Students in grades PreK – 8^th can take advantage of a one-day Penn Dance Clinic.

DATE: Saturday, December 3, 2022

TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 
              (Pre-K and K 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

LOCATION: Penn High School Fitness Center (Enter through Door D)

COST: $40 (Pre-K & Kindergarten),
            $50 (1st-8th grades)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY! Please register by Friday, November 25, 2022 so t-shirts can be ordered. Late registration could result in no t-shirt.

PERFORMANCE:  Students will perform that evening at a Penn Boys Basketball Game TBD.

• JV Game:  PreK – 2^nd Grade
• Varsity Game:  Grades 3^rd – 8th

What would make more than 200 elementary students and dozens of Penn High School students show up at school on a Saturday? It would have to be something pretty cool, and there’s no doubt that P-H-M’s new  “Short Circuits” Sphero is cool! Click here to see the full photo gallery on the P-H-M District website.

Teams of third graders from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools and their Penn Robotics Team 135 coaches/mentors were excited to show off what they had learned about coding, programming, and robotics to their parents, grandparents and family members. 

The idea for Short Circuits came about from a discussion between longtime, now retired, Penn Robotics Team 135 Coach Jim Langfeldt and P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom.

Current Team 135 Teacher Coach Kyle Marsh worked with Michael Niemier — a Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame — under the umbrella of his National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) grant, which funded Mr. Marsh’s summer work to write the Short Circuits coding program. Co-developer and former P-H-M teacher Jim Langfeldt has also participated in Niemier’s RET program.

During the 4-week after school practices, the Penn students have coached and mentored 3rd grade teams at all 11 elementary schools; one or two teachers at each elementary school are also involved helping to oversee the students.

During Saturday’s celebration, the 3rd grade students will demonstrate for their parents and family members what they’ve learned, including programming the Sphero robots to maneuver through the Penn Robotics student built obstacle course.

Short Circuits is sponsored by P-H-M Education Foundation. Former longtime PHM Board Member Gary Fox, and his wife Tamera, generously committed to a $20,000 donation over four years to sponsor the program. $30,000 was raised at the PHMEF 25th Anniversary Gala to pay for Sphero kits for all the elementary schools. 

(picture above was taken March 2019)

Mark your 2022 calendars for P-H-M’s Young Authors’ Conference:

Saturday, March 5

8:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Schmucker Middle School

P-H-M Elementary students, grades K-5

Registration Fee: $5 per child

Online registration is at phm.revtrak.net. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 18, 2022.

The Young Authors’ Conference is for P-H-M students in grades K-5. The event, sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation, provides an opportunity for students and their parents to meet and hear from a well-known children’s authors. Click here to view the photo gallery of the 2019 event.

This year students and their parents will meet and hear from well-known children’s author, teacher, and speaker, Gabrielle Balkan. Mrs. Balkan is best known for non-fiction books that delight readers ages 3-12 with curious and essential facts about the United States, animal record-breakers, and ground-breaking artists. Mrs. Balkan will share her experiences as a writer and illustrator during her engaging, grade-level  presentations.

Participants and parents will also enjoy an interactive, up-close animal experience from the Potawatomi Zoo staff.   As part of the morning activities, students will share their own writing piece in small, adult-led group sessions with students from other P-H-M elementary schools. While students are meeting with their peers, parents will join P-H-M Teacher and writing expert, Mary Nicolini, as she explores how writing can be a method for remembering and preserving events using real-life stories, drawings, and photographs.

Elementary student attendees will also work in small adult-led breakout sessions sharing their own writing pieces with other P-H-M students.

COST: The registration fee of $5.00 per child is used for conference expenses. There is no cost for the parent. One parent only must accompany students!  However, keep in mind that students and parents will separate for a portion of the day.  YOUNGER siblings may not accompany adults. This experience is for your young author and parent.

REGISTRATION: Online registration will be available at phm.revtrak.net. If you don’t have a P-H-M Revtrak account, you will need to create one. There is a fee for using this service. The deadline for registration will be Friday, February 18.

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

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Schirripa at lschirripa@phm.k12.in.us.

COVID Testing Walk-in Clinic
If a student, teacher, or staff member is symptomatic or quarantined due to exposure, they may receive a free BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for the COVID-19 virus. This program uses Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW tests provided by the federal government.

The IDOH has recently revised the school site testing criteria due to the limited supply to only test the following groups:

• Symptomatic students Pre-K through grade 12
• Symptomatic teachers and staff members age 50 and above.  

Where can they be tested:

• The walk-up clinic will take place at the P-H-M Bank Locker Room Building located on the corner of Bittersweet and McKinley Hwy (US20) near Penn High School. Entry is off McKinley Hwy.
• No appointment is necessary.
• The clinic will be open when school is in session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. AS LONG AS TESTS ARE AVAILABLE. The Clinic may need to close early on the days it is in operation as the number of available tests per day may vary due to the national shortage. 
• We will only test a student accompanied by a parent/guardian.
• Please bring the completed consent form to the clinic at the time of testing. Click here to download and print the consent form.

The Penn Winter Guard Open House will be from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Auxiliary Gym.

The Open House is for all 4^th – 12^th  grade P-H-M students.

Questions, contact Jen at (574) 903-9200 for more information about Winter Guard.

U.S. News & World Report “Best Schools” Designations has recently expanded to include elementary and middle schools. With Penn High School earning a “Best High School” designation for several years, P-H-M now has several elementary and middle schools who also have earned this distinction, including our very own Elm Road. We’ve earned the distinction of being among Indiana’s Top 30% of Public Elementary Schools (data is based on the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years).

A total of 10 of P-H-M elementary schools earned the high ranking as a U.S. News “Best Public Elementary School.” See the full ranking list below:

1. Northpoint Elementary​
2. Prairie Vista Elementary
3. Mary Frank Elementary
4. Horizon Elementary
5. Bittersweet Elementary
6. Meadow’s Edge Elementary
7. Elm Road Elementary
8. Moran Elementary
9. Walt Disney Elementary
10. Elsie Rogers Elementary

Two of our middle schools, Discovery and Schmucker, are also named “Best Public Middle Schools.” Discovery is ranked #4 in Indiana and Schmucker is ranked #96.

Here’s how U.S. News calculated the rankings:

For each state, schools were assessed on their pupils’ proficiencies in mathematics and reading, as measured by state assessment tests. Half of the ranking formula was the results themselves; the other half was the results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. In other words, the top-ranked schools are high achieving ones that succeeded in educating all of their students. All data for the rankings are from third-party sources, including the U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. News has published state rankings for more than 47,000 public elementary schools and more than 23,000 public middle schools. Most schools with an elementary school ranking offer grades K-5 or K-6, while most with a middle school ranking offer grades 6-8 or 7-8. Some schools with wider grade spans were ranked in both categories.

U.S. News has published an in-depth methodology article that provides more information about the rankings and how they were calculated.

Penn High School Robotics Team 135 is pleased to once again offering Next Gen Camps this Fall to inspire elementary and middle school students pursue Robotics. The dates are October 29th & 30^th, as well as three dates in November: Nov. 13^th, 26^th, and 27^th.

Click the images of the flyers below to enroll your student today.

Dr. Lisa Soto Kile as the new Director of Professional Development and Student Learning. Dr. Soto Kile is the current principal at Elm Road Elementary School and will begin her new position at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Dr. Soto Kile began her career in P-H-M in 1992 as a teacher at Prairie Vista. In 1998, she became the Schoolwide Enrichment Specialist and then moved into the Gifted and Talented Coordinator in 2000. Dr. Soto Kile also held the position of Assistant Principal at Northpoint Elementary (2002-2003), Title I Director (2005-2011) and principalships at Northpoint (2003-2005), Madison (2005-2011) and her current role as principal of Elm Road Elementary which she began in 2010. During the 2010-2011 school year, she served a dual principal role leading both Madison and Elm Road Elementary schools.

Dr. Soto Kile’s dissertation focused on balanced literacy programs and the impact on students in Title I schools according to gender, race, and socioeconomic status. This along with her many years of experience in meeting the needs of students in Title I schools will make a positive impact on the culture, environment, and educational experiences for our students and staff.

Dr. Soto Kile received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University Bloomington, a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University South Bend, Elementary and Secondary Principal’s License from Indiana University South Bend, and completed her Ph.D. in Educational Studies, Superintendent’s License from Purdue University. She also holds memberships in many associations including the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Indiana Association of School Principals, IU South Bend Teacher Education Advisory Board, as well as the National Science Teaching Association. 

Under Dr. Soto Kile’s Leadership, Elm Road Elementary has been an “A” rated school and in 2020 earned the distinction of being named a STEM Certified school by the IDOE. Elm is one of 90 schools in the state to have received this designation.

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees approved Dr. Thacker’s recommendation of Dr. Soto Kile to the Director of Professional Development and Student Learning position at the April 19, 2021 Board Meeting.

Dr. Soto Kile is replacing Dr. Jayson Snyder who had previously held the Director of Talent Acquisition and Development position. Dr. Snyder was named the new Superintendent for Middlebury Community Schools on March 31. His last day with P-H-M is June 30.

The first week of May is national Teacher Appreciation Week. Leading up to this special week every year Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent surprises the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year with the news that they have been chosen. This afternoon Dr. Jerry Thacker walked into the Elm Road Elementary classroom of 5th grade virtual teacher Mrs. Kathy Shreiner to let her know she had been chosen as the district’s 2021 Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Shreiner was in the middle of conducting class with her 5th grade virtual learners. She was just as surprised as her students were when Dr. Thacker, Elm Road Principal Dr. Lisa Soto Kile, P-H-M Administrators, and some of her colleagues walked into the room to give her the good news.

One of the Administrators on hand for the surprise announcement was P-H-M Chief Operating Officer Mr. Aaron Leniski, who was in Mrs. Shreiner’s first class when she became a teacher in P-H-M 32 years ago! Click to see the photo album below.

Mrs. Shreiner joined P-H-M in 1989, teaching at Elm Road Elementary School; she has been teaching at Elm for her entire tenure! She received her BA in Education from Goshen College and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from IUSB.

Four of her colleagues nominated Mrs. Shreiner for the P-H-M Elementary Teacher of the Year award. As a veteran experienced teacher, her co-workers have praised Mrs. Shreiner on what a great resource she’s been to the other virtual teaching team members … “She has such a positive outlook and is always looking for solutions to the problems we face in a digital world. She has worked tirelessly to learn all the new platforms and continually contributes to the group to help us find ways to meet the needs of all of our learners.” Her excitement for teaching has not waned in 32 years, co-workers say she’s just as energetic today as when she first started teaching, even during these challenging times. One of the creative ways Kathy has worked to keep her students engaged is using her dog in some of her recorded lessons. She maintains a personal connection with her virtual students by sending them surprise prizes and notes via “snail mail!” Mrs. Shreiner also works extremely hard at keeping the parents of her virtual teachers informed so they are a part of their students’ educational experience.

“All of our teachers have work extraordinarily hard during the pandemic, going above and beyond to engage their students and maintain relationships,” said Superintendent Dr. Thacker. “Kathy Shreiner, and many of teachers like her, are dedicated to helping our students close the learning gaps and help them continue to achieve academic success.”  

Mrs. Shreiner is well respected by her peers, whether she’s worked with them for 26 or five years. One of the teachers who nominated Mrs. Shreiner stated … “She is always willing to help and really thinks deeply about each situation prior to giving advice or helping in any way. She is a person that I know I can always go to for guidance in any situation.” The IDOE named Elm Road a STEM certified school in May of 2020; and Mrs. Shreiner was an integral part of the application process.

Mrs. Shreiner along with P-H-M’s soon-to-be announced Secondary Teacher of the Year will submit applications to be considered for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Both P-H-M Teachers of the Year will receive a $1,000 classroom grant from P-H-M’s Education Foundation. The 2020 Teachers of the Year will also submit their applications for Indiana’s TOY. Last year during the pandemic, Elementary Title I Technology Integration Coach Jessie Kinney was named P-H-M Elementary Teacher of the Year and Penn High School’s Applied Biology/Life Skills Science teacher Amy Zimmer was named P-H-M Secondary Teacher of the Year. 

A photo album of high resolution JPG files are posted above. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge! If you are a member of the media and you are using these photos for news purposes, please credit Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation.

We asked our teachers to share their favorite moments from the first week of virtual learning, here is what they said!