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.

The message below was sent out to all P-H-M staff and families the afternoon of March 3, 2020.

Dear P-H-M Families,

The health, safety and well-being of Penn-Harris-Madison students and staff are our top priorities. With the ongoing elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the world news, we are reaching out to remind everyone in the P-H-M family about the preventive safety measures we can all take, as well as to inform you what we at P-H-M are doing.

As a school district, we are closely monitoring the situation via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. The CDC is providing local expert and community guidance through the St. Joseph County Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Health. We are also receiving information from the U.S. Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Education, as well as a host of other state and national professional organizations. The one good thing about this situation is that there is an abundance of expert guidance. We are following the advice and direction of the governmental entities in charge. As a district, we are focusing on the things within our control.

All of the health officials are uniformly reiterating that the best preventive measure that each and every one of us can do is practice good hand hygiene. The same precautions that we annually remind our students, at all grade levels, during the cold and flu season are the exact same practices that the CDC is recommending to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

1. Clean hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Cover your mouth and nose. Remind your students to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. The best thing to do is to cough/sneeze into your elbow. Second best is to cover the mouth and nose area with a tissue and then throw the tissue away.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
4. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

P-H-M’s janitorial staff already cleans common areas and disinfects common touch surfaces regularly. We ramp up these efforts during the cold and flu season. Under the current circumstances and in an abundance of precaution, P-H-M is taking extra steps to increase our normal diligent disinfectant measures.

As stated in all P-H-M Student Handbooks if students are sick please keep them home. Students should not return to school until they are fever and symptom free for 24 hours. We are constantly reminding families to practice this ongoing safety practice year round.

As it pertains to concerns over COVID-19 symptoms, the CDC has very specific recommendations if the symptoms coincide with recent travel to specific countries on their watch lists.

This situation continues to evolve. P-H-M Administrators are staying abreast of the information, as we have since the beginning. If the need should arise to change or defer from our normal operations, rest assured we will communicate with our families and staff immediately.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Dr. Jerry Thacker

Superintendent of Schools

The message below was sent out to all P-H-M staff and families the afternoon of March 12, 2020.

Dear P-H-M Families and Staff,

Based on Governor Eric Holcomb’s announcement released at 4:28 p.m. today, all P-H-M students will not report to school tomorrow Friday, March 13 and Monday, March 16, 2020. These days will be recess days (no eLearning will be conducted on these two days). Students and families should be prepared to begin extended eLearning beginning on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

All P-H-M staff are to report to their normal work location at normal times on Friday, March 13 and Monday, March 16 to help prepare the district for extended eLearning days.

More details to come for respective staff groups and families. Please be patient with us as we work through these details.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Thacker​
Superintendent of Schools

The message below was sent out to all P-H-M staff and families the afternoon of March 12, 2020.

Dear P-H-M Families and Staff,

Based on Governor Eric Holcomb’s announcement released at 4:28 p.m. today, all P-H-M students will not report to school tomorrow Friday, March 13 and Monday, March 16, 2020. These days will be recess days (no eLearning will be conducted on these two days). Students and families should be prepared to begin extended eLearning beginning on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

All P-H-M staff are to report to their normal work location at normal times on Friday, March 13 and Monday, March 16 to help prepare the district for extended eLearning days.

More details to come for respective staff groups and families. Please be patient with us as we work through these details.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Thacker​
Superintendent of Schools

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 14 & Sunday, March 15 for the FIRST Robotics St. Joseph District Event. Penn High School is once again hosting more than 40 high school FRC robotics teams from Indiana and Michigan who will battle it out for the title. Join more than 5,000 students, coaches, mentors, parents and fans during this one-of-a-kind two-day FREE event!

Saturday, March 14 

10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Next Gen (K-8): 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Click to watch the video below to check out all the upcoming excitement, then come out to cheer on Penn Robotics Team 135!

Make sure to also bring your young Robotics fans to “Next Gen,” an area for students ages K-8, who can get hands-on engaging fun with some of Team 135’s other robots. Next Gen will be open Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This event is also FREE ADMISSION!

Sign-up for the Kingsmen Junior Boys Basketball League on Tuesday, September 10^th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at Penn High School, enter Door D.

All games will be played on Sundays in the Penn Fitness Center, enter Door G.

 Grades 3 & 4 Games Times: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Grades 5 & 6 Games Times: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

*Game times subject to change due to league size

Before each game, all players will learn a Team Concept. The 15 minute Team Concept will be led by Penn Varsity Assistant Coach Julius Smith. Team coaches will consist of approved volunteer parents and members of the community. Each team coach will assist with the team concept lesson before each game. The league will start on September 22nd with the last games being played on November 3rd.

The cost of the league will be $75 for every player, along with the additional cost of the Kingsmen reversible jersey. All players must purchase a Penn Jersey. We will have info to order your sons Jersey at the time of registration.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Assistant Boys Varsity Coach Julius Smith at jsmith5@phm.k12.in.us.

On Thursday, August 22, we welcomed back the youngest members of the P-H-M family … our kindergartners!

This up and coming Class of 2032 kicked off their educational careers in true #PHMExcellence fashion! Get a glimpse of the First Day of Kindergarten across the District. Some of our little Stars are featured at the beginning of the video …

P-H-M’s annual Community Tailgate to kick off the start of the Penn Football Season will once again be held at the TCU Freed Field, South End Concession Stand Plaza.

The Tailgate is hosted by Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and the Penn Boosters Club for all P-H-M families and patrons to enjoy.

So come out early to the football game, grab a hot dog and catch up with old friends! Then stick around to cheer on the Kingsmen as they take on LaPorte in the season Home Opener!

Friday, August 30
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
TCU Freed Field, South End Concession Stand Plaza

Tickets $4.00 (payable at the event) includes:

• Bratwurst or hot dog

• Potato Chips

• Cookie

• Drink

As shared with the Northpoint Elementary School community approximately two weeks ago, Principal Mrs. Diane Wirth announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 school year after 32 years of service to the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. Mrs. Wirth had been principal at Northpoint since 2013.

Today (Thursday, May 30), P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker introduced the Northpoint teachers and staff to their new recommended principal, Mrs. Lorraine White. Her appointment is slated for approval at the June 17 Board of School Trustees Meeting.

The appointment will be a homecoming of sorts for Mrs. White, who has been serving as Assistant to the Principal at Bittersweet Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year. Prior to her assignment at Bittersweet, Mrs. White was an elementary teacher at Northpoint Elementary School since the school opened in 1998, where she taught grades one through three. Mrs. White’s first teaching position was at Walt Disney where she served as a Title I teacher from January-May of 1998.

Mrs. White received her Bachelor of Science in Education from Ball State University, has a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University South Bend, and her Principal Licensure Program from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Mrs. Wirth began her career at P-H-M as an elementary teacher at Walt Disney Elementary School in 1987. In 2003, she became Assistant Principal of Northpoint Elementary School and became Principal of Walt Disney in 2006. She returned to Northpoint as principal in 2013. Under her six years of leadership at Northpoint, the school has achieved/maintained these recognitions and honors:

• consistently received “A” and Four Star School ratings from the IDOE​
• one of the nation and Indiana’s top ranked public elementary schools 
• named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2016
• consistently out scored the state average in student pass rates of ISTEP, with percentages in the high 90s
   

Principal Wirth’s guidance and dedication has left an indelible mark on Northpoint.

Mrs. Wirth said of Mrs. White today “I know I am leaving Northpoint in very capable and loving hands. Her experience and knowledge of the Northpoint community will serve her well as she continues to develop connections and relationships with families, students, and staff.”

We thank Principal Wirth for her years of leadership and wish her all the best as she embarks on this next phase of her life. And we are excited to welcome back Mrs. White as a Northpoint STAR!

Sign-up for the Penn Girls Basketball Leagues will be from noon-to-2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The Junior League is for grades 3-6, and the Senior League is for grades 7-8.

Both the Junior League and Senior League start on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Junior League ends on Sunday, Nov. 10, and the Senior League ends on Sunday, Nov. 17.

• Click here for information on the Junior League.
• Click here for information on the Senior League.