Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, P-H-M students learned about the events of that day, honoring the lives lost and reflecting on the heroes who stepped forward to help.

Across the district, elementary, middle and high school teachers led age-appropriate lessons to help students understand the significance of 9/11 and why it remains important to remember.

At the elementary level, students are learning about September 11 through the stories of the heroes and helpers who emerged that day. One class used a student-friendly presentation to learn about the events before creating books highlighting several of the heroes of 9/11. Students discussed the people they helped and connected those stories to the heroes and helpers in their own lives.

P-H-M middle school students learned not only what happened on September 11, but also how the events continue to have an impact on our country and world 25 years later.

At Penn High School, students in an AP English and U.S. History Seminar course took a deeper look at the historical significance of the attacks. Lessons included watching historical video footage, hearing eye witness and first responders first hand accounts of that tragic day. Teachers shared their own memories of that day. Students had the opportunity to reflect and share their thoughts with the class. 

Penn students also had a role in helping our community commemorate the anniversary. Penn High School’s student media program, Penn News Network (PNN), produced a special livestream of St. Joseph County Police Department’s annual 9/11 Stair Climb at Everwise Freed Field to honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. 

Watch an archived video of the PNN livestream:
https://youtube.com/live/ek83TMa3ndA?feature=share

Through classroom lessons, conversations, reflection and remembrance, P-H-M educators and students helped ensure that the lessons and stories of September 11 are never forgotten.

Eleven Penn-Harris-Madison third grade students have been recognized as National Math Stars nominees through a partnership with the Indiana Department of Education.

The students earned the distinction by scoring in the top 2% of all third grade students in Indiana on the mathematics portion of ILEARN.

The National Math Stars Program is a nationwide initiative that recognizes and supports exceptional young mathematicians through academic enrichment, mentorship and advanced learning opportunities.

P-H-M is proud to celebrate the following students:

Bittersweet Elementary: Niko Hernandez
Elm Road Elementary: Daniel Ashdown
Elsie Rogers Elementary: Zeke Lannan
Horizon Elementary: Booker Kieser, Claire Stewart and Rowan Aland
Meadow’s Edge Elementary: August Kelver
Northpoint Elementary: Alan Jiang, Mason Ye and Frank Li
Prairie Vista Elementary: Emily Wojcik

This recognition reflects the hard work, curiosity and perseverance of these students, as well as the support they receive from their families, teachers and school communities. P-H-M proudly celebrates this outstanding achievement and congratulates each student on this honor.

Horizon Elementary is being recognized by the state for outstanding student achievement in reading, earning a perfect score on the latest IREAD assessment.

The Indiana Department of Education recently honored schools across the state that achieved a 95% or higher pass rate on IREAD, which measures third-grade reading proficiency.

Horizon led the way with a 100% pass rate, meaning every third-grade student met the state benchmark.

The recognition came during a statewide literacy celebration held over spring break last week. Because of the timing, P-H-M representatives were unable to attend.

Horizon’s results are part of a strong showing across the district. In 2025, 93.7% of all P-H-M third graders passed IREAD, a 6.9 percentage point increase from the previous year and the largest gain in district history.

That growth reflects a continued focus on early literacy, with students building strong reading skills that support long-term success.

This recognition is another example of #PHMExcellence in action.

Horizon Elementary students showcased their spelling skills at the 39th Annual P-H-M Elementary Spell Bowl, held this week at the Penn High School Entrepreneurial Operating Systems Center for Performing Arts.

The Horizon third grade team earned a second place finish with 26 points, competing against top teams from across the district.

The event brought together elementary students for an evening of academic competition and school pride. Northpoint led the overall results, earning first place in all three grade levels, including a perfect score in fifth grade.

One of the highlights of the night came during the fourth grade competition. Northpoint and Prairie Vista both finished with 29 points, sending the contest into a three-round tiebreaker that lasted 15 words. Northpoint ultimately claimed first place.

Penn High School Spell Bowl Coach Angela Yarrell served as emcee for the evening, and Superintendent Dr. Heather Short welcomed families to the event.

2026 Results

3rd Grade

1st: Northpoint – 28 points

2nd: Horizon – 26 points

3rd: Bittersweet – 24 points

4th Grade

1st: Northpoint – 29 points (won in tiebreaker)

2nd: Prairie Vista – 29 points

3rd: Bittersweet and Mary Frank – 27 points

5th Grade

1st: Northpoint – 30 points

2nd: Bittersweet – 26 points

3rd: Madison – 23 points

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 Horizon was fortunate to receive $3,171.99 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.

Horizon was awarded one traditional grant (more than $1,000). The description is listed below:

1. Enhancing Elementary PE through Gymnastics  
Dani Snoeyink • $3,171.99
Funds the purchase of gymnastic equipment to strengthen and enrich the physical education curriculum. This equipment supports efforts to build fundamental motor skills, improve balance and coordination, foster teamwork and promote a lifelong love of physical activity for children.

“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.

U.S. News and World Report released its “Best Schools” rankings for K-8 public schools by state and Horizon is #37 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.

Horizon’s third graders achieved a perfect 100% IREAD pass rate in 2025, improving from 95.3% in 2024. With 115 students tested—the most of any Indiana school to achieve a perfect score—Horizon ranks as the state’s highest-performing school for both participation and success! Our Suns truly lived their motto: Going Above and Beyond.

“Our students put into practice the literacy foundations taught by P-H-M’s dedicated teachers, and their families reinforced that learning at home. I also thank our principals, administrators, and support staff who worked tirelessly to provide the best and safest learning environments so our students could excel.” — Superintendent Dr. Heather Short

Across P-H-M, 93.7% of third graders passed IREAD in 2025, a 6.9-point increase over last year and the largest in district history.

Click here for more information on P-H-M’s overall 2025 IREAD district success.

Our Suns are shining brighter than ever heading into the new school year.

At Monday night’s P-H-M Board of School Trustees meeting Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, presented three current P-H-M administrators for promotion. This was Dr. Short’s first school board meeting as superintendent since she started in the role on July 1. The following administrative changes were approved at the meeting:

Randy Williams was approved as the new Director of Academic and Student Support. Williams previously served in several administrative roles within PHM since 2008, including Principal of Madison and Walt Disney Elementary Schools, Dean of Students at Penn and Associate Principal of Penn. In 2018 he was honored as a member of the “Forty under 40” class. In 2023 He became the Director of Secondary Education and Student Services for the Middlebury Community School system. Williams now returns to Penn-Harris-Madison with a wealth of new professional experiences and an enhanced skill set.

Maddie Schmidt was approved for the Assistant Principal position at Grissom Middle School. Schmidt is a former Kingsmen and a graduate of Judson University. She has a master’s degree in Educational and Business Administration from Bethel University. Schmidt began her career teaching language arts at Schmucker Middle School. During her time there, she also served as an Instructional Leader. She is an active member of PHM’s Excellence in Leadership initiative and has held multiple teacher leadership roles at SMS. Most recently, she served as a Dean at Schmucker. 

Beth Stroven was approved for the Assistant Principal position at Schmucker Middle School. This past year, Stroven served as a math teacher at Grissom Middle School and is a member of PHM’s Excellence in Leadership initiative. Prior to joining P-H-M, she was a teacher in Elkhart Community Schools, where she was recognized as the 2019 District Elementary Teacher of the Year and received the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Grant where she earned a master’s degree in Educational and Business Administration from Indiana State University. She later served as the principal of Mary Daly Elementary School.