The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

August 4, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families:

Thank you for your suggestions, concerns, and support offered after my July 30, 2020 communication regarding all students starting school in virtual learning. As you may remember, the St. Joseph County Department of Health medical professionals recommend a virtual start for all county school districts. Your correspondence and communication led to an amended recommendation. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your commitment to the students of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation.  

Last night, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees held a special meeting to discuss and vote on students returning in the fall. The Board approved a plan to begin the school year virtually for the first four weeks of the 2020-2021 school year. P-H-M students will attend school virtually from August 19-September 11. (Please click here to view a recording of the August 3, 2020 meeting and click here for the Virtual Learning Presentation.)

While we want our students to return to in-person instruction as soon as possible, safety is our highest priority for our students, faculty, and staff. We will assess the data daily and the metrics that are provided by the St. Joseph County Department of Health will guide a safe return to in-person learning. We will notify parents no less than 10 business days prior to advancing from virtual learning to in-person learning. Students who have selected the option of virtual learning only will continue in the virtual learning format.

Additional information regarding the virtual learning process, pickup of student materials, schedules, and other pertinent information will be shared by principals soon. Questions regarding the start of the year can be directed to your building principal or by emailing returntolearn@phm.k12.in.us

Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

Stay healthy and safe,

Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent of Schools

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

July 30, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families, 

We have been communicating regularly with medical professionals at the St. Joseph County Department of Health (SJCDH) and receiving guidance regarding the status of coronavirus activity and community transmission in making decisions regarding the safest model for curriculum delivery. The current thresholds for consideration by SJCDH strongly recommend that St. Joseph County Schools open in a virtual learning environment.

They also provided guidance on extracurricular and co-curricular activities. Those programs are being monitored and are under review.

The administration will recommend to the P-H-M Board of School Trustees at a School Board meeting on August 3, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. that all students participate in a virtual learning environment from the first day of school, August 19 through October 22. During the established virtual learning period, we will continue to collaborate with the SJCDH regarding further discussions and recommendations.

Prior to October 22, and the decision to return students to in-person instruction, we will ask parents which option they will be choosing by providing a parent survey. Parents will not be bound by their previous choice.

When we return, we will continue to offer two options: in-person or virtual instruction. 

• On October 27 (or when the SJCDH deems it appropriate) students who are enrolled in the in-person program will return to school.
• On October 27 students who are enrolled in the virtual learning program will continue with virtual learning.

Established metrics, provided by the SJCDH, will determine when it is safe to return to in-person learning. Families will be given a two week notice of any changes to return to in-person learning.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. 

Please stay safe and healthy!

Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

July 21, 2020

Good Afternoon.

At last evening’s Board of School Trustees meeting, we shared additional information on the district’s overview on safety, the learning environment, and procedures for our return to learn in the fall. 

Our focus is to provide you and your student(s) with an excellent education in a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment. In order to achieve at the highest levels, we must continue to work toward our goal, doing what is best for our students, staff, and families. Our Triangle of Success supports our vision of Excellence in Education, and you are an important part of our Triangle.

In today’s communication, I share with you several guiding documents:

• Return to Learn: Safety Protocols Presentation
• Updated Return to Learn: District Overview Document
• 7/20/20 Board Presentation (video)
• Individual School Return to Learn Plans

I hope that this information is helpful to you in making your decision on whether your student(s) will attend school in person or virtually. We are providing the link for the parent survey here and ask that you please complete it by July 27.

We will continue to collaborate with our parents, staff, and state and local health partners as we work to provide a safe and positive learning environment for our students. Thank you for your continued support.

Stay healthy and safe!

Dr. Jerry Thacker
Superintendent of Schools

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

Friday, July 17, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families,

As we continue to develop our school specific plans, we would like to share an update with you. We continue to receive great questions and feedback from our families that have assisted us in developing a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The FAQ has been posted to our Return to Learn page. 

Answers to the two most frequently asked questions:

• Per the St. Joseph County Health Department Public Health Order, staff and students are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth and social distancing will be maintained when possible.
• Students and staff who test positive will quarantine for at least 10 days from the date symptoms began AND remain fever-free for 72 hours (without use of fever reducing medication) before returning to school. Click here for the Indiana State Department of Health guide for parents related to student screening and quarantine/isolation guidelines. 

Penn High School Information

Previously, I shared with you about the two different options that parents can choose to have their students educated this fall.  However, based on stakeholder feedback, students at Penn High School specifically will have additional virtual options to choose from.  Principal Sean Galiher will share a separate survey with Penn High School families today and we ask that families complete that survey by July 24th.  

Next week, we will also share each school’s specific Return to Learn plan. This communication will outline school specific details including arrival procedures, the learning environment, lunch, school dismissal, as well as other important information.

PHM will ensure the guiding focus remains on the health and education of our community and we will continue to follow state and local guidance as we evaluate COVID-19 and our return to learning. 

Stay healthy and well,

Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

Thursday, July 10, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families,

I recently sent you information on our plan to Return to School and a survey regarding choices between Face-to-Face Learning and Virtual Learning. Thank you for your valuable feedback. Based on the responses that you provided, we are making positive changes to some of our Education Options, primarily Virtual Learning at the secondary level. Since we want to share those modifications late next week, we are extending the timeline to complete the survey to July 27.

Before you receive more comprehensive information, here is a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions.

• Per the St. Joseph County Health Department Public Health Order, staff and students are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth whenever social distancing cannot be maintained. Click here for the Indiana Department of Education Back to School Face Covering Guidance for Families.
• Students and staff who test positive will quarantine for at least 10 days from the date symptoms began AND remain fever-free for 72 hours (without use of fever reducing medication) before returning to school. Click here for the Indiana State Department of Health guide for parents related to student screening and quarantine/isolation guidelines.
• Virtual students may participate in available Honors, Dual Credit and AP classes. Additional information will be shared next week.
• Virtual students may participate in extracurricular activities.
• Virtual teachers will differentiate for high ability students.
• Virtual students may participate in available electives.
• Students may continue to bring lunch with them to school.
• We are asking parents to make a semester commitment when choosing face to face or virtual instruction.

We will also share more comprehensive information on school safety protocols, individual school plans, and an FAQ document to keep you updated.

• Indiana State Department of Health FAQ
• Indiana Department of Education FAQ
• Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation FAQ – coming soon!

We will continue to follow state and local guidance and if the number of cases of COVID-19 reaches a level where local and state officials determine that school cannot meet in person, eLearning would resume. This would be similar to last spring with some improvements based on the parent feedback we received. We tested some new educational models during online summer school and feel confident that if we have to return to eLearning, we can continue to provide a quality education while also offering social emotional support.

Stay healthy and well,

Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

The communication below was emailed to staff and parents today:

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Dear P-H-M Families,

I know that you have been anxiously waiting for the details on our plan to return to school on Wednesday, August 19 (for grades 1-12) and August 20 (kindergarten).

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. There have been many changes in our daily lives making things our new normal, at least for a while. This also means that the procedures in our school buildings must also change to ensure the highest health and safety guidelines. Working in concert with the St. Joseph County Health Department and following the guidance and recommendations by the CDC, Indiana State Department of Health, Governor’s Office, and the IDOE we have developed a re-entry plan for Penn-Harris-Madison Schools.

EDUCATION OPTIONS

While we believe that the most effective instruction for your child happens in a classroom Face to Face with our highly qualified teachers, there will be an online Virtual option available for those who elect not to attend in-person.

Click the two links below to read more about the two different options that parents can choose between to have their students educated this fall:

1. 1. Face to Face Learning: This plan also details how Transportation, Food Service, Recess, Cleaning, Extracurricular Activities will be handled in our facilities.
   2. Virtual: This plan breaks down how online learning will take place at the three grade levels (elementary, middle and high school).
   3. WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE? To help us plan for the Fall, we are asking parents to complete a survey with their choice for instruction for the upcoming school year.​ Please complete this survey by Monday, July 13.

As we communicated Tuesday of this week, we will follow our 2020-2021 school year calendar and these health and safety guidelines:

• Per the St. Joseph County Health Department Public Health Order, staff and students are required to have a mask (face covering) with them at all times. There will be times indoors or in enclosed spaces that 6 feet of physical distance cannot be maintained.
• Students and staff will be required to be fever free for 72 hours without use of fever reducing medication before returning to school.
• To maintain safe social distancing, lunch times will be staggered and available open space will be maximized.
• Restrict visitors and guests in our school buildings.
• Maximize instructional space and scheduling flexibility.
• Employee enhanced cleaning procedures with additional hand sanitizer stations.
• Identify and separate space in school clinics to treat symptomatic students.
• Discontinuation of perfect attendance incentives for the 2020-21 school year.

For more detailed information on the procedures for masks, social, distancing, cleaning, etc. on P-H-M buses and within our schools, please click here to review the Face to Face Return to Learn model.

We understand that these documents can’t answer every question about re-opening, however, we hope it gives you the framework necessary to make the best decision for your family, whether that’s  returning to school, or online learning. Individualized school plans are being created and will be communicated to families and posted on school websites on August 1st. If you have additional questions in the meantime, please email returntolearn@phm.k12.in.us.

If the number of cases of COVID-19 reaches a level where local and state officials determine that school cannot meet in person, eLearning will resume and would be similar to what it was last spring with some improvements based on the parental feedback we received. We tested some new education models over the summer with online summer school and feel confident that if we have to return to eLearning that we can continue to provide a quality education while also offering social emotional supports.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

Want to help prevent the “summer slide”? Help keep your students motivated with these grade specific lessons:

P-H-M Virtual Learning Summer Resources

Additionally, the IDOE has provided summer resources for parents to use with their children, grades 1^st – 8^th, to help keep their math and reading skills up over the summer.

Parents and students have access to the Lexile® Find a Book tool and the Quantile® Summer Math Challenge.

The Lexile® Find a Book tool helps students create a personalized reading list and then locate those books at the nearest library or bookseller.

The Quantile® Summer Math Challenge is a six-week refresher course for students in grades 1^st – 8^th.

For more information, visit MetaMetrics’ Summer Learning website. 

The Food Service Department of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2020. The summer program will run June 4 – August 18 at nine locations. 

Our school year meal service at the three locations of Prairie Vista, Grissom and Penn will continue through June 3. Click here for details on those pickup hours. Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day and no meals will be available. However, we will be handing out food backpacks at Grissom and Penn Friday, May 22 during lunch. Each backpack will have enough food for two meals for two kids. More details can be found here. 

The summer meal program will operate Monday through Friday, June 4 – August 18 at nine locations. Each location has different hours and dates of service. Please click here for more information and a complete list of sites and dates.

All sites will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2020.

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.