ISTEP and IREAD testing dates released. ISTEP Experience can help students prepare.

Parents of 3rd through 8th graders and Penn sophomores, the Indiana Department of Education has released the testing windows for ISTEP+ and IREAD for the 2015-2016 school year. ISTEP will begin in late February and IREAD in mid-March. Part 1 of ISTEP will be done with paper/pencil and Part 2 will be done online. 

New this year:  In preparation for 2016 ISTEP+, the IDOE has now made ISTEP+ “Experience” available through Pearson, allowing students and parents to experience various technology-enhanced item types that will appear on the ISTEP+ Part 2 assessment as often as they like from home, at school, or on mobile devices. “Experience” is presented via the Pearson online platform (TestNav 8) that will be used for ISTEP+ online testing, as well as IREAD-3 online testing. P-H-M families can access ISTEP+ “Experience” through the P-H-M District website, as well as through the link provided on the RESOURCES menu of every school website.

Indiana Statewide Testing of Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+ ) Grades 3-8, and 10*

                                                                           Window Begins                                              Window Ends

ISTEP+ Part 1 – paper/pencil                        February 29, 2016                                          March 11, 2016
(Applied Skills)

ISTEP+ Part 2 – online                                    April 18, 2016                                                  May 6, 2016
(Multiple-choice & Technology-Enhanced Items)

*New this year, high school sophomores will be required to take ISTEP

Indiana Reading And Evaluation Determination-3 (IREAD-3) Grade 3

IREAD-3                                                           March 14, 2016                                               March 18, 2016

For more information on the state assessment testing windows, please visit the Indiana Department of Education website, www.doe.in.gov/assessment.

Take the Speak Up survey – because your opinion counts!

 

 

Speak Up is a national research initiative that seeks to gather widespread input on the topic of educational technology.  

Each fall the Speak Up survey is posted online so students, parents, teachers, school staff, and the general public can share their views on technology in schools. 

 

The Speak Up survey has three primary objectives:

  • To provide a means for local schools and districts to easily and effectively listen to and act upon the ideas of their stakeholders
  • To provide a conduit for the voices of education stakeholders, most notably students, to inform national and state policies and programs
  • To stimulate new local discussions around the use of technology within education.

Survey results are typically released in February, and are important to those who shape educational policy, direct school finance, create curriculum, and implement technology in our schools.

Penn-Harris-Madison participates in the survey in part because we are recipients of a Digital Learning Grant that helps to fund our technology.  

Another reason we support Speak Up is because the results can be helpful in the development of our formal technology plans. Each P-H-M school develops and follows a 3-year technology plan that outlines its goals for educational technology and directs how resources may be spent to achieve those goals.

Here’s a link to learn more about the SPEAK UP survey and the agency that conducts the research, Project Tomorrow.  Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Speak Up here.

Or, you may want to just jump right in and take the survey!

Parents and community members CLICK HERE to TAKE THE SPEAK UP SURVEY NOW

The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete and you will not need to create an account. The survey will be open until December 18 and the link on this webpage will remain active until then. 

P-H-M staff and students will have opportunities to take their version of the Speak Up survey at school / at work through arrangements made in the coming weeks.

Mary Frank Picture Day

Wednesday, September 9th is Mary Frank’s Picture Day.  Student ordering information will be sent home on September 3rd .  Please contact the school office if you need additional information and forms. 

Looking Ahead to 2015-2016

 

As an “A”-rated school district, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation excels at providing an excellent education for our students! And the 2015-2016 School Year will be no different!

This year P-H-M has several new initiatives:

  • For the first time this year, 2,500 middle schoolers at Schmucker, Grissom and Discovery Middle Schools will receive Google Chrome Books! Last year, all 3,500 students at Penn High School received them. That makes 6,000 students in P-H-M with personal Chrome Books—more than half of our student population!
  • P-H-M’s Transportation Department is utilizing GPS tracking and the latest technology to help parents up-to-date with their child’s bus routing. Through the web-based  infoFinder i  and “Here Comes the Bus” website and smart phone app, P-H-M continues to provide great customer service to our families.
  • 130 Penn High School students are on track to be in the Graduation Cohort of 2019 of the Penn Academy of Early College. In this unique program, Penn High School has partnered with Ivy Tech Community College to offer a selection of courses, including dual credit courses, that can potentially earn a student college credits up to an Associate Degree by the time the student graduates. 
  • P-H-M continues to build community partnerships to help enhance the quality education, resources, along with extra and co-curricular activities we offer to our students. One such partnership is with Teacher’s Credit Union. On August 28, Penn High School’s football field, formerly known as Freed Field will be dedicated as TCU Freed Field. TCU will also work with P-H-M teachers and staff to provide financial education opportunities to our students and families.
  • In keeping with P-H-M’s Vision of Excellence, P-H-M established Exceptional Education, an in-house department whose goal is to provide special education services for students with identified needs. P-H-M’s goal is to provide an inclusive, cooperative, excellent education to ALL our students.
  • 100% of P-H-M teachers are rated “Effective” or “Highly Effective” by the state DOE standards and evaluations. This is because we invest in our teachers and educational staff by offering year round professional learning opportunities. This will continue to be an important initiative of P-H-M.

 

Highlights from 2014-2015:

Here’s a look back at the school district accomplishments achieved by our schools, students, teachers and staff from last school year:

  • P-H-M students perform in the top 5% of all Indiana districts on ISTEP+
  • P-H-M has seven Four Star schools, as named by the IDOE. They are: Horizon Elementary, Mary Frank Elementary, Prairie Vista Elementary, Northpoint Elementary, Discovery Middle, Grissom Middle, and Penn High School.
  • Prairie Vista Elementary School was named a finalist for the 2015 National Blue Ribbon School (announcement to come in the fall of 2015).
  • Northpoint Elementary School was ranked #27 in the nation among 70,000 schools by the organization TheBestSchools.org. Northpoint was cited for its academic performance, the strength and richness of its programs, and for earning National Blue Ribbon School status in 2010.
  • Discovery Middle School Science Teacher Shelia Toth was named P-H-M Teacher of the year and was nominated for 2015 Indiana Teacher of the Year (announcement to come in fall 2015).
  • Penn High School Principal Steve Hope was named Indiana District 2 High School Principal of the Year.
  • Penn High School ranks as the seventeenth best high school in the state by U.S. News and World Report, moving up from bronze to silver since the last U.S. News and World Report Ranking.
  • With a 97% graduation rate and a 90-25-90 rating by the IDOE, more than half of Penn High School’s graduating seniors receiving Academic Honors diplomas—a first for Penn High School—with a third earning High Honors, a distinction reserved for those with a 3.5 GPA or higher. Ninety-one graduates received Technical Honors diplomas, a tribute to the strength of the district’s STEM programs. Twelve seniors were named National Merit Finalists. There were 17 valedictorians and two salutatorians. Three seniors have earned coveted appointments to United States Military Academies. The combined value of their collegiate scholarships exceeds $8.5 million!
  • Over the Summer of 2015, Morgan Ludwig and Emma Moon, now rising seniors at Penn High, earned Congressional Award Gold Medals. Moon received her on honor on Capitol Hill from Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN, 2nd District). Ludwig received hers from Walorski at her Mishawaka District Office.  The United States Congress awards medals to ambitious young Americans who set and meet goals in four program areas: Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration.
  • Winning works of art by 13 Gold Key Scholastic Art Award winners from Penn were included and judged in the Scholastic Art Awards’ national exhibit.
  • The Black Knights, Penn High’s advanced robotic team, received the prestigious Chairman’s Award at state competition hosted by Indiana FIRST Robotics, then went on to represent Indiana in international competition.
  • The Baker's Dozen, a FIRST Lego League Robotics team made up of Horizon Elementary and Discovery Middle School students, attended the Razorback International Invitational at the University of Arkansas, competing against 71 teams from 31 states and 12 countries. The Baker's Dozen captured 1st place for Robot Strategy and Innovation, and earned a 4th place trophy in the Robot Game competition.
  • Penn High School TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science) did very well at national competition in June 2015: Penn’s 9/10 Team was named the Indiana State Champions; Penn’s 11/12 Team 1 brought home the 3rd place trophy in the Problem-Solving Competition; and Penn’s 11/12 Team 2, brought home the 2nd place trophy in the Written Competition. These students are coached by Mrs. Becky Tagliaferri.
  • Penn’s Spell Bowl Team won its 14th state championship with a perfect score of 90. The team is led by Mr. Pete DeKever and its success is based on the hard work of eighteen dedicated team members.
  • Schmucker Spell Bowl Team brought home the Spell Bowl State Championship for the third time in the school’s history. The team is led by Mrs. Sue Dale.
  • The Penn High School Symphonic Winds were awarded 1st place at ISSMA state finals, tying with Carmel. The Penn High Orchestra also did a tremendous job in the competition and judges awarded them a 6th place finish.
  • Penn Boys Baseball won the 4A State Championship and senior catcher Tim Lira was named the L.V. Phillips Attitute Award Winner.  This is the fourth state championship for head coach Greg Dikos, whose other big wins came in 1994, 1998 and 2001.
  • Penn Baseball coach Greg Dikos was named the Indiana Boys Coach of the Year by the South Bend Tribune.
  • Penn pitcher Skylar Szynski was chosen to represent the Chicago White Sox in the 2015 Area Code Baseball Games played in California in August 2015.
  • Penn Varsity Wrestling won the Team State Wrestling championship, after seven contenders advanced to state finals. The team championship is a celebrated first for Penn Wrestling.
  • Kobe Woods earned the Individual State Wrestling championship in his weight class. Penn last had an individual state champion wrestler in 1971.
  • Chase Osborn who earned the Individual State Wrestling Championship in his weight class, was the recipient of the Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award, issued by the Indiana High School Athletic Association, and also named MVP of NIC Wrestling.
  • Football coach Cory Yeoman was named Northern Indiana Conference Coach of the Year. He led the Kingsmen through a 12-1 season and on to the Class 6-A semi-state.
  • Penn Boys Rugby won the state championship, while Penn Girls Rugby took second place at the state tournament.  Penn Boys Rugby also competed and placed in the top ten at the national tournament.
  • Penn Softball coach Beth Zachary was named NIC Coach of the year.
  • Penn Girls Soccer coach Jeff Hart was named NIC Coach of the year and District I Coach of the Year by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association.
  • Penn Girls Cross Country coach Josh Fletcher was named NIC Coach of the year.
  • Penn Boys Tennis coach Eric Bowers was named NIC Coach of the year.
  • Penn Boys Golf coach Tony Polizzzotto was named NIC Coach of the year.
  • Penn High School is the Northern Indiana Conference All-Sports Award winner for the 21st consecutive year.
  • Thirty-nine Penn student-athletes signed letters of intent to attend colleges and universities across the country; 12 of them with Division 1 Schools.
  • Glenn Northern, Penn band director and head of Penn’s Fine Arts Academy, was presented Phi Beta Mu’s Outstanding Bandmaster Award by the Indiana Chapter of the International Bandmaster’s Fraternity.
  • Superintendent Jerry Thacker was chosen by Indiana University South Bend to receive the 2015 IUSB Distinguished Alumni Award. He was recognized for his accomplishments at the May commencement ceremony.
  • Sean Galiher, principal of Schmucker Middle School, was named by the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce to the 2015 class of “Forty Under 40” as a young professional who’s making a difference.
  • Tom Hartman, Director of Facilities, was named the 2015 Indiana Support Professional of the Year by IASBO (Indiana Assn. of School Business Officials). 

A Great Start to a New School Year!

Alarm clocks were set early. The weather cooperated beautifully. Children got themselves ready for school while parents snapped photos. Then the yellow buses started to roll and School Year 2015-2016 was underway!

Today was the first day of school for grades 1-12 at Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. We welcomed back more than 10,600 students to our 15 schools. About 700 kindergartners, members of the future Class of 2028, attended orientation sessions with their parents and families getting prepared for their first day tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 20. And close to 800 seniors, making up the Class of 2016, followed a Gold Day schedule at Penn High School.

We want to see all your “1st Day of School” photos. We asked parents, families and high school students to snap, tag ‪and share their pictures on Facebook and Twitter using #‎PHMBACK2SCHOOL. Go to our channels or check out our picture gallery on the home page to get a glimpse.

The start of school also means new faces at the front of the classroom as well! Last week, we also welcomed more than 50 new teachers to P-H-M. Click here to see their friendly faces.

Thank you to ALL our students, parents, teachers and staff for all the great pictures. Here’s to a great year!

Parent Information Nights

Mary Frank Parents wanting to learn more about their child’s grade level expectations and curriculum are invited to attend our Parent Information Nights in September.  Our meetings are on the following dates and times: 

Kindergarten – 2nd grade parent meetings are on Tuesday, September 8th at 6:00 p.m.

3rd – 5th grade parent meetings are on Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m.

Girls grades 3-8 can join the Penn Girls Basketball League!

Girls in grades 3 through 8 are invited to be part of a community-sponsored girls basketball league run by PHS girls varsity basketball coach, Kristi Kaniewski Ulrich.

JUNIOR LEAGUE is for girls in grades 3 through 6.  

SENIOR LEAGUE is offered for girls in grades 7 and 8.

Sign-up takes place on Sunday, August 30 in the Penn High School Arena from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.​

The league begins on Sunday, September 13.

This is a great opportunity to learn the game, pick up skills, build fitness and make friends!

Click here to access the informational flyers and the registration form.

Learn about and join P-H-M’s FIRST LEGO League!

Calling all parents of P-H-M students in grades 4-8th … is your child interested in robotics?

Does your child love playing with LEGOs®?

Then P-H-M’s FIRST® LEGO® League is your answer!

WHO:                   4th-8th grade P-H-M students, families, elementary and middle school teachers

WHAT:                 FIRST® LEGO® League (sponsored by Penn Robotics, Team 135)

WHEN:                 Wednesday, August 5
                              7:00 p.m.

WHERE:               Penn High School, Door J
                              56100 Bittersweet Rd Mishawaka, IN  46545

P-H-M’s FIRST® LEGO® League is sponsored by Penn Robotics, Team 135. Penn’s team was a 2015 Indiana District-Kokomo City winner of the FIRST® Robotics Competition; Penn’s team also won the Chairman’s award. FIRST® LEGO® League is a national program that introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. This year’s challenge will be Trash Trek: discovering the hidden world of garbage!

In FLL, elementary and middle-school students (ages 9-14) get to:

  • Design, build, test and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology

  • Apply real-world math and science concepts

  • Research challenges facing today’s scientists

  • Learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills

  • Participate in tournaments and celebrations

What FLL teams accomplish is nothing short of amazing. It’s fun. It’s exciting.  And participants learn skills that will last a lifetime.

Come learn all about joining P-H-M’s FIRST® LEGO® League. Register, find out about the resources and get the season timeline.

Back to school immunization requirements for 2015-2016

The first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 19 and that means along with school supplies, parents also need to make sure their children are up-to-date on their immunizations.

A record of your child’s immunizations are due to your student’s health office on or by the first day of school. All P-H-M schools are open to the public beginning Wednesday, Aug. 5 (7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.). You can drop off the records at the schools between Aug. 5 and Aug. 19.

Please find the list of required immunizations by grade levels listed below …

For incoming Kindergarten students:

  • 3 Hep B
  • 5 DTaP (4 doses are acceptable if the fourth dose was administered on or after the 4th birthday)
  • 4 Polio (the 3rd dose must be given on or after the 4th birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose with only one type of vaccine used, all OPV or all IPV. Final 4th dose must be given on or after the 4th birthday and administered at least 6 months after the previous dose).
  • 2 MMR
  • 2  Varicella
  • 2 Hep A

 

Additional immunizations needed for incoming 6th grade students:

  • 1 Tdap (Tetanus & Pertussis)
  • 1st dose of MCV4 (Meningococcal conjugate)
     

Additional immunizations needed for incoming 12th grade students:

  • 2nd dose of MCV4 (Meningococcal conjugate)


Immunizations may be obtained from your family doctor, St. Joseph County Health Department, or other area clinics. Please call the school health office for resources.

For more information on state immunization requirements, please visit the P-H-M Healthcare Services webpage on our site.

 

Posted July 17, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. EDT

Back to School Information

 

Elementary student on first day of school

We’re thrilled to welcome back all of our 11,000+ students and are excited to help all our students achieve Excellence.

The first day of school will be Wednesday, August 20, 2025 for grades 1 – 12.

  • All students in 1st through 12th grades will report to their school buildings that day, and all those who are signed up for transportation services may ride the bus that day.  
  • Kindergarten orientation takes place on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 with the first full day of kindergarten being Thursday, August 21st.

BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS. MARK CALENDAR & ATTEND! 

  • Our elementary schools are hosting many fun Back to School family events starting the week of August 11. Check your school’s Google calendar on its website or be on the lookout from communication directly from your school principal. 
  • All three Middle Schools are also planning a Walk-Around on Thursday, August 14th. Check the school’s Google calendar on its website or be on the lookout from communication directly from your school principal. Make sure you mark your calendar and plan to attend!
  • Penn is hosting a “Walk Around” to help parents and students get familiar with the school:
    • Penn High School’s “WALK AROUND” on Saturday, August 16, from 9 a.m. – Noon gives students a chance to familiarize themselves with the school and find where their classes and activities are located.

The BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION listed below will help P-H-M parents and students get ready for the 2025-26 School Year! 

CONTACTING SCHOOLS OVER THE SUMMER

REGISTERING STUDENTS

  • Register a new elementary or middle school student by visiting the school after offices open August 4, 2025. Click here to know what documentation you need to bring with you for registration.
  • Register a new Penn High School student by calling (574) 254-2851. We will help you schedule your registration appointment and advise you on what information to bring with you to the appointment.  

BACK TO SCHOOL PACKETS & FORMS

  • Back to School packet & information sheets
  • Parent/guardians will sign these three forms in ParentSquare:
    • Photo Consent
    • Mandatory Curriculum Consent
    • Handbook Certification   
  • These forms will be in Skyward Family Access:
    • CHIRP Release
    • Chromebook packet
    • Authorization to administer non-prescription medication at school
  • Back to School Info Sheets

Click here for more information on how to login into your Skyward Family Access account

SCHOOL CALENDARS

  • Here is the SY 2025-26 one-page calendar showing “at a glance” the start and end dates, as well as scheduled recess and vacation dates.
  • All P-H-M families are mailed a District Activities Calendar early August. It lists key school and district events throughout the year. Click here to view a PDF version.
  • Our online (Google) calendars are the most up-to-date. You’ll find a link to the P-H-M Corporate Calendar posted on the home page of the District website. It’s a Google calendar that can be added to your personal calendar.
  • Each school also maintains an online Google calendar on the home page of each school website that is updated frequently with the school’s scheduled activities and event details. You can also the school’s Google calendar to your personal calendar to remember important dates.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

  • All P-H-M schools provide basic school supplies to our students, free of charge. Therefore, our schools do not issue supply lists. You will need to purchase a backpack, water bottle, lunch box, and other items you want your child to have at home or take with them to school. If other specific items need to be purchased for a class or lab, your child’s teacher will inform you after school starts.  

IMMUNIZATIONS AND HEALTHCARE SERVICES

  • Click here to make sure you child is up-to-date with all required immunizations. 
  • Proof of immunizations must be provided to the school office by the first day of school.
  • Kindergarten parents, please click here to learn about important kindergarten health information and medical forms before your kindergartner’s first day of school. 
  • Click here for the forms administering medications at school
  • Click here for more information on P-H-M Healthcare Services 

TRANSPORTATION

  • School bus route times and locations will be shared with parents in a Transportation letter to be emailed before school starts
  • Parents can check EZRouting to see your child’s bus route information online
  • Here Comes the Bus provides real time GPS bus location info so parents know when to send their students out to the bus stop
  • Have more questions about Transportation? Visit their webpage for contact information.

FOOD SERVICE

PARENTSQUARE

  • Penn-Harris-Madison uses ParentSquare to send urgent alerts, such as school closings and delays.
  • Principals and teachers also use it for noncurricular school and classroom communications.
  • Click here for instructions on setting up your account.
  • Once your account is set up, families can chose their preferred mode of communication for non-urgent notifications–app, text, email, phone. You can also chose to have all communications automatically translated to your preferred first language. Click here for details on how to personalize your account and check your notification settings.

CLOSINGS/DELAYS PROCEDURES

 

PHM's Triangle of SuccessPenn-Harris-Madison’s culture of excellence, what we call #PHMExcellence, is built upon the “Triangle of Success”– linking students, teachers, and parents for the the best outcome for students. Success depends on supportive parents … help us help your children!

PARENTS Click here for ways to stay informed, as well getting connected and volunteering.