Penn High School’s Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., June 9, 2025, at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Doors open for parents at 5:30.

P-H-M will provide FREE candid photos of the graduates on this link, https://phmexcellence.com/PhotosClassof2025, by Friday June, 13.

Click here for the photos provided by Inter-State Photography. Password: PHS2025514

There is no ticket requirement—meaning families are not limited on the amount of attendees. Click here for info on livestream of Commencement for friends and family not in attendance. 

On the day of Commencement the doors for students to enter Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center will be open at 4:30 p.m. Seniors are to enter at Gate 10 and report to the field house at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center by 4:45 p.m. Seniors arriving after 5 p.m. will not be in alphabetical order and may be required to be seated at the end of the line or may even be excluded from commencement. 

CLICK HERE for a map with parking/shuttle information for Notre Dame.

In March, Superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Dr. Jerry Thacker announced his retirement after 19 years. Under Dr. Thacker’s leadership, P-H-M has achieved extraordinary milestones, including raising the graduation rate from 79% to 98%, ranking in the top 4% of the state academically, and helping students earn more than $200 million in scholarships. He also prioritized school safety, leading P-H-M to be ranked sixth in the nation for school safety initiatives. Click here to read more about P-H-M student success achieved during Dr. Thacker’s tenure.

Dr. Thacker has had a remarkable 53-year career in education working in leadership roles across Indiana and Michigan. As the school year wrapped up and in gratitude for his many contributions to the field of education, Dr. Thacker has received several honors.

These five prestigious awards were conferred upon Dr. Thacker:

• May 4, named IAPSS – District II Superintendent of the Year
  
• May 9
  
  Ivy Tech Community College presented him with an Honorary Degree in College and Community Service at their Commencement
  
• May 9, Head Start Consortium gave him the “Making a Difference” award for his loyal dedication, unwavering commitment, and his indispensable support of Head Start’s mission at Head Start’s 60th Anniversary Celebration and Board Meeting
  
• May 21
  
  Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood presented him with a Key to the City and a proclamation declaring May 21st “Dr. Jerry Thacker Day”
  
• May 30
  
  State Senator Linda Rogers presented him with the Circle of Corydon award on behalf of herself and Governor Mike Braun. The award honors Hoosiers who have made remarkable contributions that have bettered Indiana, and who have demonstrated the qualities exemplified by our state’s greatest citizens

Internally, P-H-M school principals, teachers, and students also wanted to thank Dr. Thacker for his years of service and dedication to the district. Several came up with meaningful ways to express their appreciation:

• May 1, Penn High School Bands recognized him for his “caring leadership and service” at the Spring Concert
  
• May 16
  
  Grissom Middle School students and staff lined the hallways to applaud him as he walked through the school’s hallways
• May 16
  
  Penn High School Building Trades program presented him with a Golden Hammer for recognition of his Outstanding Support and Service 
• May 22
  
  Bittersweet Elementary School students and staff lined the hallways to applaud him as he walked through the school’s hallways
• May 27
  
  Walt Disney Elementary School establishes the “Dr. Jerry Thacker Achievement Award” to recognize students who exemplify persistence, good citizenship, and positive competitiveness
  
• May 30
  
  Schmucker Middle School principal presented him with an Elevation Award for 53 years of service in education to students, teachers, and parents
• June 2
  
  
  Prairie Vista Elementary students performed a “We are your Triangle of Success” presentation and gave him a planter with all the thumbprints of students (grades K-5) and staff to illustrate the impact he’s had on their lives
  
• June 3
  
  Retiring Penn Band Director Glenn Northern, leads the Symphonic Winds section of the Kingsmen Marching Band in the Penn High School Fight song outside Dr. Thacker’s office at the Educational Services Center. Click here to see the video on Facebook.

Before the end of the 2024-2025 school year came to a close, Dr. Thacker shared the video message below with P-H-M students, teachers, and families.

In a special meeting held Tuesday, May 27, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees unanimously (7-0) approved the appointment of Dr. Heather Short as the district’s next superintendent effective July 1, 2025.

Nearly 50 P-H-M teachers, administrators, staff, family and friends showed up to express their overwhelming support of Dr. Short’s appointment.

Dr. Short, a lifelong educator who has dedicated her entire 31-year career to P-H-M, will succeed Dr. Jerry Thacker, who is retiring after 19 years of transformative leadership. Dr. Short has served as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction since 2017. During her tenure, P-H-M students have experienced consistent academic growth and achievement.

“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence and grateful to Dr. Thacker for his mentorship throughout my career,” said Dr. Short. “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to grow as a leader within this incredible district. I’m excited to continue working alongside our talented staff, dedicated families, and exceptional students to expand opportunities and ensure every child thrives.”

Under Dr. Short’s leadership, P-H-M ranks in the top 4% of Indiana districts based on ILEARN scores. The district also outpaces the state average by 20 percentage points in overall percent passing rates.

“There is no one better—or more qualified—to lead P-H-M’s continued path of academic excellence than Dr. Short,” said Chris Riley, President of the Board of School Trustees. “Her academic expertise and visionary leadership in developing rigorous, relevant curriculum have been key to our students’ success. Dr. Short was the Board’s clear and unanimous choice for superintendent.”

P-H-M is home to some of Indiana’s highest-performing public schools in both English/Language Arts and Math. Prairie Vista Elementary ranks #3 in the state, while Discovery Middle School ranks #2. In Spring 2024, P-H-M’s IREAD pass rate was 86.8%, surpassing the state average of 82.5%. Three P-H-M elementary schools—Prairie Vista (97.7%), Northpoint (95%), and Horizon (95.3%)—achieved pass rates above 90%.

Included in her district-wide academic strategy was a robust Response to Intervention (RtI) program and expanded summer offerings that support both enrichment and remediation.

Dr. Short’s leadership journey reflects deep roots and unwavering commitment to P-H-M. She began her career as a classroom teacher before serving as an Instructional Leader and High Ability Coordinator. Click here to learn how Dr. Short and Board Trustee Katie Bell’s paths crossed when Dr. Short was a 3rd grade teacher at Northpoint. In 2004, she became principal of Prairie Vista Elementary. Recognizing her talent for professional growth and instructional excellence, Dr. Thacker appointed her in 2007 as P-H-M’s first Director of Professional Development—a role she held for a decade before being named Assistant Superintendent.

Throughout her career, Dr. Short has been deeply committed to developing others. She co-created a nationally recognized leadership development program designed to build internal capacity among P-H-M educators and administrators. Her strategic focus on professional development has empowered teachers at every level—from new educators to veteran principals—through initiatives like the annual Literacy Summit and the New Teacher Series.

As Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Short has combined her instructional leadership with strong fiscal stewardship. She has overseen the management of multimillion-dollar budgets and successfully secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grants—investments that have directly enhanced classroom instruction, expanded student programs, and strengthened districtwide operations.

“Dr. Short possesses one of the most valuable qualities a leader can have: the ability to build genuine relationships,” said Dr. Thacker. “She makes personal connections with teachers, principals, staff, families—and most importantly, students. She understands the P-H-M culture because she helped build it. There is no one more fitting to serve as the next superintendent.”

After the Board approved Dr. Short as the district’s new leader, Board members shared well wishes and comments. Trustee Katie Bell (elected in November 2024) talked about how things have come full circle for her as a former student of Dr. Short’s when she taught 3rd grade gifted and talented students at Northpoint. The two were actually featured in an article that ran in the South Bend Tribune in March 2003. The article featured Dr. Short teaching her students how to use PowerPoint for their Geography reports on Asia. Click here to read the original story.

Fast forward to 2013 to when Dr. Short was P-H-M’s Director of Professional Development, she interviewed Bell for a teaching position. Bell was hired as a kindergarten teacher in 2016 at Prairie Vista Elementary School and Dr. Short led the professional development for all new teachers. 

“Dr. Short and I are a testament that it’s never goodbye, it’s always see you later,” Bell said. “And I think that shows the true impact of a teacher, that they are in your lives forever, and that you will always remember them.”

Media Coverage

• South Bend Tribune
• ABC 57
• WSBT-TV
• WNDU-TV

South Bend Regional Chamber announced Wednesday, April 10, 2024 their 2024 “Forty under 40” class and for the 12th time in 17 years, P-H-M teachers or staff members have made the list! This year’s honorees are Betsy Alwine, Dyslexia Specialist for all Penn-Harris-Madison schools, and Andrew Nemeth, Director of Choirs at Penn High School.

Michiana Forty under 40 is a distinguished initiative that highlights the achievements of 40 outstanding young adults who, despite being under the age of 40, have demonstrated exceptional leadership, excellence in their respective careers, and a commitment to community service. The program aims to recognize and celebrate the contributions of these individuals who not only excel in their professional endeavors but also make significant efforts to give back to and positively impact their communities.

Andrew Nemeth is the Director of Choirs for Penn High School, a position he’s held since 2015.

Penn Choirs have been consistently been award Gold ratings in Choral performance and music literacy. Penn’s Choirs were state finalists at ISSMA last year, for the first time in more than 20 years. This year Penn had 13 students, nine soloists and the Robertson Barbershop Ensemble with four students, competed in ISSMA; students won five Gold; four Gold with Distinction; and one Silver.

Mr. Nemeth works as Chorus Master regularly for the South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra and sings as Tenor section leader with South Bend Chamber Singers, as well as serving on their Board. He’s also Penn’s Vocal Music Director of the school spring musical for past 12 years.

Mr. Nemeth sees value in various student performance experiences. He’s taken Penn choirs on several performance trips to places like Ireland, Hawaii, New York, Disney World, just to name a few. Mr. Nemeth in the importance of giving back to the community. He regularly takes his Pen choir groups to perform at nursing homes/assisted living facilities. Personally, he’s very involved with his church, Holy Family Catholic Church in South Bend volunteering and serving as Music Director.

Students feel welcome in Mr. Nemeth’s choir room, and he is continually striving for “the next level” of choir performance. Mr. Nemeth is a lifelong learner, and he is open to changing the paradigm for choral performance at Penn after he learns about what the top high school choirs in the state and nation are doing. One of his best attributes is his gift of collaboration that often translates into once in a lifetime opportunities for his choir students.

He has collaborated with the University of Notre Dame, world-renowned symphony conductors, and teaches his students the importance of knowing the composers of their pieces. He has created opportunities for his students to meet the composers of the music they are performing. He also enjoys collaborating with other P-H-M music programs. To raise awareness of the Fine Arts options at Penn High School, he the choirs on performance tours to P-H-M’s 11 elementary schools and three middle schools. These concerts get younger students interested in taking Fine Arts classes like choir when they get to Penn High school.

Betsy Alwine has shown incredible dedication and enthusiasm for Penn-Harris-Madison students and teachers since the moment she began teaching in P-H-M as a Reading Specialist at Walt Disney Elementary School during the 2021-2022 school year. Prior to that time, Betsy taught within in Elkhart County for more than a decade. Mrs. Alwine served as a reading specialist at P-H-M’s Walt Disney Elementary School for one year, before being for a leadership role as P-H-M’s Dyslexia Specialist for all 15 schools. 

In this role, Mrs. Alwine coordinates early screening and assessment for students who show academic risk, develops and oversees programming for students who are not yet proficient in reading, and assists in leading professional development for hundreds of P-H-M teachers in the area of research-based reading instruction. Betsy’s involvement as a LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) facilitator has recently taken heightened importance, as Betsy successfully co-wrote competitive grant, which resulted in the Indiana Department of Education awarding P-H-M more than $450,000 to train and certify teachers in the LETRS program! With these funds, all of P-H-M’s K – 3^rd grade teachers along with special education teachers, ENL teachers, and reading specialists will be trained in LETRS! With this important professional development platform in place, P-H-M is aggressively pursuing the Indiana Department of Education goal of 95% of all third grade students passing the IREAD-3 assessment.

Beyond her role in supporting excellent instruction in foundational reading skills across our eleven elementary schools, Mrs. Alwine plays a pivotal role in leading our Teacher Leadership Teams initiative.

This fall brought another opportunity, which highlighted Mrs. Alwine’s talents, as she served in the role of Acting Principal at Elm Road Elementary for 12 weeks. During this time, Betsy led teachers through comprehensive assessment cycles that resulted in gains in student achievement.  She also took the opportunity to enhance student voice, by creating a 5th grade “student coalition”. The student group met with Mrs. Alwine to share their input for improvements the school could make to enhance the students’ overall experience. Betsy has continually used every opportunity to improve others around her, and to impact our P-H-M students.

2024 marks the recognition of the program’s 18th class! The program is brought to you by the South Bend Regional Chamber, Young Professionals Network South Bend, in collaboration with program sponsors Community Foundation of Elkhart County, First State Bank and the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, along with chambers of commerce in the Michiana region.

The 2024 FIN Mishawaka FRC District Event will once again be held at Penn High School March 1st – 3rd (open to the public on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3). The event will be held in Penn’s Main Arena. See below for a daily schedule:

Saturday, March 2

• 10:30 – 11:00 a.m., Opening Ceremonies
• 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Qualifying Matches (No matches during Lunch, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.)

Sunday, March 3

• 9:30 – 10:00 a.m., Opening Ceremonies
• 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Qualifying Matches
• 12:30 – 1:00 p.m., Alliance Selections
• 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Lunch
• 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Playoff Matches & Awards Ceremony

Click here for the detailed daily schedule.

For elementary aged children, there’s also the Next Gen event from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The event will be upstairs–above Penn’s Main Arena–in the Fitness Center. This event is open to all children, not just P-H-M students. Children have the opportunity to do hands-on STEM activities, even operate a robot! Click here for pictures from last year’s event.

This year’s game is CRESCENDO^SM presented by Haas; click here to view a video about the game. FIRST^© Robotics Competition teams will use their STEM skills and creative power to turn up the volume as they design, build, and program their robots for action-packed game play. Watch the game animation to inspire ideas.

During our 2023-2024 arts-inspired robotics season, FIRST^® IN SHOW^SM presented by Qualcomm, FIRST Robotics teams will celebrate the roles STEM skills play in the arts and design, and how these skills help build a world of endless possibilities for students. Click here to learn more about FIRST^® IN and the District event being held at Penn High School.

“Captain Jack Sparrow” made an appearance at Penn High School today (Tuesday, January 30) performing the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song for 4th and 5th grade students. This mini concert is a great way to introduce students to instruments they might not be familiar with as they think about what possible instrument they might want to pursue in middle school. In P-H-M middle schools, students can pursue orchestra, band or choir as a Fine Arts elective.

Students got a real treat … the Orchestra’s drummers performed a sown written by Senior Clayton Hopper; it was called “March of the Clumsy.” All the drummers performed it together to demo percussion.

Due to scheduling logistics, only half of P-H-M elementary schools participated traveled to Penn for this year’s show. The other half attended last year. That way every P-H-M student will see the show in either 4th grade or a 5th grade. 

Take a look at the photo gallery below …

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Penn Early College Academy Leader Danielle Black and English Teacher Sarah Dwigans were recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). Black and Dwigans were nominated by Early College junior Dhruvi Patel, also a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Black teaches Speech in Early College Academy. Patel nominated Black for her support of students and commitment to academic excellence.

“Mrs. Black deserves this award because she made me feel more comfortable with public speaking. I was once so shy and had so much anxiety when I had to talk in front of large groups. Mrs.Black taught me many skills that brought my confidence up as a speaker. She made sure I felt prepared before any big speech and made sure to have a warm smile on her face when I looked at her for reassurance. She also answered my many questions without frustration and always was so helpful. Her class helped me achieve skills in public speaking and made me not so nervous anymore about talking in front of others.”

Dwigans is also a Penn assistant softball coach. Dwigans is Patel’s English teacher who has shown care and compassion, while also being an excellent teacher.

“Mrs. Dwigans deserves this nomination because she is an incredible teacher and role model who has had an immense impact on the lives of many students. She is patient and aware that every student has unique skills and weaknesses. While Mrs. Dwigans encourages students to give everything their best, she also allows her students to work at their own pace. Mrs. Dwigans is also a great listener. When she notices a student acting upset or anxious, she softly asks what’s wrong and pays attention to their concerns. She taught me and many other students that we should not change for anyone and that watering down our personalities should not happen; instead, we should grow our characters. Mrs. Dwigans has influenced many students’ lives by demonstrating to us that it’s acceptable not to be perfect and that perfection is not what we were created for since we were meant to make mistakes and stand out. More than simply a teacher, Mrs. Dwigans is a tremendous role model for many people, including myself.”

As Educators of Distinction, Black and Dwigans will be able to access special grant opportunities and attend professional conferences, pursue advanced degrees and compete for NSHSS Educator of the Year, which comes with a $5,000 cash award.

The Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction award is named after Claes Nobel, a member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.  Mr. Nobel strongly believed that educators play a pivotal—and under-acknowledged—role in preparing students for success in school and in life. In that spirit, the Educator of Distinction program was created to honor and reward exemplary teachers, counselors and administrators.

The National Society of High School Scholars seeks to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks. From attending the annual Nobel Week festivities in Stockhohn, to internships with major corporations and government agencies, pre-college summer study programs, and more than $2,000,000 in exclusive scholarships awarded annually, NSHSS is continually seeking new ways to provide lifetime learning and growth opportunities for academically talented and accomplished student leaders, and the educators who support them.