Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 14 & Sunday, March 15 for the FIRST Robotics St. Joseph District Event. Penn High School is once again hosting more than 40 high school FRC robotics teams from Indiana and Michigan who will battle it out for the title. Join more than 5,000 students, coaches, mentors, parents and fans during this one-of-a-kind two-day FREE event!

Saturday, March 14 

10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Next Gen (K-8): 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Click to watch the video below to check out all the upcoming excitement, then come out to cheer on Penn Robotics Team 135!

Make sure to also bring your young Robotics fans to "Next Gen," an area for students ages K-8, who can get hands-on engaging fun with some of Team 135’s other robots. Next Gen will be open Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This event is also FREE ADMISSION!

The first day for students (grades 1-12) of the 2020-2021 school year is Wednesday, August 19, 2020 and the last day for students is Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Other important dates include:

• Thursday, August 20, 2020: First Day of Kindergarten
• September 7, 2020: Recess Day – Labor Day
• October 23 & 26, 2020: Fall Recess Days
• November 3, 2020: Recess Day – General Election
• November 25-27, 2020: Thanksgiving Recess Days
• December 21-Jan. 1, 2021: Winter Break
• January 18, 2021: Recess Day – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• February 15, 2021: Recess Day – Presidents’ Day
• April 2, 2021: Recess Day
• April 5-9, 2021: Spring Break
• May 31, 2021: Recess Day – Memorial Day

Click here for a one-page pdf copy of the 2020-2021 school year calendar.

For the 2019-2020 school year and activity calendar, please click here.

Interested in joining the P-H-M family and inspiring #PHMExcellence?

Teachers interested in joining Penn-Harris-Madison faculty staff will have the opportunity to meet and interview with a P-H-M Administrator during our annual Teacher Job Fair.

WHEN:  
Friday, Feb. 7, 2020
2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EST)

WHERE:  
Schmucker Middle School (come to Door B)
56045 Bittersweet Rd.
Mishawaka, IN  46545

Can’t attend? Click here to apply online via Applitrack.

Questions, please contact PHMhumanresourcesinfo@phm.k12.in.us

Click here to watch a video of what it’s like to be a part of the P-H-M family as a teacher.

When people think about holiday shopping they often think of long lines and stressful situations.

Well, there are some gifts that you won’t find in any Black Friday ads that will be treasured for years to come.

For the 14th consecutive year, P-H-M employees were able to get their holiday shopping done while supporting our fine Young Adult students.

The Young Adult program housed at Schmucker Middle School is part of P-H-M’s Exceptional Education Department and focuses on teaching students life and work skills to help them better interact with the community.

Young Adult Students work hard to create unique, holiday themed crafts that reinforce the value of hard work and creativity.

The students also practice real world skills by interacting with customers and operating the cash register. All the proceeds from the sale go back into the Young Adult Program to fund future craft building and outings.

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. 

P-H-M’s standard of excellence didn’t happen overnight, it’s been many years in the making.

To acknowledge where we came from, each year Dr. Jerry Thacker hosts a “P-H-M Retiree Breakfast” to honor and thank the teachers and staff that laid the groundwork for everything that P-H-M has become.

Former P-H-M employees who have retired since Dr. Thacker has been the Superintendent of Schools were invited for food and fellowship. A wonderful time was had by all. 

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!

The P-H-M Education Foundation announced its Fall Grant Cycle recipients. A total of $10,188.63 will be disbursed to P-H-M staff. See the complete list is below.

Since the Foundation’s inception in 1996, more than $1 million have been distributed in innovative teaching grants supporting P-H-M teachers, staff, and students. The Grants Committee is comprised of Foundation board members, community representatives, and a P-H-M administrator who evaluate each grant application. 

EZ Form grant winners of $250 or less:

1. Breakout EDU: Classroom Escape
   Horizon Elementary – Derrick Fairbotham​
   Grade 5; 160 students impacted
   Awarded: $160.50 – Multiple escape room activities challenging critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills.

2. Building Number Fluency in 4th and 5th Grades
   Elsie Rogers Elementary  – Rachael Givens
   Grade 4-5; 200 students impacted
   Awarded: $218 – Tang math kits that will help with number bonds, counting, place value.

3. A Multisensory Approach
   Meadow’s Edge Elementary – Stacey Miller
   Grades 2; 24 students impacted
   Awarded: $277.56 – Materials that provide multisensory approach using doodle boards, playform shapes, and sandpaper letters.

4. Safety Poster
   All Elementary Schools – Mike Seger​
   Grades K-5; 4,936 students impacted
   Awarded: $250 – Poster contest to educate kids about strangers and how lockdowns relate to stranger danger.

5. Reading and Writing Hands-On Learning Games for Deeper Understanding
   Elsie Rogers Elementary – Carlye Ponsler​
   Grade 4-5; 100 students impacted
   Awarded: $248.50 – Project benefit students will 44 various reading, vocabulary, and writing games.

6. Every Voice Matters
   Schmucker Middle – Maggie Hartford
   Grades 608; 150 students impacted
   Awarded: $191.50 – Qball will help students who are reluctant to speak up and out in a classroom setting.

7. Exercise Body and Mind
   Elm Road Elementary – Stephanie Newcomer
   Grades K-5; 500 students impacted
   Awarded: $84.95 – Pound sticks would be used for “brain breaks” and refocusing students’ minds.

8. Kindness Squad
   Elm Road Elementary – Christy Cook
   Grade K-5; 500 students impacted
   Awarded: $222.66 – Stickers, kindness squad belts, and letter packs to help promote kindness throughout the school.

9. Handwriting Interactive Teaching Tool
   Horizon, Northpoint, Prairie Vista, Mary Frank Elem– Tess Weaver
   Grades PreK-2; 40 students impacted
   Awarded $225 – Writing tool for students who receive occupational therapy.

10. Raspberry Pi Server and Cyber Security Labs
    Penn High – Steve Sinish
    Grades 10-12; 50 students impacted
    Awarded $200 – Servers support ongoing learning about servers for those in the computer tech support program.

11. Social Emotional Learning Center
    Penn High – Megan Bidigare
    Grades 9-12; 3,600 students impacted
    Awarded $250 – Funds to support a SEL safe space inside Penn High School for students who may have high emotions.

Full Funding/Traditional Form Grants approved for $250 or more:

1. They All Fall Down
   Horizon Elementary – Ann Lira
   Grades Pre-5th  —  680 students
   Requested $470 — Received $470​
   Domino workshop kit to instruct and reward classes for positive behavior. Students will design and build their domino creation and work closely in teams of two. The goal is for each individual creation to completely topple and transfer energy to the next group’s creation until all 15 creations completely topple.  

2.  Careers and Work Experience Project
   Penn High – Kristal Wheeler
   Grades 9-12 — 3,000 students
   Requested $1,000 — Received $1,000
   Program centers around Penn High School students with disabilities that will be given the opportunity to form a business. The program will center around two main experiences: a pet treat production and sale and a coffee cart. Both experiences will allow students to understand production, pricing, and sales. 

3. WGMS Media Class Equipment
   Grissom Middle – Kristian Verash​
   Grades 6-8 — 700 students
   Requested $918.12 — Received $918.12
   Equipment will improve the video and audio technology through WGMS and YouTube Grissom Middle School. Students can utilize their phones to video school activities for better communication. 

4. High Quality Evidence for Like Long Critical Thinking
   Penn High  – Jeremy Starkweather, Kaitlin Dickmen, Kayla Pfernere​
   Grades 9-12 — 100 students
   Requested $978.84 — Received $978.84
   Literature for debate topics that are current, peer reviewed, and written by experts in the field to be used by high school’s debate class and team. 

5. Visualizing the Dream for Lifelong Learners
   Penn High – John Gensic and Angela Yarrell​
   Grades 9-12 — 200 students
   Requested $775 — Received $775
   Funds will help offset costs for students who will be visiting, touring, and learning about historically black colleges and universities. 

6. Phones, SEL, and Biological Impact at the Brain
   Penn High – John Gensic, Jeanie Mitchell, Danielle Black
   Grades 12 — 5,013 students
   Requested $911 — Received $911
   The science of addiction, from opioids to cell phones is rooted in the biology of the brain. This grant would allow Early College seniors to delve more deeply into understanding the root cause of addiction and take meaningful action. Funds will be used to purchase the book The Deepest Well, which covers the biological impacts of toxic stress. The book will be paired with lessons on how technology has been designed to be addictive (such as apps on a phone).

7. Choosing Joy – Schoolwide Positive Messaging
   Discovery Middle – Aubrey Rollins
   Grades 6-8 — 900 students
   Requested $1,000 — Received $1,000
   Student groups will volunteer to help beautify public spaces throughout Discovery, including hallways and restrooms, that will have positive messages to inspire students to have a positive attitude and motivate them to do their best every day. ​

8. Ecology: Ecosystem (three classrooms/three different grants)
   Discovery Middle — Jackie Dan, Mikaylah Ganza, Gabriella Kintner
   Grades 6 – 280 students
   Requested $840 – Received $840
   Potawatomi Zoo representative will come to the school and discuss different topics related to ecology. The goal would be to use the presentation at the end of the unit as an application and analysis of the content the students’ have learned.

Partial Funding

1. SEL Classroom Environment
   Elsie Rogers Elementary – Krystle Mauro
   Grade 3 —  50 students
   Requested $489.84 — Received $117
   Emotional prompt cards and materials that will be used in the social emotional learning classroom environment. 

2. Personal and Academic Student Development Through Reading
   Grissom Middle – Joshua Kelver​
   Grades K-5  —  25 students
   Requested $999.10 — Received $900
   Classroom library that will incorporate inclusive topics such as disabilities and LGBTQ+. In addition, library will include books written by minorities and topics that cover minority experiences in America.

The message below was sent to all P-H-M parents from the Superintendent's Office the morning of Friday, Nov. 15, 2019:

Penn-Harris-Madison’s outstanding teachers are a critical component to P-H-M’s Triangle of Success providing excellent instruction to our students. In support of teachers and fair funding for public education, P-H-M has strong track record of working with State Legislators.

As momentum has grown for the “Red for Ed” action day at the State Legislature next Tuesday, Nov. 19, more Penn-Harris-Madison teachers have expressed interest to travel to Indianapolis to participate. 

We fully support their efforts. Therefore, all 15 P-H-M schools will be closed next Tuesday, Nov. 19. Administrative offices will remain open. Principals will adjust extracurricular activities as needed and will communicate any changes to their building parents and staff.

We will make up the day at the end of the school year. This will make the last day of school for P-H-M students Thursday, June 4.

Thank you for all you do as families to support our teachers.

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.