3-12 with curious and essential facts about the United States, animal record-breakers, and ground-breaking artists. 

During this unique learning experience, P-H-M students in grades K-5 have the opportunity to learn directly from a well-known children’s writer. Through interactive, engaging Q&A with the children, Balkan led the students through the process of creating engaging storylines. 

Students also participate in small group sharing sessions, led by P-H-M teachers, where they share stories they’ve created. Students give each other positive feedback, encouraging and inspiring their fellow students.

Students aren’t the only ones that benefit from the Young Authors’ Conference, parents do too! While students were participating in their small group writing sessions, parents attended a special presentation by Penn High School English Teacher Mary Nicolini. Nicolini gave parents fun tips on ways to inspire ideas for creative writing with their children.

Students and parents also enjoyed a presentation of from the Potawatomi Zoo!. The Young Authors’ Conference is sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation. 

To download high resolution jpg files 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.

Calling all Teachers:

If you missed our Teacher Job Fair on February 4, you haven’t missed out. We’re creating the opportunity for ALL certified teachers at ALL levels in ALL subjects–and those who anticipate being certified by Fall 2022–to have a virtual interview with a P-H-M administrator.

Click here to sign up today for virtual interviews that will take place between Monday, February 28 – Friday, March 18.

Are you looking for something unique to experience with your family or significant other?

The P-H-M Digital Video Theater (located at Bittersweet Elementary) kicks off their Spring 2022 Weekend Laser Show season just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Our Laser Shows are professional-quality shows where a laser creates intricate patterns and characters on our Dome Screen enhanced by a (water-vapor) haze machine, all to the beat of classic music!

There will be two shows on Friday, February 11^th (Laser Metallica & Laser Zeppelin) and two shows on Saturday, February 12^th (Laser U2 & Laser Vinyl).

After you’ve had your fill of classic rock, on Valentine’s Day, February 14^th, there will be a traditional show titled “Experience the Aurora”, which is a magical look at the Aurora Borealis that will be stunning when watched on the dome screen!

Click Here for the full schedule of Laser and Full Dome shows.

Cost:

• ALL Laser Music Shows are $5 Per Ticket.

Prices for MOST non-laser shows are as follows:

• Adult – $5.00
• Senior Citizens – $3.00
• Child – $3.00
• Students – $3.00

Tickets go on sale 7-8 days prior to the show. CLICK HERE to confirm prices for your show & to purchase tickets

The annual P-H-M Teacher Job Fair is back and in-person for 2022! We’re looking for teachers who strive for excellence. If you are a new or veteran teacher, or just interested in becoming a teacher … WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU! 

Every teacher candidate will be GUARANTEED one face-to-face interview with a P-H-M administrator.

Click here for more about WHY you should become a teacher with us!

When & Where

• Date: Friday, Feb. 4, 2022
• Time: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EST)
• School Location: Schmucker Middle School (Door B)
• Address: 56045 Bittersweet Rd. Mishawaka, IN 46545

What to Expect

• Upon arrival, you will sign in before waiting in a common area until it is your turn
• These are REAL interviews, please dress professionally
• When it’s your turn to be interviewed, please turn off your phone or switch it to “Airplane Mode”
• It’s important to have your Application & Resume on file, please submit an online application prior to the job fair.
• If you do not have an updated online application on file with P-H-M Schools, a hardcopy of your resume is recommended, but not required.
• Masks ARE required

• Addition Questions? Please contact PHMhumanresourcesinfo@phm.k12.in.us

   

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation considers the health and safety of our school community as a top priority. The FDA has issued an extension of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), allowing the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 5 years of age and older. As such, in conjunction with the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, we are offering a free COVID-19 Vaccination clinic for all students, staff, and parents/guardians.

This voluntary event is being held after school hours as a convenience for those families wishing to participate. P-H-M recognizes and respects family decisions in regards to non-IDOH immunization requirements.

Who can get the vaccine?

• The vaccine is now available for children 5 – 11 and everyone age 12 and older. For the scheduled dates, we are providing an opportunity for any P-H-M student, parent/guardian, and staff member eligible to be vaccinated with their first dose, second dose, or booster shots to those already vaccinated.
• Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for the ages 5-11 age group at this time. Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are needed to provide full immunization. The first one primes the immune system, helping it to recognize the virus, and the second one strengthens the immune response. If the vaccine you received requires two doses, you should receive both doses, the second dose for this age group being 3 weeks after the first dose. An individual is considered fully protected 2-weeks after the second/last dose.

When will the vaccinations be offered?

• Tuesday, January 18th, 5-7:30 p.m.

Where will the vaccinations be offered?

• The walk-up clinic will take place at Schmucker Middle School
• Please enter through Door C (see map). Please note that this is the same door as the previous clinics. 
• Address: 
  Schmucker Middle School
  56045 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka  46545

Keynotes about the vaccine for ages 5 -11?

• All children in the eligible group of ages 5-11 will have to be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
• Children ages 5 through 11 years receive one-third of the adult dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.  Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are used for children ages 5 through 11 years.
• COVID-19 vaccine dosage does not vary by patient weight but by age on the day of vaccination.
• Your child will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine three weeks after their first shot.
• The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to the experience of getting routine vaccines. Use the tips to support your child before, during, and after routine vaccinations when getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Registration Form (needed for 1st dose Only):

• Pre Registration will NOT be required. Individuals will be served in the order in which they arrive.
  If possible, please print off and complete the registration before arrival.
  LINK: Registration (English)
• Although there is NO COST to the participants, St. Joseph Health Systems asks that you please bring your insurance cards & state-issued IDs to help the registration process. If you do not have insurance, you will not be turned away. 

If the dates or times won’t work for my family, how can I sign up to get vaccinated elsewhere?

• Vaccine Information and Sign-up Links

COVID Testing Walk-in Clinic

If a student, teacher, or staff member is symptomatic or quarantined due to exposure, they may receive a free BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for the COVID-19 virus. This program uses Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW tests provided by the federal government.

The IDOH has recently revised the school site testing criteria due to the limited supply to only test the following groups:

• Symptomatic students Pre-K through grade 12

• Symptomatic teachers and staff members age 50 and above.  

Where can they be tested:

• The walk-up clinic will take place at the P-H-M Bank Locker Room Building located on the corner of Bittersweet and McKinley Hwy (US20) near Penn High School. Entry is off McKinley Hwy.

• No appointment is necessary.

• The clinic will be open when school is in session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. AS LONG AS TESTS ARE AVAILABLE. The Clinic may need to close early on the days it is in operation as the number of available tests per day may vary due to the national shortage. 

• We will only test a student accompanied by a parent/guardian.

• Please bring the completed consent form to the clinic at the time of testing. Click here to download and print the consent form.

Tonight P-H-M Board of School Trustees newest board members were sworn into office.

Both Mr. James Turnwald and Mr. Ryan McCullough were appointed to fill two Penn Township Board seats made vacant back in November. The Board voted unanimously to appoint Mr. James Turnwald to Seat #1 filling the vacancy left by Mrs. Jaye Galloway. Mr. Ryan McCullough was appointed to fill Penn Township Seat #2 vacated by Mr. Jamie Woods. Both were unanimously approved on December 1.

Mr. Turnwald was sworn in by Board Attorney Jeff Johnson and joined by his wife Amanda and their four daughters.

Mr. Turnwald serves as the Executive Director of the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and a Board Member of the Potawatomi Zoo. He has a bachelor’s degree in Geography & Urban Planning from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and a master’s in Public Affairs from IUSB. He and his wife have four daughters, with two of their oldest enrolled at Meadow’s Edge. He brings a wealth of experience in civil government, planning, finance and infrastructure. As a P-H-M parent, he is passionate about education and supporting the growth and self-actualization of all students.

Mr. McCullough was also sworn in this evening. He was joined by his wife Nicole and son and daughter.

Mr. McCullough is a 1995 graduate of Penn High School Mr. McCullough attended Western State College of Colorado and was a member of the US Ski Team Freestyle 2004-2005. He works as a Sales & Marketing Executive for Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle out of Denver. Mr. McCullough and his wife, also a Penn grad, returned to Penn Township several years ago to raise their three children: Class of 2020 Penn grad, daughter at Schmucker, and son at Penn. Mr. McCullough is actively involved in the P-H-M community including volunteering as a Penn Freshman Football Coach.

Mr. Turnwald’s term will expire at the end of 2022. Mr. McCullough’s appointment will last through 2024. Both Mr. Turnwald and Mr. McCullough may choose to run for election for the ensuing four-year term with elections taking place in November 2022 for Seat #1 and November 2024 for Seat #2.

The P-H-M Community Tailgate was held Friday, August 27 before Penn’s home opener football game against LaPorte. The popular annual event brings together members of the community, Penn faculty, staff and students, as well as parents and families from across the District. This was the 34th year for the event. Click to see the photo gallery below.

Penn fans and patrons showed up to enjoy the food and good times served up by the P-H-M Education Service Center Staff and Administrators. Unfortunately, Penn lost to LaPorte 21-14 in overtime.

If you missed the Community Tailgate this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next year. It’s always held the night of Penn’s first home game from 5:30-7:00 at the south end zone Zolman Concession Stand! 

See the photo gallery below. To download high-resolution jpg files, 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!

It’s August and that means Kingsmen sports and Marching Band practices are in high gear.

To recognize the hard work they’ve already put in and to wish them luck for their coming seasons, Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker stops by all of the fall sports practices to hand out popsicles!

It’s an annual tradition that students have come to expect and look forward to. He’s been doing it for over 15 years! This year, Chief Operating Officer Aaron Leniski joined Dr. Thacker in handing out the frozen treats.

Today (Friday, August 13) we caught up with Dr. Thacker and Mr. Leniski as they handed out frozen treats to Penn Band members. 

In a nice show of solidarity, the Penn Kingsmen football players came to the band practice area to wish them well.

To download high resolution jpg files 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.