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New Short Circuits Sphero program partners 3rd graders & Penn Robotics students

What would make more than 200 elementary students and dozens of Penn High School students show up at school on a Saturday? It would have to be something pretty cool, and there’s no doubt that P-H-M’s new  “Short Circuits” Sphero is cool! Click here to see the full photo gallery on the P-H-M District website.

Teams of third graders from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools and their Penn Robotics Team 135 coaches/mentors were excited to show off what they had learned about coding, programming, and robotics to their parents, grandparents and family members. 

The idea for Short Circuits came about from a discussion between longtime, now retired, Penn Robotics Team 135 Coach Jim Langfeldt and P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom.

Jim Langfeldt
Jim Langfeldt at Penn Robotics Camp, June 2022

Current Team 135 Teacher Coach Kyle Marsh worked with Michael Niemier — a Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame — under the umbrella of his National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) grant, which funded Mr. Marsh’s summer work to write the Short Circuits coding program. Co-developer and former P-H-M teacher Jim Langfeldt has also participated in Niemier’s RET program.

During the 4-week after school practices, the Penn students have coached and mentored 3rd grade teams at all 11 elementary schools; one or two teachers at each elementary school are also involved helping to oversee the students.

During Saturday’s celebration, the 3rd grade students will demonstrate for their parents and family members what they’ve learned, including programming the Sphero robots to maneuver through the Penn Robotics student built obstacle course.

Short Circuits is sponsored by P-H-M Education Foundation. Former longtime PHM Board Member Gary Fox, and his wife Tamera, generously committed to a $20,000 donation over four years to sponsor the program. $30,000 was raised at the PHMEF 25th Anniversary Gala to pay for Sphero kits for all the elementary schools. 

Sphero Celebration
Supt. Dr. Jerry Thacker, PHM School Board Pres. Chris Riley, PHMEF Exec. Dir. Jennifer Turnblom, Fmr. School Board Pres. Gary Fox, & his wife Tamera Fox

Riley Bike-A-Thon 2022 Was a Success

On Saturday, October 1st, 2022, the bikes came out on a spectacular Fall day to raise money for a great cause.

Each year the Madison students are invited to pedal their bikes in an effort to raise money for sick and injured children who need life-saving care. 

The Madison school community began a partnership with Riley Children’s Hospital 32 years ago and has since raised over $100,000 for the organization!  

Madison pink bike

We couldn’t pull this off without the AMAZING support of our neighbors and community. Residents who live along the bike route were contacted and made aware that their mile would be closed to traffic for student safety. Volunteers were stationed at each corner to mark the miles on student pledge cards.

volunteers

 Grandparents, friends, and other family members pledged cash for each mile the students rode during the three hours set aside for the event. 

We could not have raised the many tens of thousands of dollars over the years without the great dedication of the Madison community.  Thank you for your consideration and support.

Dad on Bike

Also, events like this don’t happen on their own, we want to give a HUGE shout out to the Madison PTO and long-standing Riley Bike-a-thon Chair, Annette Wisler.  Thank you for your commitment and dedication to this event!

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Homecoming Weekend Set for September 23rd & 24th

There is going to be a little something for everybody happening at Penn High School on September 23rd and 24th, so mark your calendars and be sure to bring the whole family!

Friday, September 23rd, 2022

P-H-M Education Foundation Family Fun Zone

*All monies raised by the P-H-M Education Foundation goes into funding innovative school and teacher grants which in turn provide #PHMExcellence in all 15 P-H-M schools!

Saint Joseph Health System Health Fair

  • Time 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
  • Cost: FREE!
  • Free Health Screenings PLUS interactive booths for children

Homecoming Parade

  • Time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Location: Behind Schmucker Middle School > Bittersweet > Ends at the P-H-M ESC
    **SEE THE MAP BELOW**
  • Parade Grand Marshal P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, 2022 Penn Homecoming Court, Kingsmen Marching Band, Penn Cheerleaders, Penn student groups and clubs, local Fire trucks & Police cars

 

September 3rd Map

 

Penn Homecoming game, Kingsmen vs. Marian Knights

  • Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
    • Homecoming Court Presentation at halftime
  • Cost: $6
  • Children in grades K-5 get in FREE with a paying adult

 

Saturday, September 24th, 2022

Silver Mile Bubble & Color Run for Education – Sign up Here!
All monies raised by the P-H-M Education Foundation goes into funding innovative school and teacher grants which in turn provide #PHMExcellence in all 15 P-H-M schools!

  • Late Registration & T-Shirt Pickup
    • ​Time: 7:15-8:00 a.m.
    • Location: TCU Freed Field
  • Warm Up
    • ​Time: 8:15
    • Location: TCU Freed Field Track
  • 1-Mile Fun Run / Walk
    • ​Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
    • Cost: $10 Per Person (4 & under free!) | T-Shirt $10
      • ​Price for Preregistration by September 22nd, 2022
      • Friday & Saturday (Day of) Registration: Cost $15
    • Location: TCU Freed Field Track
  • Water and light post race snacks will be available to participants
    race map

Wacky Wednesday Panther Style!

It’s “Wacky Wednesday” here at Madison and the clever outfits were on full display in the library!

We saw everything from colored hair, to inside-out clothes to mismatched socks and shoes.

It’s all in good fun though as the point of dressing up is to have fun while encouraging a love of reading, take a look!

 

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Community Connections Fair set for Saturday, March 26

Picture above taken at the 2018 Community Connections Fair

Community Connections Fair

Saturday, March 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Schmucker Middle School

56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair!

Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!

P-H-M is inviting area businesses who want to participate in the Community Connections Fair to sign up. Click here to request a table at the event. 

The Fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. Families wishing to sign up to perform, click here.

Flyers about the event are available in the following languages, please click to download and print:

Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.

Come out and enjoy the many cultural performances and student work that will be on display representing countries from all over the world! 

Please join us!

For more information, please contact:
Nicole Parker
P-H-M Elementary ENL Coordinator
(574) 259-2486, Ext. 53261
nparker@phm.k12.in.us

Young Authors’ Conference, Sat. March 5

(picture above was taken March 2019)

Mark your 2022 calendars for P-H-M’s Young Authors’ Conference:

Saturday, March 5

8:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Schmucker Middle School

P-H-M Elementary students, grades K-5

Registration Fee: $5 per child

Online registration is at phm.revtrak.net. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 18, 2022.

 

The Young Authors’ Conference is for P-H-M students in grades K-5. The event, sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation, provides an opportunity for students and their parents to meet and hear from a well-known children’s authors. Click here to view the photo gallery of the 2019 event.

This year students and their parents will meet and hear from well-known children’s author, teacher, and speaker, Gabrielle Balkan. Mrs. Balkan is best known for non-fiction books that delight readers ages 3-12 with curious and essential facts about the United States, animal record-breakers, and ground-breaking artists. Mrs. Balkan will share her experiences as a writer and illustrator during her engaging, grade-level  presentations.

Participants and parents will also enjoy an interactive, up-close animal experience from the Potawatomi Zoo staff.   As part of the morning activities, students will share their own writing piece in small, adult-led group sessions with students from other P-H-M elementary schools. While students are meeting with their peers, parents will join P-H-M Teacher and writing expert, Mary Nicolini, as she explores how writing can be a method for remembering and preserving events using real-life stories, drawings, and photographs.

Elementary student attendees will also work in small adult-led breakout sessions sharing their own writing pieces with other P-H-M students.

COST: The registration fee of $5.00 per child is used for conference expenses. There is no cost for the parent. One parent only must accompany students!  However, keep in mind that students and parents will separate for a portion of the day.  YOUNGER siblings may not accompany adults. This experience is for your young author and parent.

REGISTRATION: Online registration will be available at phm.revtrak.net. If you don’t have a P-H-M Revtrak account, you will need to create one. There is a fee for using this service. The deadline for registration will be Friday, February 18.

CONFIRMATION: Participating students will receive additional information prior to the conference through their home school at the beginning of March.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Schirripa at lschirripa@phm.k12.in.us.

2022 Middle School Instrument Selection Night

Discovery 

Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Wednesday, Feb. 23

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Schmucker 

Monday, Feb. 28 and Tuesday, March 1

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Grissom 

Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 15

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 2022 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!

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. Click here to download, view and print more information on Instrument Selection Night.

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. 

Penn Poms to host one-day clinic on Saturday, Jan. 29

Penn Poms will host a one-day clinic on Saturday, January 29, 2022.

The Poms clinic participants (pre-K through eighth grade) will learn a dance routine during the day on Saturday, Jan. 29, that will be performed at the Penn High School boys basketball halftime that night. The clinic cost is $35 per student.

Click here for details.

*Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view the pdfs on this page. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe’s website, at this link www.get.adobe.com/reader/, to download your free version.

COVID Testing Walk-in Clinic for P-H-M Students & Staff

map
The Clinic is located at the Southeast Corner of Bittersweet Rd & McKinley Hwy


COVID Testing Walk-in Clinic
If a student, teacher, or staff member is symptomatic or quarantined due to exposure, they may receive a free BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for the COVID-19 virus. This program uses Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW tests provided by the federal government.

The IDOH has recently revised the school site testing criteria due to the limited supply to only test the following groups:

  • Symptomatic students Pre-K through grade 12
  • Symptomatic teachers and staff members age 50 and above.  

Where can they be tested:

  • The walk-up clinic will take place at the P-H-M Bank Locker Room Building located on the corner of Bittersweet and McKinley Hwy (US20) near Penn High School. Entry is off McKinley Hwy.
  • No appointment is necessary.
  • The clinic will be open when school is in session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. AS LONG AS TESTS ARE AVAILABLE. The Clinic may need to close early on the days it is in operation as the number of available tests per day may vary due to the national shortage. 
  • We will only test a student accompanied by a parent/guardian.
  • Please bring the completed consent form to the clinic at the time of testing. Click here to download and print the consent form.