Website Staff, Author at Mary Frank Elementary School

P-H-M Named 2024 Best Community for Music Education

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation was named among the 2024’s Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) in the country by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the 11^th year in a row! P-H-M is among only 17 Indiana school districts, out of about 300, that made the list.

Now in its 25th year, the 2024 Best Communities for Music Education program has recognized 583 school districts and 135 schools across the country for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children. This recognition celebrates and recognizes 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 P-H-M 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. Schools from elementary all the way up to Penn High School also perform musicals.

*Horizon Elementary students perform Charlie Brown Christmas*

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.

*Penn High School Band students perform A Evening of Jazz (Feb. 9, 2024)*

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.

April 8 Solar Eclipse Information

While the Indianapolis area and south will experience 100% totality for the solar eclipse occurring on Monday, April 8, 2024, the St. Joseph County area will only experience 96%.

The Michiana area will start experiencing darkness at 1:53 p.m., lasting until 4:23 p.m., with 96% totality occurring at 3:09 p.m. and lasting just over 4 minutes.

Click to watch the video below and hear from P-H-M Digital Video Theater and Planetarium Director Melinda O’Malley as she shows us what to expect in our area.

Click here to see a Indiana Department of Natural Resources map of Indiana regions that will experience varying degrees of darkness. Click here to also get more background information on the Great American Eclipse website.

Because the partial eclipse time is occurring around elementary school dismissal times and based on the recommendations of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the IDOE, P-H-M will have an eLearning day on April 8. Click here for more information on that decision.

Thanks to Old National Bank and P-H-M Education Foundation, all students will have a pair of eclipse glasses to use at home when watching the eclipse with their families. The glasses will be sent home the week of March 25 before P-H-M’s Spring Break.

DVT Director Mrs. O’Malley demonstrates how the eclipse glasses should be used.

Mrs. Harcus Wins PHM Impact Award

Teachers whose students have seen significant First Semester growth, achieving individual improvement on their formative assessments over time, are being recognized with the P-H-M Impact Award. It’s quite an honor, and a surprise, to receive this award. Click here to see the photo gallery below of today’s surprise.

Today Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker visited Mary Frank Elementary Schools to congratulate 3rd grade teacher teacher Amanda Harcus with the help of Principal Christie Heerschop.

Mrs. Harcus was recognized for her students being the Top 1 or Top 2 in three subjects: Reading, Writing, Math on Clear Sight.

Congratulations to Mrs. Harcus and the hard work of her students!

While all P-H-M teachers across the district are dedicated to helping their students achieve personal academic success, we are especially proud of teachers and their students who have excelled.

The Impact Awards were first handed out in September 2023 to teachers with the most significant overall student growth during the 2022-2023 school year.

Thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation for covering the cost of the awards for purchasing the beautiful crystal awards given to the teacher award recipients.

2024 Penn Musical, “The Music Man”

Penn’s school musical this year is “The Music Man.”

You won’t want to miss Penn’s talented student performers as they act out the play that follows fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize – this, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef!

This year’s musical also includes the talents of a few P-H-M elementary and middle school students:

Mary Cortes, 5th grade, Prairie Vista Elementary School
Maxwell MacMillan, 5th grade, Mary Frank Elementary School
Anniston Steele, 7th grade, Grissom Middle School
Ezra Carrico, Katherine Hawkins, Benjamin Robertson and Noah Rohde, all in 8th grade, Schmucker Middle School

This isn’t the first year Penn’s musicals have included students from younger grades. In 2016, younger students also participated in “Mary Poppins.” But this is the first year in recent memory to have this many!

Visit bit.ly/PennMusicMan to purchase tickets.

FIRST-IN District Robotics Competition, March 2 & 3

The 2024 FIN Mishawaka FRC District Event will once again be held at Penn High School March 1st – 3rd (open to the public on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3). The event will be held in Penn’s Main Arena. See below for a daily schedule:

Saturday, March 2

10:30 – 11:00 a.m., Opening Ceremonies
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Qualifying Matches (No matches during Lunch, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.)

Sunday, March 3

9:30 – 10:00 a.m., Opening Ceremonies
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Qualifying Matches
12:30 – 1:00 p.m., Alliance Selections
1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Lunch
2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Playoff Matches & Awards Ceremony

For elementary aged children, there’s also the Next Gen event from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The event will be upstairs–above Penn’s Main Arena–in the Fitness Center. This event is open to all children, not just P-H-M students. Children have the opportunity to do hands-on STEM activities, even operate a robot! Click here for pictures from last year’s event.

This year’s game is CRESCENDO^SM presented by Haas; click here to view a video about the game. FIRST^© Robotics Competition teams will use their STEM skills and creative power to turn up the volume as they design, build, and program their robots for action-packed game play. Watch the game animation to inspire ideas.

During our 2023-2024 arts-inspired robotics season, FIRST^® IN SHOW^SM presented by Qualcomm, FIRST Robotics teams will celebrate the roles STEM skills play in the arts and design, and how these skills help build a world of endless possibilities for students. Click here to learn more about FIRST^® IN and the District event being held at Penn High School.

One Book, One School Information

“Jack, The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk” has been selected as the book for Mary Frank’s One Book, One School program this year!

Click here to view the program materials or scroll to the bottom of the page.

“All his life, Jack has longed for an adventure, so when giants turn up in the neighbor’s cabbage patch, he is thrilled! Soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow. The kingdom of giants is full of super-sized fun: puddings to swim in, spoons to use as catapults, monster toads to carry off pesky little sisters. . . .

But Jack and Annabella are on a mission. The king of the giants has taken something that belongs to them, and they’ll do anything—even dive into a smelly tureen of green bean soup—to get it back.”

One Book, One School Information

Click around on the beanstalk below for the official calendar, at home projects, author information, audio recordings and more! 👇👇👇

5th gr. Teachers Lexie Banks & Erin Horvath Win PHM Impact Awards

Today (Friday, September 15, 2023) Penn-Harris-Madison’s Learning Division awarded their first Teacher Impact Awards. New this year, the P-H-M Impact Award is being presented to educators who have helped their students achieve individual academic growth on their formative assessments over time. All P-H-M teachers across the district are dedicated to helping their students achieve personal academic success. The P-H-M Impact Award is shining the spotlight on those teachers who are showing the most significant overall student growth during the 2022-2023 school year (Round 1 of Awards). These teachers are prime examples of how our teachers and students achieve P-H-M Excellence!

The first Impact Awards were awarded to the 5th grade co-teaching team of Lexie Banks and Erin Horvath at Mary Frank Elementary School! With the help of Principal Christie Heerschop Assistant Superintendent Dr. Heather Short was joined by Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Dr. Lavon Dean-Null, Ryan Towner, and Executive Director of the P-H-M Education Foundation Jen Turnblom surprised Banks and Horvath. P-H-M is grateful to the Education Foundation for covering the cost of these beautiful awards. Click to see photos on Facebook.

Banks and Horvath had the two highest Math growth scores for 5th grade in P-H-M. Banks’s Class went from 3% proficiency at the beginning of 2022 school year (Clear Sight), to 97% proficiency on the Spring 2023 ILEARN. Horvath’s class went from 5% to 90% proficiency. Banks’ class had a gain of 94% and Horvath’s 85%! The average 5th Math grade gain across P-H-M 5th grade was 50%.

As a side note, Horvath’s classroom was Dr. Thacker’s room when he taught at Mary Frank!

Next P-H-M Administrators traveled to Discovery Middle School to surprise 7th grade Math teacher Emma Zerfas. Her students had the highest consistent 7th grade Math growth of all 7th grade Math teachers in P-H-M’s three middle schools. Zerfas’ students averaged 47% growth in proficiency; the
average P-H-M proficiency growth was 28%. Click to see photos on Facebook.

DMS Zerfas 9-15-23

The Teacher Impact Awards are also a testament to the hard work and outstanding learning and comprehension of our students and the support they receive from their families. That’s P-H-M’s Triangle of Success!

This was only Round 1 of surprising teachers with the Impact Awards. There are many P-H-M teachers to recognize in the days, weeks and months ahead!

2022 One-day Penn Winter Dance/Poms CampArchived

Students in grades PreK – 8^th can take advantage of a one-day Penn Dance Clinic.

DATE: Saturday, December 3, 2022

TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
(Pre-K and K 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

LOCATION: Penn High School Fitness Center (Enter through Door D)

COST: $40 (Pre-K & Kindergarten),
$50 (1st-8th grades)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY! Please register by Friday, November 25, 2022 so t-shirts can be ordered. Late registration could result in no t-shirt.

PERFORMANCE: Students will perform that evening at a Penn Boys Basketball Game TBD.

JV Game: PreK – 2^nd Grade
Varsity Game: Grades 3^rd – 8th

Homecoming Weekend Set for September 23rd & 24thArchived

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

Friday, September 23^rd, 2022

P-H-M Education Foundation Family Fun Zone

Time 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE!
Location: Behind Penn High School in the Door E Parking Lot / West of TCU Freed Field
Inflatables
Food Trucks
Penn Teacher Dunk Tank
Voting for parade costumes and floats

*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

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

Penn Harris Madison COVID-19 Vaccination ClinicArchived

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation considers the health and safety of our school community as a top priority. The FDA has issued an extension of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), allowing the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 5 years of age and older. As such, in conjunction with the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, we are offering a free COVID-19 Vaccination clinic for all students, staff, and parents/guardians.

This voluntary event is being held after school hours as a convenience for those families wishing to participate. P-H-M recognizes and respects family decisions in regards to non-IDOH immunization requirements.

Who can get the vaccine?

The vaccine is now available for children 5 – 11 and everyone age 12 and older. For the scheduled dates, we are providing an opportunity for any P-H-M student, parent/guardian, and staff member eligible to be vaccinated with their first dose, second dose, or booster shots to those already vaccinated.
Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for the ages 5-11 age group at this time. Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are needed to provide full immunization. The first one primes the immune system, helping it to recognize the virus, and the second one strengthens the immune response. If the vaccine you received requires two doses, you should receive both doses, the second dose for this age group being 3 weeks after the first dose. An individual is considered fully protected 2-weeks after the second/last dose.

When will the vaccinations be offered?

Tuesday, January 18th, 5-7:30 p.m.

Where will the vaccinations be offered?

The walk-up clinic will take place at Schmucker Middle School
Please enter through Door C (see map). Please note that this is the same door as the previous clinics.
Address:
Schmucker Middle School
56045 Bittersweet Rd. Mishawaka 46545.

Keynotes about the vaccine for ages 5 -11?

All children in the eligible group of ages 5-11 will have to be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Children ages 5 through 11 years receive one-third of the adult dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are used for children ages 5 through 11 years.
COVID-19 vaccine dosage does not vary by patient weight but by age on the day of vaccination.
Your child will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine three weeks after their first shot.
The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to the experience of getting routine vaccines. Use the tips to support your child before, during, and after routine vaccinations when getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Registration Form (needed for 1st dose Only):

Pre Registration will NOT be required. Individuals will be served in the order in which they arrive.
If possible, please print off and complete the registration before arrival.
LINK: Registration (English)
Although there is NO COST to the participants, St. Joseph Health Systems asks that you please bring your insurance cards & state-issued IDs to help the registration process. If you do not have insurance, you will not be turned away.

If the dates or times won’t work for my family, how can I sign up to get vaccinated elsewhere?

Vaccine Information and Sign-up Links

P-H-M Named 2024 Best Community for Music Education

April 8 Solar Eclipse Information

Mrs. Harcus Wins PHM Impact Award

2024 Penn Musical, “The Music Man”

FIRST-IN District Robotics Competition, March 2 & 3

One Book, One School Information

5th gr. Teachers Lexie Banks & Erin Horvath Win PHM Impact Awards

2022 One-day Penn Winter Dance/Poms CampArchived

Homecoming Weekend Set for September 23rd & 24thArchived

Friday, September 23rd, 2022

Saturday, September 24th, 2022

Penn Harris Madison COVID-19 Vaccination ClinicArchived

Friday, September 23^rd, 2022