Speak Up is a national research initiative that seeks to gather widespread input on the topic of educational technology.  

Each fall the Speak Up survey is posted online so students, parents, teachers, school staff, and the general public can share their views on technology in schools. 

The Speak Up survey has three primary objectives:

• To provide a means for local schools and districts to easily and effectively listen to and act upon the ideas of their stakeholders
• To provide a conduit for the voices of education stakeholders, most notably students, to inform national and state policies and programs
• To stimulate new local discussions around the use of technology within education.

Survey results are typically released in February, and are important to those who shape educational policy, direct school finance, create curriculum, and implement technology in our schools.

Penn-Harris-Madison participates in the survey in part because we are recipients of a Digital Learning Grant that helps to fund our technology.  

Another reason we support Speak Up is because the results can be helpful in the development of our formal technology plans. Each P-H-M school develops and follows a 3-year technology plan that outlines its goals for educational technology and directs how resources may be spent to achieve those goals.

Here’s a link to learn more about the SPEAK UP survey and the agency that conducts the research, Project Tomorrow.  Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Speak Up here.

Or, you may want to just jump right in and take the survey!

Parents and community members CLICK HERE to TAKE THE SPEAK UP SURVEY NOW

The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete and you will not need to create an account. The survey will be open until December 18 and the link on this webpage will remain active until then. 

P-H-M staff and students will have opportunities to take their version of the Speak Up survey at school / at work through arrangements made in the coming weeks.

Click here to purchase tickets for upcoming events.

Penn Orchestra Performance Dates for  2015-2016 School Year

Penn students will present the critically acclaimed stage drama “Devour the Snow” on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2.  

“A riveting courtroom drama drawn from the harrowing saga of the ill-fated Donner Party, some of whose members perished (and were cannibalized by the others) while snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains.”  

"…a powerful piece of theater." —NY Post.  

"Polsky has written powerful dramatic scenes of confrontation…" —The Hollywood Reporter.  

"…an undeniable dramatic fascination." —NY Times.

• The performances will take place in the Studio Theater (enter Door C).  
• The curtain rises at 7:00 p.m.  We apologize that the 7:30 p.m. curtain time printed on the corporation’s activities calendar is not correct.
• Tickets are $5 and available online at Ticketracker.com.  They will also be sold at the door starting one hour before showtime. 

Penn’s Theater Department produces outstanding shows. Don’t miss this one! 

The Penn Boosters and the Penn Alumni Association invite you to their Homecoming Tailgate from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, September 18 prior to the Homecoming game. The tailgate will be held on the football practice fields on the south end of the stadium. There will be free pizza and soft drinks, along with giveaways and games. Sign up to become a member of either, or both, organizations! The football game will kick off at 7 p.m. against Adams at TCU Freed Field.

The Penn Powder Puff Football Games will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2015. The games will be at TCU Freed Field at 7 pm.  Pack the stands to support your class!

The Homecoming dance will be held after the football game on Friday, September 18 in the Penn cafeteria. There will be a D.J.!  All you need is $5 to get in and your ID. The dance is for Penn students and Alumni, and it is very casual.  Please enter thru door F.   

Dress up days for Homecoming week are:

• Monday, September 14 is Superhero/Villain Day.
• Tuesday, September 15 is Decades Day:  Seniors:  80’s, Juniors:  70’s, Sophomores:  60’s, Freshman:  50’s.
• Wednesday, September 16 is wear your favorite College T-shirt day.
• Thursday, September 17 is Toga/Nerd Day.
• Friday, Sep0tember 18 is Black and Gold out.

There is also a pep rally scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Penn High School was honored to serve as one stop on Congresswoman Jackie Walorksi’s (R-IN 2nd District) Fall 2015 Education Tour.  Indiana’s 2^nd District congresswoman had recently announced plans to visit a number of northern Indiana schools to view programs and talk with staff and students about educational priorities.

Walorksi visited Penn High on Wednesday morning, September 2. Superintendent Jerry Thacker was joined by Board of School Trustee member Randy Leliaert, Associate Superintendent Dr. Denise Seger and Director of Professional Development Heather Short. Penn Principal Steve Hope led Rep. Walorski on a tour of Penn High School explaining Penn’s Academies, specifically highlighting the Health and Human Services Academy. 

Penn’s Health and Human Services Academy is just one of the school’s four specialized academies aimed at college and career readiness.  The other three are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Fine Arts & Communications, and Management & Business.  In addition to these, the Freshman Academy offers students a cohesive first-year experience and the Early College Academy offers a dual credit Associate Degree program.

Health and Human Services Academy Leader Sarah Hickle took Walorski into Courtney Lannen’s Project Lead the Way-Principles of Biomedical Sciences class, where the Congresswoman talked to students studying forensic science. Walorski told the students about a forensic scientist from Indiana that she met while on a recent tour of Afghanistan. The scientist was working to identify shrapnel pieces that would help convict bombers that target U.S. troops. Walorski then observed Penn’s problem solving learning model in action as the students worked to solve a "crime scene" as part of their class project.

Also as part of the 45-minute tour, Physical Development Instructional Coach Lisa Pawlik showed Walorski how Penn takes an integrated approach to physical education, blending strength building, physical conditioning and health education. The Congresswoman visited the health rooms, a CrossFit class, and the Fitness Center. Walorski was amazed by the hundreds of pounds of weights the students were lifting!

Penn-Harris-Madison is very appreciative of the time Walorski took to visit the district and learn more about our outstanding programs. If you are interested in following Congresswoman Walorski on her education tour, follow her on Twitter using #WalorskiEDTour. 

On Friday, August 28, the community that had gathered for a great night of high school football was also treated to a very special event: Formal dedication of the newly renamed TCU Freed Field at Penn High School.

In a brief ceremony before the 7:30 p.m. kick-off, P-H-M Superintendent Jerry Thacker stood with Teachers Credit Union President and CEO Paul Marsh, and Mari Linn Wise, executive director of the P-H-M Education Foundation, to proudly celebrate the continuance of the organizations’ long-standing partnership.

Joining Thacker, Marsh, and Wise on the field was Associate Superintendent Dr. Denise Seger and members of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees: Vice President Larry Beehler, Gary Fox, Randy Leliaert and Jamie Woods. P-H-M Education Foundation Board President Jody Bruetman and Past President Tom Meilstrup were also recognized along with representatives from Penn High School.

P-H-M and TCU’s partnership dates back to 1966—P-H-M was TCU's first Direct Deposit relationship. TCU has also partnered with the P-H-M Education Foundation for the past 20 years supporting a variety of events along with co-curricular student activities such as Penn Robotics. All three organizations are excited about the opportunities and the long term impact this new partnership will have on our communities. This continued partnership does not simply grant naming rights for the TCU Freed Field; more importantly, it gives us the opportunity to empower the students, their families and our communities with the financial literacy tools that will impact their future. The partnership between TCU and P-H-M relates back to TCU's commitment to our membership and our communities, and we look forward to serving both as this relationship grows and allows us to provide services beyond the naming of the field. Read more about the partnership from the June 2015 announcement.

The evening only got better as Penn’s varsity football team gained their second regular-season win. Led by head coach Cory Yeoman, the Kingsmen handed the visiting Merrillville a 31-12 defeat.

Another highlight was a lively half-time performance by the 200+ Marching Kingsmen. The band and color guard took the field to present the first portion of their show, “Bloom.” They will continue to develop the show in rehearsals and at home games in preparation for upcoming regional and state competition.

If you were not one of the several thousand people in attendance on Friday the 28th, we invite you to drive behind the high school the next time you are in the vicinity to view the new signage at TCU Freed Field.  You will see the familiar red TCU logo standing proudly alongside the Penn Kingsmen emblem, representative of a community partnership that goes far beyond football and finance.

Thank you, TCU, for your commitment to the Penn-Harris-Madison community!

Activity Name: Kingsmen Against Cancer

Description:   Kingsmen against Cancer is a club in which students get together once or twice a month to make cards and gift baskets for patients at Memorial Children’s Hospital. These gifts are usually themed around a holiday or season when they are being made.

Eligibility Requirements: All grades are welcome. A membership fee of $5 and a $5 gift card are required that goes towards the gift baskets that the club puts together for the patients at Memorial Children’s Hospital.

Sponsor/Coach Name:  Kelley Watts.

Meets When: Every first Tuesday of the month, at 7:45 a.m.

Where:  LGI-B.

Membership Limit:  none.

Procedure for Joining: Apply in the fall before Labor Day weekend. E-mail the account at pennkac@gmail.com. Last minute joining can happen by the end of September.