Third grade Prairie Vista Math teacher Amanda Fox was recently notified that she has been named an Indiana finalist for the prestigious national Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) award. PAEMST is the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This is the second time a PHM teacher has been honored as a PAEMST finalist. Penn's John Gensic was a Indiana finalist and was a national award recipient in 2017. Click to read that story.

Ms. Fox has spent the past four summers (2017-2020) working with Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Notre Dame on various educational outreach, training, and research efforts funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF grants funded K-6 computer science summer program at the University of
Notre Dame, and her innovative after-school coding classes. Ms. Fox worked to expand the after-school coding courses opening them up to all 2nd-5th graders. In the words of Prairie Vista parent Clare Roach, “She is indefatigable and single handedly brought a love for computer science to an entire school.”

She was among the first cohort of teachers to help K-8 teachers develop age-appropriate curriculum to introduce students to computer science within existing STEM curricula. Notre Dame Professor Michael T. Niemier praises Ms. Fox for mentoring other area teachers as well as working to help create content for K-8 students in various local school districts other than just P-H-M.

Ms. Fox has worked to help transform computer science education at Prairie Vista. She’s also established a northern Indiana chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). 

National PAEMST award winners are expected to be announced in August.

Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees thanked resigning member Mr. Gary Fox for his 20 years of service as a member of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees at the meeting held Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.

Mr. Fox, who did not seek re-election for another four-year term in November 2020. Mr. Fox has served in Board leadership roles 5 1/2  years as president, 3 years as vice president, and as a member for 11 1/2 years, having served since January 2001.

By BRADY SMITH

Penn High School Student Reporter

Penn High School Strength and Conditioning coach Matt Cates, just added another accomplishment to his resume as he was named the State Director of the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA).

Cates graduated from Portage High School and went on to Manchester University, where he played football. Cates has coached at multiple schools, including Portage, Michigan City, Martinsville and Penn High School. 

Cates graduated with a Physical Education and Health Teaching K-12 at Manchester. He holds certificates for strength and conditioning through 3 additional organizations (USAW, HSSCS, SSC). Cates has served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Penn for five years.

“As a coach, I want students to know that they will be given as many opportunities as needed to grow," Cates said. "We are all in this together, good or bad, we will continue to work and have that growth mindset.”

Cates' goal, as a teacher, is to provide a culture of growth. This will cover leadership, physical strength, mental health, accountability, and of course, pride. When you walk into the weight room, he believes there is one mindset, “Be the best version of yourself.”

Cates explained that enhancing athletic performance is a lot more than lifting weights. Penn's Strength and Conditioning classes gives students opportunities to improve their confidence, show accountability, maintain a healthy lifestyle, demonstrate discipline, and allows all athletes to unite for the same common goal of excellence.

Nina Pulja, now a sophomore at Penn High School, said,  “Coach Cates is a coach that motivates met to get up and work harder every single day so I can grow to not only be a better athlete, but also a better person inside and outside the classroom.”

Cates said that being selected as the State Director of the National High School Strength Coaches Association is an enormous honor. The job entails many different responsibilities and expectations.

Coach Cates vision' for the State Association is to continue the resources and educational experiences/relationships for all high schools in Indiana, and to continue to grow the message of importance of strength and conditioning for high school-aged athletes. The organization is not just for strength coaches and physical education teachers, but all who interact with students and student-athletes. The main goal is to continue Indiana’s success in strength and conditioning and make it a flagship state of the nation.

The state director is a three-year term with the option of an additional three years.

The P-H-M Education Foundation announced its Fall Grant Cycle recipients. A total of $11,932.72 was disbursed to P-H-M staff. See the complete list is below.

Monies raised from PHMEF events like the Silver Mile Bubble Bash Run for Education and other events make these grants possible. Since the Foundation’s inception in 1996, more than $1.6 million have been distributed in innovative teaching grants supporting P-H-M teachers, staff, and students. 

Fall 2020 Grant Summary:

Total 2020-21 Grant Budget — $35,500

Fall 2020 Grant Budget — $12,500

• EZ Grant applications received — 18 requests totaling $3,040.35
• EZ Grant applications funded — 11 requests totaling $1,528.25 
• Traditional Grant applications received — 14 requests totaling $30,681.91
• Traditional Grant applications funded — 12 requests totaling $10,404.47
• Grants denied because they did not meet grant criteria — 0
• Grants deferred to the following grant cycle — 1
• Grants referred to Corporations for Education or other granting partner — 0
• Grants funded by donor — 1
• Grant funds awarded — $11,932.72
• Grant funds balance — $0* z
  *There was an anonymous donor that wanted to help fund the P-H-M Project “H” grant. The Grants Committee agreed to use the remaining grants funds balance of $567.28 to help offset the cost of the donor thus bringing the funds balance to $0.

The Grants Committee is comprised of Foundation board members, community representatives, and a P-H-M administrator who evaluate each grant application. 

The PHMEF 2020 Grants Committee requests the approval to fund the following EZ Form grant requests for $250 or less:

• Diverse Novel Study Initiative, Walt Disney Elementary – Jordan Binion, 1^st grade teacher
  Awarded: $ 241
  Chapter books with diverse characters
• Manipulatives for the Music Classroom Meadow’s Edge Elementary – Sarah Claeys, K-5 grade teacher
  Awarded: $91.38
  Movement scarves and rhythm sticks to enhance lessons, teach musical concepts
• Math Manipulatives for Highly Differentiated Instruction Discovery Middle – Emma Zerfas, 7th grade teacher
  Awarded: $225
  Tangible math tools for students who may be lagging in skills
• Mitosis & Meiosis Pop Bead Kit, Schmucker Middle – Sakima Oudghiri, 7-8^th grade teacher
  Awarded $191.99
  Pop beads used to learn about mitosis and meiosis
• Wacom Tablet Grant, Discovery Middle – James Howard, 7^th grade teacher
  Awarded $220
  Tablet allow teachers to model note-taking, diagramming, catography in a virtual environment
• A Knight of Coca, Cookies, and Canvas, Moran Elementary (Grades K-5) – Shelli Treely, teacher
  Awarded $250
  Virtual canvas painting experience for students
• Gimkit Annual Subscription, Schmucker Middle – Kristina Lawrence, 6^th grade teacher
  Awarded $59.88
  Online platform that engages students to review learned materials, practice vocab., and formatively assess student learning
• Adaptive Physical Education, Schmucker Middle – Tara Curless, 6-8^th grade teacher
  Awarded $249
  Online platform that engages students to review learned materials, practice vocab., and formatively assess student learning

The PHMEF 2020 Grants Committee requests the approval to fund the following Traditional Form grant requests:

• BrainPad Arcade, Schumucker Middle – Matt Reininga, Grades 6-8  — 400 students
  Requested $475.36 — Received $475.36
  BrainPad Arcade board is a supplemental to computer science instruction in PLTW. Plans to utilize the board include as an introduction or conclusion to the current PLTW computer classes where students learn to create mobile apps and program micro-controllers.
• K-5 Classroom Pack of Dash and Dot, Elm Road Elementary – Madelyn Beers, Grades K-5 — 475 students
  Requested $1,000 — Received $1,000
  Dash and Dot are tangible robots that give students the chance to learn about coding, or to use programming in a hands-on collaborative matter. Students will have the ability to work on problem solving skills through the use of technology to understand abstract skills associated with coding and computer science.
• Cut The Cord, Penn High School – Les Crooks, Grades 11-12 — 17 students
  Requested $5,000 — Received $2,461
  In the Building Trades class having extension cords can be dangerous as they present a trip hazard, shock hazard, and ergonomic hazard. Cordless tools that include circular saw, sliding miter saw, and cordless cutting rotary tool.
• Sensory Pathways for Elementary Students, All P-H-M Elementary Schools – Tess Weaver, Wendi Buckley, and Erin Grover, Grades K-5 — all P-H-M elementary students
  Requested $2,926 — Received $2,926
  Sensory pathway will stick on hallway floors, creating a physical and occupational movement for students. They allow students to demonstrate better attention and focus tasks. They also provide movement during needed breaks that greatly benefit students in academic performance, on-task behavior, and cognitive functioning.
• Graphing Calculators for Night School, Penn High Night School – Ginny Mueller, Grades 12-13 — 475 students
  Requested $1,685.70 — Received $1,685.70
  Purchasing 10 graphing calculator for students’ use in night school. These students often are struggling financially and will offset the cost of an expensive calculator.
• Madison Nature Spies, Madison Elementary – Gina Cool and Amanda Tugmon, Grades K — 25 students
  Requested $856.41 — Received $856.41
  Students will take monthly walks – as part of PE and Art) through the Madison. nature Trail. Students will learn to explore nature and increase their observation skills by identifying various items in nature. The grant will supply books and other equipment that will aid students during their explorations.
• Ukuleles for Elm Road, Elm Road Elementary – Bradley Marks, Grades 4-5 — 150 students
  Requested $1,240 — Received $1,000
  The ukulele is a perfect instrument for teaching more in-depth about musical chords and theory. Students will be able to learn and play popular songs and how they are structured by learning another way to read and create music.
• P-H-M Project ‘H’, All P-H-M Schools – Mike Seger, All Grades All — 11,454 students
  Requested $3,200 — Received $3,200
  This project will take all children into consideration within Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and assist in providing the type of hygiene items required to perform in the classroom. The items mentioned will be provided in privacy and upon request by students in need. Many of our counselors and YSB personnel have identified students in need and share these needs with appropriate individuals.

Tonight (Monday, November 9) 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 PHMTA and district administration took place in September and October, and a tentative agreement was on Wednesday, October 7 and the PHMTA membership ratified the agreement by an overwhelming margin on Wednesday, October 21.

Under this agreement (effective retroactive to July 1, 2020 and running through June 30, 2021), P-H-M teachers’ starting salary will remain at a very competitive $41,000. The new salary range for P-H-M teachers will range from $41,000 to $71,048.

The agreement covers a one-year period from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. 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:

Teachers with more than one year of experience will receive salary increases ranging from $500 to $1,550, with an average increase of $1,140.  Additionally, all teachers, including those in their 1st year, will receive a one-time stipend ranging from $500 to $1,450.  Teachers with five or more years of experience, who comprise approximately 80% of our teaching staff, will receive a total of $2,350 between an increase in salary and the one-time stipend.

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees wanted to pay the one-time stipends out of the district’s Rainy Day Fund as a way to express the Board’s appreciation to the exemplar efforts of our teaching staff during these challenging times coping with COVID-19.

This agreement will continue to support P-H-M’s talent acquisition and retentions needs, and keeps the total compensation package as one of the premier offerings in our area.

There will also be a 3% increase in stipend amounts paid to all teachers who also hold Extracurricular and Co curricular coaching/sponsorship responsibilities.

In addition, the agreement includes changes to the Corporation’s health insurance plan. Employee contributions will also increase by a modest 3% starting in January of 2021.

Board Approves Hourly Rate for Substitute Teachers

Also at tonight’s Meeting, the Board of School Trustees approved an increase in the hourly rate paid to substitute teachers by $20 per day as shown below in order to retain and to attract more substitutes:

These changes will be made effective November 9th to coincide with the beginning of a payroll period. 

Food Service Plan for the 2020-21 School Year

Thanks to a USDA waiver, all meals served to students at P-H-M will be free until the end of the 2020-21 school year. Student accounts will be charged for any ala-carte sales.

Elementary:

• Pre-packaged breakfast (except at Northpoint and Prairie Vista) and lunches.
• Please view the Elementary School Menu and make sure your child knows which lunch they would like, as it will be recorded in the morning so meals can be delivered to each child.

Middle:

• Pre-packaged breakfasts are available at Grissom and Schmucker. Lunch is available at Grissom, Schmucker and Discovery. Students will select pre-packaged meal components in the cafeteria.
• Middle School Menu

High School

• Pre-packaged breakfast and lunch is available at Penn. Students will select pre-packaged meal components in the cafeteria.
• High School Menu

Meals for 100% Virtual Learners:

• Pick up meals at Door K at Penn High School
• Day & Time: Mondays, 1-3 p.m.
• Students will receive a refrigerated box and a frozen bag with five (5) breakfasts and five (5) lunches.
   

Additional Information

• We will have meals available for the 100% virtual learners from all schools.
• 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.

Mr. Derrick White was named P-H-M’s new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the August 10 Board Meeting.

Mr. White had been serving as Assistant Principal at Penn High School since the 2017-18 school year. Mr. White began his teaching career as a Special Education Teacher at Navarre Middle School in 1997. Before transferring to Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, he had been an Assistant Principal at Riley High School. Mr. White received his Master of Arts in Secondary Education from Ball State University and completed his K-12 Administration Certification from Indiana University – South Bend. Mr. White participated in the Indiana Principals Leadership Academy in 2007 and was awarded the Martin Luther King Center Youth Mentor Award in 1995.

In his new role of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Mr. White will help promote and sustain a culture, consistent with the School Corporation’s mission to create a positive, healthy learning environment that embraces and celebrates diversity, equity, equality & inclusion of all students and staff. Mr. White will assist in the identification of practices & procedures that perpetuate any achievement gaps or discipline practices in minority students. He will partner with the Learning Division to ensure that the Corporation’s curriculum reflects the diversity of our student population, including the introduction of more diverse literature at all levels while also evaluating and identifying ways to increase the recognition and celebration of diversity in all forms in our classrooms and schools. Mr. White will also collaborate with Talent Acquisition and Development to provide ongoing professional development to ensure the cultural proficiency of staff, promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. Working with Human Resources, he will work to help attract and retain a culturally diverse teaching staff. 

Thursday, August 13, 2020 was a big day for the P-H-M New Teacher Class of 2020!

Penn-Harris-Madison welcomed 36 new certified employees at Orientation yesterday for the 2020-21 school year. This will be a unique school year in many ways, so our new hires spent yesterday getting up to speed on all the health and safety protocols that we are implementing.

It is going to be a different year but we are so glad to have these new faces to help us maintain our standard of #PHMExcellence!

Check out the photo galleries below of our new teachers, broken down by building and group, so that you can help welcome these new faces into the P-H-M Family!

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

August 4, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families:

Thank you for your suggestions, concerns, and support offered after my July 30, 2020 communication regarding all students starting school in virtual learning. As you may remember, the St. Joseph County Department of Health medical professionals recommend a virtual start for all county school districts. Your correspondence and communication led to an amended recommendation. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your commitment to the students of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation.  

Last night, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees held a special meeting to discuss and vote on students returning in the fall. The Board approved a plan to begin the school year virtually for the first four weeks of the 2020-2021 school year. P-H-M students will attend school virtually from August 19-September 11. (Please click here to view a recording of the August 3, 2020 meeting and click here for the Virtual Learning Presentation.)

While we want our students to return to in-person instruction as soon as possible, safety is our highest priority for our students, faculty, and staff. We will assess the data daily and the metrics that are provided by the St. Joseph County Department of Health will guide a safe return to in-person learning. We will notify parents no less than 10 business days prior to advancing from virtual learning to in-person learning. Students who have selected the option of virtual learning only will continue in the virtual learning format.

Additional information regarding the virtual learning process, pickup of student materials, schedules, and other pertinent information will be shared by principals soon. Questions regarding the start of the year can be directed to your building principal or by emailing returntolearn@phm.k12.in.us

Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

Stay healthy and safe,

Dr. Jerry Thacker

Superintendent of Schools