Nearly 200 third, fourth, and fifth grade students participated in P-H-M’s 31st annual Elementary Spell Bowl on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

Each of the 11 elementary schools fielded three six-person teams (plus one alternate) representing grades 3, 4, and 5. Click to see the full Spell Bowl Gallery.

This year’s winners were a mixture from the schools:

3rd Grade Winners:

–1st place- Prairie Vista with 24 points, coached by Ms. Shannon Sherman

• –2nd place- tie Northpoint and Walt Disney with 21 points each
• –3rd place- Horizon with 20 points

4th Grade Winners:

–1st place- Walt Disney with 28 points, coached by Ms. Christine Austin

–2nd place- Northpoint with 27 points

-3rd place- Mary Frank with 24 points

5th Grade Winners:

–1st place- Northpoint with 29 points, coached by Mrs. Charity Ford and Mrs. Jen Payne

–2nd place- tie Prairie Vista and Walt Disney with 28 points each

–3rd place- Bittersweet with 27 points

The teams spend weeks preparing for Spell Bowl with their teacher coaches. They may study word lists, learn about derivations (e.g., Latin roots) and rules (e.g., capitalization, pluralization), and how to spell correctly under pressure.

The format of the Spell Bowl is more like a written test. The emcee reads a word and uses the word in a sentence, the students listen and then write it on paper within a 15-second time limit. The students’ written entries are reviewed by a panel of judges and then their score is posted in front of the audience. Each correct word spelling is worth one point.

The annual event is held in Penn High School’s Center for Performing Arts to not only accommodate all the student teams, but also their fans—family, friends and other staff from their home schools.

Mrs. Anne-Marie Reininga, P-H-M’s K-5 High Ability Coordinator, manages the Spell Bowl and works to assure that it is a positive and enriching experience for students. Academic competition can give students confidence, increase their motivation to sharpen their skills and abilities, and expand their opportunities to receive recognition.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation has once again been honored with the “Best Communities for Music Education” designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. P-H-M is just one of 12 Indiana school districts and 527 districts across the country receiving this prestigious award in 2017.

 The Best Communities Music Education (BCME) designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other educators looking to boost their own music education programs.  The BCME award acknowledges the commitment of P-H-M’s music teachers and administrators in the District’s 11 elementary and three middle schools and Penn High School.  One of the reasons why Penn’s music program is so strong is because of the music programs at Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom Middle Schools. All students have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as an elective starting in 6th grade. In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes.

Penn High School has a Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs, either Choir, Orchestra, Band or another music program.

About The NAMM Foundation: The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, school districts have submit answers to a detailed survey. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.  For more information about the NAMM Foundation or the BCME award, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

On Wednesday, March 15, Walt Disney Elementary fourth grade teacher Jodi Cramer gave her class quite a surprise. That’s when she’ll finally unveiled the reward she’s been working on for her students for about two months. All 22 students will be special guests of Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and treated to a tour of Wrigley Field and attend a Cubs game Opening Week on Thursday, April 13! 

How did all of this come about and how did Mr. Ricketts find out about this small class in Mishawaka, Indiana?

Click here to read the full story on Walt Disney’s website. Be sure to check out the photo gallery and the video!

Child Development students create intellectual, social, emotional, and physical lesson plans and games to engage children ages three and four.

“It is a wonderful, hands-on experience for these eager students to incorporate all that we have discussed throughout the school year,” Penn Child Development instructor Kylee Wetzel stated. “In addition, it is also a great way for our community to get a full grasp on the positive things happening in our school and for young children to have interaction with fellow peers.  Also, the children truly seem to enjoy receiving instruction from high school students.”

Playschool is open to toddlers ages 3-and-4, and they must be potty-trained.  There is a one-time enrollment fee of $10 per child (to provide snacks).

Click here for registration forms, dates and times.

Kids Club will be open for Spring Break 2017!

WHEN: Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7

                 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

                *House of Bounce Carnival Day on Friday, April 7

WHERE: at the Mary Frank Elementary School location

                    13111 Adams Road, Granger (Entry through Door H) 

COST: $25 per child, per day + $10 activity fee per child

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Payment due Monday, March 27

                                                         Click here to download and print the registration form

Questions? Please contact Kailey Campanaro at (574) 258-9514 or Ashley Stoffl at (574) 258-9587 or click here for more information about P-H-M’s Kids Club program.

PHM Schools closed on Monday, Dec.12, 2016 due to weather conditions. The missed day of instruction will be made up on Friday, March 24, 2017. This will be a normal full day of school with bussing, instruction, and food service.

Mark your calendars for the 12th Annual Silver Mile Run for Education & Health and Fitness Fair, hosted by the P-H-M Education Foundation.  This popular fun-filled family event will take place on Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. – noon at Penn High School. 

Register online today!

We’ve recently added two more summer experiential learning opportunities for P-H-M students …

Junior STEM Academy (June 12-16, June 19 – 23, and June 26 – 30, 2017)

The one-week FREE academy is open to current Penn-Harris-Madison kindergarten through fifth graders. Each week is for a designated age group. The Academy is designed for students to discover how math and science are applied in the real world.  Space is limited so register today!​ Click here to register online.

Week at the Museum! (June 12 – 16, 2017)

The one-week FREE academy is open to current Penn-Harris-Madison third through fifth graders. Students learn about the history of South Bend and St. Joseph County. Students will learn the history of South Bend and the St. Joseph River first hand through exploration field trips every day either to the History Museum, Pioneer Day at Leeper Park or other locations in our region. Space is limited so register today!​ Click here to register online.

Click here to see the full list of 2017 Summer 2017 P-H-M Academies & Camps.

Registration for Penn-Harris-Madison’s Early Learning Preschool Academy for the 2017-2018 school year opens on Tuesday, January 17, 2017.  P-H-M’s Early Learning Academy is open to all area children and is not restrictive to P-H-M residency. However, children must be 4-years-old on or before September 1, 2017.

Our preschool program is offered at two locations: Horizon Elementary School and Mary Frank Elementary School. Registration will take place at the schools. Interested parents should register their child at the location they want their child to attend.

The research-based program focuses on building children’s strong foundations for school success focusing on social, emotional and cognitive learning through a variety of tools. Preschoolers spend time in role-play, which has shown to lead to higher measures of creativity and cognition.

Take advantage of this amazing academic program and register your child starting January 17, 2017.

Learn more about our Early Learning Academy (ELA)

• watch the video below
• visit the ELA section of our website for more details on the program & registration information
• download the application

At Penn-Harris-Madison, we are proud to offer year-round academic enrichment, athletic and recreational activities for the students and families within our award winning school district.

For months, P-H-M administrators, teachers, coaches and staff have been busy planning all the camps and activities that will be available for students when school lets out this year on Wed., June 7, 2017.

Everything from Japanese to building apps for mobile devices to baseball will be offered this summer! And we’re adding more and more …

Click here to see the full list of camps and activities being offered so far this year. New this year, some of the camps now have online registration making it easier for busy parents to register their children for these engaging opportunities.