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

P-H-M Virtual Learning Summer Resources

Also, 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.

Elm Road Elementary School was among 12 schools that he Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recently announced as new STEM Certified schools. The state now has 90 STEM Certified schools, an increase of over 16 percent. Penn High School was named a STEM Certified School in 2016.

Created in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools focused on a commitment to teaching STEM disciplines beyond the classroom. STEM Certified schools exemplify a highly non-traditional approach to education, employing a great deal of inquiry, project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student centered classrooms, integration into humanities and related arts, and out-of-school STEM activities. STEM Certified schools take this approach while following educational policies set by the state and excelling under the system of accountability. Prior to certification, each school completed a rigorous application and review process.

Elm Road Elementary educators are focused on not only teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but also providing creative ways of incorporating those subjects but throughout their curriculum. Some of Elm’s STEM initiatives include Project Lead the Way and co-curricular student clubs and activities like Girls Coding club and First Lego League.

To learn more about the Excellence in Education that Elm Road is providing to its students, click here.

Parents will have an opportunity to pick up student personal items left at school and drop off school issued items in front of Elm Road School Monday, June 1 through Wednesday, June 3, 8:00 a.m – 2:00 p.m. 

Click to use this form to choose your date and time for pick up.

Please click to fill out this form ONLY IF your child has items in any other location other than their tote.  

Our goal is to use a procedure that maximizes the safety of all parents and staff. When you come to school, please follow these directions:

• ONLY arrive at your appointment time, please.  This will assist us with our preparation. 
• Please enter the lot from the south only.  Loop around the lot, as in drop off and pick up time. 
• Follow the attendant’s directions.  Please remain in your car until you are asked to approach the table.  (If the line becomes too long, we will ask you to park until it is your turn. We don’t believe this will be a problem with our appointment times.)
• One adult from each family is asked to approach the table, as directed, and state your child(ren)’s last names.  The staff person will assist you in retrieving student materials.  
• Chromebooks do not need to be returned at this time unless you are moving.  (5th graders will take their Chromebooks to Grissom.)

Thank you for following these guidelines as we distribute materials to our families.  

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

Saturday, May 16

8:30 a.m. – Noon

Penn High School

Register online today! Early Bird Registration is available until Sunday, May 3 ($20 for adults, $10 for students)!

Do you like bubbles? Well, if you do, you’ll enjoy the Silver Mile Bubble Bash!  

Highlighted changes for this year’s event:

• Early start time, 8:30 a.m.
• 1.5 mile and 5K route options
• Lower early bird prices: $20 for adults, $10 for students
• Family Pricing: $60 for four or more (at same address)

Missed out on all the bubbly fun last year? Don’t let it happen two years in a row! Watch the video and see how much fun you and your whole family will have …

The Silver Mile Run is the largest fundraiser for the P-H-M Education Foundation and all the proceeds go towards providing innovative P-H-M teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development, and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Presenting sponsor Saint Joseph Health System will offer free health screenings including body mass index and blood sugar! Other area businesses will also be on hand to showcase health and fitness related activities, resources and services. 

After a fun day, leave with great bargains purchased at the Silent Auction. The P-H-M student talent showcase is always a crowd pleaser. Last year, the student groups included Horizon Show Choir, Bittersweet Cardio Drummers, Elm Road Jumping Eagles, Meadow’s Edge Dancers, and Penn High School Dancers.

Choose to walk or run the 5K or take a shorter loop. This exciting untimed race welcomes runners of all experience levels while blasting through foam bogs and fun spirit stations along the course.

The Silver Mile Bubble Bash is a chance for P-H-M families and local community members to get together and show their support for excellence in education in all P-H-M schools.  Proceeds are returned to P-H-M schools by awarding innovative teacher grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Click here to take advantage of early bird registration and for more information on the Bubble Bash.

Grissom Middle School Principal  Jean Milfort invites 5^th grade parents and students to attend an informational session about Grissom Middle School to be held at Grissom on 

Tuesday, April 14

6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

For 5^th graders currently attending Moran, Elm, Meadow’s and Madison Elementary Schools, Grissom will be their middle school.

During this informational session, Principal Milfort will visit with students and parents discuss the transition into middle school. He will also explain the many opportunities available to incoming Grissom 6^th graders.

Please make time to attend this valuable session.

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!

Monday., April 27 (Rain Date is Wed., April 29)

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 12th 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.

Our students are lucky enough to have a big hill behind the school that leads down to the playground. This allows for the best recess times during the winter. Students can do everything from sledding to making snow angels.

Take a look at the photo gallery below, students definitely enjoyed the snow today (Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020)!

Registration for kindergarten students for next year, the 2020-2021 school year, will begin on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

Children who live within the P-H-M district and who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2020 are eligible to register. A parent or guardian must appear in person to register their child. 

Bittersweet is one of Penn-Harris-Madison’s 11 elementary schools, each offering full-day kindergarten.

Use this interactive Google based District Map and the P-H-M Street Guide to verify which elementary school serves your neighborhood. 

Click here for more details about kindergarten registration.