Get Your Teach On is an organization that “specializes in professional development and encouragement for educators and administrators in the form of conferences, workshops and events. ”

On September 29th, Get Your Teach On sponsored “Rock Your School Day” as a way to “set the stage to engage” the students.

There were rock stars and DJ’s galore in our classrooms, hallways and pretty much everywhere else.

This was a fun way for students and staff to show their creativity and make learning fun.

Take a look at some photos below!

Friday, September 29 is Penn’s Homecoming Parade, Fun Zone, Food Trucks & the Penn football game versus St. Joe. The P-H-M Education Foundation is once again sponsoring all the fun 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. Be sure to grab your spot on the route by 5:00 p.m. Parade starts at 5:30!

Here are some things that will be helpful for families as they head out for all the festivities.

Parking:

• Paid Parking ($3 cash) at these lots:
  • Penn High School (Front Lot & Jefferson Rd. Lot)
  • Softball/Tennis Lot
  • Bittersweet School Lot
• Free Parking at these lots:
  • Soccer Lot (Bank Lot)
  • Pennway Lot
  • Schmucker Lot (front, Sides & in Back of School)

Fun Zone:

• 5-7:00 p.m.
• Penn Baseball Field
• Teacher Dunk Tanks, Jumpies for elementary students
  • FREE for EVERYONE!
• Food Trucks:
  • Ben’s Pretzels
  • Junbuggies
  • Keim’s Elephant Ears
  • Kona Ice
  • Prized Pig
  • REAL Grille
  • Rulli’s Pizza
• Fans will be allowed to take food purchased at the Food Trucks into the stadium. However, no other outside food will be allowed!

Gate & Ticket Info:

• Penn vs. St, Joe, Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
• P-H-M students K – 5th grade get in FREE with paying adult!
• Tickets are on sale now-Thurs., Sept. 28 online, ticket price is $6 (students & all other age groups same price)
  • Click here to buy your tickets online
• Tickets on Friday, Sept. 29 are $7 (online or at the gate) 
• PHM Employees plus one guest get in FREE, but you must have ID badge & the guest must be with the employee
• Please remember middle schoolers cannot be dropped off unsupervised. Once in the game, the students are free to walk around. At least one responsible adult must be onsite.
• Tickets are sold at the North & South gates only!
• Penn All Sports Passes and tickets (hard & online) are accepted at all gates
• The Center Gate is reserved for Penn All Sports Passes and online ticket holders only
• No Reentry!

Fan Safety:

• Click to download and red the Lost Child Policy
• Please utilize crosswalks when crossing Bittersweet Road after the parade

Rules to Remember:

• No reentry to Everwise Field; once you leave, you are not allowed back in.
• No outside food or beverages, no insulated cups
• No backpacks
  • Diaper bags & large women’s purses are allowed
• Penn does not have a clear bag policy
• No electronic noise makers
• No Footballs or Beach Balls
• No weapons of any kind
• No alcohol
• No Smoking/Vaping products of any kind. All PHM school property is smoke free.
• No open flames at private tailgating

Info on the Penn Student Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 30 can found on PHMEF’s website. CLICK HERE. 

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair!

Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!

P-H-M is inviting area businesses who want to participate in the Community Connections Fair to sign up. Click here to request a table at the event. 

The Fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. Families wishing to sign up to perform, click here.

Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.

Come out and enjoy the many cultural performances and student work that will be on display representing countries from all over the world! 

Please join us! Click here to download and share the flyer.

For more information, please contact:
Rylee Jacobson
P-H-M Elementary ENL Coordinator
(574) 271-8598, Ext. 50913
rjacobson@phm.k12.in.us

Boys in grades 2nd to 8th are invited to participate in “Back to School” Basketball League at Penn High School.

2nd – 6th grade League

DATES: September 24th; Oct. 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd 29th

LOCATION:

• 2nd-4th, Penn Fitness Center
• 5th-6th, Main Arena/West Balcony/Aux Gym Time

TIMES:

• 2nd-4th, Sundays, Noon – 4:00 p.m.
• 5th-6th, Sundays, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

COST: $99

Click here to register online.

7th & 8th grade League

DATES: September 10th, 17th, 24th; Oct. 1st, 8th

LOCATION: Penn High School

TIMES: Sundays, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

COST: $79

Click here to register online.

Questions? Please contact the League Director Coach Smith if you have any questions at jsmith5@phm.k12.in.us

The Indiana Department of Education released today (Friday, August 18, 2023) the Top 10 finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year and Walt Disney Elementary School Music teacher Mr. Robi Davidson was among them!

Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and Board of School Trustees Member Dana Sullivan were touring Walt Disney as part of the beginning of the school year school visits when they learned the news, so they popped into Mr. Davidson’s classroom to congratulate him. Watch the video below.

This is two Fridays in a row that Dr. Thacker has shown up to congratulate Mr. Davidson. Last Friday Dr. Thacker, Walt Disney Principal Dr. Mindy Higginson, and other P-H-M Administrators showed up at Penn Band practice to congratulate him as well when Mr. Davidson made it to the Top 25; last week he was “serenaded” by the Penn High School Marching Band! Take a look.

Mr. Davidson makes P-H-M’s fourth Top 10 Finalist in seven years–John Gensic in 2016, Jeanie Mitchell in 2019, Amanda Fox in 2022, and now Robi Davidson in 2023! And he’s the only teacher from the Michiana area to make it to the Top 10!

In April, Davidson was P-H-M’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Between his teaching career and his K-12 education, Mr. Davidson has spent almost his entire life at P-H-M! He attended Madison Elementary School, Grissom Middle School and graduated from Penn High School in 2007. He has taught music at Walt Disney Elementary for 11 of his 12 years of teaching. Click here to learn about Mr. Davidson.

The announcement for the winner of Indiana Teacher of the Year is expected to come early to mid September. We believe Mr. Davidson will be the winner!

This year’s annual Community Tailgate will be a great way to kick off the return of the Backyard Brawl between the Kingsmen and the Mishawaka Cavemen. 

All fans are welcome, Cavemen and Kingsmen! There’s plenty of food for fans on both sides.

Gates open at 5:00 p.m. You must have a ticket to the football game to enter. Once inside the stadium head down to the white tents in the South End Zone, near the Zolman’s Tire & Auto Care South Concession Stand.

For $6 you get your choice of hot dog, hamburger or brat served with a bag of chips, choice of drink, and a cookie. Food tickets for the Tailgate are purchased at the Tailgate.

The Indiana Department of Education released today (Friday, August 11, 2023) the Top 25 finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year and Walt Disney Elementary School Music teacher Mr. Robi Davidson was among them!

Davidson was at Penn High School Marching Band practice when Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, former Walt Disney Principal now Literacy Director Ryan Towner, and new Disney Principal Dr. Mindy Higginson surprised him to congratulate him. In the summer, Davidson coaches the tuba section for Penn’s award-winning Marching Band and works on the sound design team with the front ensemble. To celebrate Davidson’s next step in the Indiana TOY process, Walt Disney Principal Dr. Higginson brought him balloons and the band played the Penn Fight Song, with the tuba section front and center! Watch the video below.

In April, Davidson was P-H-M’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Between his teaching career and his K-12 education, Davidson has spent almost his entire life at P-H-M! He attended P- Madison Elementary School, Grissom Middle School and graduated from Penn High School in 2007. He has taught music at Walt Disney Elementary for 11 of his 12 years of teaching.

Walt Disney is one of P-H-M’s five Title I schools. Nearly 30 different languages spoken in the homes of Disney families. To celebrate the school’s diversity, we host an annual “Culture Night” and month long of educational experiences and celebrations for both students and families alike. Along with his music teaching responsibilities, Davidson is the lead organizer along of Disney’s Cultural activities.   

The IDOE each year recognizes an Indiana Teacher of the Year—a educator who works to inspire, rejuvenate, and celebrate the teaching profession by recognizing outstanding teachers from across the state. The INTOY award is a lifetime role in education, which has many opportunities to celebrate teaching and uplift the teaching profession.

On August 1, P-H-M’s Secondary Teacher of the Year Penn High School AP History teacher Eric Bowers was named Indiana History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Bowers will be among those recognized at the second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala coming up in September. 

Penn Girls Basketball Head Coach Kristi Ulrich is once again offering a fall youth basketball league 

The “Junior” League is open to girls in 3rd – 6th grades. The “Senior” League is for student-athletes in 7th & 8th grades. All those participating in the ”Senior” league MUST live in the P-H-M District or attend a P-H-M School.

Sign-ups are on Sunday, September 10  from 12 – 2 p.m. in the Penn High School Main Arena. Enter Door D. 

The League runs September 17th – November 12th with a single elimination tournament for all age groups.

All games will be played on Sundays at Penn High School in the Main Arena, Auxiliary and West Balcony courts. Tournament times may vary on Nov. 12th.

Weekly Game Times are:

• 3rd & 4th grades: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• 5th & 6th grades: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
• 7th & 8th grades: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Click here to download the PDF with more information and to register.

The 2023-2024 District Activities Calendar was mailed to the homes of P-H-M families the last week of July.

The calendar provides key dates for testing, recess breaks, and school specific events (for the schools that provided the information).

You can click here to view a PDF copy of the calendar. You can also view a one-page of the 2023-2024 school calendar that shows the school year at a glance.

The P-H-M District online (Google) calendar is the most up-to-date. You can add this district and any school calendar to your own personal Google calendar.

Each of our 15 schools also maintains an online calendar that is updated frequently with the school’s scheduled activities and event details. You’ll need to visit your school’s website to add that calendar to your personal Google calendar. 

Walt Disney’s “Culture Night” returned in a big way the night of Thursday, May 18! After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, students, staff and families were eager to bring back the signature event that had been a staple on our school’s calendar since 1999.

Families who set up booths offered food, beverages or crafts related to their heritage. Students and families also performed for the community.

With more than 30 different native languages from around the world spoken in our students’ homes, this night is such an integral part of our school’s culture because it allows our staff, students and families to share their food, customs, background & history with the rest of the school community.

The evening wrapped up with a fun game of Kahoot! Outgoing Principal Towner & soon-to-be new principal Dr. Mindy Higginson provided answers so that staff, students & families could learn more about Dr. Higginson who will be taking over at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.