By KENNEDY PARKER

Penn High School Student Reporter

Penn’s all-girls Intro to Engineering Design (IED) class is continuing to work on a project to promote learning and helping others. The project, coined, “Voice for Braylen” is allowing the students to work together to solve a real-life problem. Click here to read part one of Braylen’s story.

The project is centered around Braylen, a kindergarten student at Elsie Rogers Elementary School in the Penn-Harris-Madison school district. Braylen has been diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome, which affects his balance and coordination. Braylen is very intelligent, but unable to speak and is faced with mobility challenges.  He will soon receive a new device to help him speak, called the Accent 800. This technology will allow Braylen to touch different pictures on the screen and the tablet will speak for him. Penn’s engineering class is designing and building a stand that will hold the device and make it mobile so that Braylen can easily take it with him during the school day.

On Monday, March 21, the girls’ IED class traveled to Elsie Rogers to meet with Braylen. They tested out their first design, conferred with Braylen’s teacher, aides, and principal, and gathered measurements.

The students were able to see his school environment and learn more about new constraints for the structure. Braylen is really hoping that it can go outside so that he can communicate with his friends at recess. Ideally, the mobility device would be able to collapse or become smaller so that it can travel with him to and from school. Now, with this feedback, the engineering students are beginning to talk about ideas for their second mock-up.

While at Elsie Rogers, the girls split up into teams to take turns meeting with Braylen, Mr. Langfeldt, the principal at Elsie, and his aides. The teams that weren’t meeting with Braylen took time to work on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) related activities with the other students in Braylen’s kindergarten class. The activities included building marble runs, making towers out of plastic cups, and building structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows.

The students are grateful for this opportunity to not only learn more about engineering and manufacturing, but to help out the community as well.

Penn High School Biology teacher John Gensic has been selected as a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. 

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the nation's highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science (including computer science). Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.

Mr. Gensic will be recognized with other honorees by the Indiana Department of Education at a luncheon Friday, April 15 in Indianapolis. The National Science Foundation convenes a national selection committee composed of prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science educators, district level personnel and classroom teachers that reviews the applications of the state finalists and recommends to NSF up to two finalists in mathematics or science from each state or jurisdiction. PAEMST winners are typically announced and honored the year following the receipt of the application. Each awardee receives a certificate signed by the President of the United States and a $10,000 award from NSF. Awardees and their guests are honored during events that take place in Washington, DC. These events include an award ceremony, celebratory receptions, professional development programs, and discussions with policy-makers on how to improve mathematics and science (including computer science) education. Since 1983, more than 4,400 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. 

This past summer Gensic, was one of 15 educators chosen from more than 60 applicants, to work alongside scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a research project on Lake Michigan. As part of the Lake Michigan Shipboard Science Workshop, Gensic and the scientists worked on onboard the research vessel Lake Guardian from July 12-18, 2015. Gensic and the other teachers evaluated the presence of microplastics and assessed the impact of aquatic invasive species—particularly zebra and quagga mussels—on Lake Michigan’s ecosystem. Samples were analyzed onboard the research vessel’s laboratories. You can read more about about Gensic’s research and experience by clicking here.

Seniors, if you have any photographs of yourself wearing college gear or displaying letters of acceptance from colleges or military academies, please share these with ebosworth80@phm.k12.in.us by April 15th for use in the Yearbook. 

Click here for important information about Penn High School’s graduation ceremony on Friday, May 27, at the University of Notre Dame.

Jostens will be delivering caps and gowns and graduation products to Penn High School on Friday, April 15, during lunch. 

If you have a balance due, you can pay online or call 1-800-Jostens to pay by debit or credit card.  Jostens will only accept cash or money order at delivery. 

If you have not yet placed your cap and gown order, please call 1-800-Jostens immediately.

Put a book in front of Penn High School student Tyler Richardson, and assign him a chapter, and he will do the reading.

Effective learning, however, takes a different path for Richardson.

Penn High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Academy has helped Richardson discover a learning path that is leading to the future that’s the best fit for him.

“If you put a book in front of me and make me read a chapter, I can tell you what it’s about, but I won’t learn anything from it,” Richardson said. “It’s the same way with anything.”

Penn’s wide range of electives, and teachers to engage students with different learning styles has helped Richardson construct a solid foundation for his future. He will be attending Lincoln Tech in Indianapolis, and plans to go into mechanics.

“Penn has helped me with a lot of things,” Richardson said. “It’s given me options that I wouldn’t get anywhere else, such as the Career Center, and the different diploma tracks that I can choose from.

“I’ll be getting an Academic Honors diploma when I graduate,” Richardson said. “That will help me get into a lot of different colleges, but I’m going to a Tech school, because that’s what I want. Penn gives you a lot of different paths and options that will help you in life.”

Richardson said that Penn’s classes – primarily the many electives that the school offers – helped him find a future.

“I’ve always liked working with my hands,” Richardson said. “The woodshop and manufacturing classes helped me cement the idea that I liked working with my hands. Once I got to the Career Center, that’s when I realized that’s what I wanted to do with my life.”

Richardson said that he’s glad Penn has such a strong Tech component in its curriculum.

“It’s very important that high schools offer a Tech option,” Richardson said. “Not everybody likes to sit down at a desk and do paperwork, or sit down and do what the boss tells them to do. Some people like to diagnose things and fix things and work with their hands. I’m one of those people. You can’t sit me at a desk and make me read a book and expect me to learn. I have to put my hands on something to make or fix … I have to work with my hands in general. It’s very hard for me to learn any other way.

“I really liked that I had a lot of classes at Penn that had different ways of teaching, and worked with my learning style,” Richardson said. “I really like what Penn has done for me.”

Penn High School Principal Steve Hope and Fine Arts Academy leader Glenn Northern were on hand Monday night as the Penn Advanced Jazz Ensemble departed for Savannah, Ga., and the Swing Central Jazz Festival. The Kingsmen Jazz ensemble left at 11 p.m. on Monday, March 28, and is expected to arrive in Savannah at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29.

Penn’s Jazz ensemble, under the direction of Bill Leather, is one of just 12 high schools across the nation to qualify for the prestigious Jazz competition.

Members of the Penn Advanced Jazz Ensemble include:

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation learned today (Thursday, March 24, 2016) that it has been honored with the “Best Communities for Music Education” designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. P-H-M is just one of 13 Indiana school districts and 476 districts across the country receiving this prestigious award in 2016.

The Best Communities Music Education (BCME) designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other educators looking to boost their own music education programs.  The BCME award acknowledges the commitment of P-H-M’s music teachers and administrators in the District’s 11 elementary and three middle schools and Penn High School.  One of the reasons why Penn’s music program is so strong is because of the music programs at Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom Middle Schools. All students have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as an elective starting in 6^th grade. In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes.

Thursday’s ’s news of the BCME award comes as Penn High School’s Jazz I Ensemble is preparing to perform and compete in the prestigious Savannah Jazz Festival competition coming up March 30 – April 1. Penn’s Jazz Ensemble I is just one of 12 high school jazz ensembles to qualify for this event. Penn Jazz I was selected by audition as a finalist and will have the opportunity to work with some of today's best jazz musicians and educators as a part of a three-day workshop and competition.

Penn High School has a Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Almost of Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs, either Choir, Orchestra, Band or another music program. Three students were selected to perform as part of the Indiana All-State Choir in January 2016; and 62 students will be traveling to Ireland next week (March 30-April 6, 2016) for performances. Three students participated in the All State Orchestra also in January 2016. The accolades go on and on for Penn’s Fine Arts program … you can read more about them by clicking here. Ticket information for upcoming spring 2016 Fine Arts performances click here. 

About The NAMM Foundation:

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, school districts have submit answers to a detailed survey. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.  For more information about the NAMM Foundation or the BCME award, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

By KAYLA COLE

Penn High School student reporter

Penn High School Robotics Team 135 participated at the Tippecanoe District Event in West Lafayette on March 12.

Being the first competition of the season, there were many ups and downs for Team 135. The robot's performance improved throughout the day as the drivers and the robot adjusted to the game.

At the end of the 76 qualifying matches, Penn’s Team 135 were ranked 11th out of 38 teams, with a win-loss ratio of 7-5.

Team 135 was part of the sixth-seeded alliance that included Team 292 (PantherTech) and Team 447 (Team Roboto).

During the elimination round, Team 135 played its best game, winning with a score of 127 to 117. The fans went crazy as Team 135 lifted the robot up the tower and scored the most scale and challenge points of the competition.

In the next match, Team 135 played well but lost.

Team 135 won Judges’ Award for its robot.

Currently, the team is taking what it has learned from the first event and improving. Sub-teams are now working on an improved robot design, strategy, scouting, and addressing minor details that will point to significant improvement in the future.

Penn’s next competition is at Perry Meridian (March 25, 26, and 27).