Penn 2021 Prom – “A Night of Royal PROMise” was a huge success. More than 600 students, mostly seniors and juniors, attended the unique event. Due to the lingering impacts of COVID-19 the Prom was held out doors on the plaza at Penn’s TCU Freed Field on May 15, 2021. Prom was a ticketed event with a maximum attendance of 850 students, with first opportunities to buy tickets going to the Senior Class of 2021, before opening sales to juniors.

CPA Director Nich Sikorski (aka "DJ R3AM") was the DJ. Along with dancing, Tthere were games like corn hole and giant size Jenga, a photo booth, and a coffee bar at the Zolman’s Tire Concession Stand … all making for a night Penn students will not soon forget!

A big thank you to the Prom Committee, Parent Volunteers, Vendors, Principal Sean Galiher and all the Penn Administrators who decorated, worked and chaperoned the event. The students had a wonderful evening. Take a look at the video below …

We potsted an extensive photo gallery on to Penn’s Facebook page. Click to view.

In the sampling photo gallery below, you can download high-resolution JPG files. Just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, FREE OF CHARGE! ENJOY!!!

Penn High School presented “Evening of Jazz at the Park” at Mishawaka’s Central Park on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Textbook return for Penn High School Virtual Students will begin when the students have been notified by their teachers that the classes are complete, and that the books may be turned in to the Bookstore.
Virtual students can begin bringing textbooks in, once the class is completed, to the Bookstore during normal hours (7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.).

Final drop-off times to the Bookstore will be:

• Wednesday, June 2 (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.)
• Thursday, June 3 (1-6 p.m.)
• Friday, June 4 (7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)

Discovery Middle School 8^th grader Julianna Ocampo recently qualified for the Team USA U15 Pan Am Team by winning the Team USA U15 Women's Nationals 46-kg division.

Julianna didn’t give up a single point in the entire Nationals tournament; she was one of 10 athletes who will represent the U.S. in the U15 Women's Wrestling competition at the Pan Am Junior Games, Oct. 21-24, in Mexico City. 

Julianna’s younger sister Ysabelle, who is in 6^th grade also at Discovery, also competed in the U15 Women's Nationals and placed fourth in the 42-kg division.

Julianna will be a Freshman at Penn next year and will join Penn’s female wrestling team coached by Brad Harper. "Julianna Ocampo has an outstanding work ethic and an outstanding mindset to be the best," Penn Wrestling/MXW Head Coach Harper said. "She didn't just win the Women's National qualifier, she dominated it! And this is against the best wrestlers in the nation! She teched and pinned every girl and didn't give up one single point. That's very special!” Coach Harper’s brother, Chad Harper, was with the Ocampos Team USA U15 Women's Nationals 46-kg division in Irving Texas this past Sunday, May 9, 2021.

"It's exciting that we have a girl in our program who is fired up to be the very best," Harper went on to say. “This is the start of something special – Team USA goes U15, Cadets, Juniors and then Seniors to the Olympics. Julianna wants to be the best, and she trains like it. We have Sarah Hildebrandt from Penn going to the Olympics, and now we have another girl who has a goal and she wants to be where Sarah is."

Penn owns four state championships in Girls Wrestling in the five seasons that there has been a state tournament.

Class of 2011 Penn alumna Sarah Hildebrandt in April made the Team USA Women’s Wrestling Team and a chance to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Penn High School’s Academic Super Bowl English Team, coached by Candice Beelaert, won the 2021 State Championship. A virtual competition was held for teams this year. The Top 5 teams in the state were Penn, Fishers, Bloomington High School South, Terre Haute South Vigo and Pendleton Heights.

Representing Penn in the state competition were Maddy Zavada (captain), Alex Goffinet, Lily Marks, Valentina Gianesi and Saniya Zackariya.

According to Beelaert, the competition requires the students to read and study multiple sources in preparation for the invitationals, regional, and state.  There is always an overarching theme that the entire competition, no matter the subject, follows.  This year was entitled “Year of the Woman”.

Penn’s English team studied a novel, several short stories, and poetry by a diverse range of women.  Within the context of the competition itself, the team must answer 25 multiple-choice questions, Beelaert explained. Each question allows for 20 seconds to respond.  With that in mind, the team must be quick thinking and know the material very well.

“The team this year was amazing,” Beelaert said. “They worked so well together and read, read, and read.  The team was so dedicated and always worked well together to make the end result happen.  It was not an easy year with all of the challenges that were presented, but the team really came together and made it happen!

“I could not be more pleased with the outcome and the state championship title,” Beelaert said. “It is such a great accomplishment for the students and for the school.  I can't think of a better way to represent Penn academic teams!”

Penn High School’s Unified Track Team competed at Goshen High School on Friday, May 7, 2021.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

The Penn Baseball Team beat Mishawaka, 14-6, on Thursday, April 22, 2021, at the South Bend Cubs ballpark, Four Winds Field.

A Photo Gallery by Penn Sports Journalism student Jacob Bilotta is posted below.

The Penn High School Girls Lacrosse Team celebrated Senior Night on Friday, April 30, 2021. The Kingsmen defeated Homestead, 18-4.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

The Penn Rugby Team competed at the Midwest Championships in Elkhart on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn's annual "Evening of Jazz" concert, one of the biggest events for the Penn band program, will be held outdoors Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at Central Park in Mishawaka.

This year the concert is FREE and open to the public!

Holding the concert outdoors was made possible by a Martin's Super Markets "One School at a Time" $1,000 grant. The grant money was used to purchase sound equipment for the Penn jazz ensembles, including professional-level microphones and mic stands. This will allow a more enjoyable listening experience for the audience. The grant will also further Penn Music Department’s mission of providing musical entertainment to the community.

Penn Jazz parent and P-H-M School Trustee Board Member Clare Roach helped Penn High School Music Instructor Aaron Griesser with the grant application.