Saturday, March 7, 2026   

9:15 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. 

Penn High School

for P-H-M students K – 5th grade

FREE! There is no cost for this event, but registration is required and limited.

REGISTRATION: Opens January 16 – deadline is Friday, February 13, bit.ly/BooksandBots2026

Sponsored by the P-H-M Education Foundation, Young Authors’ Conference is an opportunity for P-H-M students in Kindergarten – 5th grade to meet and hear from well-known children’s author and speaker Jill Esbaum, participate in a variety of robotic explorations and engage in a dinosaur exploration activity.

Jill Esbaum is the award-winning author of more than 65 children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction. A few recent titles include It’s Corn Picking Time!, Polecat Has a Superpower, and Bird Girl – How Gene Stratton Porter Shares Her Love of Nature with the World. Back in 2012 National Geographic Kids asked Jill to write a book featuring the Angry Birds and dinosaurs titled Angry Birds Playground: Dinosaurs, which gave her Dino Fever. Her dinosaur books since then include If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party, How to Grow a Dinosaur, and a three-book graphic early reader series, Thunder & Cluck. Jill lives on a family farm near Davenport. 

As part of the morning activities, students will participate in three rotations: one session with author Jill Esbaum, one dinosaur exploration session, and one session where students will enjoy the hands-on exploration of technology with Sphero Bots, Dot and Dosh, Bee Bots, Ozobots and more! Our amazing P-H-M teachers and volunteers will guide students and their parents through the interactive session guiding them on how develop a character and create their own puppet.

At least one parent or guardian must accompany the student(s)!  If more than one child is registering for Books and Bots, the family will stay together so only one adult is needed.  Siblings YOUNGER than kindergarten may not accompany adults. This experience is for your young author(s) and the parent/guardian.

CONFIRMATION: Participating students will receive additional information prior to the conference through their home school at the end of February.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact Candace Cussen at ccussen@phm.k12.in.us.

The Penn-Harris-Madison Education Foundation (PHMEF) continues its mission of supporting excellence in education by awarding $73,715.48 in classroom innovation grants for the 2025-2026 school year, marking one of the largest funding years in foundation history! And Elm Road was fortunate to receive $2,837.99 in grant dollars!

Each year, PHMEF’s Annual Grant Cycle provides teachers across the district with opportunities to bring creative, hands-on learning projects to life, projects that go beyond traditional classroom resources. The grants are made possible through the generosity of community donors, local businesses, and district supporters.

During the first couple of weeks of December, PHMEF Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom surprised grant recipients. Click here to see the full photo gallery.

Elm Road was awarded six EZ grants (under $750). The descriptions are listed below:

1. Elm Road Art Club
Aubrey Hittle • $750.00
After School Art Club

2. Hand2Mind Science of Reading Toolkit
Julie Mattison • $144.99
Language Arts Manipulatives/Kit for Kindergarten

3. Literacy Unit Secondary Tests
Julie Mattison • $744.16
Secondary Books for Kindergarten

4. Learning Wrap-Ups
Jen Napolitan • $499.67
Hands On Learning Tool for Multiplication/Division

5. Light Up Their Minds
Sarah Burdue • $523.18
Light-Up Table and Manipulates for Preschool Students

6. Play, Learn, Grow: Refreshing our Learning Centers
Sarah Burdue • $175.99
Replacement of Preschool Toys

“On behalf of the entire PHM Education Foundation Board I want you to know how deeply we believe in our teachers and staff,” said PHMEF Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom. “Your dedication, and passion for making a positive impact are what make our schools truly exceptional. We are committed to funding your innovative ideas because you are the heart of excellence in PHM, and we are proud to support the remarkable work you do every day.”

For more on the P-H-M Education Foundation’s 2025-26 grant awards, click here.

Elm Road Elementary’s kindergarteners got an early start on the Thanksgiving celebrations with a special classroom feast.

Students enjoyed a homemade meal that included noodles, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and mini pumpkin pies complete with whipped cream.

In the days prior to the feast, the kindergarteners helped prepare for the event, even making the noodles themselves!

The students started off the meal thinking of one thing they were thankful for before eating.

The festive feast was made possible thanks to the support of dedicated parent volunteers, who helped prepare and serve the meal.

Click here to view the full photo gallery.

Elm Road Elementary held a heartfelt Veterans Day program this afternoon to honor those who have served our country. Veterans who are family members of Elm Road students were invited to sit at the front of the gym, where they were recognized and celebrated by the entire school community.

Students gathered with their classes to perform several patriotic songs in honor of the visiting veterans. Between performances, students had the opportunity to ask questions, learning more about what life is like in the military and the sacrifices that come with service.

The program concluded with a special moment as students related to the veterans presented them with handmade thank-you gifts. Smiles, hugs, and a few tears filled the room as students showed their appreciation to the family members and community members who have served our country.

It was a meaningful afternoon filled with respect, gratitude, and #PHMExcellence in action.

Click For Photo Gallery 

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted unanimously this morning to appoint Mrs. Jennifer (Jen) Smoker to fill the Penn Township Seat #1 vacancy created by the resignation of Matthew Chaffee in early October. 

A long-time resident and active community volunteer, Mrs. Smoker is a dedicated P-H-M parent of four children attending district schools. Her service and advocacy for students and staff have been felt across the district and throughout the greater community.

Mrs. Smoker currently serves on the P-H-M Education Foundation (PHMEF) Board of Directors, where she has chaired the Grants Committee since 2019. In that role, she helps oversee the process of awarding teacher and school grants that enhance learning, spark innovation, and promote excellence in all 15 P-H-M schools. She also supports PHMEF’s fundraising events and community partnerships that benefit students across the district.

Beyond her PHMEF service, Mrs. Smoker is deeply involved in several community organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for Granger Community Church, where she helps guide strategic planning and budget oversight; chairs the Grissom Middle School PTO Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships to Penn High School seniors; and previously served as Board Secretary for Jr. Irish Soccer Club and Development Chair for Girls on the Run Michiana. Through these roles, she has combined her love of youth development, leadership, and service—supporting programs that build character, confidence, and connection.

Professionally, Mrs. Smoker brings two decades of business leadership and creative experience. A graduate of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, she began her career as an Account Executive for major advertising firms in Detroit and Chicago, managing national brands such as Lincoln/Mercury and Quaker Oats. In 2003, she founded and operated CardCare.com, an online greeting card company she successfully led for 20 years.

“Mrs. Smoker’s commitment to servant leadership and her deep connection to our schools make her an outstanding addition to the Board,” said Board President Christopher Riley. “She has demonstrated her heart for P-H-M through years of volunteerism and community involvement and will bring a strong parent perspective to the table.”

Superintendent Dr. Heather Short added, “Jen’s energy, insight, and collaborative leadership reflect the very best of P-H-M’s Triangle of Success—students, teachers, and parents working together. Her service to our schools and community exemplifies P-H-M Excellence.”

Arrangements will be made with the P-H-M Board Attorney for Mrs. Smoker to take her Oath of Office. She will serve through the remainder of the current term, which expires in 2026. She may choose to run for election to the ensuing four-year term in the November 2026 general election.

Mrs. Smoker was chosen from five applicants. The other four candidates were John “Todd” Douthit, Brandon M. Kastner, William “Matt” Ludwig, and Ryan C. Woodruff (click here for their resumes). Public interviews of these applicants took place during a special board meeting held Tuesday, October 28th. President Riley said the decision to fill the vacancy was a difficult one, as all five candidates would have been excellent choices.

Click here for the process the Board of School Trustees followed for filling the vacancies.

U.S. News and World Report released its “Best Schools” rankings for K-8 public schools by state and Elm Road is #172 out of Indiana’s 989 public elementary schools!

Data is based on the 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years.

All of P-H-M’s elementary schools are ranked among Indiana’s “Best Elementary Schools”:

• Northpoint #1  
• Prairie Vista #2 
• Horizon #37
• Mary Frank #39
• Bittersweet #94
• Elm Road #172
• Moran #175
• Elsie Rogers #297
• Madison #273
• Meadow’s Edge #370
• Walt Disney #385

Two of P-H-M’s middle schools were also recognized:

• Discovery #3
• Schmucker #53

Indiana’s 395 Indiana public high schools were also ranked, and Penn ranked #26.

The U.S. News & World Report analyzed 103,391 pre-K, elementary and middle schools nationwide for their rankings. The rankings use the same methodology for all included grade levels. For each state, schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. In other words, the top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students. Click here for more information on the methodology.

The highest ranked U.S. public schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best High Schools rankings are those whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions. They reviewed data on 17,901 public high schools. Click here for more background information on their ranking system.

As part of Elm Road Elementary’s ongoing STEM Community Partners Program, kindergarten students recently participated in “The Wiggling Worms” presentation—an engaging, hands-on lesson all about soil health and decomposers.

A representative from the St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District led the session, helping students discover the important role that earthworms play in keeping our soil healthy. Students observed live worms up close and even conducted simple “worm experiments” to see how these tiny creatures move and interact with their environment.

Through fun and interactive learning, students gained a better understanding of how decomposers contribute to a thriving ecosystem—one wiggle at a time!

Elm Road’s STEM Community Partners Program connects classrooms with local experts and organizations to bring real-world science, technology, engineering, and math experiences to students. To learn more about the program and other STEM learning at Elm Road, visit Elm Road’s STEM Certified School page.

P-H-M’s ENL Department is hosting their annual Community Connections Fair on Saturday, November 1st.

Join us for activities, arts & crafts, food, performances, and to learn about resources in our community. It is completely FREE and all P-H-M families are invited to attend. Click here to see photos on Facebook of past Fairs.

For any families that want to sign up to perform, please click here to fill out the Google form.

October is National Principals Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing short Q&As with each of our principals—giving you a glimpse into their leadership style, favorite parts of school life, and what drives their #PHMExcellence every day.

If you could swap places with a student for one day, what class or activity would you be most excited to participate in — and why?

I would love to join our STEM Lab for the day! Our kids get to do fun Project Lead the Way and Picture Perfect projects that look like so much fun to be a part of.

What’s your go-to morning routine (or must-have snack/coffee order) that helps you tackle the day?

I have to have coffee to get going each day! I will drink most any coffee, as long as it is sweet and has caffeine, I will drink it! In the morning I listen to music and sing along with my daughter on the car ride to daycare.

What were you like as a middle or high school student — and what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

When I was in high school I was a very conscientious and studious student. I would tell myself to lighten up a bit and remember to have fun!

If your job as a principal had a theme song, what song would be your walk up song–the one playing when you walked into school each day?

Can’t Stop the Feeling- Justin Timberlake

What was your favorite school lunch or snack when you were a student? What is your favorite school lunch now as a principal?

I would pack my lunch and the thing I remember the most was the Hostess fudge bar I got to eat for dessert!
My favorite school lunch now is mini corn dogs

What’s one fun fact about you that most students or staff don’t know?

I still have one of my baby teeth! I don’t have an adult tooth, so I never lost my baby tooth.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies outside of school that might surprise people?

I love to bake! I like making new kinds of cookies.

What’s one thing on your bucket list you still hope to do one day?

Visit all 7 continents! I am over half way there!

What’s your favorite school tradition or event?

Homecoming

If you could describe your school in one word, what would it be?

Community

P-H-M hosted a districtwide drug awareness parent and community meeting on Tuesday October, 21, 2025 to help educate P-H-M families and the greater community about the current drug trends attracting teenagers. This valuable information is something all adults should be aware of, click the image above to watch the recorded video of the presentation. It will only be available until end of business day Thursday, Nov. 20th.

The session was led by Tall Cop Says Stop™ contracted educator, Melissa Moore, CPS. Tall Cop Says Stop™ was created by Officer Jermaine Galloway, an Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997. Galloway is regarded as one of America’s top experts in various drug and alcohol trends and specializes in underage drinking and drug enforcement. For more than 15 years, he has trained school administrators and safety personnel in spotting the dangers that threaten teens and the community. Melissa Moore, a 24-year public health experienced professional, who works to advance the mission of Tall Cop Says Stop™ in helping educate parents/guardians and students about the latest deadly effects of so-called recreational drug use.

Click here to access Melissa Moore’s resources referenced in her presentation.

Questions can be directed to the presenter at m3consultingllcwi@gmail.com.

Moore also presented a student focused presentation to Penn students (grades 9-12) during the school day on October 21st and 22nd.