As the vibrant sounds of “Thriller” bounced around the Penn High School Cafeteria, about 50 Kingsmen students sprang onto floor and danced to the uber-catchy classic.

Beach balls and hula hoops punctuated the festive scene.

In one corner of the Penn Cafeteria, a young child’s cheek was being painted neon green and blue. A few feet away, a bounce house was rocking. On the other side of the cafeteria, children who have benefitted from the Riley Hospital for Children were lined up to get balloon animals.

Penn’s For-The-Kids Dance Marathon celebrated the wonders of the Riley Hospital for Children, and showcased the amazing efforts of Penn students.

Kicking off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2018, the highlight came with the big reveal at 6 p.m., that Penn’s students spearheaded a drive that raised $25,090.16 for the Riley Hospital for Children!

Top student fundraisers for the event were Olivia Coughlin, Cassandra McCoige, Maggie Sullivan, Sheila Patel, Rachel Wobbe, Ashley McCoige and Matthew Pruitt.

Penn teachers Michele Ball and Kate O’Brien sponsored the event.

“Being a part of the Dance Marathon has been an incredible experience, and it is very exciting that we were able to raise over $25,000 in our first year,” Penn Junior Matthew Pruitt said. “At our event, we had several families who visited the Riley Children's Hospital share their experiences, and that was when I realized that we will be impacting so many lives as a result of our hard work and dedication.

“I am very proud to be part of this club and all that it has accomplished so far, and I am excited to continue raising money for the Riley Children's Hospital in the coming years,” Pruitt said.

Ball said that the event was far more than one morning and afternoon of activities.

“We have been raising funds in earnest from the end of January,” Ball said. “We held Parents' Night Out events at Bittersweet and Horizon.  We entertained the students while the parents enjoyed a little time on their own.  We had two restaurant fundraisers, at Hacienda and Chipotle.”

Corporate sponsors included Paige's Custom Lettering, Gibson Insurance, Korhorn Financial Group, Bruno's in Granger, Jimmy John's, Lippert Components, and Martin's Supermarkets.

Penn High’s Baseball Team defeated Bremen, 12-5, on Friday, April 13, 2018.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn High School is hosting a Dance Marathon for Riley Hospital for Children is Saturday.

Dance Marathon is a multi-hour, multi-faceted event that blends dancing, games, crafts, food, and fun into one philanthropic experience. Students are on their feet the entire duration of the marathon as well, as they stand for the kids at Riley.

Stop by for dancing, games, and a chance to hear the stories of our Riley families.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the Penn High School Cafeteria.

Donations may be made at http://donate.rileykids.org/site/TR?fr_id=3579&pg=entry if you are unable to attend the event.

A total of 39 Penn High School students have qualified for the TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Math and Science) Nationals.

Coached by Penn Math Instructor Becky Tagliaferri, the Penn students will compete in the Nationals in Atlanta, Ga., from June 22-25.

Tingyu Lu and her team – Amy Bernard, Yewon Oh, Michelle Kwok, Riya Patel, Ian Baker, Zach Simon and Chelsea Chen – won the state championship in the 11/12 division.

David Wang’s 9/10 team of Gabby Haywood, Joey Meier, Peter Tiebout, Olivia Venditti, Ryan Ludwig and Sydney Domal placed third in the state.

“This competition reflects the strong STEM education we have here at Penn High School,” Tagliaferri said. “This is our fourth state championship in a row and out of the six years there has been a national competition under the TSA umbrella, we have excelled all six years and have brought home several Top 10 placements every year!  Penn is a powerhouse at TEAMS national competitions.”

Other national qualifiers included the 11/12 team of Nick Casetti, Alyssa McNarney, Amanda George, Sunny Sun, Elisabeth Casetti, Dhruv Khanna, Corey Wang and Matt Rach; the 11/12 team of Leah Ingle, Sage Marchand, Siddarth Das, Sabrina Kurian, Trang le, Moon Joy, Emma Doshi and Sydney Doshi; and the 9/10 team of Grace Waddell, Allison Nguyen, Sharon Ni, Anna VanAvermaete, Janusha Cooray, Madeline Calvin, Julia Son and Anna Wong.

In the TEAMS competition, regional scores are taken from tests and a design build. Those scores are compared with scores from around the state to determine state champions and national qualifiers.

A total of 250 students representing 32 teams competed in the Indiana event.

Penn’s state championship TEAMS group is ranked No. 4 in the nation.

According to Tagliaferri, the event encompasses what engineers do in their jobs. There is an 80-question multiple choice math test, a paper that must be written, and a design/build portion. All of these are centered around the theme this year of "Engineering the Enviroment,"  narrowed by eight topics that the students research.  

Congratulations to these young men on their acceptance into the Startup Moxie program for the 2018-2019 school year. This is a transformative experience, one in which students will become self-reliant, goal-oriented individuals who will feel empowered to begin their own venture. This program provides the opportunity for students to learn through real-life experiences.

Startup Moxie is a year-long, four-credit high school course with college dual accreditation through Ivy Tech for Entrepreneurship 101 & 105. The class meets in local businesses and changes locations throughout the year.

Each student in the Startup Moxie Program will be paired up with a mentor from the St. Joseph County business community. Mentors help students immerse themselves in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. The student selection process is a defined process in which students submitted a written request for admission, letters of recommendation and complete an entrepreneurial profile.

Penn High School students will be participating in the ISTEP Part 2 testing April 16 through May 4.    All testing will be completed online.

Click here for the testing schedule.

Math ISTEP Testing

Math ISTEP testing will begin on Monday, April 16, and conclude on Thursday, April 19. 

English ISTEP Testing

English ISTEP testing will begin on Monday, April 23, and conclude on Monday, April 30.

Biology Testing

Biology ISTEP testing will begin on Tuesday, May 1, and conclude on Wednesday May 2.

Below are a few tips to help prepare students for this standardized assessment. We encourage all parents to implement these ideas with your student. 

The Week before ISTEP and during ISTEP Testing:

• Establish an early bedtime routine to ensure students receive at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
• Remove any technological devices from his/her bedroom to ensure they have an uninterrupted night of rest.
• Make sure your student eats a healthy breakfast before school and limit sugary drinks.
• Be positive about the test and encourage your student to do his/her best.
• Encourage your child to review math skills and read at home regularly.
• Encourage your student to exercise for at least 30 minutes daily to help relieve any stress.

Experience Online Testing

The Indiana Department of Education is providing the ISTEP+ “Experience” opportunity through Pearson. The purpose of Experience is for students, educators, parents, and community members to see how test items similar to those on the ISTEP assessment are presented in the online system.

You can access the ISTEP+ Experience on the following IDOE website:

http://download.pearsonaccessnext.com/in/in-practicetest.html?links=1

The answer keys for the Experience Online Assessment can also be located on the main page.

The P-H-M Safety & Security Team has added information for Summer construction at Penn High School in regards to traffic flow. These additions involve maps showing pick up, drop off and parking for Summer Camps and Summer School at both Schmucker Middle School and Penn High School. Please click here to see the information.

Caregivers of dependents with special needs are invited to attend a special workshop, sponsored by Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company, on how to make your child’s future more secure.

See the information in the flier posted below …

At the Monday, March 26 (2018) Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees Meeting, the Board approved the appointment of Aaron Leniski as P-H-M's new Chief Operating Officer. With the retirement of Dr. Denise Seger, Aaron will succeed Dr. Seger as Chief Operating Officer with responsibilities overseeing Facilities, Transportation, Safety, as well as serving as a liaison for Penn High School's Athletic Department.

Mr. Lenski was an outstanding student-athlete at Penn High School, graduating in 1998. He went on to play football at the University of Findlay in Ohio, earned his degree in mathematics education at IU South Bend, and completed graduate studies at Indiana Wesleyan University. He has served as a math teacher at Penn, Assistant Athletic Director at Penn, and Principal at Madison Elementary School. In July of 2015, Mr. Lenski became the Athletic Director at Penn High School.

Filling the role of Penn Athletic Director will be Penn High School Girls Soccer Coach, Jeff Hart. Coach Hart was hired in May of 2012 and has coached the Penn High School Girls Soccer team to three straight IHSAA state title games, as well as one national championship title in 2017. He has established strong relations with the Penn High School coaching staff and administration; he is well known and respected by both students and parents.

Also at the March 26 Board Meeting, Jerry Hawkins was also named Executive Director of Business Services and with this new title, Mr. Hawkins will have full responsibility for the district's financial business. In addition, he will also oversee the Food Services Department.