P-H-M Receives “A” Rating for seventh straight year

Once again the Indiana Department of Education has recognized the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation as an “A” rated school district. P-H-M has received an “A” rating every year since 2011—making this the seventh consecutive year!

The IDOE released the 2017-18 Accountability grades on Wednesday, November 14. Along with the district’s “A” rating, P-H-M is proud to have seven schools that also received “A” letter grades:

  • Elsie Rogers Elementary School
  • Horizon Elementary School
  • Moran Elementary School
  • Northpoint Elementary School
  • Prairie Vista Elementary School
  • Discovery Middle School
  • Penn High School

Elsie Rogers and Moran are both Title I schools.

Overall, nearly 64 percent of Indiana Schools received an A or B. For more information on and to view the 2017-18 School Accountability Grades, please click here to visit the IDOE website. 

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation serves more than 11,100 students in 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and Penn High School. With the release of the Spring 2018 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation ranks in the state’s Top 5% of public school districts for grade 10 ISTEP+ results and in the Top 6% for grades 3-8. Northpoint is Indiana’s #2 public elementary school and Discovery ranks #3 out of the state’s public middle schools. Penn High School ranks in the Top 5% of all Indiana public high schools and has a 97% graduation rate, exceeding the state’s graduation rate.

P-H-M’s “Triangle of Success” connects students, teachers and parents for excellence in education.

Parent meeting & permission form for new State mandated curriculum

Monday, Nov. 5
5:30 p.m.
Schmucker Middle School, 56045 N Bittersweet Rd.

Indiana law (IC 20-19-3-11) now requires that all schools provide age appropriate and research based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in grades kindergarten through 12th. Penn-Harris-Madison has partnered with the Family Justice Center, Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County and the St. Joseph County Special Victims Unit to provide this instruction for our students.  

In November and early December, staff from the Family Justice Center and Youth Service Bureau St. Joseph County will present a series of age appropriate curriculum to elementary students in grades K-5. Each unit is age appropriate specific to the grade level.

To learn more about the new State mandated child abuse/sexual abuse prevention curriculum, all P-H-M parents are invited to attend an optional parent information night on Monday, November 5, 5:30 p.m., at Schmucker Middle School, 56045 N Bittersweet Rd.

Parents have the option to have their student(s) participate in the state mandated educational program.

Parents are asked to return either a paper version of the permission slip or click here to submit it electronically through our school website*Please note a permission form needs to be returned for each individual child enrolled in a Penn-Harris-Madison School.

If you wish to fill out the electronic version of the form, please click here

To download and print a pdf copy of the elementary (grades K-5) permission form, please click here.

Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view the pdfs. 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.

If you opt to fill out the paper form, you will need to print the form, fill it out and return it to the school.

Winter Guard Call-Out November 27 at Bittersweet Elementary

Do you like to dance? Do you want to learn how to spin a flag? Do you like to perform?

All levels are welcome to come to the Penn Winter Guard Call-Out at Bittersweet Elementary School (next to Penn HS). The call-out will be on Tuesday, November 27th at 6-8 p.m.

Girls and boys, grades 4-12, will be accepted. 

Come be a part of this incredible performing arts group!

Click here to download and print the flyer.

Prairie Vista polling location for Election Day

When Indiana’s election takes place Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, Prairie Vista will serve as a polling center, as it has in years past. Polling hours are 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Prairie Vista school hours are 7:55 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.; you might want to avoid student arrival and departure times because of increased traffic congestion. 

Voters will park in the north lot near the portable classrooms. The portable classrooms will be used for voting. All doors to the school will be secured.  Polling personnel only will be permitted to use the school restrooms. ​

Other P-H-M schools that will serve as voting locations Election Day are Mary Frank Elementary School, Meadow’s Edge Elementary School, Walt Disney Elementary School, Schmucker Middle School and Penn High 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

Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa is an annual beloved family event sponsored by P-H-M’s Community Education Department held at Bittersweet Elementary. The program is only for children in grades kindergarten through 3rd grade and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets must be purchased for each person attending.

Breakfast with Santa event

Saturday, Dec. 1

8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., & 11 a.m.

Bittersweet Elementary School

$7 for all tickets

Online ticket sales begin on Thursday, November 1 at 9:00 a.m. Tickets will only be sold online through phm.revtrak.net. We strongly encourage that those wishing to buy tickets go online to phm.revtrak.net prior to Nov. 1 and create their account if they don’t already have one. This will save time and ensure a speedier online checkout. Tickets are online on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited to 100 participants for each time slot. Online payment can be done with an eCheck, Discover, Visa or MasterCard credit cards as well as debit cards. Please note there is a 3.49% fee for using this service. Tickets will be mailed to you prior to the event on Dec. 1. 

There will be no refunds and tickets will not be available at the door.

Prairie Vista New Teacher Class of 2018

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

Prairie Vista is welcoming 3 new teachers.

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

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).

Retirement Celebration

Prairie Vista invites you to an

Open House

as we honor and celebrate these amazing women:

 

Deborah Baughman

Donna Christensen

Cathi Gage

Patti Gerndt

Debra Walker

 

Thursday, May 31st, 2018

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Prairie Vista Cafeteria

 

RSVP: By Thursday, May 24th to Sarah Sage at ssage@phm.k12.in.us

Our retirees are looking forward to reminiscing with students, families, and coworkers whose lives they have impacted over the years. Please join us in honoring them with favorite memories, stories, and pictures as we celebrate their retirement.

 

Remember the Past, Enjoy the Present, and Enhance the Future!

 

Prairie Vista Alumna Graduates Penn as Valedictorian

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, one of them, Erin Ludwig, attended Prairie Vista Elementary School and Schmucker Middle School.

Erin’s college plans are to attend the University of Notre Dame where she will major in Neuroscience and Behavior. Her career plan is in the Life Sciences.

While attending Penn, Erin’s activities, honors and team memberships included Soccer (State Champions in 2016 & 2017, National Champions in 2017), Tennis, President of Handwritten Hearts, National Honor Society, Key Club, Freshmen Mentor, Kingsmen Tutor, winner of the C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship Award presented by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

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.