P-H-M Middle School Cultural Exchange Program
March 27 – April 4, 2019

One of the many educational value adds that Penn-Harris-Madison students have a chance to encounter are travel abroad experiential learning opportunities. Every other spring break, students from all three middle schools (Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker) are given the amazing chance to travel to China. P-H-M Discovery Middle School Principal Sheryll Harper established the exchange program with Lishan school district in Anshan, China in 2008, trips began in 2009.  The next trip is planned for March 27 – April 4, 2019.

The curriculum based immersion trip engrosses the students in Chinese culture during the one week plus trip. The curriculum was developed by P-H-M educators and meets Indiana state Social Studies educational standards. It is well timed and coordinates to when the middle school students are studying ancient and modern day China in their Social Studies classes. Students must be in good discipline standing to participate. 

To get a student perspective on the trip, click below to watch the video.

The P-H-M Education Foundation made available for the first time in January 2018 two (2), $2,500 travel grants which will be awarded to two (2) qualified current P-H-M 6^th and 7^th grade students for participation in the Spring 2019 Middle School China Immersion Trip.

For more information on the the trip, please email Mr. James Howard or Mrs. Sheryl Harper for details. 

These state mandated immunization requirements for all incoming 12th graders must be met before your child’s senior year in the fall. 

Click to view the state required immunizations.

Your student will be required to have a booster of the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) as well as the Hepatitis A Vaccine (series of 2). This is a requirement by the Indiana State Department of Health for your student to remain in school.  

It is also recommended that your student have Meningococcal B vaccines. 

In order to avoid interruption at the start of your student’s senior year, we are encouraging you to get this taken care of as soon as possible (click here for the school year calendar).  Failure to do so may result in a child’s exclusion from school until the immunization requirements have been met. 

Please talk to your health care provider to schedule an appointment.  You may turn in a copy of the updated immunization record to the Penn High School Health Office.  

Questions about immunizations can be directed to Penn’s School Health Office at (574) 254-2834 or 258-9500.

These state mandated immunization requirements for all incoming 6^th – 11^th graders must be met before your child can attend Middle/High School in the fall:

Click to view the state required immunizations.

We suggest you make appointments over the breaks and summers months to meet the requirements before the start of the school year. The local health departments and area physicians are extremely busy in the summer and at the beginning of the school year. 

When you submit documentation on time, you prevent interruption to the start of your child’s school year (click here for the school year calendar).  Once your child receives the shots listed above, please send in documentation to the school health office. We will record the information and send it to the appropriate middle school. 

*Note:  Some physicians will not give the 6^th grade doses until the child has reached the 11th birthday, so please check when you make your appointment.

Thank you for working with us to keep your children healthy! 

Questions about immunizations can be directed to the school health office. Click here for a list of phone numbers for each P-H-M school health office.

Click for online registration through phm.revtrak.net starting April 14 at 10:00 a.m. 

Pick one or both of these one-week, half-day camps designed for students entering grades 5-8 in the Fall 2025, who are interested in performance and stage work or those who just want to build self-confidence. Each camp will be filled with fun activities including games, exercises, improvisations and scene work.

Participate in creative games and exercises designed to build confidence and imagination.
• Create improvisational skits and games to help increase individual spontaneity.
• Work together in small groups on short plays with the purpose of creating fun characters and stories.
• Enjoy a fun, creative, spontaneous atmosphere that builds confidence and nurtures stage skills.
• Learn the basics of utilizing space, movement, voice and imagination.

Location: Elsie Rogers Elementary School

Session I: June 16 – 20 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
Session II: July 21 – 25 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

The camp is $90 per student and includes a t-shirt.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

• Registration will be online through phm.revtrak.net starting on April 14 at 10:00 a.m. 
• Follow the directions to create an account, select the camp you would like for your child/children, and then register them individually.
• Make an online payment using eCheck, Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit/debit card. There is a 3.49% fee for using this service.​

For more information, please contact the Community Education Office at (574) 258-9568 or via email.

Receive individual coaching from Penn Volleyball staff and Coach Sarah Hendricks, who coached the Kingsmen to a state title and a former Lady Kingsmen state champion herself.

WHO: any students currently in grades 6, 7 and 8^th grades

WHAT: Camp registration is now open!

WHEN: Saturdays (Feb. 18, Feb. 25, March 4, March 18 and March 25),
4:00-7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Penn High School Arena

COST: $100 for five sessions, and $60 for three sessions (cost includes t-shirt)

*We realize due to club or other circumstances students may not be able to make every session. Please choose the 3 or 5 session package. If you can’t make it to all sessions that is fine, we still want you to come for those that you can! Please remember to check the dates you will be attending in the registration form below.

Questions, please click here to email Coach Hendricks.

Registration for kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school opened at each P-H-M elementary school on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

This registration opportunity is for youngsters who live within the P-H-M district and who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2025. A parent or guardian must register their child. 

Penn-Harris-Madison has 11 elementary schools, each offering full-day kindergarten. You may use the interactive Google based District Map and the P-H-M Street Guide to verify which elementary school serves your neighborhood. 

We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2038! 

Required Registration Forms

Each child entering kindergarten at P-H-M must complete a Registration Packet and is also encouraged to have a physical exam and a dental exam completed before entering kindergarten. 
 

• We have created an easy way for you to complete the registration process electronically. Please click here for more details and information.

• Registration Packet:  If you are unable to complete the initial registration forms online, these forms can be printed and submitted to the school’s office.  The packet includes the Registration Form, Home Language Survey Form and the Transportation Add/Change/Withdrawal Form. In addition to the forms, you will also need to submit the child’s birth certificate, immunization records and 2 proofs of your Indiana residence (current mortgage/lease statement and a current utility bill).
• Click here for the other forms you will need to fill out after you complete the online registration process for your child

Here are two other important pieces of information for parents of incoming kindergartners: 

• Immunization Requirements – 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. 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.
• Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center Letter –  The schools’ onsite healthcare services are provided by trained SJRMC personnel, who are prepared to help you with medical concerns and questions about medications at school. 

Related enrollment questions

RESIDENT STUDENTS WHO WISH TO CHANGE SCHOOLS

• Any student who is a resident of the district and wishes to attend a P-H-M school other than his/her home school, must complete and submit an internal transfer request form. The transfer request form is available here. Incoming kindergarten students must first enroll at their home schools before submitting an internal transfer request for a different school. While admission to a child’s home school is assured, transfer placement is not. Approval is based on the number of requests received and the space available. Transfer decisions will be announced later in the spring. 

NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION

• Non-resident students seeking admission to kindergarten, or any other grade level, must check this page on the P-H-M website.

Safety is our #1 priority when a conversation about closing or delaying school takes place.

The decision must take into consideration early morning conditions as well as projections for the rest of the day. And because the district is large—135 square miles!—those conditions can vary greatly from north to south. State regulations do not allow us to close some schools and keep others open. So, while the weather may not affect everyone, the decision to delay or close our schools does. 

*As part of the new Indiana law HB-1093, schools are limited to three days of eLearning.  P-H-M Teachers Association worked collaboratively with P-H-M Administration to plan for this school year.  Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will use, if warranted, three weather related days as needed throughout the year.  If additional makeup days are required, they will be added to the end of the school year calendar beginning on June 9.  Principals will communicate with parents eLearning expectations and possible calendar adjustments throughout the year.

Click to see how, when and what factors into our decision makings for 2-hour delays and closings. Please also watch the video below …

How is the decision made to delay or close schools?

A network of people are involved in gathering information, often starting at 4:30 a.m. or earlier. Designated staff members drive the roads in the north and south and central parts of the district, others confer with local law enforcement and road crews, some are responsible for checking in with neighboring school districts, while others study the weather forecasts.

Based on all available information provided by staff and other resources, the Superintendent makes the final determination.

While it’s a rare occurrence, authorities sometimes declare a state of emergency or impose road closures which require the district to close. In these cases, the decision is made for us!

What factors into the decision?

Safety is the number one priority for P-H-M. This requires us to consider current conditions, as well as projections for the rest of the day. A primary concern is that roadways be safe and passable by both cars and buses throughout the day. When it comes to snow removal, subdivisions and cul-de-sacs can be especially challenging, and drifting snow often presents a problem in the rural areas. Of course, fog and ice are treacherous for all.

Timing is also a consideration. It can take several hours to clear and de-ice the sidewalks and parking lots at 20 school and service buildings throughout the district before staff and students can arrive. 

P-H-M Administration also follows a decision making process when considering closings or delays on cold winter weather mornings. Please click here for information.

When to delay and when to close?

Either way, we are very aware how families’ schedules and daycare arrangements are affected! A two-hour delay may be called when indications are that the weather conditions will improve shortly.

Please note parents should not drop off students when school is delayed or canceled for any reason until approved scheduled times.  School buildings remain locked until they are scheduled to open.

Ultimately the responsibility of deciding whether to send children to school or keep them home rests with parents. If you deem conditions are not safe, and choose to keep your child home when school is in session, you must contact the school that day and the absence will be marked excused.  

Here’s what parents need to know to prepare for closings or delays:

Kids Club, our before and after school child care program for elementary students, opens at 6:30 a.m. We have staggering start times for elementary, middle and high school. Therefore, it becomes necessary to notify all parents of a delay or closing no later than 6:00 a.m.

NOTIFICATION

• The notification process is designed to let all members of our community know no later than 6:00 a.m.

• ParentSquare and StudentSquare, an app that offers texting and emailing service, are P-H-M’s primary means of notification.  PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE for steps on how to download the ParentSquare app, and this page for information on the StudentSquare app and set your notification preferences. Please note that parents and students can selecte to receive a text message, email or notification through the ParentSquare or StudentSquare app. Parents can change their options to receive text messages or emails as many times as they wish. To update your phone number and email address, please use Skyward or contact your child(ren)’s school(s).

• These local broadcast television stations are informed: WSBT, WNDU, and ABC 57.

• The announcement is also posted on the District’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.

• If schools are closed, then students will have an eLearning Day. Click for details.

TWO-HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE

• A two-hour delay may be called when indications are that the weather conditions will improve later in the morning

• Buses will run their normal routes with pick-up times two hours later than normal. The Here Comes the Bus app can be helpful to use on 2-hour delay days so that you are notified when your child’s bus is approaching the bus stop.

• This is the list of all P-H-M schools’ 2-hour delayed start times, along with other information about school drop-off times and school meals

• Schools will end at their normal time

• Please reference the programs below to see how they are affected when schools are delayed:

  • Morning Kids Club (the District’s before- and after-school childcare program) is CANCELED.

  • Morning PennPALS Preschool will be CANCELED on 2-hour delay days. Afternoon classes will be held as normal.

  • Early Learning Academy Preschool program, full-day will operate on a 2-hour delay

  • Head Start is a full day program, so it will operate on a 2-hour delay.

SCHOOL CLOSING

• When schools are closed, after-school and evening activities are also canceled
• Coaches and sponsors will make announcements about rescheduling their events
• Kids Club does not operate, morning or afternoon, on days when school has been canceled

eLEARNING

*As part of the new Indiana law HB-1093, schools are limited to three days of eLearning.  P-H-M Teachers Association worked collaboratively with P-H-M Administration to plan for this school year.  Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will use, if warranted, three weather related days as needed throughout the year.  If additional makeup days are required, they will be added to the end of the school year calendar beginning on June 9.  Principals will communicate with parents eLearning expectations and possible calendar adjustments throughout the year.  

Click here for more information on how you and your student will access eLearning lessons.

eLearning is an alternative to classroom instruction. With eLearning, students access their schoolwork online and complete the lessons outside the classroom. 

The Indiana Department of Education has approved eLearning as a way to make up missed instruction on days when schools must close due to snow or other weather conditions. As part of the new Indiana law HB-1093, schools are limited to three days of eLearning. P-H-M Teachers Association worked collaboratively with P-H-M Administration to plan for this school year. 

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will use, if warranted, three weather related eLearning days as needed throughout the year.  If additional makeup days are required, they will be added to the end of the school year calendar.  Principals will communicate with parents eLearning expectations and possible calendar adjustments throughout the year.  Click here to see the full school year calendar. 

eLearning is adaptable for students who use special education services and those who participate in the English as a New Language program.

Elementary Students use Google Classroom to access eLearning assignments

If you are an elementary parent and do not have access to a computer or laptop at home for your elementary school student, your student’s school will make Chromebooks available to families. Communication on how to borrow a Chromebook from P-H-M is provided by your child’s school around late October/early November. Elementary teachers will provide eLearning lessons on Google Classroom

• Click here to access Google Classroom instructions

Middle & High School Students use their Chromebooks to access eLearning assignments on Canvas

Canvas is the program where middle & high school classwork is posted online. Canvas runs on any browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) and does not require downloading or installation. In most cases students will have from two days (middle and high school) to five days (elementary) to complete the work assigned to them on an eLearning day. Teachers will be available via email and Canvas messaging to answer questions and help students on eLearning days. 

We encourage parents to test their Canvas log-ins now and become familiar with the program before the snow starts flying!

• Click here to access Canvas instructions

All eLearning lessons are created and posted by the students’ own teachers, and the teachers review all eLearning completed by students, providing them with grades, scores, or feedback, as appropriate. 

P-H-M parents are issued Skyward log-in information in a letter sent by the school. Use your Skyward credentials (username and password) on the Canvas log-in page to access your student’s information. For instructions on how to connect your Skyward and Canvas log-ins, please click here.

Get help with your Skyward & Canvas accounts by emailing familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us.

Need more help?

Watch the slideshow above, then visit the Canvas Help Page!

Alice Jordan-Miles, Director of the Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, led a Parent Workshop on teen suicide prevention on September 7, 2016. In the workshop, Ms. Miles discussed the Lifelines curriculum. The Lifelines Program is a 20-year evidence-based curriculum designed to assist school districts with the preparation  steps and implementation of a student wellness initiative.

P-H-M’s goal is to cultivate an informed caring community to help prevent vulnerable individuals from ending their lives. P-H-M families are a key component to the success of the Lifelines Program.

Please watch this video if you were unable to attend the Parent Workshop.

Please CLICK HERE for Stress Management and SEL & Mental Health Resources.

The Division of Mental Health and Addiction recommends that if there are Hoosiers who feel distress or anxiety due to the pandemic, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990.

This hotline will provide live crisis counseling…it is is toll-free, multi-lingual and confidential. 

If you our a loved one are in distress, or need prevention and crisis resources, you can call the​ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by just dialing 988 on your phone.

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support. If you or a loved one are at immediate risk of suicide or self-harm, you can also call 911.

For teens who’d rather text for help, these resources are available:

• Crisis Text Line: text START to 741-741
• Families First of Indiana: text CSIS to 839863
• Trevor Project: text Trevor to 1-202-304-1200 
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service: text “TALKWITHUS” to 66746

Click here for a list of local mental health resources in the Michiana area.

In Indiana, you can also contact Look Up Indiana online at lookupindiana.org or by calling the crisis line at 1-800-248-8439. 

For teens who are suffering in silence and are looking for help and information, a number of resources are available on ReachOut.com.