This morning P-H-M School Board of Trustees members, Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, and P-H-M administrators were joined by representatives from R. Yoder Construction Inc., and Fanney Howey for the groundbreaking of Penn High School’s new 80,000 square foot Fieldhouse. 

Click here to watch the video animation of the features that will be included.

Click here to view a brochure with more details about what the new facility will include.

The new athletic and academic facility will be off McKinley Highway, less than a 10-minute walk from Penn High School for students who will primarily be utilizing the resources after school. This extension of Penn’s campus will be situated in the area between the new Culvers Restaurant and the Penn Fire Station. Penn-Harris-Madison already owned this property.

The groundbreaking took place on site where the clearing of trees had already begun. Construction is anticipated to be completed for the start of the 2025-26 school year. Click to see the full gallery from the groundbreaking below.

This project is years in the making. The need for expanded indoor space to better accommodate student extracurricular and co-curricular activities of Penn’s some 3,400 students was identified in the 2022 P-H-M District Master Facilities Plan. 

This investment for our students will NOT raise taxes for P-H-M residents. The administration and Board of School Trustees are committed to fiscal responsibility and the corporation is in excellent financial health. In fact, P-H-M has the lowest tax rate in St. Joseph County, along with delivering academic excellence for our students. 

Overall, the project will cost $15,926,745. A breakdown of the costs and bids can be found on the P-H-M website (click here to see).

On March 25, 2024, the Board of School Trustees voted to award the construction contract to R. Yoder Construction Inc. (Nappanee). This project is designed by Architect Mike Schipp of Fanning Howey and engineered by P-H-M parent Troy Madlem of Magnus Engineering. Fanning Howey has partnered with P-H-M on projects providing architectural and engineering services for over 40 years.

The multi-use facility will include practice and performance areas for Track and Field, Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Softball, Golf, Tennis, Wrestling, Dance, Cheer, Robotics, Marching Band and Color Guard, along with classrooms, a training room, locker and dressing rooms, student commons, and concessions. The Fieldhouse can also accommodate Physical Education classes, intramural sports, as well as PHM youth camps and athletic feeder organizations. For those family and community members wishing to watch athletic or other types of activities, bleacher seating will accommodate more than 800 people with plenty of event parking.

Below are listed those who were in attendance and participated in today’s event (Tuesday, May 7, 2024):

• Dr. Jerry Thacker, Superintendent of Schools, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• Dr. Aaron Leniski, Chief Operating Officer, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• P-H-M Board of School Trustees Members
• Dr. Heather Short, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
• Dr. Tom Keeley, Executive Director of Business Services
• Joe Winters, Director of Facilities,  Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• Dr. Sean Galiher, Principal, Penn High School
• Jeff Hart, Athletic Director, Penn High School
• Nate Yoder, Director of Business Development, R. Yoder Construction Inc.
• John Emmons, Senior Project Manager, R. Yoder Construction Inc.
• Mike Schipp, Principal Project Manager, Fanning Howey
• Ed Sawa – Construction Administrator, Principal 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

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Penn High School’s Early College Academy celebrated Signing Day for its graduating seniors on Monday, May 6, 2024.

More than 100 ECA seniors announced their plans for high education, careers or military service.

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Penn students Chris Chen and David Guarraci placed second in Entrepreneurship TDME at the DECA International Career Development Conference. The event, April 27-30, in Anaheim, Calif., featured more than 23,000 students from around the world.

Chen and Guarraci, who are both Juniors, received the DECA international Glass Plaque. They are the first Penn DECA students to place at ICDC.

Penn’s Megan Zhang, Luna Liu and Zaina Arain were finalists in Franchise Business Plan, finishing in the Top 20 in that event.

Under the direction of Penn DECA sponsor Kyle Berres, 18 Penn students in various events and two groups made it to the finals in their category. Each category has 200-250 teams, who all qualified by placing in the Top 3 in their state. The teams of Chen and Guarraci, and Zhang, Lui and Arain are only the third and fourth Penn teams to reach the ICDC finals.

Click here for the awards show. Chen and Guarraci receive their award at 1:45:40.

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Penn High School’s Fine Arts Academy earned 11 nominations for the WAVE Awards, which celebrates area high school musical students and staff.

Penn’s nominations were for excellence in acting, direction and design in “The Music Man”.

Nominated students and staff will attend the WAVE Awards at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center. Nominated students are eligible for scholarships.

“We are incredibly proud of all of the hard work that resulted in such a spectacular production, and are thankful that it is being acknowledged in the community!” Penn Theatre Instructor Kathryn Hein said.

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: “The Music Man”, Kathryn Hein.
• Outstanding Choreography in a Musical: “The Music Man”, Jenn Wolfe.
• Outstanding Orchestra (or a Band) in a Musical: “The Music Man”, Zach Coudret.
• Outstanding Musical Direction in a Musical: “The Music Man”, Andrew Nemeth.
• Outstanding Featured Ensemble in a Musical: “The Music Man”, Barbershop Quartet.
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Cailyn Freeman, “Amaryllis”.
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical: Justin Meacham, “Mayor Shinn”.
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Lucas Robertson, “Harold Hill” and Tess Kavadas, “Marian Paroo”.
• Outstanding Direction in a Musical: Danielle Black, “The Music Man”.
• Outstanding Musical Production: “The Music Man”, Penn High School.

Each year, the Ball State University School of Journalism and Strategic Communication hosts a “Media & Communications” conference for middle and high school students and teachers.

The conference is a great place to learn and share new ideas with other students and teachers from other school districts.

This year’s conference featured Keynote Speakers Adam White (Emmy Award Winning Cinematographer/Producer/Director) and Kara White (Emmy Award Winning Director and producer).

In addition to the learning that takes place, students also have the opportunity to submit their own works to be reviewed and judged. Out of thousands of media entries, PNN students stood out!

Penn High School’s commitment to hands-on learning was demonstrated on Friday, April 26th, 2024 as students from the Civil Construction Class took charge of planning and constructing a new sidewalk. Situated in the soccer and softball parking lots, the sidewalk serves as a pathway leading to the practice fields located behind the soccer field.

Under the guidance of Penn Civil Construction teacher Evan White, students were able to participate in every phase of the project, showcasing the power of real-world, project-based learning. From selecting the ideal location to conducting site surveys and assisting in the pouring and leveling of concrete, these young minds were actively engaged in the entire construction process.

The project not only provided students with invaluable practical experience but also fostered a sense of ownership and pride in their school environment. By actively contributing to the enhancement of campus infrastructure, students gained a deeper understanding of the principles taught in the classroom and their practical applications in the real world.

Penn High School extends its sincere appreciation to the partners who made this endeavor possible:

• Ozinga: Custom Concrete Solutions & Concrete Materials
• AP Concrete LLC
• Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association (IRMCA)
• Penn Harris Madison Education Foundation

The successful completion of the new sidewalk stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of students, educators, and community partners, exemplifying the school’s commitment to excellence in education and community engagement. Through projects like these, Penn High School continues to empower students to become active participants in shaping their future and making a positive impact in their community.

 Watch the raw video below!

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Penn High School Orchestra and Choir students visited New York City during Spring Break for an amazing array of experiences.

A PHOTO GALLERY IS POSTED BELOW

CHOIR TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

• Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Liberty Island
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Freedom Tower (up to 102nd floor)
• Times Square
• Broadway show – Hadestown
• Broadway show – MJ the Musical
• Broadway cast dinner with members from MJ the Musical
• Chinatown/Little Italy
• Commissioned N.Y. Composer Rich Campbell to write music for us
• Workshopped with Rich Campbell at our hotel and then he was present for the performance
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Central Park
• Dinner/Dance Cruise
• Ellen’s Stardust Diner

According to Penn Choir instructor Andrew Nemeth, the Broadway cast dinner was absolutely a highlight for students. Cast members from MJ met Penn students for dinner and were able to speak with them about their journey to Broadway. One member,Apollo LeVine, is a graduate of Washington High School in South Bend. He was absolutely humbled to meet people from his hometown, and he even made a social media post about Penn students.

Part of the purpose of the Choir trip was to perform at St. John the Divine in Manhattan, the sixth largest church in the world. Nemeth and fellow Penn Choir instructor Allison Secaur visited the church in 2019 in anticipation of a 2020 trip, but that trip finally took place now. Students worked with composer Rich Campbell, who was commissioned to write a song specifically for Penn Choir. View the performance on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st6vsPSqEbM

There was an earthquake that struck in New Jersey shorty before our performance. Our students did not feel it, but there were aftershocks occurring while the Penn Choir was performing. Everyone was safe. In the recording on YouTube, you can hear the alarms going off every few minutes.

Lastly of note was Ellen’s Stardust Diner – this is an incredible dining experience where the servers are aspiring Broadway actors. In the last two months alone they had 35 members that finally made it to Broadway. It was an incredibly unique experience for Penn students.

ORCHESTRA TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

• Lady Liberty
• Battery Park
• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island
• Charging Bull Photo Op
• 9/11 Memorial
• The Oculus
• Radio City Tour
• Dinner at Dizzy’s Club
• Dizzy’s Early Set
• Museum of Modern Art
• Bryant Park
• New York Public Library
• Grand Central Station
• Gayle’s Broadway Rose
• Broadway Show: The Lion King
• Central Park
• The Met Museum
• Stella 34 Trattoria
• New York Philharmonic workshop
• The Met Opera: La Rondine

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Penn High School student Jayden Wang has been named a 2024 Regional Academic All-Star by the Indiana Association of School Principals. The award is sponsored by Purdue University.

Wang is among 50 students were recognized as Academic All-Star Regional Honorees. The students were selected from a field of 281 outstanding nominees from the state’s private and public accredited schools. Academic All-Star distinction recognizes seniors who excel in the classroom first and foremost, but who also are actively involved in their schools and communities, and take on leadership roles in those activities.

Wang is a Lilly Endowment Scholar, a U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate, a National Merit Finalist. He is also a National Chemistry Olympiad National Qualifier and an AP Scholar. He placed First with Distinction at the Hoosier Piano State Competition.