Northpoint News
Friday September 15, 2023
Important Dates to Remember
September 18- Afternoon Adventures begin
September 19- Funky Feet Day for $1-mismatch shoes, socks, slippers for $1
September 21-Fall Festival
September 29- Black and Gold Day attire and accessories, hats, head bands, hair dye, for $1
September 29-PHMEF Homecoming Parade
#PHMExcellence
#PHMExcellence recognized by the Indiana Department of Education last Friday night (Sept. 8, 2023) at the 2023 Educational Excellence Awards Gala. Penn High School was honored with the distinguished "Excellence in College Readiness Award," partially for being the top Indiana high school with the highest number of students earning ICC (Indiana College Core) or AGS (Associate of General Studies) certificates earned! The award came with a $250,000 grant which the high school will use to further develop and enhance its existing college readiness programs for students. Click for more details on this honor for your students' future high school!
Wild Animal Wednesday Fun
Community Health Needs Assessment
It is time for Saint Joseph Health System to administer its annual Community Health Needs Assessment. This is a voluntary survey for parents where the community shares information about their family’s health and the health of the community. The results will guide St. Joseph Health System in creating 3-year implementation strategies to impact identified health needs in the service area. Just click the link and select the English or Spanish survey.
Penn Homecoming Community Events
The P-H-M Education Foundation is once again sponsoring Penn High School's Homecoming Parade, Family Fun Zone and new this year--FIREWORKS after the football game! The entire P-H-M community is invited to come out for this fun-filled family event. All the fun starts with the Homecoming Parade (grab your spot on the route by 5:00 p.m.). Info on the Parade route, Fun Zone, Football game and Fireworks can all be found on PHMEF's website. CLICK HERE.
PHM Homecoming Event(Last Day To Purchase)
All Kingsmen, future Kingsmen, families, and community members will have a chance to show their Penn Pride with three t-shirts options –
1.) Penn High School Students & Staff - $12.00 Each
*This shirt was designed by one of our Penn High School students.
2.) Kingsmen Families & Community Members - $10.00 Each
3.) Future Kingsmen - $10.00 Each
Orders must be placed online by Friday, September 15th. All orders will be delivered to your student’s school. Please select the school from the dropdown menu and fill in your student’s name (along with grade, teacher / homeroom teacher) information that would be helpful to the middle and elementary schools’ office staff for delivery. Penn High School students can pick their orders up in the bookstore.
PTO NEWS
Afternoon Adventures registration opens this Sunday at 4 pm (it opened today for our volunteers). Set a reminder -- classes are first come, first serve! Registration will be open at northpointpto.membershiptoolkit.com through September 12th. Please make sure your child(ren)'s GRADE and TEACHER are updated for this school year. This is very important before registering for Afternoon Adventures, so we have classroom attendance sheets and rosters correct.
Also mark your calendar for Thursday, September 21. Bring the whole family to Northpoint's Fall Festival from 6-8 pm. Admission is free, but crafts, games, and entertainment will be 2-4 tickets each. Food trucks will also be available and will accept cash or card. From now through 9/17 we're pre-selling tickets to use at the Fall Festival. If you buy tickets ahead of time, you receive more tickets for your money and avoid the lines. We'll send prepurchased tickets home the week of the event.
Buy tickets here: https://northpointpto.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/4528
For new families to Northpoint please access the link below to find lots of useful infomation.
https://northpointpto.membershiptoolkit.com/assets/03149/PTO_Information_Packet_2023-2024.pdf
PHM Safety and Security Update
We are happy to share with you the addition of safety and security personnel for the 2023-24 school year. The safety and security of our schools are a priority as we foster optimal learning environments and aim to prepare your child(ren) for college and career readiness. Three (3) certified School Resource Officers (SROs), recently retired from local police departments, have/will join us as P-H-M Safety Agents in our schools. These officers will be housed in each of our middle schools and also serve feeder elementary buildings. The new P-H-M Safety Agents collaborate with our Principals, St. Joseph County School Resource Officers, and other off-duty police officials to further enhance schools as safe learning environments, prepare for emergencies, and ensure that all schools comply with safe school plans and practices as required by law.
New Safety Agents:
Retired St. Joseph County Police - Officer Kent Wickham
Retired South Bend Police - Officer Britton Pratt
Officer TBD (will announce later this fall)
Current Safety and Security Staff:
P-H-M Director of Safety and Security - Officer Tommy Teeter (tteeter@phm.k12.in.us)
P-H-M Lead Safety Agent - Officer Antwon Jones (located at Penn HS)
St. Joseph County School Resource Officer - Officer Mike Reppert
St. Joseph County School Resource Officer - Officer Ben Wilkey
Off-Duty Police Officials: Officer Greg Howard - South Bend Police
Officer Avery Minor - Roseland Chief of Police
Officer Scott Moniz - Osceola Police
Officer Corey Calvert - South Bend Police
VSS Security (contracted service) for Hallway Monitors at Secondary Schools.
Safe School Helpline
If you see something, hear something, say something! The Safe School Helpline is a convenient, confidential way for anyone to report information about situations that might affect safety at any P-H-M school or building. You can call the number any time of the day or night to report concerns about unsafe or potentially disruptive activities or situations including drug or alcohol abuse, weapons, harassment, bullying or threats.
All calls are completely confidential.
800-418-6423 (800-4-1-VOICE, ext. 359)
TEXT: 66746, TIPS
Back To School Basketball League
Attendance
ARRIVAL and DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
CAR RIDERS, PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE CROSSWALK AT THE STOP SIGN. WE HAVE STUDENTS WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE BE PATIENT AND DO NOT CROSS THE CENTER LANE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE SCHOOL ENTRANCE.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE STAFF LOT AND WALK YOUR CHILD ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS ARE ARRIVING PRESENTING A SAFETY ISSUE
1. If you are going to change the way your child is getting home, please notify the office by 1:00 p.m. if possible. If the office does not have a notice, they will go on their regular bus, or be sent to the car pool line.
2. If you are parking your car in the neighborhood and walking down the path to pick up your child, please have them be dismissed as walkers and they can meet you by the front doors instead of you having to find them in the car pool line.
3. If your child will be a bike rider, they will need to get a permission form signed by Mrs. White first.
4. If your child is a car rider PLEASE PULL UP TO THE END OF THE CURB IF YOU ARE FIRST IN LINE. Stopping close to the doors backs the whole line up. Thank you for following this procedure.
5. If your child arrives after 7:55, they will be marked as Tardy to school.
Procedures for Car Pool Line
Due to an increased amount of car riders this year, we need to change our car pool procedures to provide a safer environment for our staff and students. Please be sure to pick up a car tag number in the office if you don't have one yet. We would appreciate your patience and cooperation as we implement the following new procedures;
1. Once you have entered the curb line up, please wait until you have been ushered forward to begin exiting the car pool line.
2. DO NOT pass around cars at any time while you are in the car pool line.
3. Cars will be stopped at the entrance to the the curb line to allow for all students to enter vehicles and exit safely.
4. Your child will be directed to walk safely to their vehicle that should be stopped along the curb.
5. If you are stopped at the entrance to the car pool line, you will be the lead car that should pull all the way up to the first cone . DO NOT STOP WHERE YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE STANDING.
6. PLEASE STAY OFF YOUR CELL PHONES DURING CAR POOL PICK UP.
7. Watch for the traffic ushers who will be wearing orange vests to direct you when in the curb lane.
We understand that waiting in a long line is frustrating, but we have to think of the safety of our students and staff members. We appreciate your support with these new procedures. Please call Mrs. White at 574-271-8598 or email her at lwhite@phm.k12.in.us if you have any questions.
Lunch with your child
https://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signup&urlid=10c0e49afa82da5fdcf8-lunch1&view=calendar
Community Connections Fair
The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair! October 7th from 10:00 am-1:00 pm at Schmucker Middle School
56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka
Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!
The fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. If you or your child want to perform you can sign up at https://forms.gle/CB3Kxa5j85i2G1hw5
Kids Club Registration
There currently is a wait list and Kid's Club will not be available for sign-ups on Monday at our ice-cream social.
Consent Forms
Text Book Fees
We are hoping you have heard, but we have great news to share regarding student book fees! The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill (HEA 1001-2023) that eliminated textbook and curriculum costs at public schools, which includes school supplies like pencils, paper, and notebooks. Parents will no longer be asked to pay school fees. For more information on the specific details, click here.
Instructional Materials
We wanted to share that legislation was passed (HB 1447) that all schools prepare a catalog of materials found in the school library Alexandria and a response and appeal procedure for materials parents find questionable.
We have that process in place already and it is posted on all school websites Instructional Material Feedback. In addition, secondary teachers will provide their syllabus to you with listed materials and classroom teachers have been asked to create a master list of titles in their classroom libraries. More information will be provided by your teacher in classroom newsletters. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your classroom teacher or myself.
Links for Instructional Feedback.
Once you are on the School website access the Quick Links tab and under that choose Launch Pad. This will let you search for book titles on Alexandria.
PHM IDOE approved Dyslexia Screening
Other Helpful Links
Safe School Helpline
The Safe School Helpline® is a confidential way to report student concerns about threats, suicide, drugs, bullying or anything that threatens the safety of our schools. It's Available 24/7. Click to watch a video on how to get in touch with Administration anonymously 24/7/365.
Four Ways to Report to the Safe School Helpline®
Call: 1-800-418-6423 ext 359
Text: TIPS to 66746
Online: SafeSchoolHelpline.com
Mobile App: Download the FREE app from the GOOGLE PLAY STORE and the APPLE APP STORE
- The app makes it easy to anonymously report a safety or mental health concern using your mobile device to text, call, or submit an online form.
Northpoint Contact Information
Email: lwhite@phm.k12.in.us
Website: www.northpoint.phmschools.org
Location: 50800 Cherry Road, Granger, IN, USA
Phone: 574-271-8598
Twitter: @NorthpointStars