This past weekend Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th Penn High School hosted the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Middle School Band and Orchestra Festival. Penn hosted 34 middle school groups, including 18 from P-H-M’s Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker Middle Schools.

Of the 18 P-H-M Orchestras and Bands that participated, 17 of these ensembles received Gold Ratings! In addition, 11 received superior scores indicating a “With Distinction” status! 

The “With Distinction” status indicates a near perfect score and is achieved by less than ten percent of all groups across the state of Indiana.

Congratulations to the following P-H-M Ensembles and their Directors …

Discovery:

• 6th Grade Orchestra, Directors: April Oppenheim/Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 6th Grade Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: April Oppenheim, Gold Rating

• 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: April Oppenheim, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• Symphonic Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• Honor Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

State Show Choir ISSMA competitions were also held on Saturday, March 16. Discovery’s three choirs all received Gold “With Distinction”:

• 6th grade Choir, Group 4, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 7 & 8th grade Male Choir, Group 2, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 7 & 8th grade Treble Choir, Group 1, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

Grissom:

• 6th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating
• 6th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Gold Rating
• 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating
• 7th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Silver Rating
• 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• 8th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Gold Rating

Schmucker:

• 6th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
• 6th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff and Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
• 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
• 7th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
• 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating​
• 8th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff and Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

This year’s Young Authors' Conference, held this past Saturday, March 9, was a huge success with 215 students in attendance with their parents! Troy Cummings was this year’s celebrity author and illustrator of the popular series “The Notebook of Doom.” 

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, Cummings led the students through the process of creating colorful storylines. He and the students also came up with offbeat book characters like a ice cream eating monster and a cow-dog. See the photo gallery below.

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 Bethel College education professor Dr. Michelle Fish who gave parents fun tips on ways to inspire ideas for creative writing with their children. Click here for Dr. Fish’s presentation and list of Mentor Texts.

Students and parents also enjoyed a presentation of “Tuck Everlasting, The Musical” by Penn High School students. This was the 11th year for Young Authors’ Conference; it 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.

Northpoint Elementary students and programs were the stars of the show at Monday night’s Board meeting (Feb. 25, 2019). Every year, the Board chooses a few schools to hold their Board meetings at. The school meeting sites are a way for the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees to not only visit the schools, but to also give the schools a chance to highlight their successes. The March 25 meeting will be held at Elsie Rogers Elementary, another one of our “A” rate schools just like Northpoint!

This year Northpoint is celebrating its 20^th anniversary. As part of that celebration Principal Diane Wirth had a group of students give “presents” to the School Board Members by sharing with them some “points of pride.” Another group of Northpoint “stars” sang for the Board and their parents. It was a full-house and a good representation of P-H-M’s Triangle of Success, which connects parents, students and teachers! Northpoint is the #2 public elementary school in the state, and last night it was clear why!

Check out the photo gallery below to see the highlights. 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.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

8:45 – 11:30 a.m.

Schmucker Middle School

P-H-M Elementary students, grades K-5

Registration Fee: $5 per child

Click here to register and pay online
*Registration deadline has been extended to Friday, March 1

The Young Authors’ Conference is an annual, beloved event for P-H-M students in grades K-5. The event, sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation, provides an opportunity for students and their parents to meet and hear from a well-known children’s authors. Click here to view the photo gallery of last year’s event.

Troy Cummings is this year’s celebrity author and illustrator of the popular series “The Notebook of Doom.” Cummings’ illustrations have also been featured on magazines, puzzles, and games! Click hear to learn more about Cummings’ other work. 

As part of the morning activities, participants and parents will not only enjoy a presentation by Cummings, but also a short performance by Penn High School Theater students from their upcoming musical “Tuck Everlasting” (March 1, 2 and 3).

Elementary student attendees will also work in small adult-led breakout sessions sharing their own writing pieces with other P-H-M students.

Parents will attend a special presentation by Bethel College Education professor Dr. Michelle Fish.  Dr. Fish will share how parents can use children’s literature to connect with writing at home. *One parent must accompany students! However, keep in mind that students and parents will separate for a portion of the day.

REGISTRATION: Click here to register and pay online. If you don’t have a PHM Revtrak account, you will need to create one. There is a fee for using this service. If you prefer to register via paper, please fill out the front of the blue envelope that was attached to the hard copy of the flyer that came home with your student. Fill out the blue envelope completely, insert your payment, and return it to your child’s school. Checks should be made payable to: Young Authors’ Conference. Cash is also accepted. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 22, 2019!

CONFIRMATION: Participating students will receive additional information prior to the conference through their home school at the beginning of March.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Russell at lrussell@phm.k12.in.us.

This past Tuesday night Academic Letters were handed out to some of our more than 700+ Kingsmen student-athletes. Click here to view a photo gallery from the ceremony on Penn High School’s Facebook page.

At Penn, we're proud to say our students are students FIRST and then athletes! This fall they have achieved a combined 3.61 GPA!

Watch the video below to see how they achieve #PHMExcellence in the classroom first BEFORE they hit courts, fields, mats, pool, tracks, gridiron, etc.

Four P-H-M Board of School Trustees were re-elected in the November 2018 General Election: Jaye Galloway (Penn Twp.); Angie Gates (Harris Twp.); Chris Riley (At-Large); and Larry Beehler (Madison Twp.). All four members were sworn in and took their Oaths of Office at the beginning of the January 14, 2019 Board Meeting. The terms of these newly re-elected members will expire in 2022.

Chris Riley was re-elected as Board President, Larry Beehler as Vice President, and Angie Gates as Secretary. All are seen below pictures with Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker.

P-H-M has a seven-member Board of School Trustees. Other Board Members include Gary Fox (Harris Twp.); Jim Garrett (Penn Twp.); and Jamie Woods (Penn Twp.). Click here for profiles on all seven Board Members.

The first day for students of the 2019-2020 school year is Wednesday, August 21, 2019 and the last day for students is Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

Other important dates include:

• September 2, 2019: Recess Day – Labor Day
• October 25 & 28, 2019: Fall Recess Days
• November 5, 2019: Recess Day – General Election
• November 27-29, 2019: Thanksgiving Recess Days
• December 23-Jan. 3, 2020: Winter Break
• January 20, 2020: Recess Day – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• February 17, 2020: Recess Day – Presidents’ Day
• April 6-10, 2020: Spring Break
• May 5, 2020: Recess Day – Primary Election
• May 25, 2020: Recess Day – Memorial Day

Click here for a one-page pdf copy of the 2019-2020 school year calendar.

If you need copies of the 2018-2019 school year and activity calendars, please click here.

Interested in becoming part of the #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. 8, 2019
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.

For questions, please contact PHMhumanresourcesinfo@phm.k12.in.us.

Click here to watch a video of why you should become a P-H-M teacher.

The P-H-M Education Foundation announced its Fall Grant Cycle recipients. A total of $17,458 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. Every Child Can Be a Genius
   Meadow’s Edge Elementary – Stacy Miller
   Awarded: $248.50 – Osmo Genuis Kits & Coding Jam Games for math and reading skills
    
2. Lend Me Your Ears. Is That In Tune?
   Discovery Middle  – April Oppenheim
   Awarded: $250 – Nineteen snark tuners for orchestra classes
    
3. Real World Newton’s Third Law Activity
   Penn High – Bruce Bergeron
   Awarded: $190 – Two 3B weighing scales for Chemistry/Physics students
    
4. Self Regulated Silence
   Mary Frank Elementary – Lindsay Helman
   Awarded: $67.41 – Noise canceling headphones for students who need to work in silence.
    
5. Fine Motor Activity Kit
   Moran, Disney, Elm, Meadow’s Edge Elem– Wendi Buckley
   Awarded: $247.77 – Items for help strengthen fine motor/coordination skills
    
6. Mustangs Give Back
   Mary Frank Elementary – Lindsay Helman and Jill Coffman
   Awarded: $250 – Materials for after-school leadership club with a mission of educating students about giving back.
    
7. Classroom Maestro in the Piano Lab
   Discovery Middle – Tammy Bilotta
   Awarded: $250 – Software that allows students to see keyboard notes as the teacher plays.
    
8. Social Emotional Learning Books for Children
   Horizon Elementary – Joann Hartline
   Awarded: $237.39 – Books pertaining to the social well-being of children.
    
9. Health Office – Student Clothing
   Elsie Rogers Elementary – Cynthia Huemmer
   Awarded $75 – Clothing and bins for students who need change of clothes during the school.
    
10. SLP Toolkit Subscription​
    Northpoint/Mary Frank Elementary Schools – Shannon Harrington and Abbey Kaiser
    Awarded $180 – Software provides monitoring tools for students who need speech and language support
     
11. “I Pity The Stools”​
    Schmucker Middle – David Sears
    Awarded $250 – Materials for students to design and build stools for the science lab.
     
12. Flocabulary Learning the Fun Way
    Walt Disney Elementary – Amber Davis
    Awarded $120 – Classroom subscription for Flocabulary that contain lessons and quizzes.

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

1. Fostering Motivated Lifelong Readers
   Elsie Rogers Elementary – Carlye Ponsler
   Received $611.70
   Various literary materials that help students develop a love and understanding of reading. Materials will reinforce skills that are being taught and are vital to the third-grade literary standards. They will help students as overall readers, as well as with the individual skills necessary to understand different types of texts.
    
2. Horizon Kids Can Code
   Horizon Elementary – Ann Lira
   Received $2,637.49
   Eight iPads and covers for the use of PLTW instruction at the fourth-grade level. Currently has to share with the kindergarten and second grade classes. PLTW units of study use Apps which require a touch screen tablet.
    
3. Drumming 101
   Walt Disney Elementary – Rikki Thompson
   Received $893.36
   Drumming is an excellent way to teach students how to follow cues of the conductor; how to read and follow sheet music; and is an excellent instrument to utilize for composition. Drums are a great instrument to have they do not require time to tune nor are the pieces likely to break.
    
4. Rest For the Weary
   Walt Disney – Melissa Heim and Wendi Buckley
   Received $1,600
   Therapeutic horseback riding has existed for many years. The natural movement of the horse moves the riders body similar to the human gait. Often students wiggle and become distracted in class because their bodies can’t adequately sustain the requirement to sit. The REST is a patented seat that simulates a walking horse’s gait.
    
5. Project Lead The Way App Creators
   Grissom Middle – Chris Rosselit
   Received $2,287.52
   Sixteen Android tablets for students to use for mobile app creation. The purchase of these tablets will allow Grissom to offer a course in computer science through the existing PLTW program. The course will allow students to gain exposure to the fundamentals of computer programming and build their computational thinking skills.
    
6. Here’s Your Sign
   Elm Road Elementary – Lisa Soto Kile
   Received $603
   Fifty Student of the Month yard signs for parents to take home in conjunction with the school’s current program that promotes students’ accomplishments throughout the year.
    
7. Aim High, Achieve, and Celebrate Equitably
   Penn High – John Gensic
   Received $356.76
   Covering the cost of 18 of the 51 Early College students traveling to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago at an year-end trip. The trip will allow students to connect to biological concepts.
    
8. End-Of-Year Reading Celebrations
   Walt Disney Elementary – Vivian Haney and Sally Zdziebko
   Received $675
   Students who have met seven out of eight monthly reading goals will be invited to participate in the End-Of-Year celebration. Students will receive gift bags as part of the incentive program.
    
9. Mind Your Mindset
   P-H-M Elementary Schools – Heather Bell
   Received $524.23
   Youth Bureau Service’s program – Mind Your Mindset – focuses on building a positive growth mindset of social and emotional learning in preventing bullying, school violence, conflict and suspensions in all 11 P-H-M elementary schools.
    
10. Save Energy, Save Money, Save the Earth
    Penn High – John Gensic
    Received $2,408
    Students will use 12 FLIR One thermo cameras to participate in the lab activities and home energy audits using thermal cameras and kill-o-watt meters. These activities will help students grow in awareness of the hidden loses of energy throughout the spaces they occupy.
     
11. DMS Breakout Boxes
    Discovery Middle — James Howard
    Received $1,600
    Similar to escape rooms, a breakout box allows a group of students to work together as they solve a succession of hands-on, interlocking puzzles. The usage of breakout boxes can require students to think beyond a single classroom and content learning.
     
12. Mindful Kindergarteners
    Prairie Vista Elementary – Sara Hammond
    Received $1,000
    Mindfulness practices to be introduces as a means to achieve attentiveness in class, independent work, self control, adjustment to various situations, follow directions. Research findings on the benefits of mindfulness practices suggest powerful opportunities for application in the classroom. Mindful U program teaches children yoga and mindfulness tools using playful, interactive activities.

Click here for a listing of the Spring 2018 grant recipients.

Holiday cards for Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation staff always feature artwork from P-H-M elementary students submitted through Kids Club after school program.

This year we there were two winners and they were both from Northpoint: 2nd grader Ward Latson & 3rd grader John Machalleck. Ward's drawing depicted an ice skating penguin; and John drew a snowy gingerbread house scene.

Congratulations to both of our budding artists & their families!