Walt Disney School Update
November 4, 2022
Points of #PHMExcellence
Annually during fall elementary parent/teacher conferences and middle school student-led conferences, we ask parents via electronic surveys for feedback on how P-H-M is doing in the areas of safety, academics, building leadership and school communications. We believe it is relevant to share the results with all of our P-H-M families. As part of Penn High School's commitment to continuous improvement, Penn engages in a thorough, independent evaluation. Penn students & staff have already been surveyed. Parents will be given the opportunity for feedback before Thanksgiving break. The results will be shared back with the greater community when they are completed.
Welcome Message from Mr. Towner
Dear Parents,
We continue to have a great year full of excitement and community. Last week I shared about our first ever Trunk or Treat. The turnout was fantastic, and we're already talking about big ideas to make this event even more fun next year. Further down in this newsletter, you will see information for two upcoming Walt Disney community events. The first will be Reading In a Winter Wonderland on December 8th. This event is facilitated by our teachers, and we will have a combination of fun reading-themed activities for students, as well as really great information for parents about how students become strong readers, the instructional strategies we use here at school, and what you can do at home to help your child in their growth as a reader. We also look forward to Donuts with Dolphins the week before Winter Break, where we welcome parents in for a tasty breakfast with your student. Please mark your calendar for these events, and we will see you there!
At the beginning of the year, I emailed families about vacant positions on our staff. Like most industries in the local area, staffing is also a challenge felt by area schools. While we have made gains since the beginning of the year, we do have a few vacant aide positions. If you, or someone you know, loves kids and wants to help them excel to their highest potential, I'd love the opportunity to speak with you. Please feel welcome to email me, or pass my email along (rtowner@phm.k12.in.us).
Lastly, I share a reminder that Election Day, Tuesday, November 8th, is a recess day and students do not have school. Several of the PHM schools are voting locations, including Walt Disney Elementary.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children. We love working them.
It's a Great Day to be a Dolphin!
Mr. Towner
PTO Update
We are working through collecting remaining funds from our World's Finest Chocolate fundraiser, and will announce a date for the prize day soon! Thank you to all the families who participated!
We look forward to our next PTO event, "Donuts with Dolphins", spread over three mornings on December 19th, 20th, and 21st. Parents of K-1 students may join us on the 19th; 2nd and 3rd parents may join on the 20th, and 4-5 parents on the 21st. We welcome you to come join your student for a donut!
Have students across multiple grade levels? Just come on the date that works best for you!
Lunchtime Visitors
With Covid restrictions eased, PHM schools are again accepting parent visitors during lunch periods. Please note that space is limited, so we are using the following sign-up genius. It can be accessed via this link.
Our process will be subject to change as we evaluate this rollout. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Picture Retake Day is Thursday, November 17th
Any parents with questions should contact Derby Photography at (574)277-8646. A parent must send in a picture retake form in order for the picture to be taken.
Save the Date for Family Reading Night
Outstanding Academic News
- As reported by the IDOE similar schools summary, Walt Disney is in the top 6.7% of schools that are similar in size and demographics, as measured by ILEARN. Of 127 similar schools, we outperform 118 of them. Our focus is of course on outperforming everyone, and being the best!
- Walt Disney continues to beat state averages on the IREAD-3 assessment, and we have returned to pre-Covid performance for our students in third grade. Walt Disney is the only school in the state where minority subpopulations and ENL subpopulations have outperformed the overall school performance on IREAD-3 (as well as beating the state overall passing percentage!) Our free/reduced subpopulation always outperforms the state for that category by nearly 10%.
- PHM is in the top 3.67% of school corporations in the State of Indiana!
Skyward Family Access
If you have questions about Skyward Family Access, please email them to familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us and we will be glad to assist you!
Pictures from Around the Pod
Free/Reduced Meals and Textbook Assistance
We want to remind all parents that free/reduced meals and textbook assistance is available for eligible families. An application can be completed for this program online, by following the link below. As well, we are happy to provide a paper copy upon request.
School Fees are Due March 31st
For information on school fees, or to proceed with paying your child's school fees, please follow the button below.
Food Services
To access accounts digitally, go to https://www.phmschools.org/pay-meals-online to access our School Cafe program online.