Penn students offering free eLearning Lessons to P-H-M Children, ages 1-10

During a normal school year, Penn High School students enrolled in Childhood Development classes would be offering two unique programs for preschoolers in our community,  Playschool and Toddler Time.
 

However due to COVID suspending these programs for the time being, Penn Child Development teachers Mrs. Kylee Wetzel and Ms. Rachael Meyers have created lessons that children can do in their own homes. 

 

The Penn High School Early Childhood Education Classes are offering free eLearning lessons to children in the P-H-M community within the age ranges of 1-10 years old.

 

Children can participate at home with a caregiver, or during the school day via Google Meet with the Penn student facilitating the lesson.

 

Please fill out the Enrollment Form by Friday, Jan. 15 in order to participate.

 

Please contact Kylee Wetzel at kwetzel@phm.k12.in.us for any further information.

COVID-19 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE QUICK REFERENCE

The Indiana State Department of Health last updated the COVID-19 School Attendance Quick Reference Guide for parents and schools on December 4, 2020.

 

PLEASE NOTE: For families who are not able to isolate from everyone else at home, the start date of quarantine is determined by last date of exposure to a positive or untested person; this may be after the ill person completes their 10 days of isolation.

 

Click the image below to download and print.

 

This resource is also provided in the District Overview Return to Learn Fall 2020 document, under “Important Links at the end of the document. 

Modifications to Penn & Middle School Winter Athletic Programs

On Wednesday, November 18, P-H-M announced that Penn High School and the district’s three middle schools (Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker) will return to 100% virtual learning beginning Monday, November 23, 2020 through the end of the first semester, Friday, January 15, 2021 (with the MLK holiday being Mon., Jan. 18, students would return to hybrid learning on Tues., Jan. 19, 2021). This change was brought about by the St. Joseph County Department of Health’s recommendations that came earlier in the afternoon of November 18.  Part of SJCDH recommendations to districts was to “Pause all extra curricular activities or conduct them remotely as feasible. In the event these activities cannot be paused or done remotely, limit spectators to parents/guardians/siblings until after winter break.”

 

Click to read SJCDH recommendations and click here to read Superintendent’s Dr. Jerry Thacker’s full letter to parents.

 

As a result, Penn High School and all P-H-M middle school winter athletic programs are implementing significant change to the winter athletic programs. Please see the modifications released Friday, November 20, 2020 that will be effective immediately. These modifications will be re-evaluated by Friday, December 18 (P-H-M School Corporation’s winter break runs Dec. 21, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021).

 

PHM Athletic COVID Modifications for Winter Sports

 

2nd First Day of School for PreK – 3rd graders

On Monday, September 14, we welcomed back our youngest students, PreK – 3rd graders who opted to return to school. We could see the smiles under their masks, and we hope they could see ours! We visited four of our 11 elementary schools–Bittersweet Elementary School, Walt Disney Elementary School, Northpoint & Prairie Vista–to get a socially distanced look at students' 2nd First Day of School. Click to watch the video below …

 

 

On Tuesday, September 15, we visited dropped by Moran Elementary School to see how the PreK – 3rd graders whose parents choose to stay virtual to see how they are interacting with their teachers. Click to watch the video below …

 

Parents provided more details on 100% Virtual option

Monday, August 31 the P-H-M Board of School Trustees unanimously approved a “Return to Learn” plan to bring students back to the classroom in phases, for those families who want to return to in-person learning:

  • Mon., Sept. 14, In-Person Learning for Elementary grades, PreK – grade 3
  • Mon., Sept. 21, In-Person Learning for Elementary grades 4 & 5 
  • Mon., Sept. 21, Hybrid model, a blend of In-Person and Virtual, for Middle and High School students (grades 6-12) 
  • Parents at every grade level also have the option to keep their student(s) 100% Virtual.

 

Parents at every grade level expressed to have the Virtual option expanded. On Wednesday, September 9, principals sent parents more details and a breakdown of a student’s day who chose to stay 100% Virtual. Click below to see examples of each level:

 

Parents are now being asked to submit their “Intent to Return” questionnaires to their student(s)’ principals by Friday, September 11.

 

If parents have students at more than one P-H-M school, they will need to complete a form for each student at each school. Parents should reference the emails sent by their students’ principals on Wednesday, Sept. 9 or check their schools’ websites. If parents have questions, they should contact their student’s school directly.

 

 

Other important “Return to Learn” information shared with parents:

School Board passes Resolution to bring about systematic and structural change to ensure diversity, inclusion, and equality

 

On Wednesday, July 1, the P-H-M Board of School Trustees held a special Board Meeting to pass the Resolution listed below and to announce the creation of the new district position of Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This was in response to an open letter to the P-H-M Board of School Trustees and Administration from current and past Penn High School alumni (click here to read Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker’s June 25 email sent to P-H-M families concerning this matter).

 

RESOLUTION OF THE PENN-HARRIS-MADISON BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES TO BRING ABOUT SYSTEMATIC AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE TO ENSURE DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUALITY.

 

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

 

WHEREAS, the unjust killing of Mr. George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with the preceding and unjust deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others, has generated a much needed national discussion on the necessity of ensuring permanent racial equality and racial justice. The members of the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees are saddened by and stand against these unjust deaths.

 

WHEREAS, as we prepare to celebrate the United States of America's 244th year of independence, the Penn-Harris-Madison School Board of School Trustees is guided by the wisdom of one of this country’s greatest leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

 

WHEREAS, we the members of the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees and Administration, acknowledge that we must urgently end acts motivated by racial animus and bias, remediate racial inequities, and end any form of racism in our schools.

 

WHEREAS, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees recognizes that working with the school community is a vital and necessary component of achieving the goals expressed in this Resolution.
 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees shall implement all reforms necessary to eradicate racism and racial injustice within the Penn Harris Madison School Corporation. We recognize and will fulfill our duty to foster a safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environment; to ensure that all are treated with dignity and respect; and to do our part to bring about positive change, end discrimination and secure equality for all. 

P-H-M Return to Learn, Re-entry Plan for Fall 2020

​​This is your resource for all your Re-entry details and previously communicated information. This page was last updated on June 3, 2021.
 

Important “Return to Learn” information:

For those students who have returned to the classroom, P-H-M provides transparent communication of any students and staff positive COVID-19 cases shared with us. Statistical date on positive cases reported to us are posted to the P-H-M Dashboard. We also ask parents to follow all CDC, Indiana State Department of Health, and St. Joseph County Department of Health guidelines, recommendations and protocols. Some of them are outlined below:

  • ISDH & CDC guidelines have changed and repeat testing is NOT recommended for making decisions about when people can return to work or school. If the person remains symptom free, they will be allowed to return to school when they meet the above criteria. The ISDH has also produced a quick reference guide for (click here to access).
  • Parents and staff are asked to continue to monitor their health and their child’s health every day using the ISDH screening tool. If staff or students experience any of the symptoms below, we ask that they do not report to school:
    • fever or chills
    • sore throat,
    • uncontrollable or new cough or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (especially new onset)
    • diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
    • headache (especially new onset of severe headache with fever, or new loss of taste or smell)
  • Students and staff should not report to school if they have had close contact with a known positive case, including in your own household, or awaiting test results. When you have a positive case (tested or clinical) in your household, the positive case should self-isolate away from the rest of the family members and the family should remain in quarantine. If a family member/close contact (or anyone in the house) cannot isolate away from the positive person, the family member(s) quarantine period will begin the day of exposure and continue 10 days after the positive person quarantine ends. Click here for more information from the CDC on isolation and quarantine.
  • We ask families that have multiple children in P-H-M schools and one member of your family household is positive (tested or clinical), to please notify all P-H-M schools your children attend. 

 

Superintendent letter to PHM Community on Juneteenth

Summer Math & Reading Tools

The IDOE has provided summer resources for parents to use with their children, grades 1st – 8th, to help keep their math and reading skills up over the summer.

 

Parents and students have access to the Lexile® Find a Book tool and the Quantile® Summer Math Challenge.

 

The Lexile® Find a Book tool helps students create a personalized reading list and then locate those books at the nearest library or bookseller.

 

The Quantile® Summer Math Challenge is a six-week refresher course for students in grades 1st – 8th.

 

For more information, visit MetaMetrics’ Summer Learning website. 

 

Penn Class of 2020 Virtual Commencement

On Friday, May 29, we hosted our Sixty First Commencement online recognizing more than 700+ graduating seniors. The pre-recorded ceremony debuted live on P-H-M District’s YouTube and Facebook channels starting at 7:00 p.m. Friday night (the time the originally scheduled in person ceremony was supposed to begin at on the campus of Notre Dame). You can click below to watch an archive of the video on YouTube. The virtual ceremony portion lasts approximately 2 hours and is preceded by a 30 minute  picture slideshow of some of the seniors with their yard signs and picking up their caps and gowns. Upwards of nearly 1,500 people, between YouTube and Facebook, tuned in the evening of May 29 to watch this one of a kind event!

 

Click here to view a gallery of photos we collected of the senior sign delivery that took place on Friday, May 15.

 

Plans of an in-person Commencement for the Class of 2020 are progressing. The event will be held at Penn High School in late July. More details will be shared with students and families in the coming days.