Keeping students engaged on the day before Spring Break is always a challenge! But Ms. Lebiedzinski came up with a way …

She had her fifth grade math class create programs to teach to Mrs. Hoppers’ fourth grade math students; the programs were all about adding and subtracting integers. Click to see the photo gallery below.

A few of the fifth grade students took it a step further by challenging themselves to create a program that would teach the coordinate plane. Programs included a teaching component and an assessment component.

The skills that were introduced through the programs will help the fourth graders as they investigate some pre-algebra concepts after classes resume after Spring Break. 

To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you free of charge.

This morning (Thursday, March 27) the Prairie Vista PUMAS Club put on quite show for their fellow students! This morning’s performance was a dress rehearsal for the evening performances of the student production of “Junie B. Jones Jr, The Musical” taking place March 27^th and 28^th here at school.

This year’s show has nearly 80 fourth and fifth students participating under the musical direction of teacher Mrs. Amy Gallo.

This is the 13th annual musical production for the PUMAS Club. Mrs. Gallo founded the PUMAS in 2001 as a way to expand on the previously existing “Vista Voices,” which was a select group of 30 fourth and fifth grade students who put on bi-annual concerts. Mrs. Gallo wanted to open up PUMAS to all interested third through fifth grade students. The PUMAS met for four weeks and performed three times per year at holiday sing-a-longs, March to the Arts, and spring celebrations. By 2005, the student interest grew to 120 student members! It was such a large group that in 2006, PUMAS had to be scaled back to just fourth and fifth graders.

Prairie Vista is very lucky to have such a talented group of students!

To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you free of charge.

With music education programs at all grade levels (K-12), Penn-Harris-Madison has been named  one of 2019 Best Communities for Music Education for its outstanding commitment to music education. P-H-M is one of only 623 districts nationwide and 12 in Indiana to receive the honor from The NAMM Foundation. 

The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. The BCME award acknowledges the commitment of P-H-M’s music teachers and administrators in the District’s 11 elementary, three middle schools and Penn High School.

In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes. Beginning in 6th grade, P-H-M students at our three middle schools (Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom) have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as their music elective. Students at Discovery also have the option of choosing Piano Lab. 

Penn High School offers the Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs, either Choir, Orchestra, Band or another music program.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, P-H-M answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study from the University, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improves how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Beyond the Northwestern research, other studies have indicated that music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving and flexibility in work situations, as well learning how to give and receive constructive criticism to excel.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation serves more than 11,100 students in 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and Penn High School. The School Corporation has consistently received an “A” rating from the Indiana Department of Education since 2011. 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. 

About The NAMM Foundation: The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

Nail biter, suspenseful … not terms you usually hear to describe a Spell Bowl, but that’s what happened at last night’s (Tuesday, March 20) 33rd annual P-H-M Elementary Spell Bowl. Click to see the photo gallery on the PHM District website (you’ll be able to view & download a high resolution jpg file from the photo gallery by simply clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right hand corner of the photo wile viewing it in the Photo Gallery function).

It was a packed house at Penn High School’s Center for Performing Arts filled with more than 200 third, fourth and fifth graders from all of P-H-M’s 11 elementary schools, along with their family, friends and P-H-M staff from the students’ home schools. Click to see the full list of winners listed below.

Preparation for the Spell Bowl takes weeks, as the students work with their teacher coaches. Each school has three teams (representing each grade) made up of six students, plus one alternate. Preparation includes spelling under pressure, studying word lists, learning about word sources (e.g., Latin roots) and rules such as capitalization and pluralization.

The format of P-H-M’s Spell Bowl is very much like a written test. Similar to a traditional spelling bee, the emcee reads a word aloud and then uses it in a sentence. The students then have 15 seconds to write the word on paper. The words get progressively more difficult through each round. A panel of judges reviews the answers and then posts the scores for the audience to see. 

The 4^th and 5^th grade rounds had to go into “extra innings” for tiebreakers. Bittersweet and Northpoint’s 4^th grade team of two students each went into the tiebreaking round with 29 points. Students had to spell appendicitis, hieroglyphic, reverberate, and Mozambique to win. Eventually Bittersweet beat out Northpoint by successfully spelling Mozambique. Click to see the full photo gallery on the PHM District website.

After that close match, it was time for the 5^th grade round, which also had to be finished with an additional tiebreaker round. This time it was Walt Disney going head to head with Northpoint. Students went through all five tiebreaker words: antiperspirant, spelunking, westernization, putrefy, and Okeechobee Lake.  Judges then had to pull from their “secret bag of words,” giving the students the word alliance to spell. Finally in the end, Walt Disney came out on top spelling alliance correctly.

Each first place winning team got their picture taken with their coach and P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Thacker. See the full list of winners below …

	3rd Grade Winners: 1st place  – Northpoint with 26 points, Coach Deb DeLaurelle (team pictured to right) 2nd place  – Prairie Vista with 23 points, Coach Katie Harris 3rd place  – Bittersweet with 20 points, Coach Sheri Hedrick
	4th Grade Winners: 1st place – Bittersweet with 37 points, Coach Leslie Metcalf​ (team pictured to right) 2nd place – Northpoint with 36 points, Coach Rosan Morehouse 3rd place – Horizon with 26 points, Coach Jeanne Rehlander
	5th Grade Winners: 1st place – Walt Disney with 42 points, Coach Kristie Reynolds​ (team pictured to right) 2nd place – Northpoint with 41 points, Coaches Jen Payne & Charity Grimes-Ford 3rd place – Mary Frank with 29 points, Coach Christine Nisley

Special thanks to P-H-M’s K-5 High Ability Coordinator, Mrs. Anne-Marie Reininga, who is the Spell Bowl manager. This year’s emcee was Kate O’Brien, Penn’s Spell Bowl Coach.

The Northern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering  Fair (NIRSEF) was held recently at Notre Dame and fifth grader Marie Roach won two awards:

1. a spot in the Junior Division of the Hoosier Science and Engineering Fair on March 20, and 
2. The Mario Borelli Award, Best Overall Project at the Elementary Level

Congratulations to Marie!

Kids Club 2019 Spring Break registration is now open! Click here to download, complete & print the registration form.

Full-day childcare will be offered at Mary Frank Elementary School for Monday, April 1 – Friday, April 5, 2019, from 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. This service is a available for students in all P-H-M schools, families do not have to be currently enrolled in Kids Club to take advantage of this service. The cost is $25 per child per day or $100 per child if attending all 5 days. 

Children will enjoy a variety of educational and recreational activities, as well as crafts for this week.

Registration form and payment are due together no later than Tuesday, March 26.

Children need to bring their own lunch and drink (no pop please).  Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided.

Please click to download, complete and print the registration form. Please return the form send it along with your payment to your child’s school.

If you have questions, please contact Kids Club at (574) 258-9514 or at 258-9587.

*Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view these 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 need more help accessing Kids Club information, plesae call (574) 258-9514.

Thanks to a grant awarded by the P-H-M Education Foundation this past fall, kindergartners in Mrs. Sara Hammond’s class are doing “Mindful Yoga.” With the help of Mindi Dugard and Rachel von Eschenbach, founders of Mindful U, they are helping students increase their focus and self regulate their behaviors. Watch the video below to see learn more about the program …

This is just one of the many amazing examples of #PHMExcellence taking place in our school, and it was made possible by a grant by the P-H-M Education Foundation. If you are a parent and have a great idea, reach out and work with your student’s teacher to submit a grant application. The Spring Grant cycle is open now and closes 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29. Click to learn more.

Penn High School is bringing the famed children’s book “Tuck Everlasting” to the stage. This musical adaptation is a show that the whole family can enjoy

The Penn Fine Arts and Communications Academy is presenting, “Tuck Everlasting, the Musical” on the following dates:

• Friday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 2, 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 3, 3:00 p.m.

The showings will be held within the Center for Performing Arts (enter through Door C).

Tickets are $10 pre-sale by clicking here to access Penn Theater’s TicketTracker.com online ticket store, or $12 at the door.
 “Tuck Everlasting” is about a magical spring found deep in the woods that has the power to grant immortality. To drink or not to drink is the question that each character must answer for themselves.

On a deeper level the story wrestles with is living forever as desirable as many people think it is?

So make sure you bring out the whole family, you will not regret it!

Schmucker Principal Lavon Dean-Null will be visiting the following Penn-Harris-Madison feeder elementary schools to hold parent information sessions for incoming SY 2019-2020 sixth grade middle school students (except where noted, the meetings will be held at the elementary school):

• Monday, Feb. 25, 6:00 p.m., Prairie Vista Elementary School
• Tuesday, Feb. 26, 6:00 p.m., Elsie Rogers & Walt Disney Elementary Schools *this meeting for both schools will be held at Elsie Rogers
• Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:00 p.m., Bittersweet Elementary School
• Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:00 p.m., Moran Elementary School

If parents cannot make it to their school’s designated night, they are welcome to attend another night that works for their schedule. Please click to download and print a copy of the parent flyer.

Middle School Instrument Selection nights for incoming sixth graders are also coming up.

Schmucker Instrument Selection Nights

Monday, March 4, 2019

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Click to sign up and for more details.

Monday, April 29 (Rain Date Wed., May 1)

3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

behind Elm Road Elementary School 

59400 Elm Road, Mishawaka

“Running is Elementary” is gearing up for another great year! This is the 11th year for the one mile, non-competitive run which will feature the participation of almost 700 fourth and fifth grade students from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools. This event is FREE to students and takes place on the Penn cross-country course located behind Elm Road Elementary School.

Each school year fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to join the running club at each of P-H-M’s elementary schools. The kids go through this six-week club trained by designated coaches at each school. The end of the six weeks is then celebrated by participating in the Running is Elementary run.

Click to download the RIE forms to sign your student(s) to participate. 

Mary Frank physical education teacher and P-H-M’s 2009 Teacher of the Year Cindy Batalis began this event in 2008. Running has always been a true passion for Batalis and she shares that passion with students by organizing this yearly event.

The event is hosted by the P-H-M Education Foundation and Corporations for Education.