Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN 2nd District) made a surprise visit today to call Penn High School Principal Steve Hope out of the principal’s office!

Representative Walorski made the special drop-in visit to present Principal Hope with a Congressional Record recognition. The award is actually a framed letter from the Congresswoman that states that she submitted a statement about Mr. Hope to the official Congressional Record of the United States Congress honoring him for being named Indiana Principal of the Year. The Congressional Record is published daily when Congress is in session and is the official register of the proceedings of both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Hope was named Principal of the Year in November 2015 by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). Principal Hope is known to his students as an attentive and compassionate leader, and a mentor to Penn’s 194 teachers and staff. During his time as principal, Penn’s graduation rate accelerated from 79% in 2008 to 97%. Indiana’s Department of Education named Penn an A-rated school, a 4-Star Award winner and a 90-25-90 high school. U.S. News and World Report named Penn an Outstanding High School in 2009 and again in 2015. 

On hand for today’s surprise visit and recognition by Representative Walorski, was Penn-Harris-Madison School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker; members of the Board of School Trustees President Gary Fox and Randy Leliaert. Members of Penn’s administration, teaching staff, support staff and a handful of students were on hand for the presentation.

Penn-Harris-Madison will be performing computer network maintenance on February 12, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. to upgrade our current internet services. During that time, access to P-H-M online services, including P-H-M hosted websites, Canvas, APlus and Plato will be unavailable. This network maintenance is necessary in order for P-H-M to continue to offer excellent technology online service. We appreciate your patience.

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted to approve the sponsorship agreement between the P-H-M Education Foundation and Jordan Automotive Group at tonight’s Board meeting (Monday, January 25, 2016).

Per the agreement, Jordan Automotive Group will donate $25,000 to the P-H-M Education Foundation endowment for a 12-year naming rights period, thereby affording Jordan the opportunity to name the Penn High School baseball field. Jordan Automotive Group will also pay the signage costs to have the field renamed “Jordan Automotive Group Baseball Field at Penn High School.”

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Per PHMEF’s naming rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent will directly fund professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District. With the recent release of the 2015 ISTEP+ scores, P-H-M believes the key to providing an excellent education is excellent teachers.

“P-H-M’s ‘Triangle of Success’ is built upon students, teachers and parents. Community partners are vital to sustaining P-H-M’s excellence in education,” said P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Thacker. “Support and strong commitments from community partners like Jordan Automotive help ensure that our students will have access to resources better preparing them for college and career success.” 

This is the 2nd time in a month that a community business has contributed to the P-H-M Education Foundation Endowment. At the January 11, 2016 Board meeting, the Board of School Trustees approved the $25,000 donation by Zolman's Tire & Auto Care. The sponsorship gives Zolman's 12-year naming rights to name the north concession stand at Penn High School’s TCU Freed Field.  The area will now be named “The Zolman Tire Concession Stand.” To read more about past sponsorships and donations to the P-H-M Education Foundation Endowment, please click here.

The Indiana Department of Education released 2015 school accountability grades today and all 15 of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s schools earned an “A”! The final grades were approved unanimously by the State Board of Education during the January 26 Board meeting.

“This straight ‘A’ report card is a result of the hard work and dedication from principals and teachers to the staff, students and families at all of our schools,” said P-H-M School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker. “This latest achievement is a result of our District’s commitment to excellence.”

Last year, 13 P-H-M schools earned an “A.” With Madison Elementary and Elsie Rogers Elementary each moving up from a “B” to an “A,” all 15 P-H-M schools (11 elementary, three middle and one high school) have now earned this top recognition from the IDOE. Out of 2,095 schools across the state that got a letter grade, only 123 schools saw their letter grades go up in this latest ranking.

A spreadsheet reflecting the final school grades as approved by the State Board of Education is available through this link, http://www.doe.in.gov/news/indiana-department-education-releases-2015-accountability-grades.

On January 6, 2016 the IDOE publicly released the 2015 ISTEP+ results. With an 81.4% pass rate for ELA (English/Language Arts) and a 78.0% pass rate for Math, P-H-M ranked 10th in the state among 293 public school districts. The District’s 2015 overall combined pass rate for both subject areas is 72.1%

Click here for more information on P-H-M’s 2015 ISTEP+ results.

With the Wednesday, January 6, 2016 public release of the 2015 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation saw a jump in its ranking among Indiana’s 293 public school districts. With a 81.4% pass rate for ELA (English/Language Arts) and a 78.0% pass rate for Math, P-H-M ranks 10th in the state! The District’s 2015 overall combined pass rate for both subject areas is 72.1%.  

Another highlight from the 2015 ISTEP+ results for P-H-M … the School Corporation saw an increase in score variance. In grade 3, the variance between P-H-M’s scores and the state’s increased to 19.6 points; in grade 8, it goes up to 25.1 points. This shows that the younger a student enters the P-H-M education family, and the longer they are taught by P-H-M teachers, the better the students do!

Superintendent Jerry Thacker keeps the district’s focus on excellence in education, and acknowledges the partnership that makes it possible. “We commend our students and teachers, along with our parents for their concentrated hard work and dedication; that is the ‘Triangle of Success’ we tout at P-H-M.”

This link takes you to the full story of how P-H-M students fared on the 2015 assessment, including access to data charts that display individual school results. 

It started out as a joke.

It turned into a remarkable learning experience.

Students in Kelley Watts’ Penn High School Spanish 3 accelerated class were having a tough time finding information about artist Frank Romero online during an assignment about Spanish-speaking artists.

Then, one of the students managed to find a telephone number for Romero’s art studio.

“They asked what they should do, and sarcastically I told them to call him!” Watts said when the students told her that they found Romero’s phone number.

  “I think I said something like, "Get your phone out and call him!  What teacher tells you to take your phone out in class and make a phone call?"

The students called Romero’s number.

No answer.

A few days later, one of the students called Romero’s number again.

This time, Romero answered, and Watts’ students would soon embark on a unique learning journey.

Watts’ students were engaged in an assignment on Spanish-speaking artists to help them cultivate a better understanding of the artists’ work. The students were studying vocabulary essential to visual and performing arts.

Thanks to Penn’s technology, the learning event took a dramatic turn.

Romero agreed to be interviewed by the students.

“Five years ago, we would have never done this,” Watts said. “Ten years ago, it would have been impossible.”

Penn High School principal Steve Hope appreciated the efforts by Watts and her students to add a new dimension to learning.

“This is one more example of how our learning environments have changed in our technology-rich, flattened world,” Hope said. “We are using so many more primary sources.

“Last year our Early College Academy teachers spoke directly with different authors each quarter,” Hope said. “Mrs. Watts challenged her students to contact the artist they were studying. Much to the surprise of (the students), the artist, Frank Romero, was more than happy to speak with them.

“This makes the learning in our classrooms so much more authentic, so much more real and personalized than just reading from other sources. It was great to see and hear Romero sharing his passion with our students.”

Watts said that the students were excited about being able to have a real-time conversation with the artist.

“To get to hear from the artist himself tell us about how he had been commissioned to do some work for the ‘84 Olympics, had it trashed with graffiti, and how he may have the chance to fix it again made the art come to life,” Watts said. “We now knew the back story. We got to hear a lot about how he became an artist and how he had to study all disciplines to become an artist. He told us he was a math major in high school.”

Since the Skype event, Watts has noticed a change in how her students view learning.

“I have noticed that students now have this feeling that they have the world at their fingertips, and that they can reach out to the world for more information. “I love that my students called Mr. Romero, were polite and well-spoken enough that he would respond to them, and that he was willing to give my students this experience of actually speaking and interviewing him.

“The only hang up was that Mr. Romero is in his 70s and he didn't know how to actually Skype.  Haha!  We helped him and all went well!”

Scheel appreciated the doors of learning that were opened through the experience.

“It was cool because we learned the answers to questions that we wanted to know that weren't on the Internet,” Scheel said. “I suppose that using the Skype technology made it possible to do this as well as being able to do research on the Chromebooks in class together.”

By KENNEDY PARKER

Students in Penn High School’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) Chapter traveled to Concord Mall in Elkhart on Thursday, Jan. 14, to showcase their professionalism and business abilities. High school students from across District 2 competed in 26 different role-play events, including everything from “Accounting Applications”, “Restaurant & Food Service Management,” to  “Apparel and Accessories Marketing.”

Of the students representing Penn at the event, 34 students qualified for state. In addition, 56 DECA Students from Penn are moving on in competition and will attend the Indiana State Career Development Conference to compete with students from around the state in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 1, accpording to Penn High School’s DECA sponsor, Stephanie McElwrath.

Penn senior Cassidy Jurkaites, 3-year DECA member, said, “DECA is a business club in which students take on the role of business professionals and give a solution or pitch to a scenario to judges who are acting as the CEO or heads of companies, and then they are ranked against students who had their same scenario.”

Jurkaites is currently the president of not only Penn’s chapter, but also the President of District 2. As President, she is responsible for keeping track of each member’s participation points, answering questions, and helping fellow DECA members pick an event that best represents their skills, as well as helping coordinate events across the district and working with DECA students from other schools.

Kendra Laidig, Penn sophomore and 2-year DECA member, is an officer on this year’s  DECA board. She joined the club as a freshman, knowing very little information about it.

“… All of the members were very welcoming and Mrs. McElwrath told me everything I needed to know to succeed,” Laidig said.

Laidig joined because she had heard it was “… very rewarding and looked impressive on college applications.”

She has since discovered that it is much more than that!

In the past, Jurkaites competed on the Travel and Tourism Team. In her second year, she chose Professional Selling and advanced to internationals with that event. This year, she is competing in the Financial Consulting Professional Selling event. Her job in this role play event is to sit down with judges, acting as a set of new parents looking into different college saving plans for their child. Her goal is to “educate them on the benefits and drawbacks of different loans and ultimately get them to say yes to the plan I’m advising on.”

    Laidig will compete in the Advertising Campaign event, the same event she competed in last year.

“Basically, my job was to choose an existing product, service, or business, and come up with a year-long campaign to advertise it,” she said. “In the paper, I cover the target markets for the business, the calendar for advertisements and promotions, and the budget.” The paper is then submitted to the judge(s), and the student gives a 10-minute presentation about their paper to that judge at the state conference.

    Laidig said she has gained confidence, public speaking skills, responsibility, and leadership skills through her DECA experience. Her favorite memory is going to Orlando, Florida, last year for internationals.

Jurkaites said, “I have gained the ability to be confident in any situation I’m given. You meet and talk with a lot of different people over the course of your DECA years and DECA has given me the skills to be able to talk to these people in a professional and intellectual way.” Her best DECA memory was making it on stage at 2015 internationals for the top ten presentation.

    Any student interested in joining DECA next year or with any questions can email Stephanie McElwrath at smcelwrath@phm.k12.in.us

    For a complete list of students who qualified for state in a role play event, click here!

Students representing Penn High School’s Theatre Department excelled at the Indiana State Thespian Conference competition in Vincennes. The students competed under the direction of Penn Theatre Instructor Courtney Qualls.

DeCarla Thompson earned a superior ranking and a chance to compete at the national conference for her Solo Musical.

“DeCarla's confidence and soulful voice led her to a superior ranking in her solo, "I Know Where I've Been," from “Hairspray,” Qualls said. “DeCarla is a techie who is in her third year in the tech class at Penn and decided this was the year she wanted to break into the other side of theatre.

“(DeCarla) entered the beginning class this year having no acting experience but she is a quick study. She performed for the first time at the talent show, where she won and for only the second time here at state. DeCarla is a theatre powerhouse with a wide knowledge of tech and a growing knowledge of acting and performing.” 

Hannah Keeler earned an excellence rating in Solo Musical, and Matt Magaldi earned an excellence rating in Monologue.

“Hannah is a strong comedic performer,” Qualls said. “Performing "I Hate Men," from “Kiss Me Kate,” Hannah used her comedic abilities and outgoing fun personality to bring to life a snarky, strong female character frustrated with the male gender. 

“Matt's strongest attribute is his adaptability and coachability” Qualls said. “Just an hour before his performance, he realized he had read a rule wrong and needed to make adjustments. He took a six-minute performance and trimmed it down to two minutes and 57 seconds (three seconds under the time limit), rehearsed and put on a performance that only missed being classified as superior by one point.”

Ashley Talcott placed third out of 94 students in props placement out.

“While focusing most of her time at Penn in lighting, Ashley is a diligent and hard worker and competed in multiple categories in the (competition). Steady and cool, she packed up one props table and set up a second all in one minute and six seconds. Less than one second separated second and third place.” 

Billie Bennett, who will be auditioning at Julliard next month, was recognized as a distinguished senior. Bennett also competed in the monologue event, where she nearly earned a superior ranking.

“Billie epitomizes a theatre professional,” Qualls said. “Not only does she sing, dance and act, she is a leader, a motivator, and an educator. Billie has been involved with most everything involving theatre in her four years at Penn High School, including plays, musicals, playwriting, directing, theatre club activities, fundraising opportunities and too many more to list out.

“She is a diligent student taking a full schedule of advanced placement and AP classes while maintaining high grades. Her incredible talent is an added bonus to the wonderful person she is inside and out.”

 The following students also competed in different events throughout the weekend: 

Christian Bentley competed in Scenic Design and the Tech Olympics as part of our school team. 

Hannah Keeler, DeCarla Thompson, and Olivia Taylor rounded out the four person team from Penn for Tech Olympics.

Penn High School student Blake Hesch qualified for the Debate nationals, and Penn’s Debate team placed second in district competition.

Hesch earned second place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate competition, and is qualified for the nationals in June in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Penn students placing in the top five in their events were:

Amelia Atkinson (third in Lincoln-Douglas)

Megha Devaraj and Colin Lucero-Dixon (fifth in Policy)

Nicholas Casseti and Renee Yaseen (fourth in Policy)

Zoe Gatzimos and William Riley (third in Policy)

Shad Jeffery and Benjamin Whittington (fourth in Public Forum)

Michael O'Rear and Faihaan Arif (placed seventh in Public Forum).

“This was the strongest showing by a Penn Debate Team at The District Tournament in the past few years,” Penn Debate coach Dave Dutton said. “Their success was the result of strong preparation and desire. I am very proud of each and every one of them.

“I am particularly pleased for Blake Hesch,” Dutton said. “Blake is a four-year veteran of the team and has been unselfish in the sharing of his time and knowledge with his team mates.”

Hesch’s topic at Districts was: "Resolved: In the United States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned."

Penn Debate assistant coach Dawn Troyer said that Hesch excelled at the Lincoln-Douglas Debate format, which is a one-on-one debate structured on the famed Abraham Lincoln-Stephen Douglas senatorial debates.

“For the four years that Blake has been involved with Penn Debate, he has not only been a hard worker, but he has also been an integral part of the team,” Troyer said. “As a sophomore and junior, he took on the responsibility of training and mentoring the incoming Lincoln-Douglas debaters; as a result, he is respected and appreciated by the entire team. His gregarious, friendly nature, though, is what strikes me the most.  In addition, Blake is a great thinker. He is able to see both sides of a topic, and regardless of his own personal beliefs, convincingly present either side with solid proof and logic.”

Next up for Penn Debate is state competition on Jan. 29-30 in Indianapolis. 

Auditions for Penn High School’s Battle of the Bands are on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. in the cafeteria.

Battle of the Bands is March 24.

Audition forms can be picked up in guidance or in the main office.

Band members can be from another school or be graduated, but at least one-third of the band members must currently attend Penn.

Any musical group can audition, no matter the genre.

Battle of the Bands spokesperson Olivia Taylor said that Battle of the Bands is a special event that Penn offers.

“I love the fact that the people who come to see the bands form a community of music lovers and all have a good time seeing great bands together,” Taylor said. “As far as popularity goes, there are usually about five bands and somewhere between 100 and 150 guests.

“Last year the Black Marias won the event, which was an alternative rock cover band that included Roger Johnson on guitar and vocals, Ryan Taylor on lead guitar, Mark Richards on bass, Anna Vukmirovich on keyboard, and Lucas Liepert on drums.”

The winners receive a medal for their victory. There is typically a guest band that plays while people text in their votes for which band they want to win after the last competing band plays.