Kingsmen Nation
9/16/22
Points of #PHMEXCELLENCE
Penn-Harris-Madison Supt. of Schools Dr. Jerry Thacker shared some important information relative to the latest student achievement data in Penn-Harris-Madison schools. We continue to be proud of our P-H-M Triangle of success connecting students, teachers and parents. We're excited to share with you points of #PHMExcellence from across the district.
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Homecoming Spirit Week (9/19-9/23)
Spirit Week Themes
Student Surveys
On Tuesday, September 27, students will be invited to complete two important surveys during their Gold 3 class. The surveys should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete, and the responses are being collected anonymously. More information about each survey is provided below.
Title IX Survey: This survey is being conducted to determine female student interest in sports programs. Your responses to this survey will help determine if we are accommodating athletic interests and abilities of female students.
Cognia Survey: Formerly AdvancED, Cognia is our accrediting body. It is an accreditation year for us in the five-year cycle, so we will be collaborating with Cognia to evaluate our programs and working toward refining continuous improvement goals. Stakeholder surveys are one part of that process.
DVT/Planetarium features "Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus/Andromeda" & "Fall Night Sky Live" on Thursday, Sept. 22
The PHM DVT/Planetarium will be showing LEGENDS OF THE NIGHT SKY: PERSEUS/ANDROMEDA & presenting the FALL NIGHT SKY LIVE on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens and can be pre-ordered by visiting the PHM DVT/Planetarium webpage, or they can be purchased with cash, check, or card 30 minutes before the show starts. The DVT is located inside Bittersweet Elementary.
Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus/Andromeda engages the audience with a wonderful story filled with humorous and exciting characters, and also engages their desire to learn about astronomy. This educational and entertaining laser show is for adults as well as children. Aesop the owl and Socrates the mouse tell how Perseus saves Andromeda from Cetus the Sea Monster. After the show, join us for a brief overview of the current night sky, which includes constellations, stars, the Milky Way, and the planets. Come see what you can look forward to in the sky this fall!
PHMEF Silver Mile and Homecoming set for Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24
PHMEF SILVER MILE & PHM HOMECOMING
Mark your calendars for the P-H-M Silver Mile Homecoming Weekend! This exciting two-day event, will take place on Friday, Sept., 23 & Saturday, Sept. 24, at Penn High School.
The fun starts at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, with a BRAND NEW Homecoming Parade, the St. Joseph Health System’s Health Fair, a Fun Zone with inflatables and food trucks, a silent auction and more. Then stay for kick-off when the Penn Kingsmen battle the Marian Knights in the 2022 Homecoming Game.
P-H-M students K-5 enter free with paying adult.
Then the fun continues at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning with the Silver Mile Run for Education. Register to participate in the popular timed 5K or the 1-mile Fun Walk. Registration is $10/student & $20/adult. Register online at phmef.org
This event is the perfect way to kick off fall and will give our P-H-M families a chance to reconnect and strengthen our P-H-M community. We hope to see you there!
For more information or to register, visit phmef.org.
PSAT set for Wednesday, Oct. 12
PSAT Information for Penn High School Students
- When: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022 (Black Day)
- Who: All students in grades 10-11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT
All students in grade 9 will take the PSAT 8/9
- Registration: Students are automatically registered
- Cost: All costs are covered by the IDOE or PHM
* - Penn High School will have a modified schedule for the school day to accommodate this testing
** - Homeschooled and other non-Penn students must register with Mr. Hall in the Testing Office.
For details please contact Mr. Hall via email at dhall@phm.k12.in.us or by phone at 574-258-9507.
Penn's Hannah Kang selected for All-National Honors Orchestra
Sophomore Hannah Kang, a Violinist, will be participating and performing in the NAfME (National Association for Music Educators) All-National Honors Orchestra in National Harbor, Md., on Nov. 6. The Symphony Orchestra is comprised of students from around the United States and will be conducted by Nobuyoshi Yasuda.
Yearbook Photo re-takes scheduled for Monday, Oct. 10
Re-takes for the Yearbook school photos are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 10.
The re-takes will take place each block in the area between the arena and the cafeteria.
Work Experience students conducting Food Drive
Penn High School Work Experience students are conducting a Food Drive to benefit the Mishawaka Food Pantry. The Food Drive is scheduled for Sept. 19-30. Non-perishable items may be brought to the bins located in Room 181.
Penn Mart open for business
Students in Penn's Exceptional Education Academy are selling specially crafted items.
Click here to view some of the items on sale in Room 181.
Open Swim set for Mondays and Wednesdays
Open Swim at Penn High School is scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. through October 12.
Open Swim is free to Penn Students and the Community.
Participants must bring ID Verification (student ID or driver's license).
PTO seeks candy donations
PTO is requesting donations of bags of individually wrapped candy for staff appreciation for October.
The sign up sheet is at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e084daca92fa3ff2-october1.
Donations are requested by Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Math/Science Office seeks student assistant/student intern
The Penn Math/Science office is looking for a student assistant/student intern.
Must be willing to:
- Be kind and helpful
- Be responsible
- Work diligently and be prepared
- Have solid attendance
See Mr. Gensic in Room 232 if you are possibly interested in doing this. jgensic@phm.k12.in.us You'll learn a lot!
Art Gallery needs student assistants
The Art Gallery is still in need of Juniors or Seniors who want to serve and Gallery Docents (a special student assistantship) G2 and B3 !!!!! See Miss Miller in Room 154 if you are interested.
Auditions scheduled for the first play of the 2022-2023 school year
Auditions for the first Penn High School play this school year, titled "God's Diary," will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 21, after school until 6 p.m.-ish in the Studio Theater. No preparation is necessary; you need only bring your conflicts between now and early February. The first show will be on Friday, Nov. 18, and will involve after school rehearsals and evening/weekend performances. Scripts are available to check out in the Fine Arts office by the practice rooms.
- Drama Club will hold its first monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Studio Theater (by Door C). No sign-up is necessary! Feel free to bring your friends!
Powder Puff Game scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21
The annual Powder Puff Football Game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21, at TCU/Freed Field.
Cost is $5 a person.
Come out and support your class during Homecoming Week.
Breakfast and Lunches are not free to all students in 2022-2023
Breakfasts and lunches are not free this year to all students.
Students must have money on their account or in hand for lunch and breakfast unless they have been approved for free meals this school year.
- Breakfast $1.50
- Lunch $2.50
Free/Reduced meal applications are available on SchoolCafe.com
Attendance located at Door C
- Students who get an early dismissal will now be checking out and leaving through Door C.
- Parents who plan to pick up their students early can do so at Door C until 2:40 p.m.
Attendance reasons can now be reported through Skyward/Family Access
Parents/Guardians now have the ability to submit attendance reasons - for full-day absences, early dismissals or late arrivals - for approval by the school - through Skyward/Family Access, instead of calling Penn High School.
Requests can be entered on the day of the absence (i.e. a student is ill) or scheduled in advance (i.e. - a student has a doctor appointment).
Click here for instructions on how to submit attendance reasons through Skyward/Family Access.
Voter Registration for students set for Tuesday, Sept. 20, and Wednesday, Sept. 21 at Penn
Tuesday, Sept. 20, is National Voter Registration Day.
Representatives from the St. Joe County Board of Voter Registration will be at Penn during all lunches on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and Wednesday, Sept. 21, to register eligible voters. You must be 18 on or before Tuesday, Nov. 8, to register to vote. You may also register to vote online at the Indiana Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) Public Information Site.
Jobs available for Penn students
Click here for information about jobs available for Penn students.
Dyslexia Screening to begin Aug. 29
Universal Screening for Dyslexia (a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words), will be conducted from Aug. 29, through Sept. 23.
DIBELS Benchmarking is the assessment used to perform our Universal Dyslexia Screening.
Click here for information.
Kingsmen Court seeks representatives
Applications for both Freshmen Kingsmen Court representatives and Club representatives are now available. Kingsmen Court is Penn's student government organization.
Freshmen representative application.
Club representative application.
Follow Kingsmen Court !!!
Instagram: @pennkingsmencourt
Twitter: @courtkingsmen
E-mail us with any questions @penn-kingsmen-court-grp@phm.k12.in.us
Alternate Door A Entrance Sidewalk
Penn High School will be undergoing some minor construction for a canopy at the Main Entrance (Door A) this fall. Door A will remain open throughout the project with all the safety procedures still in place. Anyone entering the building will continue to do so at Door A. There will be an alternate sidewalk to the north of Door A that will be protected from the construction. Please follow the posted signs.
Yearbooks arriving in mid-October
The Penn 2021-2022 yearbooks are scheduled to arrive in mid-October.
Penn High School Calendars
As part of the new Indiana law HB-1093, schools are limited to three days of e-Learning. The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will use, if warranted, three weather-related e-Learning days as needed throughout the school year. If additional make-up days are required, they will be added to the end of the school year calendar beginning on June 2 with required student attendance.
Click here for the 2022-2023 Penn High School Gold/Black Calendar.
Click here for the 2022-2023 Penn-Harris-Madison School District Calendar.
Student Lunch Delivery Policy
If a student forgets their lunch, only a lunch from home will be able to be dropped off at Penn. In order to support P-H-M’s Wellness Guidelines, we ask that food from outside vendors not be dropped off at school. Services such as Door Dash, Uber Eats or Grub Hub are not permitted on campus.
Switching buses
If a student is planning on riding home with a friend on a bus different than their assigned bus, students must bring a note from both students' parents to be approved in the dean's office. They need to bring those first thing in the morning so we can call to verify.
DVT/Planetarium to resume public shows in September
The PHM DVT/Planetarium will resume public shows in September 2022! Please check back with us in late August/early September for our 2022-2023 public show programs!
Tickets are usually $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens and seats can be reserved by visiting the DVT webpage on the PHM Schools website, or tickets can be purchased at the door with cash, check, or card 30 minutes before the show starts.
The DVT is located inside Bittersweet Elementary.
Key testing dates at Penn
October 12, 2022 PSAT/NMSQT & PSAT 8/9 Exams (Alt Date: 10-25-22)
- All students in grades 10-11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT exam
- Fee to be covered by the IDOE
- All students in grade 9 will take the PSAT 8/9
- Fee to be covered by P-H-M
Saturday Dates for the ACT at Penn High School (Students must register online with the ACT at www.act.org).
- Sept. 10
- Feb. 11
Saturday Dates for the SAT at Penn (students must register online with the College Board at www.collegeboard.org).:
- Aug. 27
- Oct. 1
- Dec. 3
- March 11
March 1, 2023 IDOE Administration of the SAT (Window March 1-3)
- Required for all 11th grade students.
- Students will be registered by the IDOE
- Fee to be covered by the IDOE
May 1-12, 2023 AP Exams
- Specific dates & times for each exam are established by the College Board.
Penn High School app now available
Android http://bit.ly/pennappandroid
The app was developed by Penn Sports Journalism Class interns Riley Clauss and Micah Focht.
The app provides quick links for students to the Penn website for the following categories:
- School news
- Google Calendars (Black-and-Gold Day Calendar, Athletics Calendar, Fine Arts Calendar)
- Student resources, including links to HAC and Canvas
- Counseling
- Clubs
- Fine Arts/Performing Arts
- Contact us/Staff Directory search engine
- The Pennant Sports News website
Penn Prom 2023 set for Saturday, May 13
Prom is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, at the Century Center. Amy Tiebout and Kelsey Weaver are co-chairs.
To be considered for the Junior Prom planning committee, please fill out this form before Saturday, Dec. 10. Meetings will start at the beginning of Spring semester and will be held in Rooms 264/266.
Safe School Helpline now available as an app
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.
Community Resources list
Click here for a listing of non-school community resources available to Penn students and families by businesses area organizations.
Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view the pdfs on this page. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe’s website, at this link http://www.get.adobe.com/reader/www.get.adobe.com/reader/, to download your free version. Or you can stop by the Educational Services Center at 55900 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka to pick up a copy.
Baseball workouts start Wednesday, Sept. 7
Fall Ball for the Penn State Championship Baseball Program has started. Weather permitting, we will continue in upcoming weeks on Monday and Wednesday right after school until 6 p.m.-ish
Make sure your registration is complete and you are cleared for participation.
If our numbers are large, there will be two groups - a Monday group and a Wednesday group, and a Tuesday group and a Thursday group, but as of right now it is Mondays and Wednesdays.
No player will be allowed to participate until the registermyathlete is completed.
Students must register online to participate in Athletics
Penn Athletics All-Sports Passes on sale
All-Sports Passes are on sale for students and adults. Passes may be purchased in the Athletic Office from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-through-Friday.
Student-Athletes must be picked up at Door D after practice
Parents/Guardians are asked not to pick up student-athletes at Door E due to safety concerns.
Connect with a Kingsmen Tutor
If students want to meet with a Kingsmen Tutor for academic assistance, they need to see their counselor for a pass.
Counseling Center Staff Directory
Click here for the Counseling Center Staff Directory and contact information.
Scholarship list
Click here for the current scholarship list.
PTO introduction
CLICK HERE for a PTO overview and how to follow on social media.
Penn PTO is a group of devoted parents and volunteers who work hand-in-hand with administration to support our students, staff and teachers through events that bring together community and show appreciation.
The PTO provides grants to our teachers, clubs and student groups.
We also coordinate Snowball (an event your student will not want to miss), teacher appreciation week and monthly appreciation events for teachers and staff, as well as organizing and funding things such as Freshman Frenzy.
We have meetings once a month and would love for you to join us and learn more. Please email pennhspto@gmail.com to be added to our meeting invite list for a virtual meeting option or check the calendar and join us in person.
Short Hair Because We Care Club to meet Friday, Sept. 23
Short Hair Because We Care Club is having a meeting at 7:40 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, in Room 218
Writers' Guild to meet on Wednesday, Sept. 21
Writers' Guild will be meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21, after school until 4:15 p.m. in Room 239. We will share our ideas, writing, and some snacks. We look forward to meeting with you!
Girls Bowling Team seeks members
The Penn Girls' Bowling Team is looking for new members.
Please contact mbrazeau@phm.k12.in.us for more information.
Practices are Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7 at OC Lanes in Osceola.
TableTop Games Club meets on Mondays in the IMC
Come socialize, make some friends with common interests, and play tabletop games with us! The Penn High School Tabletop Games Club has all types of board games, card games, and D&D!
We are currently looking for:
- AT LEAST two DM's (bring your own campaign. Players have characters made)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! players to d-d-d-d-duuuuuel!
- MTG players (possible tournament in the future?)
- People that just want to play random board games each week!
Meetings take place each Monday After school until 4:30 p.m. in the IMC. Sign up is located outside of Miss Soard's room (237)
Join Around the World in 180 Days Club
Want to learn about different countries? Hear stories from exchange students? Listen to guest speakers? Eat foreign food? Join the "Around the World in 180 Days" club. For more information, visit our website.
MSA seeks volunteers for Feed the Hungry project
The MSA execs have been working hard through the summer for this upcoming event, the 2022 Feed the Hungry with Pious Projects! Come to the Islamic Society of Michiana ( 3310 East Hepler St., South Bend ) on Sunday, Oct. 9, to help us prepare meals for the Homeless. Be sure to fill out this Google form to volunteer. https://forms.gle/eb7i4rTYz6PGHdYt5 Please come to our first meeting on September 14 or visit the MSA website. We hope to see you there!
Penn Assisting Seniors Club seeks members
The Penn Assisting Seniors Club seeks members.
The mission of the club is to help the elderly community and bring a smile to their faces through making cards, gift baskets, and running donation drives, along with visiting local retirement homes.
Penn Assisting Seniors Club meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:45 a.m. in Room 219.
Freshmen Mentoring set for Thursday, Sept. 22, and Friday, Sept. 23
Freshman Mentoring will be meeting on Thursday, Sept. 15, and Friday, Sept. 16.
Black Student Union seeks members
If you are interested in joining the Black Student Union Club, email Ms. Yarrell at ayarrell@phm.k12.in.us.
Spell Bowl seeks team members
If you are interested in being a member of Penn's perennial state power Spell Bowl Team, please email Ms. Yarrell ayarrell@phm.k12.in.us
Connect with Kingsmen Court
Follow Kingsmen Court !!!
Instagram: @pennkingsmencourt
Twitter: @courtkingsmen
E-mail us with any questions @penn-kingsmen-court-grp@phm.k12.in.us
Transportation
Transportation: The P-H-M Transportation Dept. will be using the transportation routing platform, 3DEZRouting, for the 2022-23 school year. This will allow for streamlined communication that enables you to view bus information, make requests, and receive regular correspondence directly from the Transportation Department. It will be populated the week before school starts. The Parent Portal will provide frequently updated information. Please make sure to set up your portal account. All address, phone, and/or alternate site requests need to be sent to whayes@phm.k12.in.us or 574-258-9500 ext 20851. Please be sure to visit the PHM Transportation page for information and directions on how to set up your account. https://www.phmschools.org/transportation.
Student may only ride on assigned bus
Student before-school drop-off procedures
Student after-school pick-up procedures
Fitness Center currently closed to community
Important School Information
Click on the following links for IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION:
School Messenger, the alert notification service: https://www.phmschools.org/parents/schoolmessenger
Parent FAQ on Emergency Preparedness:
https://www.phmschools.org/school-emergency-frequently-asked-questions
12th-grade Immunization Requirements:
https://www.phmschools.org/parents/12th-grade-immunization-requirements
Skyward and student progress
Join the Kingsmen Team as an employee
Join an institution committed to excellence. P-H-M is looking for prospective employees in a number of areas.
Click here for the jobs board.
Community events open to P-H-M students and families
Sean Galiher, Principal
Email: srgaliher@phm.k12.in.us
Website: https://penn.phmschools.org/
Phone: 574-258-9503
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennHighSchool/
Twitter: @SeanGaliher