Student Handbooks

P-H-M Schools Handbooks:

Bullying: What to know & do

 

What is Bullying?

 

According to State Law and P-H-M Board Policy, bullying is overt, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications transmitted, physical acts committed, or any other behaviors committed by a student or a group of students against another student with intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the other student. 

 

This type of behavior is a form of harassment, although it need not be based on any legally protected characteristic such as sex, race, color, national origin, marital status, or disability.  It would include but not be limited to, such behaviors as stalking, intimidating, menacing, coercion, name calling, taunting, making threats and hazing.

 

If your child shares a bullying situation with you or you see a situation you believe is bullying:

  • Report the situation immediately to the principal, teacher or other staff member.
  • Model and provide appropriate ways to handle the situation or help your child find alternative ways to handle the situation.
  • Monitor your child’s social relationships.
  • Be observant and/or available at bus stops, at extracurricular activities, or at other places in your community where these situations might occur.
  • Monitor your child’s use of the telephone, cell phone, and the internet.
  • If bullying behavior continues, file a P-H-M harassment form.  
  • Click here to fill out a written form to report bullying. 
  • Click here to fill out a complaint via Safe School Helpline.

 

Resources for Parents and Others on Safety

Federal Emergency Management Agency

http://www.fema.gov/

 

American Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/

 

Environmental Protection Agency

https://www.epa.gov/learn-issues/learn-about-health-and-safety

 

National Education Association

http://www.nea.org/home/37004.htm?q=bullying

 

SafeTeens

http://www.safeteens.com

 

Addiction Resources

https://addictionresource.com/parents-and-educators

 

Guide to the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes

https://quitsmokingcommunity.org/dangers-of-e-cigs/ 

 

Wiredsafety

http://www.wiredsafety.org

 

Getnetwise

http://www.getnetwise.org

 

Child Safety Network

http://www.csn.org

 

Facebook Security Information

http://www.facebook.com/security#!/security?v=wall

 

Facebook Safety Information

http://www.facebook.com/help/?safety

 

Missing and Exploited Children Website

missingkids.com

 

Internet Safety for everyone

digizen.org

http://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect

 

P-H-M Forum

        

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Families are part of the P-H-M Triangle of Success!

P-H-M Forum is a volunteer-based parent group which meets monthly with District Superintendent Dr. Heather Short and various administrators to learn more about district initiatives. Click here to read Forum Bylaws.  Click here to learn more how you can join Forum.

Each month a new topic is discussed. We hold meetings over the lunch hour to allow for both working and non-working Forum members to attend. The topics are voted on by Forum members the year prior. School and District Administrators most familiar are invited as Guest Speakers to present information on the chosen topics. Past sessions have included The Healthy Foods Initiative, student assessment, gifted and talented programs, P-H-M summer programs, and Penn High School Academies. Click here to see the meeting dates and topics for this school year.

P-H-M Forum Board 2025-26
Pictured from left: Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, President Allison Laidig, Vice President Kara O’Malley, Secretary Andrea Hubbard, Treasurer Raenelle Hamilton.

FORUM OFFICERS SERVING IN 2025-2026

  • President: Allison Laidig, Penn High School
  • Vice President: Kara O’Malley, Prairie Vista Elementary School
  • Secretary: Andrea Hubbard, Bittersweet Elementary School, Schmucker Middle School, and Penn High School
  • Treasurer: Raenelle Hamilton, Discovery Middle School

Qualification of Forum Members:

  • Forum members must have a student enrolled in P-H-M.
  • Representatives from each school are designated by their PTOs.
  • 2 per elementary school
  • 3 per intermediate school
  • 4 representing Penn High School
  • Plus 3-4 board members

To become a Forum member:

  • Please begin with your PTO. Each PTO should have at least one Forum representative.
  • If you are unable to reach your PTO, feel free to contact us directly at PHMForum@gmail.com.

Forum Meetings:

Who:

  • Forum Representatives (At least one per school)
  • Parent/guardian guests (Anyone with a student enrolled in P-H-M can also attend the presentation portion of the meetings as a guest)
  • The P-H-M Superintendent and various P-H-M administrators, teachers or staff members invited to present as Guest Speakers

When:

  • During the school year
  • Starting at 12:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted

Where:

  • The Educational Services Center boardroom at 55900 Bittersweet Rd, Mishawaka, next to Penn High School
  • We also typically take one field trip per school year

What:

  • Superintendent’s Update
    • Dr. Short is a guest at most meetings and shares current happenings in the district. Subjects include budgets, political impact on education, security issues, sports and academic team updates, district accolades, and more.
  • Presentation
    • District administrators, teachers or staff members serve as Guest Speakers and make approximately a 30-minute presentation to Forum members
    • Presentation topics are determined by Forum vote prior to the start of the school year. In the past, Forum has explored issues such as The Healthy Foods Initiative, student assessment and Common Core, Gifted and Talented Programs, P-H-M summer programs, College Prep & Career Readiness, Safety, New Technologies, and Penn High School Academies.
    • Typically there is time for question and answer by Forum members–usually about 10-15 minutes; but the total time of the meeting, including the business portion, should be wrapped up by 1:15.
  • Forum Business Meeting
    • After the presentation, Forum members hold a brief business meeting.
    • This meeting is for Forum representatives only, and guests are asked to leave.
    • During this portion, we will share and discuss Forum-related and district-wide needs as they arise, consider approval of minutes and other actions. This is also an opportunity to connect with others to form committees as the needs arise.

Forum Member Responsibilities and Time Commitment

  • You can expect to commit approximately 25-30 minutes per month, outside of the 45/50 minute Forum meeting, followed by a 15-30 minute business meeting.
  • Prior to the meeting, you will receive a consent agenda which shares presentation information and any necessary communication from the executive board. 
  • At least one Forum representative per school is asked to attend the monthly meetings.
  • Within a week of the meeting, meeting minutes will be emailed to members. You’re asked to review them so that any necessary corrections can be noted before their adoption during the next general meeting. 
  • From those, as well as your meeting notes, you’ll build a report to share with your PTO. Each PTO incorporates the Forum report differently: You may be asked to share at the PTO meeting, provide the report for a newsletter, or post on your PTOs social media. Please click here for a guide to follow.
    *Since there are 2-4 representatives per school, and only 1 report is needed, you can coordinate between your school reps who will report each month, thus lowering your overall time commitment.
  • Near the end of each school year, Forum representatives suggest potential presentation topics for the following year. The topics are then voted on and the president works with district administration to create a feasible presentation schedule.
  • Additionally, it’s a nice service to your school/PTO to stay abreast of the P-H-M district calendar & P-H-M Facebook feed so that you can occasionally share posts updating school families of upcoming special events, district fundraisers, and special learning opportunities. 

Please Note:

Forum representatives serve as school ambassadors, but for the sake of privacy are not empowered to advocate for individual students. If you or another parent/guardian has an issue which requires attention, please set a private appointment with the student’s teacher, principal, and/or the appropriate district administrator (please click here for a list of District Administrators and their areas).

Forum meetings are focused on a broad-scale, and individual cases cannot be discussed. That said, if there is a broad issue which affects students across several schools and warrants both focus and inquiry, please discuss with a Forum board member the possibility of addressing it at a meeting or joining a Forum subcommittee geared toward exploring the issue.

Click here to read Forum Bylaws.

2025-2026 Meetings and Scheduled Topics

Forum meetings take place from 12:00 to approximately 1:00 p.m. (a brief Business portion follows) on the first Wednesday of the month (except when that falls on a time when P-H-M is on a break). Unless noted, meetings are hosted at the Educational Services Center (55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545). 

  • Wed., Sept. 3
    • Meet the new Superintendent Dr. Heather Short and P-H-M Cabinet Members
  • Wed., Oct. 1
    • Focus on Early Literacy initiatives
    • Director of Professional Development & Student Learning Dr. Mindy Higginson and Reading Specialist at Walt Disney Katie Carroll 
  • Tues., Oct. 21, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
  • Wed., Nov. 5
  • Wed., Dec. 3
    • Belonging, Consistency, and Coherence (P-H-M’s Instructional Model)
    • Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lavon Dean-Null, Moran Principal Lisa Russell, and Grissom Principal Jen Sinclair
  • Wed., Jan. 7
    • Student Safety (suicide prevention education & P-H-M safeguards)
    • Lead School Psychologist Dr. Mike Manis and Schmucker School Counselor Andrea Hoover
  • Wed., Feb. 4
    • Student Supports (P-H-M discipline structure, student supports and school responses)
    • Director of Academic Support Randy Williams and Penn Assistant Principal Sarah Hendricks
  • Wed., March 4
    • Tour of Dr. Jerry & Donna Thacker Fieldhouse
    • P-H-M Chief Operating Officer Dr. Tom Keely, Penn Principal Sean Galiher, and Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart
  • Wed., April 1
    • Student Learning at all levels from Exceptional Education to High Ability
    • Ex. Ed. Secondary District Supervisor Beth Zachary and Penn Assistant Principal Rachel Fry
  • Wed., May 13* (2nd Monday of the month)
    • Learning Opportunities (various learning opportunities that are provided to our students beyond the regular school day)
    • P-H-M Learning Division

Title I

Title I – What is it?

  • Title I is a federal program, dating back to 1965 and President Johnson’s “War on Poverty” that provides financial assistance to school districts and schools with high percentages of low-income families. The goal is to help ensure that all children meet the challenging academic standards. The federal application form for free and reduced lunch and book fees (F/R) is used to determine each school’s count. The federal government passes Indiana’s monetary allotment to our Indiana Department of Education (DOE) to manage. The state government passes on the funds to individual school corporations using a F/R formula based on census figures and F/R information. This will be the first year using the 2010 census results. Once the school corporation receives the yearly allotment, the corporation may determine the most needy schools and allocate the funds to several or fewer schools by the rank order of their F/R status. No schools with a percentage less than the corporation average may be given a Title I status, however, schools with a F/R percentage 15% or higher qualify for the F/R breakfast program. 

Parents

 

 

Volunteer

Background Checks for School Volunteers & Parents/Guardians

Safeguarding the well-being of our community remains paramount at P-H-M. In alignment with our commitment to safety, all visitors and volunteers are kindly requested to undergo a routine limited criminal background check before engaging in any events or volunteer activities within the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. This process is conducted annually to ensure continuous adherence to safety protocols. To facilitate clarity regarding the necessity of a background check, we’ve outlined examples ranging from the least to the most restrictive scenarios: 

After school or Weekend Events: Attending a large-scale event such as a school performance, PTO-sponsored activity, or community events that will be open to all parents, guardians, and the public outside of the school day will not require a background check. School visitors follow a different procedure before gaining permission to enter the school. Please click here for more information.

School Day Events: Attending an event during the school day such as a performance, recognition, or academic presentation may require background checks for visitors. The school principal will make this decision based on the size and location of these events. 

Volunteering and/or Visitor: Assisting in the school, working directly with students at any time, eating lunch with your child, or chaperoning a field trip will require a background check. In addition, all volunteers will be required to complete bullying and harassment training before visiting. The links for each school’s training are listed below.

Two options are available to complete a background check: 

  1. The quickest and most convenient way to have your background check completed is to click here and register online with Safe Visitor Solutions. This online service costs $12.95 per person and is good for three (3) school years. Please allow for up to two (2) weeks for processing and status determination. Any volunteer who will be working unsupervised with students, including volunteer coaches, is required to have an expanded background check completed with Safe Hiring Solutions. 
  2. As another option, you can click here for a limited criminal background check. This is to be completed and returned to the school’s office staff to use the State of Indiana Police Criminal Records and the Sex Offender Database. In addition, the Indiana State Police may require fingerprinting at the cost of $22.95. If selecting this option, please allow up to six (6) weeks for processing and status determination.

After the completion of background checks, the results will undergo a thorough review by our office staff, principal, and safety team. In the event of any flagged incidents, a comprehensive assessment will be conducted to ascertain whether a parent/guardian will be granted authorization to volunteer or visit the school for activities not accessible to the general public. Volunteers and visitors are held to similar standards as employee candidates.

A list of major offenses that immediately disqualify a candidate can be found in Indiana Code 20-26-5-11.2 (click to view).

As a general rule, the following conviction or pending offenses appearing on a background check will likely disqualify a volunteer candidate:

  • Felony
  • Misdemeanor within the last 5 years
  • Multiple misdemeanors during the last 10 years (even if 5 years have elapsed since the most recent)
  • Battery
  • Sexual Offense
  • Child abuse or neglect
  • Any charge or conviction not mentioned above, but determined to be a risk to the students
  • Any open warrants or arrests with pending adjudication

 

Participatory Status:

  • Full Participatory Status: This level indicates that no restrictions or precautions need to be in place for the volunteer.
  • Denied Participatory Status: Criminal or misdemeanor convictions are present on the legal report, and they are deemed serious or recent enough that it is necessary to restrict the applicant from assisting the school with any student activities.

Volunteer limited criminal background checks are evaluated and will be valid for the current school year. At the start of any given school year, volunteers will need to complete or repeat the limited background check process (if not using the online Safe Visitor Solution).

If a volunteer is initially denied the opportunity to volunteer in our schools due to pending criminal charges, they may request a re-evaluation of their volunteer status once those charges are resolved. Denied candidates have the option to file a written appeal with the P-H-M Safety and Security Department. The appeals committee will thoroughly review the appeal, the candidate’s criminal history report, and the initial determination to reach a final recommendation regarding the candidate’s volunteer status. Following the review process, appeal candidates will be notified of the decision via both mail and email. It’s important to note that the appeals decision is considered final.

School visitors follow a different procedure before gaining permission to enter the school. Please click here for more information.

Required Volunteer Training

Our schools value, appreciate and welcome volunteers. Donating a few precious hours of your time can make all the difference.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering in our schools. Along with the background checks, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation also requires all volunteers to watch an 8-minute video on anti-bullying before working with students and then fill out the form below for their child’s school. The link to the anti-bullying video is embedded with the form for each school listed below. Click and fill out a form for each school you will be volunteering in.