The following administrative appointments were approved by the P-H-M Board of School Trustees on Monday, June 17:

New Principal of Discovery Middle School: 

Replacing retiring Principal Sheryll Harper is Mrs. Elizabeth Willkom-Cunha, who has served as principal of the Nuner Fine Arts Academy in South Bend since July 2016.
 

Elizabeth's educational career began in Miami-Dade Public Schools. She served as an Assistant Principal at Fulford Elementary School in North Miami Beach, Florida, 2015 to 2016. Before becoming Assistant Principal, she was an Instructional Teacher (4th Grade General Ed/SPED Inclusion) 2010 to 2012.
 

From 2012-2015, Elizabeth served as an Exceptional Student Education/Special Education (ESC/SPED) Chairperson. She also served as the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Coordinator/Instructional Coach for two years, 2013 to 2015.
 

Elizabeth began her career as an Instructional Teacher (SPED Inclusion and Self-Contained) at Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center in Miami Beach, Florida from 2005 to 2010.
 

Elizabeth received a B.A. Arts and Letters in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 2002, received a M.S. in Education – Integrating Technology in the Classroom from Walden University (Minneapolis) in 2007. In 2012, Elizabeth earned her Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University (Davie, Florida). Elizabeth brings with her a wealth of expertise in a variety of educational best practices and methodologies including special education, English as a Second Language, and behavior interventions. She is also fluent in Spanish.  

Elizabeth will start July 1 with P-H-M.

New Principal of Northpoint Elementary School: 

Replacing retiring Principal Diane Wirth is Mrs. Lorraine White. Lorraine has served as Assistant to the Principal at Bittersweet Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year. Prior to her assignment at Bittersweet, Lorraine was an elementary teacher at Northpoint Elementary School since the school opened in 1998, where she taught grades one through three. Lorraine’s first teaching position was at Walt Disney where she served as a Title I teacher from January-May of 1998.

Lorraine received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Ball State University in 1997, a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University South Bend in 2003 and she recently completed the Principal Licensure Program from Indiana Wesleyan University.
 

Lorraine’s experience and knowledge of the Northpoint community will serve her well as she continues to develop connections and relationships with Northpoint students, staff, and parents. 

Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker also recommended that one additional Assistant Principal be added at both Grissom and Discovery Middle Schools, effective with the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. This will bring all three of P-H-M’s middle schools in line with each other and each school’s administrative team will consist of a Principal and two Assistant Principals.
 

Lorraine will start July 1 in her new role.

Assistant Principal of Discovery Middle School: 

Joining the Discovery administrative team of new principal Mrs. Elizabeth Willkom-Cunha and Troy Kauffman will be Mrs. Shonda Masterson. Shonda has been a 6th grade science teacher at Discovery Middle School since 2014. She began her teaching career at Penn-Harris-Madison as a 4th grade teacher at Elm Road Elementary School. She also taught at Moran before moving to Discovery.

Shonda received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Indiana University South Bend in 1995, a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University South Bend in 2006, and in 2018, she finished her MBA in Educational Leadership from Indiana University Bloomington.

Shonda's experience working with diverse groups of people, her effective leadership skills, family involvement, and the already strong relationships she has with the Discovery Middle School parent community and staff, will be strong assets for her in this new leadership role. Shonda will also provide additional support in the area of student discipline.

Shonda will start July 29 in her new role.

Assistant Principal of Grissom Middle School: 

Joining the Grissom administrative team of Jean Milfort and Jen Sinclair will be Mr. Michael Babcock. Mike has served as Principal of LaSalle Elementary School (grades K-6) in Mishawaka since 2016. Prior to LaSalle, Mike served as an Assistant Principal at John Young Middle School (grades 7-8) from 2014-2016, where his main focus was on discipline for 7th and 8th grade students. Mike also served as an Assistant Principal at Mishawaka High School for one year (2013-2014), where he also handled discipline for 10th and 11th grade students. Mike began his career in public education as an Alternative Education, Government and World History teacher at New Prairie High School in 2000. While at New Prairie Mike also coached the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity boys’ basketball teams over his 13 year career.
 

Mike received a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies from Wabash College in 2000, a master’s degree in Education from Indiana University South Bend in 2009, and he completed his Licensure in Educational Leadership from Indiana University South Bend in 2012.
 

Mike brings with him an expertise in dealing with student discipline at all grade levels – high school, middle school, and elementary school. He is a certified school safety specialist and, he is both trained in and a trainer in CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute).  

Mike will start July 29.

In the summer months, P-H-M is proud to offer a variety summer camps, both academic and athletic. This helps keep our students physically and mentally fit over summer break.

These were the camps that took place during Week 2 (June 17-21) : Dance & Flag, Boys & Girls Track, Girls Basketball, Camp Invention, Penn Robotics, Youth Theater, and Super Kids Camp.

Some pictures are featured below, however click the links below to visit our Facebook page to see the full photo gallery:

• Monday, June 17: Dance & Flag
• Monday, June 17: Boys & Girls Track
• Tuesday, June 18: Girls Basketball
• Friday, June 21: Super Kids
• Friday, June 21: Youth Theater

Your child’s education and sport opportunities do not have to end, and should not, when school lets out for the summer. Research shows students may lose two or more months’ worth of reading achievement, a month or more of spelling and learning skills and about 2.6 months’ worth of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during their summer break.

That’s why P-H-M offers summer enrichment learning opportunities and sports camps. Click here to see our full list of Summer 2019 camps and activities that are still available. We believe that summer break can be fun while also giving students the academic boost they need as well as exercise and skill development.

Check out the photos from our first week (June 10-14) of academies and camps! 

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.

On Wednesday, June 12, approximately 125 Night School students received their high school diplomas. Some pictures from the ceremony are in the photo gallery below. To see the full gallery, please click here to visit Penn High School’s Facebook page.

The Commencement services were held in Penn High School’s Main Arena. Officiating the ceremony were P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Penn Principal Sean Galiher, Director of Counseling John Westra, Director of Alternative Learning Seth Molnar, and Pennway Night School Director Ginny Mueller. Click here to view the Graduation program.

The graduates family and friends clapped and shouted cheers of joy for their loved ones who had completed their goals of getting their high school diplomas.

Congratulations to the Class of 2019 and their families!

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.

On Friday, June 7, 868 students graduated from Penn High School in Commencement Ceremonies held at Notre Dame. Click to view a partial photo gallery on Penn’s website, or you can view the entire photo gallery on Penn’s Facebook page.

Watch the highlights of Graduation in the video below …

​Penn’s Class of 2019 included 18 Valedictorians, three Salutatorians, eight  National Merit Scholarship Finalists, and the class as a whole earned $11.2 million in scholarships! Click to read more about the Class of 2019’s accomplishments.

Click here to view the program.

This year's Penn High School Class of 2019 has 868 students, everyone of them with their own story.

As part of our Excellence Happens Here series leading up to Commencement on June 7, we introduced a handful of these wonderful, gifted, talented, and dedicated students.

Watch and hear from these amazing group of students sharing their hopes, dreams and future plans after Penn High School. Click to watch all eight Class of 2019 “Excellence Happens Here” graduate profiles on Penn-Harris-Madison’s YouTube channel.

In March, Discovery Principal Sheryll Harper announced that she was retiring after 32 years with P-H-M, 23 years as principal of Discovery. Click here for more information on Principal Harper’s impact on Discovery.

On June 6, Principal Harper helped Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker introduce Discovery teachers to Elizabeth Willkom-Cunha. Her administrative appointment is scheduled to be approved by the Board of School Trustees at the June 17th Board Meeting. Her first day will be July 1, 2019.

Mrs. Willkom-Cunha has served as Principal of the Nuner Fine Arts Academy in South Bend since July 2016.

Mrs. Willkom-Cunha's educational career began in Miami-Dade Public Schools in Florida. She served as an Assistant Principal at Fulford Elementary School in North Miami Beach, Florida, 2015 to 2016. Before becoming Assistant Principal, she was an Instructional Teacher (4th Grade General Ed/Special Ed Inclusion) 2010 to 2012.

From 2012-2015, Mrs. Willkom-Cunha served as an Exceptional Student Education/Special Education (ESC/SPED) Chairperson. She also served as the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Coordinator/Instructional Coach for two years, 2013 to 2015.

Mrs. Willkom-Cunha began her career as an Instructional Teacher (SPED Inclusion and Self-Contained) at Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center in Miami Beach, 2005 to 2010. Prior to becoming a teacher and after getting her degree in psychology from Notre Dame, she worked as a counselor at the Indiana Boys Juvenile Corrections Facility in South Bend for two years.

Mrs. Willkom-Cunha has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a M.S. in Education – Integrating Technology in the Classroom from Walden University (Minneapolis), and a Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University (Davie, Florida).

Mrs. Willkom-Cunha has also served as an Adjunct Professor at IUSB, an ELL online teacher for students in China, and was recently recognized among Michiana’s “40 under 40” Class of 2019.

This will be a homecoming of sorts for Mrs. Willkom-Cunha; she went to Schmucker Middle School and is a 1998 Penn grad. She and her husband William have three young children.

A “Meet and Greet” will be scheduled closer to the start of the school year so that parents and your students can meet Mrs. Willkom-Cunha.

On Friday, June 7, 868 students will graduate from Penn High School in Commencement Ceremonies at Purcell Pavilion on the University of Notre Dame campus. 

Held earlier in the week (June 4th and 5th), Penn started a new tradition for the graduating class … taking the students back to their P-H-M elementary alma maters for “Senior Parade!”  Click to learn more, see the full photo gallery and watch a video!

Penn’s Class of 2018 features 18 Valedictorians: Ammaar Basher, Amy Bernard, Ella Boardley, Charlotte Chang, Xi (Chelsea) Chen, Siddharth Das, Lucas Jerzak, Aidan Kaczanowski, Hasaan Kazi, Shurun Kim, Sabrina Kurian, Tingyi Lu, Abigail Meckstroth, Zainab Nasser, Sophia Patel, Justin Ralston, Alvin Wang, and Corey Wang. Valedictorian Corey Wang was also selected as a 2019 Indiana Academic All-Star. This year’s valedictorians have an average GPA of 4.38 on a scale of 4.0!

Click to read more about these students and see where they’ll be attending college/university. 

The salutatorians are McKenna Hillsdon-Smith, Christian Marshall, and Zachary Simon. Their average GPA is 4.29 on a scale of 4.0!

Penn’s Class of 2019 has earned $11.2 million in scholarships!

Eight graduating seniors are National Merit Scholarship Finalists:  Amy Bernard, Xi (Chelsea) Chen, Aidan Kaczanowski, Brandon King, Tingyi Lu, Corey Wang, Eric Wood, and Tinale Zhang.

Of the 868 member graduating class:

• 313 are graduating with High Honors
• 430 – Academic Honors
• 87 – Technical Honors

Another highlight of this year’s graduating class is that it includes 100 students of the second cohort of the Early College Academy. The Academy was started in 2014 to offer students, who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to attend college, to earn dual college credit in the supportive environment of Penn High School. These students have been taking classes at Penn and also earning college credit through courses at Ivy Tech Community College. 

At the time of Commencement, 

• 50 are expected to have earned Associate of General Studies degrees
• an additional 34 are expected to have earned Technical Certificates (earning between 32-62 credits, the equivalent of one year of college or more)
• 14 are expected to have earned at least 15 college credits
• 2 are expected to have earned less than 15 college credits

Many students will be attending in-state colleges and universities such as: University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Indiana University – Bloomington, Ball State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Butler University, University of Indianapolis, Bethel College, Holy Cross College, Indiana University – South Bend, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, and Purdue – Fort Wayne.

A few Kingsmen will also be venturing a little farther from home attending colleges and universities across the country, for example: United States Military Academy West Point, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Miami University of Ohio, University of Virginia, University of Texas, University of Oregon, Nova Southeastern University, Vanderbilt University, Brigham Young University, University of Lorraine (France), and Fontys University (Netherlands).

We take pride in providing a wide array of academics and career learning opportunities to appeal to a wide base of student interests supporting our students for college and career readiness.

Thirteen students have enlisted in the military and armed services to honorably serve our country: one each in the Air Force and the Marines; three each in the Army and Army National Guard; and five in the Navy.

Several members of the Class of 2019 will also pursuing the vocational trades at Ohio Technical College, Tom Savini's Special Makeup Effects School, the Culinary Institute of America, apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, along with various cosmetology programs.

Read more highlights about the Penn’s Class of 2019 and the Student Awards handed out at Senior Recognition Night held Friday, May 10.

Click to watch all eight Class of 2019 “Excellence Happens Here” graduate profiles on Penn-Harris-Madison’s YouTube channel.

This year we started a new tradition with our graduating seniors … Senior Parade!

Members of the Class of 2019 went back to the halls of their former elementary schools to say "Thanks" to their teachers & inspire future Kingsmen!!!

All in all, about 300 seniors will visit their former P-H-M elementary schools … all 11 schools today & tomorrow (June 4 and June 5)!!!

A group of nearly 50 seniors visited Northpoint. Watch the video below and click here to view the full photo gallery of the Northpoint visit on our Facebook page.

A group of students that attended Discovery Middle School also made a special stop at their old middle school to drop in to surprise their former principal, Mrs. Sheryll Harper. Students wanted to deliver a special heartfelt thanks to Principal Harper as she enters in to retirement at the end of this school year. Nearly 100 students, one by one, handed Principal Harper a single long stem rose … that’s eight dozen roses!!! Principal Harper is retiring after 32 years with P-H-M. She’s opened Discovery and is its first principal; she was at Discovery for 23 years! Click to see the full photo gallery on Discovery’s website.

The Food Service Department of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2019.

FREE MEALS will be available to children 18 years of age and under, or persons more than 18 who are determined by a state or local public education agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or non-profit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled. 

The program will operate Monday through Friday. All sites will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2018.

Please click here for more information and a complete list of sites and dates.