What parents need to know about ILEARN

Students in Grades 3-8 and students enrolled in Biology at Penn will take ILEARN Indiana’s, new computer-adaptive standardized test, this spring (April 22 – May 17) replacing the state’s previous test, ISTEP+. To see what subjects students will be tested per their grade level, please click to visit the IDOE website. 

To help parents better understand how their children will be tested and to help them prepare their students for the test, the IDOE has put together a quick one page guide. Click here to download the pdf copy.

The ISTEP+ Grade 10 assessment will be administered during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years. Click here for more information on the transition from the ISTEP+ Grade10 assessment to the College Entrance Exam.

IREAD-3 for Grade 3 will continue as is. Click for more details.

Starting this spring, the Indiana Department of Education will also transition to a new test to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and 10. IAM is the new summative accountability assessment. Click here for more details on IAM.

Click to view all the testing dates on the P-H-M Corporate Calendar or reference the 2018-19 P-H-M District Activities Wall Calendar.

DVT & Planetarium 2018-19 Show Schedule

The show schedule for the 2018-19 school year has been set, with the first show of the season kicking off on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 6:30. Click here for the full schedule.

Patrons are now able to reserve and purchase tickets online through the P-H-M ​RevTrak Web StoreMore  details online at www.phmschools.org/dvt.  

A Look at P-H-M First Days of School for 2018-19 School Year

The first day back for the school of the 2018-19 school year for Penn-Harris-Madison schools was Wednesday, August 22. Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and Penn Principal Sean Galiher were up early to do live interviews on local South Bend TV stations.

Dr. Thacker then began his annual 15 schools in 3 days tour. Longtime Board Member Larry Beehler accompanied Dr. Thacker on the first two days. Take a look at their visits …

Mary Frank New Teachers Class of 2018

Today was New Teacher Orientation for Penn-Harris-Madison. 

Mary Frank is welcoming 4 new teachers.

Click to get more details on P-H-M’s Penn's New Teacher Class of 2018.

2018-19 School Year Calendar of Activities

The 2018-19 District Activities Calendar will be mailed around August 9 and 10 to all P-H-M families. 

It lists key school and district events throughout the year. 

To get a jump start on your planning and to know all your schools’ important Back-to-School dates, click here to download a pdf copy.

Want a quick one pager of the 2018-19 School Year or want to import P-H-M’s Google Calendar to yours? Click here for more calendar and scheduling resources.

Penn Girls Basketball Fall League Sign-ups

If you are a hard worker, a team player, and want to get better at basketball, Penn Girls Basketball coach invites you to join the Penn Community Junior & Senior Girls Basketball family and be a part of a winning tradition.

This community-sponsored AAU league is developed for the Penn-Harris-Madison Communities and has been given permission to be named the Penn Community Girls Basketball League. 

The “Junior” League is open to girls in grades 3-6 . The “Senior” League is open to grades 7 & 8.

Sign-ups are Sunday, August 26 th in the Penn Arena from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Registering on time is essential to the organization of the league. A late fee of $10.00 will be assessed for signing up after August 26. No sign-ups will be accepted after Friday, August 31. No refunds will be given after league begins.

All practices and games will be held in school facilities within the Penn-Harris-Madison district. All games will be played on Sundays.

Game Times are:

  • 3rd & 4th grade league: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  • 5th & 6th grade league: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  • 7th & 8th grade league: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. & 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
     

The league will begin on September 9 th for ALL age groups. The “Junior” League will end on November 11 for grades 3- 6 and no tournament will take place.

The “Senior” League will end on November 18 th with an all day shootout.

Click to download information and sign-up forms for the “Junior” League (grades 3-6).

Click here to download information and sign-up forms for the “Senior” League (grades 7 & 8).

ND’s Austin Torres to help lead Kingsmen Basketball Camp

Campers will have the opportunity to learn from Kingsmen and University of Notre Dame alum Austin Torres at the upcoming Kingsmen Basektball Day Camp!  

After a great career at Notre Dame, Austin is giving back to Penn High School and Penn-Harris-Madison Schools by passing on his knowledge to younger players. Austin will be will be a lead instructor at the Kingsmen Day Camp June 11th -15th.

Austin Torres   Austin Torres

The camp is for boys currently in grades 4-8th grade. Registrations are still being accepted up until the first day of camp.  Click here to register online or to download and print a pdf flier.

Click to check out the full list of other Kingsmen Athletic Camps being offered this summer.

Mary Frank Alumnae Graduate Penn as Valedictorians

Penn High School was proud to have 17 students earn valedictorian honors and two students earn salutatorian honors for the Class of 2018 during Commencement held on Friday, May 25, 2018.

Of those 17 Valedictorians, two of them, Kendra Fuelling and Maheera Siddique, attended Mary Frank Elementary School.

 

Margaret attended both Northpoint Elementary and Discovery Middle School.  Margaret plans on attending Northwestern University and majoring in Biological Science.  While at Penn, Margaret’s activities, honors and team memberships included Swim Team, Spell Bowl, Habitat for humanity, Kingsmen Against Cancer and National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

KENDRA FUELLING

Kendra attended both Mary Frank Elementary and Discovery Middle School.

Kendra’s college plans are to attend Purdue University and then pursue a career as a Veterinarian.

While attending Penn, Kendra’s activities, honors and team memberships included Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Marching Band (Section Leader in Pit), and Orchestra.

 

VALEDICTORIAN

MAHEERA SIDDIQUE

 

Maheera attended Mary Frank Elementary and Discovery Middle School.

Maheera’s college plan is to attend Indiana University and major in Political Science and Linguistics. Her career plan is to be a diplomat for the United States or a representative for the United States.

While attending Penn, Maheera’s activities, honors and team memberships included Key Club, Model United Nations, Dream Commission Society, Kingsmen Court and Freshmen Mentor.

Click to read more points of pride from the Class of 2018.

P-H-M Offers Summer Food Service Program

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.

Principal Deb Hildreth Retiring

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.

Dr. Thacker with Deb Hildreth  Christie Heerschop

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.

 

Deb Hildreth and Christie Heeschop

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!