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!

For the 13th 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. The students learn life skills, work skills, practice creativity and learn how to interact with the community.

Students work hard over several months creating holiday themed arts and crafts. All the proceeds from the sale go back into the Young Adult Program to fund future craft building and outings.

The program has three sales a year: one in the fall, a holiday sale and also a Mother’s Day store in the spring.

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. 

Help support PHMEF & celebrate Penn High School athletic history … “Crowning Achievement” chronicles the Penn Kingsmen football teams from 1958 – 2017 and honors legendary 30-year Coach Chris Geesman and current Head Coach Cory Yeoman. The book is chock-full of stats on every team since 1958, pictures and an all-time roster; it’s a real treasure for Penn alumni.

Whether you or someone you know is a Kingsmen fan, this book makes a thoughtful, keepsake holiday gift.

And now with special holiday pricing, you can buy one book for yourself and gift one to another Kingsmen fan! Get one book for $20 or two books for $30!

Click to buy your copies today online. 

Books can also be purchased at the front desk of P-H-M’s Educational Service Center at 55900 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka—the building just north of Penn High School. Local pick up is at the ESC; mailing is available. 

‘Tis the season for the “Sounds of the Season!” Get in the holiday spirit by attending any one of the four holiday concerts put on by Penn High School’s Fine Arts & Communications Academy.

“Sounds of the Season 2018 Hear Them Ring!” is a holiday concert performed by the Penn Kingsmen Choir.

Performances will be Thursday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, December 8 at 3:00 p.m. 

The doors will open one hour before the show start time. Advanced tickets are only $6. Click here to purchase tickets online.

Rounding out the holiday season is the Penn High School Orchestra’s performance of “’Tis the Season.” This one night only performance will take place on Thursday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Advanced tickets are only $5. Click here to purchase tickets online.

All performances will be in the CPA; please use Door C.

This is a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit while supporting the hard working and talented Fine Arts students.

Breakfast with Santa has been a holiday tradition for more than 35 years at P-H-M and this year was no exception! On Saturday, December 1, 2018 Bittersweet Elementary School hosted 300 people that were able to spend time with Santa. The children and their families were treated to a program that included a laser show titled “Laser Holidays” at the DVT (Digital Video Theater), breakfast in the cafeteria and then a personal visit with Santa. 

Tickets for next year will go on sale Friday, November 1, 2019. Set a reminder in your calendar now because this event always sells out.

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. 

Once again the Indiana Department of Education has recognized the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation as an “A” rated school district. P-H-M has received an “A” rating every year since 2011—making this the seventh consecutive year!

The IDOE released the 2017-18 Accountability Grades on Wednesday, November 14. Along with the district’s “A” rating, P-H-M is proud to have seven schools that also received “A” letter grades:

• Elsie Rogers Elementary School
• Horizon Elementary School
• Moran Elementary School
• Northpoint Elementary School
• Prairie Vista Elementary School
• Discovery Middle School
• Penn High School

Elsie Rogers and Moran are both Title I schools.

Overall, nearly 64 percent of Indiana Schools received an A or B. For more information on and to view the 2017-18 School Accountability Grades, please click here to visit the IDOE website. 

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation serves more than 11,100 students in 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and Penn High School. With the release of the Spring 2018 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation ranks in the state’s Top 5% of public school districts for grade 10 ISTEP+ results and in the Top 6% for grades 3-8. Northpoint is Indiana’s #2 public elementary school and Discovery ranks #3 out of the state’s public middle schools. Penn High School ranks in the Top 5% of all Indiana public high schools and has a 97% graduation rate, exceeding the state’s graduation rate.

P-H-M’s “Triangle of Success” connects students, teachers and parents for excellence in education.

Penn High School Senior Logan Hill stopped by the Osceola Post Office on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 23, to drop off a parcel.

Hill and another Postal customer noticed no one was at the counter. The other customer rang the bell, and a voice from behind the counter called out, “We can’t help right now. We have an emergency situation.”

While the other customer stepped out, Hill stepped up.

“I can help – I know CPR,” Hill called back as he hurried behind the counter.

Hill, using the knowledge and CPR skills that he learned in Penn’s Health class, applied chest compressions for about seven minutes on the Paul Anderson, who was suffering from cardiac arrest. While Hill applied chest compressions, a Postal employee applied mouth-to-mouth.

When police and medical personnel arrived, Hill let them take over. Medical personnel said that without Hill’s assistance, Anderson likely would not have survived.

Hill and Penn Health Instructor Rod Pawlik were honored by the American Heart Association, Penn-Harris-Madison Supt. Dr. Jerry Thacker and the Board of School Trustees on Monday, Nov. 12. Hill and Pawlik received the “Heartsaver Hero Award” from Stephanie Rosenberg, Youth Market Director of the AHA, and Sunni Rossi, AHA Regional Vice President in Youth Markets, at Monday’s School Board Meeting. Click to see the photo gallery below.

A State Finalist last season as a wrestler for Penn and also a pole vaulter on the Kingsmen Track and Field team, Hill credited Penn Health instructor Rod Pawlik with teaching him CPR.

“I learned CPR my sophomore year,” Hill said. “I learned it from Mr. Pawlik in Health Class. He’s a really good teacher. He taught me the courage to actually do this.

“As a sophomore, I have to admit, I was thinking, ‘Man, I’ll never use this,’ when we started to learn CPR,” Hill said. “Mr. Pawlik got me to realize how important this was to learn. He stressed it a lot.

“I realized, what if something happens to someone in my family? I really need to learn this. So I really paid attention and tried to learn CPR and the Heimlich. When the time came to use CPR, it just all came back to me.”

Hill, who intends to pursue a career in law enforcement, said that Pawlik always stressed the importance of stepping up in the heat of action.

“You have to step up and be strong,” Hill said. “You have to do the right thing. That’s where our Kingsmen Strong motto in wrestling comes in. I was there at the right time. God put me there and gave me the courage to step up and help.”

“I’m thankful that Penn teaches CPR,” Hill said. “I would tell the younger students to always pay attention in all of your classes. You never know when you’re going to need what you’re learning.”

Pawlik has been teaching at Penn since 1997.

Penn’s Health classes have included CPR long before the State required it as a graduation requirement.

The American Heart Association championed a law requiring CPR training as a high school graduation requirement in Indiana in 2014, ensuring that every year thousands of graduating students are trained in this life-saving skill. Across the country, more than 350,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest every year. Only 46 percent of those people receive immediate CPR from bystanders, and 90 percent of those individuals die. Immediate bystander CPR can triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.

“At the beginning of class every semester, I try to explain how important this class can be to the students and I mention, even life-saving,” Pawlik said. “This is a great teaching moment that I can use for the rest of my teaching years.

“I’m so very proud of Logan, to step in and do what he did, because some people will just step back and not put themselves in a tough situation like this, but he did.”

The Board of School Trustees approved the administrative appointment of Joe Winters as P-H-M’s new Director of Facilities at Monday night’s Board Meeting (Nov. 12, 2018).
 

Winters is replacing Tom Hartman, who is retiring effective January 4, 2019 after 34 years with the district. Winters began working with the district Oct. 22 shadowing and learning from Hartman’s years of experience with P-H-M. Hartman’s many years of dedicated service, along with other P-H-M retirees, will be celebrated at the annual Employee Recognition and Retirement Dinner coming up in the spring on May 15, 2019.

Winters comes to P-H-M with more than 23 years of experience as a Project Manager and Estimator with extensive experience in construction administration and management. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Ferris State University, as well as Certification in Occupational Health and Administration. Winters was employed by Ziolkowski Construction as the Project Manager for the recently completed Kingsmen Athletic Center. Over his career, Winters has also worked for the Larson Danielson Construction Company, Rosema Construction, Midland Engineering, and Kaser Spraker Construction.