Penn High School has once again been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation's best high schools. Penn ranks 1st in the South Bend area, 14th in Indiana, and #1,225 in the national rankings (out of nearly 18,000 high schools nationwide). This puts Penn in the top 7% of the nation's best high schools for 2021!

Penn’s other points of distinction noted by the prestigious national magazine ranking, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Penn High School is 45%. The total minority enrollment is 27%, and 20% of students are economically disadvantaged. And with the release of the Spring 2019 ISTEP (grade 10) results, Penn High School as 12th among Indiana’s public schools for combined ELA & Math scores in grade 10.

The rankings are based on the 2018-2019 school year, detailed school-specific information on enrollment, graduation rates, student body demographics, location, school type, and results of state assessments as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. Click here to read more about the methodology.

Indiana high school students typically follow the Core 40 curriculum, which includes required classes in English Language Arts, math, Social Studies and Science, among others. Students who fulfill additional requirements can earn a diploma with academic or technical honors. Penn has a 97% graduation rate with more than 85% of students graduate with Academic Honors, High Honors,  or Technical Honors. 

Class of 2020 included these points of distinction:

• @820 graduates earned more than $9 million in scholarships
• 17 valedictorians and 3 salutatorians

• 12 students have named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, 11 were named Finalists

• 11 students were named Commended Scholars

• 5 students were nominated for Presidential Scholars

• Indiana Regional Academic All-Star, one of only 40 students across our state to be honored

• 3 students were awarded the Community Foundation of Saint Joseph County Eli Lilly Endowment Scholarship based on their high academic merits and test scores

The Academies at Penn High School provide the framework for student success. Through their work in each academy, students find relevant and meaningful coursework taught in a supportive environment where each student is known well by his teachers and peers. Through these “smaller learning communities,” students build relationships while engaged in relevant learning experiences.

Penn’s Early College Academy has received an endorsement as an Early College High School by The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning. As an endorsed Early College High School by the CELL, Penn’s Early College Academy is regarded as an exemplar for other high schools across Indiana implementing an Early College program.

Penn is a Four Star School earning the Project Lead the Way Distinguished School distinction in 2017-18 (for the 2016-17 school year), and the STEM Academy has been certified as a Full STEM Certified Program by the Indiana Department of Education. 

Click to see the full list of Indiana High Schools as ranked by US News & World Report in 2021. 

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation was named among the Best Communities for Music Education (​BCME) in the country (686 school districts, in 40 states) by the the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.  This is the 8^th year in a row that P-H-M has received this national honor!

This week the NAMM Foundation celebrated and recognized K-12 music teachers in school districts who found creative ways for the “show to carry on” despite schools moving online or to in-person settings where masks were required not only for student musicians and instruments.

In 2020, as districts shut down for in-person learning, teachers began sending sheet music, videos, and audio to students via the internet. Classes went from the band room to Zoom. Music education became much more individualized and difficult.

Within P-H-M, music teachers worked really hard to make sure their students’ music education did not suffer due to the necessary pandemic safety protocols. Here are a few examples:

• In December, Penn High School Choirs’ annual “Sounds of the Season” concert was held virtually.
• Also in December, Discovery Middle School Choir teacher Jennifer Graybill led the schools’ choirs in a virtual, recorded performance of “One Candle.”.
• In March Penn High School’s annual musical was held in person with many safety precautions: a limited audience, live streamed, and the student actors wore masks. Click to watch a video about how Penn Musical Director pulled it off.

These examples are just a few out of the many ingenious ways P-H-M music, choir, band, and orchestra directors/teachers succeeded in reinventing music instruction and performances. Their successes wouldn’t have been possible without the flexibility and support of students’ families and the larger community. This is just one of the many reasons why P-H-M and other districts were recognized by the NAMM Foundation this week as “Best Communities for Music Education.”

In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes. Beginning in 6th grade, P-H-M students at our three middle schools (Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom) have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as their music elective. Students at Discovery also have the option of choosing Piano Lab.

Penn High School offers the 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.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, P-H-M answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study from the University, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improves how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Beyond the Northwestern research, other studies have indicated that music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving and flexibility in work situations, as well learning how to give and receive constructive criticism to excel.

Parents now have the ability to submit attendance reasons through Skyward Family Access instead of calling their childs’ school. Attendance can be entered on that day (illness) or for future events (doctor’s appointment). Absences can be recorded for all day, late arrival or early dismissal. Please follow the directions listed below:
 

• Log into Skyward Family Access – all your children will be listed with tiles under each child.
• Click on the Attendance Tile for the child you wish to record attendance for.
• Click on Absence Requests tab
  
• Click Add Absence Request on the far right side of the screen
  
• Enter Start and End Date
• Check All Day if the absence will be the entire day
• If only a partial day absence, enter the Start and End time of the absence.
• Attendance Reason – Choose from the drop down menu
• Comment – Add any information regarding the absence reason
  
• Click Save – in the upper left corner
  

The Absence Request will be sent to the school for processing. Once reviewed by the school, the status of the request will change to Processed on the Absence Request tab.

If there are any changes to an Absence Request while in the “Pending” status, the parent can Edit or Delete the request within Skyward. If the absence has already been processed, the parent will need to contact the school to make any changes.

The pictures below are of the PennPALS classroom at the Elsie Rogers Elementary site.

The pictures below are of the PennPALS classroom at the Mary Frank Elementary site.

The pictures below are of the PennPALS classroom at the Bittersweet Elementary site.

The pictures below are of the PennPALS classroom at the Elm Road Elementary site.

The penalties are pretty stiff for those drivers who don’t stop for a stopped school bus (see above).

See the graphic below that highlights the traffic situations where drivers MUST STOP for a stopped school bus. Don’t, and you’ll PAY THE PRICE!

On December 14th, the PHM Board of School Trustees approved the purchase and installation of high resolution stop arm cameras on all P-H-M school buses by vendor 24-7 Security Systems. That process began on February 1^st and all cameras are now installed and fully functional. As we phase in the return of more secondary students, it becomes increasingly more important to make drivers aware of school bus traffic laws. See how stop arm cameras will help catch drivers who violate school bus traffic laws …

Discovery 

February 22, 23 & 24, 2021

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Schmucker 

March 2, 3 & 4, 2021

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Grissom 

March 8 & 9, 2021

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band and orchestra at Schmucker, Discovery and Grissom Middle Schools.

Every P-H-M 5th grader who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall 2021 has the opportunity to join an instrumental music class, which includes either band or orchestra. “Instrument Selection Night” is when students and families get to make their choice!

In order to join 6th grade band or orchestra, students must select an instrument that they will learn, practice and perform for the school year.  Click this link to sign-up for your appointment at your designated school and date. 
 

At “Instrument Selection Night,” a music professional will be available to give students advice about which instrument may be best suited for them. They will be allowed to “try out” instruments from various instrument groups.

Spring Break Kids Club

April 5 – 9, 2021

6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Northpoint Elementary School (Door E)

Cost is $35 per child, per day or $150 per child for the full week. If you are not currently enrolled in Kids Club, you must also pay the $25 registration fee per child. Registration and payment are due, and non refundable, by Tuesday, March 30, 2021. 

Click here for more details and online registration.