The 2015-2016 school year starts on Wednesday, August 19. 

2015-2016 School Year Calendar 

Important Dates for 2015-2016: First day of school – Wednesday, August 19, 2015; Labor Day Recess/No School – Monday, September 7; Fall Recess Days – Friday, October 23 and Monday, October 26; Thanksgiving Day Recess/No School – Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27; Winter Recess Days/No School – Monday, December 21-Friday, January 1, 2016; School Resumes from Winter Recess – Monday, January 4; Martin Luther King Jr. Recess Day/No School – Monday, January 18; Recess Day/No School – Friday, February 12; Presidents’ Day Recess Day/No School – Monday, February 15; Friday Recess Day/No School – Friday, March 25; Spring Break – Monday, April 4-Friday, April 8; Memorial Day Recess Day/No School – Monday, May 30; Last Day of School for Students – Wednesday, June 1.

Information on individual school events is available from the school Google Calendar or school newsletter on their websites, or on the district “Calendar of Events” in the middle of this website.

Posted May 7, 2015 / 9:39 a.m. EDT

Congratulations to the students, staff and parents at seven P-H-M schools for earning Four Star School status, as announced by the Indiana Department of Education on April 28. These Four Star Schools have distinguished themselves in the area of student achievement, scoring in the top quartile on statewide assessments in 2013-2014.  

The list of P-H-M Four Star Schools includes:

• Horizon Elementary School – Principal Tressa Decker
• Mary Frank Elementary School – Principal Debra Hildreth
• Northpoint Elementary School – Principal Diane Wirth
• Prairie Vista Elementary School – Principal Keely Twibell
• Discovery Middle School – Principal Sheryll Harper
• Grissom Middle School – Principal Nathan Boyd
• Penn High School – Principal Steve Hope

Penn-Harris-Madison had seven Four Star Schools last year as well!

Four Star School status is one way to recognize effective instruction that leads to outstanding results.  

Posted April 28, 2015 / 2:00 p.m. EDT

Sheila Toth and Nancy Breidenbach are being honored as Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year, respectively.

Above: Dr. Thacker and Principal Sheryll Harper congratulate Sheila Toth (center), P-H-M's Teacher of the Year.

Below: Dr. Thacker and IT Director Matthew Hapke surprise Nancy Breidenbach with the announcement that she's been named P-H-M's Employee of the Year. 

Sheila Toth currently teaches 7th grade science at Discovery Middle School. In the past she also taught Physical Education, and has worked at Mary Frank Elementary, Horizon Elementary and Grissom Middle School. In her 30 years of serving the district Sheila has challenged thousands of students to do their best, and as an educational leader she has modeled best practices while assisting and inspiring her peers. She strives to make her classroom a true learning community. As Teacher of the Year, Sheila represents all P-H-M teachers, bringing recognition and honor to our dedicated faculty of professional educators.

Nancy Breidenbach is a software technician in the district’s Information & Technology Department. Nancy is well known throughout the district for her positive attitude and outstanding customer service, and widely respected for her knowledge of software and technical skills. She began her career with P-H-M in 1997 and served in a variety of IT support roles at Penn High, Elm Road Elementary and Grissom Middle School before becoming a district-level tech. Nancy's expertise has been crucial in the district's successful expansion of educational technology and online testing. 

Mrs. Toth and Mrs. Breidenbach were each nominated by their peers for this honor, and they will be joined by their peers at the district’s Employee Recognition Dinner on May 5, where they will receive special recognition. 

Posted April 23, 2015 / 3:55 p.m. EDT

P-H-M is pleased to be able to offer out-of-district enrollment on a limited basis. The state law that supports out-of-district enrollment requires that a district list the grade levels where openings exist and establish dates when applications will be accepted for those openings. This year P-H-M listed openings at Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 for the 2015-2016 school year and took applications from February 17 through March 6.  Parents of non-resident students whose applications were received by the March 6 deadline will be notified of their students' placement into a P-H-M school by letter no later than May 31. 

Posted February 13, 2015 / 6:00 p.m. 

Northpoint Elementary School is among the best in the nation!  The website TheBestSchools.org named Northpoint in its recent article “The 50 Best American Public Elementary Schools," ranking it 27th.

Here is the link to that article: 

http://www.thebestschools.org/features/50-best-american-public-elementary-schools/

TheBestSchools.org selected Northpoint Elementary based on several weighted factors, including academic excellence, extracurricular richness, geographic and demographic diversity, and reputation.  TheBestSchools.org is a leading resource for prospective students seeking a college or university degree. Many schools in the United States reference their rankings including Auburn University, Boston University, Texas A&M University, Fordham University, and many more.

Congratulations to Principal Diane Wirth and the outstanding staff, students and parents at Northpoint on this well-deserved national recognition!

Posted February 4, 2015 / 11:53 a.m. EDT

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN STARTING SCHOOL IN AUGUST 2015. THAT ENROLLMENT PERIOD HAS PASSED.  

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT INFORMATION ON REGISTERING INCOMING KINDERGARTNERS IN 2016.

Registration for kindergarten students for the 2015-2016 school year began at each P-H-M elementary school on January 20. This registration opportunity was for youngsters who live within the P-H-M district and who will be five years old on or before September 1. A parent or guardian must appear in person to register their child.

Please bring the following documentation with you:

1. Original Birth Certificate
2. Two Proofs of Residency (recent lease/rental agreement and current utility bill showing address)
3. Immunization Records
4. Any legal documents related to child custody, restrictions, or restraining orders

Penn-Harris-Madison has 11 elementary schools, each offering full-day kindergarten. You may use the P-H-M Guide to Attendance and Map of District to verify which elementary school serves your neighborhood. Registration will take place at the schools during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in most cases. The offices at Elsie Rogers Elementary School and Moran Elementary will take registrations from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We encourage you to register your student as soon as possible, on or after January 20. We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2028!

Each child entering kindergarten at P-H-M must also complete a Registration Form and must have a physical exam and a dental exam completed before entering kindergarten. Below are the forms you will need to complete your kindergarten student registration:

Registration Form

Physical Examination/Health Questionnaire

Dental Examination

Immunization Requirements for School Year 2015-2016 – Immunizations are used to protect your children against certain diseases as well as other children in the school. Under Indiana Public Law, when a child enrolls in school his/her parent/guardian is required to furnish written proof that a child is fully immunized as required by the Indiana State Department of Health. Immunization paperwork must be submitted to your school office before the first day of school, August 19, 2015. Immunizations may be obtained from your family doctor, St. Joseph County Health Department, or other area clinics. Please call your school health office for resources.

Children and Hoosiers Immunization Registry Program (CHIRP) – The Indiana State Department of Health has implemented an electronic reporting system that is designed to improve the state’s records on immunizations. The registry is called Children and Hoosiers Immunization Registry Program (CHIRP). Health care providers in Indiana will enter data into the electronic database to ensure the most up-to-date record of immunizations is available.

SJRMC Letter re: Health Problems

Non-resident students seeking admission to kindergarten, or any other grade level, must wait until Tuesday, February 17, the first date that applications from non-residents will be accepted. There will be limited spaces available. Check back on the P-H-M website on/after February 17 for more information on non-resident application, posted openings, and to obtain the actual application form. Non-resident kindergartners who apply and are admitted, will be notified and given opportunity to enroll, later in the spring.

Here is a very cute video on the use iPads in P-H-M kindergarten classes. Check it out!

http://youtu.be/VQHX8RlAmLA

Posted January 5, 2015 / 11:00 a.m. EDT

For the fifth consecutive year P-H-M has been awarded an A by the Indiana Department of Education. The IDOE issues district and school grades each fall. The grades are based on performance measures from the prior school year including academic achievement and growth, college and career readiness, and graduation rate. These P-H-M schools earned A’s: Penn High, Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker Middle Schools, Bittersweet, Elm Road, Horizon, Mary Frank, Meadow’s Edge, Moran, Northpoint, Prairie Vista and Walt Disney Elementary Schools. Elsie Rogers and Madison earned high B’s on the state’s grading scale. This achievement can be attributed to our Triangle of Success: motivated students, excellent teachers and staff, and actively involved parents.

Posted November 7, 2014 / 9:46 a.m. EDT

Why Chromebooks?

For our Penn High School digital textbook initiative we are using Chromebooks for the following reasons:
Chromebook is a type of portable device supporting Google’s ChromeOS operating system.  

It has several advantages including:

• Almost anything that works in the Chrome web browser works on a Chromebook.
• It boots up from start to finish in around eight seconds.
• It requires few memory and CPU resources, making it inexpensive to run.
• It is manageable in our Google Apps for Education management system.
• Through management we can easily change security settings, add apps, and require safe usage.
• Battery life on most Chromebook devices is from lasts from six to ten hours.
• It works with most of our existing software including Learn360, Canvas and Acuity.
• It is tightly integrated with Google Apps, allowing students to save up to 30G of storage in the cloud.
• The Chromebook we have selected is the HP Chromebook 11. You can learn more about this device by reading this specs and information. 
• We like this device for several reasons:
  • It is of sturdy construction with no moving parts.
  • The battery life lasts for six hours of use, which is enough to make it through a typical school day with battery to spare.
  • It is lightweight at 2.3 lbs
  • The screen is excellent and provides a clear crisp image.
  • The audio sounds very good, and is aimed at the user, instead of underneath the unit (a typical configuration)
  • Each unit, including management will cost the school corporation less than $300 dollars. In a lease, it will be less than $250 dollars.
  • They can be charged with any typical mini-usb charger, like the one found on your smartphone.

All students at Penn High School have received a small laptop (HP Chromebook 11) to be used as an additional educational resource beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. Students picked up the Chromebook with their textbooks at the beginning of the year.

Will students get a new Chromebook every year?
Students will receive a new HP Chromebook the first year, and they will use the same device for three years. At the beginning of the 4th year, students will receive a new device.

Will teachers receive a Chromebook?
No. There is nothing unique about the Chromebook itself. Teachers should simply use the Chrome browser and access the Google Store with their current laptops. Google Chrome, Googledocs, and Canvas can be accessed from any computer. 

Will parents be charged for the Chromebook?
The charge for the Chromebook will be shifted from textbooks fees to the Chromebook. Students will be charged approximately $80.00 per year for the Chromebook.

Will students still use textbooks?
Students will continue to check out textbooks for the 2014-2015 school year and use them in addition to the Chromebook. PLCs will make a determination about the future use of current textbooks. Some textbooks will be kept in classrooms and not issued to students. 

What happens if the device gets broken or stolen?
Parents will be responsible for broken or stolen devices.  It will be treated just as textbooks. PHM will supply repairs at the cost of the parent.  Cost can be deferred through an optional insurance program.

Can parents purchase additional insurance to cover costs?
Parents will be able to purchase an additional self-insurance plan for  $20.00. In exchange for a payment of $20.00, PHM agrees to make a TWO repairs to the Chromebook. Parents have received via mail information about insurance.

Can students bring the Chromebook home?
Yes, students may take the device home to work on assignments, research, and collaborate. Students are also to make sure that their device is fully charged for the beginning of each school day.

Do students have to use the digital device?
Just as with other textbooks and supplies, all students will receive the Chromebook and are expected to use the resource as instructed.

When will parents receive more information?
This information will be placed on the PHM website and updated as new information becomes available. All parents have received a mailing with Chromebook information.

How can students secure their Chromebooks?
Student Chromebooks will be locked with the student’s Google account login and password.  If a student needs to step away from their Chromebook, they can use the screen lock feature of Chrome to keep their work password protected.

How will Chromebooks be supported?
Students and teachers will receive support and help from trained student techs throughout the day. Students trained in Computer Network Support will be available every block to assist with technical needs and repairs. Complicated repairs will be completed off site and a loaner computer will be made available.

Will Pennway students receive Chromebooks? Yes.

Will Night School students receive Chromebooks? No.

How much will it cost to replace a lost Chromebook or a Chromebook damaged beyond repair? $292

Your child’s health is important to us. It is well known that healthy children are in a better position to take advantage of the educational opportunities presented to them than children who are physically or emotionally struggling.

Minimum Immunization Requirements for 2015-2016 School Year

• 5 doses of DtaP/DTP/DT or 4 doses are acceptable if the fourth dose was administered on or after the fourth birthday
• 4 doses of Polio-the 4th dose must be on or after the fourth birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose or another dose will be required or 3 doses are acceptable if all are IPV or all are OPV and the 3rd dose was given after the 4th birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose.
• 3 doses of Hepatitis B
• 2 doses of MMR- on or after the first birthday
• 2 doses of Varicella (chickenpox)-on or after the first birthday and separated by 3 months or written physician documentation of the month and year of disease.
• 2 doses of Hepatitis A