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.

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. 

P-H-M teachers look for opportunities to give their students experiential learning experiences. Through project-based learning students get “Rigor, Relevance, & Relationships.” That’s just what Penn Graphic Arts teacher Miss Alex Dunfee had in mind when she reached out to Mary Frank 3^rd grade teacher Ms. Lindsay Helman.

Ms. Helman students were practicing narrative story telling and had written longer format stories. Miss Dunfee thought it would be good experience for her students to illustrate the 3^rd graders’ books using their artistic skills. Through a Penn PTO grant, Miss Dunfee was able to get the books “published” and today (Friday, May 27) the Penn artists delivered the books to the Mary Frank authors.

Take a look at the photo gallery below at the amazing work created as a part of this collaboration …

MF-PENN-Book-Collaboration-5-27-22-8

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Looking for something new to do at home? Frustrated because there is nothing good on TV? Great news!! It’s One Book, One School time!  

Starting March 1 – 31st, we will go on adventures with Twig, a charming chipmunk, who’s trying to figure out his future in Hill society, staying true to himself he makes new friends along the way. Every family and staff member will be receiving a copy of this year’s book, Brambleheart, A Story About Finding Treasure and the Unexpected Magic of Friendship by Henry Cole. 

This will be another fun adventure in reading! There will be a book reveal event, scheduled readings, optional at home projects, discussions, prizes, and more! 

Click the links below for the all your resources: 

• Calendar of Events & Reading Schedule
• At Home Activities
• Mustangs Give Back Activities

“One Book, One School” is an initiative that strives to bring together schools and families through the joy of reading. We want to provide an environment where our imaginations are set free through literature. By choosing one book that spans various reading levels, both students and staff will come together and share thoughts, ideas, and a passion for reading.

While projects and reading will be done at home, there will also be reading and discussions taking place in the classrooms. We encourage all families to use this opportunity to come together to read and carry on discussions about the story. You can even work together on some of our projects. While the at home activities are voluntary, they offer a way for students to incorporate their creativity into the story.

“Sometimes the things we want and the things we love get tangled up in our hearts like bramble when we try to do what’s right” It is our hope that this magical adventure will inspire individuality, teamwork, forgiveness and friendship.  So, Mary Frank, ready, set, read! 

Reading Schedule

• March 1 – 4 

  • Tuesday Kick-off/book

  • Wednesday pp. 1 – 20
  • Thursday pp. 21 – 32
  • Friday pp. 33 – 46
• March 7 – 11
  • Monday pp. 47 – 56
  • Tuesday pp. 57 – 66
  • Wednesday pp. 67 – 78
  • Thursday pp. 79 – 88
  • Friday pp. 89 – 98

• March 14 – 18 

  • Monday pp. 99 – 108 

  • Tuesday pp. 109 – 118 

  • Wednesday pp. 119 – 130 

  • Thursday pp. 131 – 142 

  • Friday pp. 143 – 152

• March 21- 25
  • Monday pp.153 – 162
  • Tuesday pp. 163 – 170
  • Wednesday pp. 171 – 182
  • Thursday pp. 183 – 196
  • Friday pp. 197 – 206
• March 28 – 31
  • Monday pp. 207 – 214
  • Tuesday pp. 215 – 236
  • Wednesday pp. 237 – 256

  • Thursday Final Celebration! 

At Home Activities

The activities listed below are the at home activities that follow along with our book. These activities are completely voluntary, but should your child complete and return them by Tuesday each week, their name will be entered into a drawing for a prize! If your child completes all four of the activities, they will be entered into a special drawing at the end! All projects are due to the classroom teacher.

March 5-6 

• Dragon eyes coloring pages: Click here for the template to use.  

March 12-13 

• Writing activity: If you found an egg that hatched a baby dragon, how would you  care for it? Illustrate a picture of your dragon and its home as well. Click here for the writing prompt.
• PreK & K: Draw a picture of you and your baby dragon. Don’t forget lots of  background details so we know where it lives!

March 19-20 

• Build a sundial: Using recyclable materials found around at home construct a  sundial of your own design that tells the time of day. One that Twig would be  proud to turn into Professor Burdock! 

March 26-27 

• Dress the chipmunk for a job: Click here for the template to use. 

In addition, we will also be having spirit days. 

• March 3 – Dr. Seuss Day, dress as a favorite Seuss character or in Seuss attire Mar 10 – Dress like a Teacher Day
• March 17 – Dress like your favorite book character in the book
• Mar 24 – Career day, dress for your dream job 

Mustangs Give Back Activities 

During the One Book, One School event, our students and staff have established  an amazing tradition of giving back to our community. In this year’s book, we  meet Twig, a chipmunk, and his friend Lily, a rabbit, who live in the forest. In our  community we have beautiful natural areas where many forest animals live. We  are happy to partner with the St. Joseph County Parks. This department includes four parks: St. Patrick’s County Park, Bendix Woods County Park, Ferrettie/Baugo  Creek County Park and Spicer Lake Nature Preserve. Feel free to click here to check out their website for information. These parks are beautiful  natural areas to enjoy and they also provide nature programs and outdoor  activities. We will be collecting items all month for the St. Joseph County Parks.  Please, feel free to send items in with students. The following is a small list of  ideas of what the parks need for activities and programs: 

• 8-ounce non-Styrofoam hot cups
• Band-Aids
• Black oil sunflower birdseed 
• Bottled water 
• Chenille craft sticks (pipe cleaners) 
• Child-size yarn winter gloves 
• Dish soap 
• Gardening/work gloves 
• Glue Sticks 
• Insect repellent 
• Tins of coffee and hot chocolate
• Sharpie markers (all colors)
• Washable markers
• Wire mesh pasta strainers (for pond scooping)

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:

• English
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Spanish
• Gujarati
• Telugu
• Hindi
• Korean
• Punjabi

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

(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.

Saturday, May 16

8:30 a.m. – Noon

Penn High School

Register online today! Early Bird Registration is available until Sunday, May 3 ($20 for adults, $10 for students)!

Do you like bubbles? Well, if you do, you’ll enjoy the Silver Mile Bubble Bash!  

Highlighted changes for this year’s event:

• Early start time, 8:30 a.m.
• 1.5 mile and 5K route options
• Lower early bird prices: $20 for adults, $10 for students
• Family Pricing: $60 for four or more (at same address)

Missed out on all the bubbly fun last year? Don’t let it happen two years in a row! Watch the video and see how much fun you and your whole family will have …

The Silver Mile Run is the largest fundraiser for the P-H-M Education Foundation and all the proceeds go towards providing innovative P-H-M teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development, and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Presenting sponsor Saint Joseph Health System will offer free health screenings including body mass index and blood sugar! Other area businesses will also be on hand to showcase health and fitness related activities, resources and services. 

After a fun day, leave with great bargains purchased at the Silent Auction. The P-H-M student talent showcase is always a crowd pleaser. Last year, the student groups included Horizon Show Choir, Bittersweet Cardio Drummers, Elm Road Jumping Eagles, Meadow’s Edge Dancers, and Penn High School Dancers.

Choose to walk or run the 5K or take a shorter loop. This exciting untimed race welcomes runners of all experience levels while blasting through foam bogs and fun spirit stations along the course.

The Silver Mile Bubble Bash is a chance for P-H-M families and local community members to get together and show their support for excellence in education in all P-H-M schools.  Proceeds are returned to P-H-M schools by awarding innovative teacher grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Click here to take advantage of early bird registration and for more information on the Bubble Bash.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 14 & Sunday, March 15 for the FIRST Robotics St. Joseph District Event. Penn High School is once again hosting more than 40 high school FRC robotics teams from Indiana and Michigan who will battle it out for the title. Join more than 5,000 students, coaches, mentors, parents and fans during this one-of-a-kind two-day FREE event!

Saturday, March 14 

10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Next Gen (K-8): 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Click to watch the video below to check out all the upcoming excitement, then come out to cheer on Penn Robotics Team 135!

Make sure to also bring your young Robotics fans to “Next Gen,” an area for students ages K-8, who can get hands-on engaging fun with some of Team 135’s other robots. Next Gen will be open Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This event is also FREE ADMISSION!