The Food Service Department of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2018.

FREE MEALS will be available to children 18 years of age and under, or persons more than 18 who are determined by a state or local public education agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or non-profit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled. 

The program will operate Monday through Friday. All sites will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.

Please click here for more information and a complete list of sites and dates.

After 14 years with P-H-M, Principal Deb Hildreth will retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year. During Principal Hildreth’s time at Mary Frank Elementary, the school was a recipient of the Indiana Four Star School Award five times, most recently in 2015.

Principal Hildreth was honored at the P-H-M Employee & Retiree Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, May 15 for her years of faithful and dedicated service to the students and families of Mary Frank Elementary School. In her retiree comments, Principal Hildreth recounted one of her favorite Mary Frank moments, “My favorite memory was at an end-of a-year Positive Behavior Assembly when our staff took over the final assembly with a flash mob dance. The time spent with staff practicing, laughing at ourselves while learning the dance and just building comradery was such fun, and the look in our students’ faces made our effort so worth it!”

On April 18, P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker visited with Mary Frank staff to thank Principal Hildreth for years of service and to introduce them to Christie Heerschop, Mary Frank’s new principal.

Christie Heerschop, current Assistant Principal at Schmucker Middle School, has been appointed as Mary Frank’s new principal. Mrs. Heerschop joined the P-H-M administrative team last August, from Elkhart Community Schools, when she was appointed as one of Schmucker's two Assistant Principals. Mrs. Heerschop has 24 years of experience, spending 19 years in the classroom, both in special education and general education prior to moving into administration. She holds a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Indiana University at South Bend.

We thank Principal Hildreth for her year’s of service at Mary Frank and P-H-M and welcome our new principal Mrs. Heerschop this coming school year, 2018-19!

The annual P-H-M Employee & Retiree Recognition Dinner was held Tuesday, May 15. This year 47 faithful and dedicated P-H-M teachers and staff members retired, some of those from Mary Frank. Those that attended the dinner were recognized by Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and School Board President Chris Riley.

These are the names that retired from Mary Frank:

• Tonja D’Haenens, Media Aide, 25 years (click to read retirement reflection)
• Cathleen Gage, Teacher, 20 years
• Deb Hildreth, Principal, 14 years (click to read the story)
   

Service Awards were also given to employees who have dedicated 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 years of service to Penn-Harris-Madison. Click here for a full list of this year’s Service Award employees. Click here to view the full photo gallery of Service Award Winners and Retirees.

We thank all our employees for their years of faithful service to P-H-M students and families!

The P-H-M DVT & Planetarium is now proud to offer online ticket purchasing, seat reservation & online payment through the P-H-M RevTrak Web Store. 

Click here to pick your seats and purchase them online today!

There are three shows left for the rest of the 2017-18 school year, take advantage of this new online feature today to see these last three shows:

• Wed., May 9, 6:30 p.m.:  EGYPT: SECRETS OF THE MUMMIES
• Wed., May 16, 6:30 p.m.: SPACEPARK  360
• Wed., May 24, 6:30 p.m.: SUMMER NIGHT SKY

To get more details on the P-H-M DVT & Planetarium, please visit www.phmschools.org/dvt.

This inaugural year for the P-H-M Education Foundation’s Silver Mile new format … the Bubble Bash … was a huge success! Click here to see the full photo gallery below.

Hundreds of P-H-M students, family, teachers and staff turned out Saturday, May 5 at Penn High School for the morning non-timed 5K walk/run through the neighborhoods behind Penn. More than 1,500 enjoyed the gorgeous and warm weather and bubbles!

There was lots of pre-race activities to get the runners warmed up, including a School Spirit Contest and Zumba!

After the race, runners enjoyed post-race snacks donated by Whole Foods and Hacienda Restaurants and browsed through the Health & Fitness Expo in Penn’s Cafeteria. Free health screenings were offered by presenting sponsor Saint Joseph Health System, along with numerous businesses showcasing their health-related items.  More than 100 items were up for bid at the silent auction, including Penn High School parking spaces and front-row graduation seats. And families were treated to P-H-M’s talented students participating in the Silver Mile Talent Showcase inside the Main Arena. 

Thank you to all the sponsors including St. Joseph Health System, ABC 57, Sunny 101.5, Drive & Shine, and many others.

The Silver Mile Run for Education raises funds to provide innovative grants that fall outside the P-H-M school district’s budget. It remains the Foundation’s largest fundraiser in its 13th year.  We look forward to seeing you in May 2019!

*Please see the photo gallery below. To download a high resolution jpg file from the photo gallery, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function.

It was a gorgeous day for the 10^th annual “Running is Elementary.” Most years, 4^th and 5^th grade students from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools are fighting the elements of wind, rain, sleet or snow … but not this year!

Almost 700 students  participated in the 1 mile run on the Penn cross-country course located behind Elm Road School on Monday, April 30. Please click to see the photo gallery below.

The fun event encourages fitness and wellness. Fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to sign up for the free running club. Designated coaches at each school are then tasked with training the runners for the 6-week club which then culminates with the Running is Elementary Race. Cheered on by their families, principals, teachers and running coaches it’s amazing to see the dedication and hard work the students put in to complete the race. “Running Buddies” accompany those students who may need their extra assistance and/or encouragement.

Cindy Batalis (P-H-M’s 2009 Teacher of the Year and physical education teacher at Horizon Elementary) began the yearly tradition of Running Is Elementary back in 2008. Batalis’ own love for running and her desire to pass that love on to students is evident in the passion she puts into the Running is Elementary event each year. “This is a thrill! All the kids out here running today are out here making a positive step to healthy habits and we celebrate all of them. It's a true community event!"

The top times for the 2018 Running Is Elementary Race were as follows:

5^th grade Boys

BIB# 99
Elm Road School
Time: 5:59
 

5th grade Girls Winner

BIB# 190
Horizon
Time: 6:43 
 

4^th grade Boys

BIB# 429
Meadow's Edge
Time: 6:05
 

4^th grade Girls

BIB# 171
Elsie Rogers
Time: 6:51

It was particularly heartwarming when the whole crowd got behind one special runner to cheer him on 4th grade Horizon student Mikan Gensic, son of Penn Biology Teacher John Gensic. Mikan took everything in stride and didn't even seem to be tired when he was done. He even had to be talked into getting his complimentary bottle of water and frozen Urban Swirl cup!

All runners are to be congratulated for their efforts and hard work!!

A big thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation and Corporations for Education for sponsoring the event!

Sponsors for the 2018 event:

Presenting sponsor – Corporations for Education

Royal Excursion and Gaylor Electric

After Race Snack Donations:

Urban Swirl and B&B Organics

Be sure to sign up to run in the P-H-M Education Foundation’s Silver Mile Bubble Bash this Saturday, May 5. Click to register online today!

Please see the photo gallery below. To download a high resolution jpg file from the photo gallery, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function.

When Indiana’s primary election takes place Tuesday, May 8, 2018, Mary Frank Elementary School will house a polling center, as it has in the past.

Voting will take place in the hallway at Door F and parking will be in the back of Mary Frank near the tennis courts. Voters will not be allowed passage into the students’ area. 

Other P-H-M schools that will serve as voting locations in this spring election are Penn High School, Schmucker Middle School, Meadow’s Edge Elementary School, Prairie Vista Elementary School, and Walt Disney Elementary School. Of course registered voters may only use the polling location that serves their precinct, based on home address.  Here is a link to the precincts maps and polling location information provided by St. Joseph County.

Mark your calendars!

Community Connections Fair

Saturday, April 21, 2018

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Walt Disney Elementary School

In an effort to expand outreach to the families of all of our ENL students (grades K-12), P-H-M’s ENL Services is hosting a community resource fair to make families aware of the services not only available within the district, but also in the Mishawaka and South Bend areas. Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.

Click here to download a copy of the event flier in English. Copies are also available in Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

*Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view pdf documents. 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.

The registration deadline for Visual Arts Academy (grades K-5) and Learn a Foreign Language (grades 6 & 7) has been extended through Friday, April 20. 

Both of these P-H-M sponsored camps offered through the Learning Division are FREE! The Visual Arts Academy is offered during these weeks: 

• July 9 – 13, 2018
• July 16 – 20, 2018
• July 23 – 27, 2018

Learn a Foreign Language is three week course offered July 9 – 27, 2018.

Please click the links above for camp details and to complete your child’s online camp registration today!