Due to inclement weather, the Penn varsity and junior varsity girls basketball games against New Prairie, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, have been postponed.

The games have been rescheduled to Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, at Penn. The junior varsity game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, and the varsity game will follow.

Also, due to inclement weather, the Penn freshmen girls basketball game against South Bend St. Joseph, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, has been postponed. No make-up date for the game has been rescheduled as of yet.

Parents of Penn sophomores, new this year, 10th graders will be required to take ISTEP! The Indiana Department of Education has released the testing windows for ISTEP+ for the 2015-2016 school year. ISTEP will begin in late February. In most cases, part 1 of ISTEP will be done with paper/pencil and Part 2 will be done online.

New this year:  In preparation for 2016 ISTEP+, the IDOE has now made ISTEP+ “Experience” available through Pearson, allowing students and parents to experience various technology-enhanced item types that will appear on the ISTEP+ Part 2 assessment as often as they like from home, at school, or on mobile devices. “Experience” is presented via the Pearson online platform (TestNav 8) that will be used for ISTEP+ online testing, as well as IREAD-3 online testing. P-H-M families can access ISTEP+ “Experience” through the P-H-M District website, as well as through the link provided on the RESOURCES menu of every school website.

Indiana Statewide Testing of Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+ ) Grades 3-8, and 10

                                                                      Window Begins                                         Window Ends

ISTEP+ Part 1 – paper/pencil                        February 29, 2016                                       March 11, 2016
(Applied Skills)

ISTEP+ Part 2 – online                                  April 18, 2016                                               May 6, 2016
(Multiple-choice & Technology-enhanced items)

For more information on the state assessment testing windows, please visit the Indiana Department of Education website, www.doe.in.gov/assessment.

Penn High School’s Robotics Team 135 is awaiting the worldwide release of the  FIRST Robotics FRC Game Challenge on Saturday, January 9. The event, which is open to the public, will start at 10 a.m. ET. It will be held in Penn’s Large Group Instruction Room A (enter through rear Door J).

After the game release, Penn Robotics Team 135 begins its journey to design and build this year's FRC Competition Robot.  This is the 19th season for Penn Robotics in the FIRST Competition. 

Last year, Team 135 was honored with the highest award in the state, The Indiana State Chairman's Award, and also won the Kokomo District Tournament. 

Penn Robotics Team 135 was in the local news this past year for assisting with the Hand of Grace project, helping build a prosthetic arm for a local third-grade student.  For more information about the organization, please visit our website: www.team135.org.

More than 75,000 students from around the world will watch the live-feed from FIRST® Robotics' headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire, to find out the goal of this season's competition. Each year a new game is introduced, and teams have six weeks to design and build a robot, which will compete at local, regional and national events.

At Saturday’s kickoff, teams will be shown the game and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that challenges high- school students – working alongside professional Mentors – to construct a robot of their own, and compete in the ultimate Sport for the Mind™ that measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of teamwork and collaboration, and each team's display of Gracious Professionalism ®.

Through their participation, students experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation; build well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership; and qualify for over $25 million in college scholarships.

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people.

Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $25 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-3. 

Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to http://www.firstinspires.org/.

About IndianaFIRST

IndianaFIRST is an organization dedicated to growing FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics programs in the state of Indiana. FIRST is a multinational non-profit organization that aspires to transform our culture, making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today. Founded in the fall of 2001 as the Indiana-based affiliate of FIRST, IndianaFIRST brings FIRST programming to students in grades K-12, teaching them hands-on skills in engineering, science, and technology that they can relate back to their class work. Kids compete against other kids in local, state, and regional competitions in what is frequently called "The Super Bowl of Smarts."

TEASER VIDEO for the competition: https://youtu.be/FVLdJdoKK2E

MORE DETAILS: http://www.usfirst.org/frc2016

LIVE VIDEO FEED:

Comcast NBCUniversal broadcast and webcast. Access the webcast

via http://comca.st/frc2016

Penn High School Student Talent Show will be Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. in Penn’s Center for Performing Arts.

Cost to attend the talent show is $5 at the box office the night of the show.

There will be 11 acts, ranging from a Barbershop quarter, to belly dancing.

The talent shows have showcased the diversity and creativity of Penn’s students.

“The range of acts we've seen in the past is extensive, from a beat-box supported yo-yoist, to a student designed costume/choreographed dance skit, to lip-sync, to canned music/live singing, to student composed/written solo and power trio acts,” Coffee said. “We've seen a scene from the competition play headed to the State Thespian Fest, hooping, hula, duets, self-written comedy acts, SNL interpretations, Python interpretations, comedic monologues, you name it. 

“We have extremely talented, unique students who have gifts to share, and we love to see the student who seems pretty insulated in the classroom take the kind of risk you see at the Talent Show.”

Snowball 2016 will feature surprise entertainment throughout the night; a social media/photo booth by Tap Snap; formal pictures; dancing and music by Pro Show Entertainment and caricature drawings (no charge).

Purchase a Star on ‘Hollywood Boulevard’ for your date, friend or favorite teacher. Cost is $5. The name will be written on the star with your name listed as who it is from. Order online on Eventbrite (click on order now and scroll down to additional items) when you order your tickets.

Surprise your date with a gorgeous rose wrapped in cellophane upon your arrival at the dance. Order by Jan. 4th @ Midnight. The cost is $10. Single roses will be picked up at your arrival to the dance. Please plan to enter through Door D. You will need to show your ticket confirmation via phone or printed copy at the door. Order online on Eventbrite (click on order now and scroll down to additional items) when you order your tickets.

Enjoy an unforgettable evening ride in the horse-drawn 10-Passenger Opera Bus. A reserved time will be set for ticket holders. You will need to show your ticket confirmation via phone or printed copy. 

Ticket cost is $15 per person & limited to the first 120 people. Order online on Eventbrite (click on order now and scroll down to additional items) when you order your tickets.

Order a corsage/boutonniere package for $35 by Jan. 4 at Midnight. Pickup will be on Sunday, January 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Penn High School Door D. 

You will need to show your ticket confirmation via phone or printed copy at the door. 

Call Poppies at (574) 243-5703 to customize options. Order online on Eventbrite (click on order now and scroll down to additional items) when you order your tickets.