Race day for the annual Running is Elementary, sponsored by P-H-M’s Education Foundation, was a little windy, but gorgeous: just enough sunshine, just enough warmth, and the raindrops held off until all the races were over.

This year was one of the biggest yet with 700+ students from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools.

The one mile run is held at Penn’s Cross-country course, which is located behind Elm Road Elementary School. 

Fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to sign up for the free running club. Designated coaches at each school then train with the runners for the 6-week club culminating in the one mile race. More than 700 students participated this year!

This picture of two 4th grade runners exemplifies what RIE is all about. 

These two boys were running neck and neck all the way to the finish line vying for first place.

After the race, the Disney boy (dark navy t-shirt) went out of his way to find the Moran runner (pink shirt) so they could take a picture together.

The students being from two different schools had never met before, but in that moment, it didn’t matter.

Running is Elementary not only teaches students about fitness and wellness, it also teaches them sportsmanship, connection and the importance of supporting and celebrating each other!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the students who participated! Click to see the list below of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners only for the four races. The list shows finish times listed by bib number and school. Parents should contact their school coach for their child’s specific time.

What makes this event so special is that students are cheered on by their fellow students, families, teachers, running coaches, principals, PHM School Board members and administrators, principals, and other PHM staff members. A photo gallery sample is below, but click here to visit the full photo gallery in the Education Foundation’s Canto photo portal.

Race Results:

5^th Grade Girls Winners

1. 06:49.07, Bib # 244, Northpoint
2. 06:50.53, Bib # 235, Northpoint
3. 07:05.08, Bib # 187, Mary Frank

School Team Rankings:

1. Horizon
2. Mary Frank
3. Northpoint

5th Grade Boys Winners

1. 06:14.75, Bib # 597, Northpoint
2. 06:16.06, Bib # 650, Madison
3. 06:29.29, Bib # 590, Northpoint

School Team Rankings:

1. Northpoint
2. Horizon
3. Elm Road

4th Grade Girls Winners

1. 07:06.27, Bib # 62, Horizon
2. 07:30.09, Bib # 31, Elm Road
3. 07:31.47, Bib # 75, Mary Fran

School Team Rankings:

1. Prairie Vista
2. Northpoint
3. Bittersweet

4th Grade Boys Winners:

1. 06:34.34, Bib # 438, Walt Disney
2. 06:34.73, Bib # 392, Moran
3. 06:48.85, Bib # 402, Northpoint

School Team Rankings:

1. Northpoint
2. Bittersweet
3. Elm Road

Here’s a breakdown of the shirt colors:

Thank you to Cindy Batalis (physical education teacher at Mary Frank Elementary School) whose own love for running and her desire to pass that love on is the passion and brain child behind Running is Elementary. Thank you to all the PHM teachers, running coaches, school staff, and Penn Cross Country student-athletes who help out every year, along with P-H-M Education Foudation Board members and volunteers.

Thank you PHMEF and all their amazing sponsors that make this event possible for our students:

• Martin’s donated the post race snacks
• Royal Excursion donated transportation to auxiliary parking lots
• Benchmark Family Services helped PHMEF offset costs
• Culver’s provided gift baskets for a prize drawing
• Kona Ice and Tom’s Coffee did givebacks 
• Attorney Katy Wrona was also a sponsor

2026 Running is Elementary will be held Monday, May 4 (Rain Date Wednesday, May 6) at Elm Road Elementary School, 59400 Elm Rd, Mishawaka.

Timeline of Events:

• 2:50 p.m. – Introductions
• 3:00 p.m. – 5th gr. Girls Race
• 3:20 p.m. – 5th gr. Boys Race
• 3:40 p.m. – 4th gr. Girls Race
• 4:00 p.m. – 4th gr. Boys Race

Parking Information:

• Elm Road will be filled first before using Grissom Middle School, 13881 Kern Rd., Mishawaka
• Family/Spectator parking at the bottom of Elm Road School as space allows. This area will be primarily be for principals, coaches, and volunteers

ALL Runners need to be picked up no later than 4:30 at Elm Road. Runners may leave following completion of their grade’s run by checking out with the coach. 

RAIN DATE: Principals will be notified by Noon on Monday and information will be posted on elementary schools’ website along with P-H-M & Education Foundation website PHMEF.org 

We’re Accepting Applications for the
2026-27 School Year

Click to learn more about P-H-M and why you should join our family.

Exceptional teaching and collaboration were on full display at Mary Frank Elementary School as two teachers were surprised with a P-H-M Teacher Impact Award.

Fourth-grade co-teachers Rachel Kelleher and Nicole Greene earned the recognition after their students achieved the highest overall growth in 4th grade ELA from Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2 across the P-H-M School Corporation. In addition, Mrs. Kelleher’s students also recorded the highest overall growth in 4th grade Math during the same assessment window.

Superintendent Dr. Heather Short and Mary Frank Elementary Principal Christie Heerschop joined district leaders in surprising the teachers and students in their classrooms to celebrate the achievement, recognizing the hard work, consistency, and instructional focus that led to the impressive results.

Thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation for providing the beautiful engraved awards that the teachers keep in their classrooms as a reminder of what they and their students accomplished.

The P-H-M Teacher Impact Awards honor educators whose classrooms demonstrate exceptional academic growth and student success.

Click to see the full photo gallery in Canto.

Penn-Harris-Madison is pleased to be able to offer enrollment to non-resident students on a limited basis for the 2026-27 school year.

Families living in neighboring school districts interested in having their elementary children attend a P-H-M elementary school can apply for that opportunity.

The window to apply for available non-resident seats will open Monday, March 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. and close on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. 

On March 2 at 8:30 a.m., P-H-M will post the schools, grades and number of seats available for the upcoming school year. Families must complete an online application between March 2 – 20.

The NRS application will be posted on www.phmschools.org/non-resident-student-enrollment/ on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.

There is no first-come, first-served advantage. 

📍 Penn High School | 🗓 March 7–8, 2026
🎟 Admission: Free

Penn High School will host a FIRST Indiana Robotics District Competition on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, 2026. The competition will take place in the Main Arena and feature more than 40 teams from across Indiana.

Click here to see a photo gallery of last year’s competition.

📅 Event Schedule

Saturday, March 7

• 10:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies

• All Day – Qualification Matches

• @7:00 p.m. – Competition concludes

Sunday, March 8

• 9:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies

• 2:00–5:00 p.m. – Playoff Matches & Awards

🤖 About the Competition

• Theme: FIRST AGE (Archaeology)

• Game: REBUILT

• This event serves as a qualifier for the FIRST Indiana Robotics Championship
  (April 17–19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds)

• Top teams may advance to the FIRST Robotics World Championships

👉 Click here for more information on the REBUILT game

🚗 Parking & Entry

• Parking: Penn High School parking lots: Main, Softball, Soccer; and across the street at Schmucker Middle School

• Spectator Entrance: Door D (northwest corner of the school)

🍔 Food & Amenities

• Food trucks available both days

• Spectator-friendly event for all ages

Come cheer on Indiana’s best student engineers and experience innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving in action!

This registration opportunity is for families who

1. Live within the P-H-M district AND
2. Have students who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2026.

Registration will take place at the schools during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in most cases. The offices at Elsie Rogers Elementary School and Moran Elementary School will take registrations from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A parent or guardian must appear in person to register their child. 

Click here for more registration forms and more details on P-H-M Kindergarten Registration.

Penn-Harris-Madison also operates two preschool programs: Early Learning Academy (ELA) and Penn PALS. 

ELA registration for the 2026-27 school year also opens Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Click here to learn more about ELA.

Penn PALS registration for the 2026-27 school year has not opened yet.

If you are a not a P-H-M resident and you are interested in enrolling your kindergartner, please click here for more information on our non-resident lottery.

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted unanimously this morning to appoint Mrs. Jennifer (Jen) Smoker to fill the Penn Township Seat #1 vacancy created by the resignation of Matthew Chaffee in early October. 

A long-time resident and active community volunteer, Mrs. Smoker is a dedicated P-H-M parent of four children attending district schools. Her service and advocacy for students and staff have been felt across the district and throughout the greater community.

Mrs. Smoker currently serves on the P-H-M Education Foundation (PHMEF) Board of Directors, where she has chaired the Grants Committee since 2019. In that role, she helps oversee the process of awarding teacher and school grants that enhance learning, spark innovation, and promote excellence in all 15 P-H-M schools. She also supports PHMEF’s fundraising events and community partnerships that benefit students across the district.

Beyond her PHMEF service, Mrs. Smoker is deeply involved in several community organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for Granger Community Church, where she helps guide strategic planning and budget oversight; chairs the Grissom Middle School PTO Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships to Penn High School seniors; and previously served as Board Secretary for Jr. Irish Soccer Club and Development Chair for Girls on the Run Michiana. Through these roles, she has combined her love of youth development, leadership, and service—supporting programs that build character, confidence, and connection.

Professionally, Mrs. Smoker brings two decades of business leadership and creative experience. A graduate of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, she began her career as an Account Executive for major advertising firms in Detroit and Chicago, managing national brands such as Lincoln/Mercury and Quaker Oats. In 2003, she founded and operated CardCare.com, an online greeting card company she successfully led for 20 years.

“Mrs. Smoker’s commitment to servant leadership and her deep connection to our schools make her an outstanding addition to the Board,” said Board President Christopher Riley. “She has demonstrated her heart for P-H-M through years of volunteerism and community involvement and will bring a strong parent perspective to the table.”

Superintendent Dr. Heather Short added, “Jen’s energy, insight, and collaborative leadership reflect the very best of P-H-M’s Triangle of Success—students, teachers, and parents working together. Her service to our schools and community exemplifies P-H-M Excellence.”

Arrangements will be made with the P-H-M Board Attorney for Mrs. Smoker to take her Oath of Office. She will serve through the remainder of the current term, which expires in 2026. She may choose to run for election to the ensuing four-year term in the November 2026 general election.

Mrs. Smoker was chosen from five applicants. The other four candidates were John “Todd” Douthit, Brandon M. Kastner, William “Matt” Ludwig, and Ryan C. Woodruff (click here for their resumes). Public interviews of these applicants took place during a special board meeting held Tuesday, October 28th. President Riley said the decision to fill the vacancy was a difficult one, as all five candidates would have been excellent choices.

Click here for the process the Board of School Trustees followed for filling the vacancies.

P-H-M’s ENL Department is hosting their annual Community Connections Fair on Saturday, November 1st.

Join us for activities, arts & crafts, food, performances, and to learn about resources in our community. It is completely FREE and all P-H-M families are invited to attend. Click here to see photos on Facebook of past Fairs.

For any families that want to sign up to perform, please click here to fill out the Google form.

October is National Principals Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing short Q&As with each of our principals—giving you a glimpse into their leadership style, favorite parts of school life, and what drives their #PHMExcellence every day.

If you could swap places with a student for one day, what class or activity would you be most excited to participate in — and why?

I am so torn! I would join a Kindergarten class or our Early Learning Academy pre-K classroom! There is a lot of learning that happens, but also so much fun.

What’s your go-to morning routine (or must-have snack/coffee order) that helps you tackle the day?

I have a half-hour drive to and from school so I listen to audiobooks on my way in. Sometimes they’re “for fun” books and sometimes they’re professional books. Also – coffee…coffee…coffee.

What were you like as a middle or high school student — and what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

In high school, I was a good student, but probably talked too much! I played volleyball, softball, and worked on our yearbook. The piece of advice I’d give to myself would be to enjoy each and every day – the years tick by quickly!

If your job as a principal had a theme song, what song would be your walk up song–the one playing when you walked into school each day?

“Happy” – Pharrell Williams

What was your favorite school lunch or snack when you were a student? What is your favorite school lunch now as a principal?

As a student…PBJ! As a principal – protein bar and an apple! (so boring)

What’s one fun fact about you that most students or staff don’t know?

I skipped 8th grade…so I started high school when I was 13!

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies outside of school that might surprise people?

No hidden talents other than I’m ambidextrous. My hobbies are reading, baking, and visiting MLB ballparks.

What’s one thing on your bucket list you still hope to do one day?

Attend a World Series game or a Final Four game

What’s your favorite school tradition or event?

We have One Book One School every year, and I love it so much. It fosters a sense of community and shared experience among students and families, promotes literacy by encouraging a love for reading, strengthens the home-school connection, and provides a shared theme to unite students across different grade levels.

If you could describe your school in one word, what would it be?

Community