Penn High School’s Biology teacher Mr. John Gensic teamed up with Horizon Elementary’s Mrs. Karin Logan to plan a fun-filled, hands-on, project-based learning, literal “field trip.”

Mr. Gensic brought nearly 100 students from his Early College Academy biology class to help Mrs. Logan’s 2^nd grade class plant dwarf fruit trees this morning (Thursday, May 12) in the field behind Horizon Elementary.

The “Giving Trees” project was Mr. Gensic’s idea, for which he applied for and received funding from the P-H-M Education Foundation grant. Gensic, who was recently named P-H-M’s 2016 Teacher of the Year, came up with the idea for students will participate in real world tasks from planting trees to harvesting fruit that will result in an improved local environment that provides educational and edible plants for our community. In Phase One of the project, which the PHMEF grant supports, 25-30 dwarf trees will be planted by elementary and Penn Early College biology students at Horizon Elementary. Initial trees will be planted Spring 2016, with the completion of the planting will be Spring 2017. Today’s activity was the first step in the project.

In Phases 2, 3 and four of the “Giving Trees” project, involve harvesting the fruits from the orchard to serve in P-H-M’s schools. It is also Mr. Gensic’s goal that his Penn students would fulfill orders from the community. The high school students will be putting into action the Indiana Biology Standards 3 (interdependence) and 4 (matter cycles and energy transfer). The elementary students will also be learning and putting into practice Indiana Science and Language Arts Standards.

It is Mr. Gensic’s hope is that this project will provide students, both high school and elementary, the opportunity to identify themselves as “world changers,” leading the charge to positively impact their communities’ health and environment.

Today’s activity also got the attention of the local South Bend media, with Mr. Gensic, Mrs. Logan as well as students.

Running Is Elementary, now in its 8th year, took place Monday, May 2, 2016, on the 1 mile cross-country course located behind Elm Road Elementary School. The 700 student-athletes ran on wet ground under cloudy skies, but their spirits were warmed by the hundreds of spectators cheering them on. Enthusiasm for this event—including student participation and family support—grows every year!

This exciting program gets its momentum from the schools’ running clubs, formed early in the spring and led by staff who act as coaches for the fourth and fifth grade boys and girls who choose to participate. The clubs meet, run and train for several weeks ahead of the public RIE event in May. On that day the students, in their colorful team T-shirts, gather at the start line, eager to give the rugged course their best effort. Superintendent Jerry Thacker and TCU’s Chris Griggs-Huppert signaled the start of the first heat, with P-H-M Board members and patrons starting the other heats.

Every student, from the first to cross the finish line to the last, is cheered on. Some even have companions or support runners who help them keep the pace and finish the race.

One goal for all involved is personal fitness—a healthy pursuit made all the more fun since RIE takes place as outdoor recreation among friends.  Some youngsters with a bent for running set speed goals as well. One fifth grader finished the mile with a remarkable time of 6:04! 

Running Is Elementary is sponsored by Corporations for Education, the corporate arm of the P-H-M Education Foundation. Much credit also goes to Horizon Elementary P.E. teacher and RIE coordinator Cindy Batalis, who, along with her committee and many volunteers, works hard to make the event safe and successful.

Here is a photo gallery from this year’s event for you to enjoy! 

The Gala took place Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Palais Royale Ballroom and PHMEF Executive Director Mari Linn Wise reports, “It was a smashing success!”

Friends of the school district gathered to celebrate the P-H-M Education Foundation’s two decades of accomplishments—having a great time and raising even more funds while they were at it!

The evening’s Roaring 20’s theme came through with plenty of glitz and glam. There were “flappers” in headbands and feather boas, and “dappers” in hats and spats. Chairperson Christine Rutherford and her staff of volunteers saw to the many details that made the evening memorable, including black and gold art deco touches, vintage costumes, designer cupcakes, and jazz music provided by Penn High students. 

View the full photo gallery here.

The highlight of the evening was the on-stage entertainment provided by teams of principals and assistant principals. Wise says, “PHMEF asked our principals and assistant principals to step outside their comfort zone to raise funds for our students by performing. P-H-M is so fortunate to have such caring administrators who want to raise funds for our students. Our winning Team Five closed out the night with a standing-ovation performance. Congratulations to all of the teams!”

Many parents, friends, staff members and community members who did not attend the Gala still supported it by casting $10 votes for their favorite teams of principals and assistant principals. On top of that giving, came a vote matching offer from Gary Fox for Crowe Horwath. He pledged to match each $10 vote, up to 100 votes for each team!

Here’s the final tally, including Mr. Fox’s generous support:

• Team 1 – 122 votes (Penn High)
• Team 2 – 217 votes (Horizon, Northpoint, P Vista)
• Team 3 – 437 votes (Elsie, W Disney, Meadow’s, Bittersweet, Madison)
• Team 4 – 223 votes (DMS, GMS, SMS)
• Team 5 – 451 votes (Mary Frank, Elm Road, Moran)
• Team 6 – 198 votes (Wildcard: Mr. Kauffman!)
• Total votes – 1,648

$16,480 was raised for P-H-M students and programs through votes alone!

Thousands of dollars in additional funds were raised through a silent auction conducted through online bidding, as well as live bidding to support the Summer Visual Arts Academy, and live bidding to underwrite PHMEF direct classroom grants. 

"I am overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the P-H-M community,” Wise states. “Our 20th Anniversary Gala was the first sit-down dinner in the Foundation’s history and it proved to be such a success. It was a night of fun and entertainment while raising much needed funds for our students.”

She continues, “Many thanks to the gala chair, Christine Rutherford, to the principals and assistant principals who showcased their talents, and to our families for their continued support.” 

The Foundation Board expresses special thanks to these five underwriters:  Gurley Leep Subaru, University of Notre Dame, Crowe Horwath, Jim and Julie Schwartz, and Gates Automotive Group.

Click here to view the Foundation’s timeline, charting 20 amazing years of contributions and growth. 

All P-H-M schools will be in session on Friday, April 29—including Horizon, of course!  

This day of instruction will make up for the day that schools were closed due to bad weather, Thursday, Feb. 25. 

Parents, thanks for your cooperation.

Students, see you then! 

Parents, show your support for P-H-M’s elementary school leadership AND help raise money for Horizon Elementary School!

At the P-H-M Education Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Gala on April 23, P-H-M principals will perform Vaudeville-style acts, competing against other P-H-M school teams. 

All the acts will be unique and definitely entertaining, but only one team—the one with the most votes—will win the PHaMmy award!

Here’s how you can help raise money for our school:

• Votes cost $10 each and you can cast multiple votes between now and the evening of the Gala.
• 50% of what each team raises will go directly back to that team’s schools!
• The first 100 votes for each team will be matched dollar for dollar by Gary Fox of Crowe Horwath. (Mr. Fox is P-H-M Board of School Trustees President and an Education Foundation Board Member.)

DO MRS. DECKER AND HER TALENTED TEAMMATES DESERVE YOUR VOTE?

You bet they do! Just watch the video.

►START VOTING TODAY & give TEAM TWO a head start! Follow these easy steps:

1. Click "Browse, Bid and Buy – View Items"
2. ​Click "Register” to create a Gesture account 
3. Vote for TEAM TWO  (Auction Item #102)

Check here daily to see how the votes are coming in, and which team’s in the lead!

►WATCH LIVE STREAM OF THE GALA PERFORMANCES (Sat., April 23, 7:30 p.m.) on the Penn News Network—then vote again! Votes will be tallied and a winner announced at the end of the evening.

►PARTICIPATE IN THE SILENT AUCTION at the same “Browse, Bid and Buy” page where you cast your votes. Check out the many attractive items being offered, then stay on top of the bidding to get what you want and benefit the Foundation.  

The P-H-M Education Foundation has many reasons to celebrate its 20 years of service to the P-H-M community.  Since 1996, the Foundation has distributed more than $520,000 to our schools and classrooms via innovative teaching grants. The Foundation also uses proceeds to underwrite district activities with widespread impact such as “Running is Elementary” and the “Summer Visual Arts Academy.”  Its mission: To support excellence in education.

A vote for TEAM TWO is a vote for excellence in education!

The Indiana Department of Education released 2015 school accountability grades today and all 15 of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s schools earned an “A”! The final grades were approved unanimously by the State Board of Education during the January 26 Board meeting.

“This straight ‘A’ report card is a result of the hard work and dedication from principals and teachers to the staff, students and families at all of our schools,” said P-H-M School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker. “This latest achievement is a result of our District’s commitment to excellence.”

Last year, 13 P-H-M schools earned an “A.” With Madison Elementary and Elsie Rogers Elementary moving up from a “B” to an “A,” all 15 P-H-M schools (11 elementary, three middle and one high school) have now earned this top recognition from the IDOE. Out of 2,095 schools across the state that got a letter grade, only 123 schools saw their letter grades go up in this latest ranking.

A spreadsheet reflecting the final school grades as approved by the State Board of Education is available through this link, http://www.doe.in.gov/news/indiana-department-education-releases-2015-accountability-grades.

On January 6, 2016 the IDOE publicly released the 2015 ISTEP+ results. With an 81.4% pass rate for ELA (English/Language Arts) and a 78.0% pass rate for Math, P-H-M ranked 10th in the state among 293 public school districts. The District’s 2015 overall combined pass rate for both subject areas is 72.1%

Click here for more information on P-H-M’s 2015 ISTEP+ results.

With the Wednesday, January 6, 2016 public release of the 2015 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation saw a jump in its ranking among Indiana’s 293 public school districts. With a 81.4% pass rate for ELA (English/Language Arts) and a 78.0% pass rate for Math, P-H-M ranks 10th in the state! The District’s 2015 overall combined pass rate for both subject areas is 72.1%.  

Another highlight from the 2015 ISTEP+ results for P-H-M … the School Corporation saw an increase in score variance. In grade 3, the variance between P-H-M’s scores and the state’s increased to 19.6 points; in grade 8, it goes up to 25.1 points. This shows that the younger a student enters the P-H-M education family, and the longer they are taught by P-H-M teachers, the better the students do!

Superintendent Jerry Thacker keeps the district’s focus on excellence in education, and acknowledges the partnership that makes it possible. “We commend our students and teachers, along with our parents for their concentrated hard work and dedication; that is the ‘Triangle of Success’ we tout at P-H-M.”

This link takes you to the full story of how P-H-M students fared on the 2015 assessment, including access to data charts that display individual school results.

Registration for kindergarten students for the 2016-2017 school year will begin at each P-H-M elementary school on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. This registration opportunity is for youngsters who live within the P-H-M district and who will be five years old on or before September 1. A parent or guardian must appear at the school in person to register their child.  

Parents, before you go to the child’s school, please visit the district’s kindergarten registration page to:

• Learn more about the registration process
• See what documentation you must provide
• View and download copies of the necessary forms

We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2029!

Parents of 3rd through 8th graders and Penn sophomores, the Indiana Department of Education has released the testing windows for ISTEP+ and IREAD for the 2015-2016 school year. ISTEP will begin in late February and IREAD in mid-March. Part 1 of ISTEP will be done with paper/pencil and Part 2 will be done online. 

New this year:  In preparation for 2016 ISTEP+, the IDOE has now made ISTEP+ “Experience” available through Pearson, allowing students and parents to experience various technology-enhanced item types that will appear on the ISTEP+ Part 2 assessment as often as they like from home, at school, or on mobile devices. “Experience” is presented via the Pearson online platform (TestNav 8) that will be used for ISTEP+ online testing, as well as IREAD-3 online testing. P-H-M families can access ISTEP+ “Experience” through the P-H-M District website, as well as through the link provided on the RESOURCES menu of every school website.

Indiana Statewide Testing of Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+ ) Grades 3-8, and 10*

                                                                           Window Begins                                              Window Ends

ISTEP+ Part 1 – paper/pencil                        February 29, 2016                                          March 11, 2016
(Applied Skills)

ISTEP+ Part 2 – online                                    April 18, 2016                                                  May 6, 2016
(Multiple-choice & Technology-Enhanced Items)

*New this year, high school sophomores will be required to take ISTEP

Indiana Reading And Evaluation Determination-3 (IREAD-3) Grade 3

IREAD-3                                                           March 14, 2016                                               March 18, 2016

For more information on the state assessment testing windows, please visit the Indiana Department of Education website, www.doe.in.gov/assessment.