Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher announced that nine Penn students have earned National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist status.

Owen Black, Jacob Ciliberti, Lillian Gregory, Lily Meyer, Olivia Nijim, Noah Schafer, Connor Schmitt, Jayden Wang and Felix Zhang are the academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

“We are extremely proud of these students,” Galiher said. “This accomplishment is a culmination of the great efforts of these students including all the wonderful teachers they have had while attending P-H-M schools.”

More than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. National Merit Scholarships Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2024. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

As part of the P-H-M Education Foundation naming rights campaign, Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Thacker have generously donated $10,000 to the Education Foundation to have the basketball court in Penn High School’s Main Arena named after Hall of Fame and Penn’s legendary coach, Al Rhodes, renaming the court “Al Rhodes Kingsmen Court.”

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted to approve the sponsorship agreement at the Monday, October 9, 2023, Board meeting. The donation will be paid in one lump sum to the Foundation.

Coach Rhodes retired at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, with a 28-2 record. The Kingsmen reached the Final Four led by Rhodes protégé and standout Markus Burton who won the coveted Mr. Basketball Award. Burton is only the third player from St. Joseph County to be named Mr. Basketball. Now at Notre Dame, he was the MVP of the 2023 Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series.

Rhodes also played for the Kingsmen from 1966-1970. He went on to play for Tri-State University (now Trine University) before embarking on his coaching career.

Starting his head coaching career at Warsaw in 1980, Rhodes coached the Tigers through the 2002 season. His 1984 Warsaw team claimed the State Championship.

Rhodes and his Kingsmen teams cut down the nets six times as Sectional or Regional Champions. Penn reached the Final Four in Indiana’s revered Hoosier Hysteria state tournament for the third and fourth times in the school’s 65-year history. Rhodes posted an overall record of 693-320 in 42 seasons, including an overall state tournament record of 101-41. The Kingsmen won 18 Sectional Championships, nine Regional Championships, four Semi-state Championships and one State Championship. Coach Rhodes retired as the winningest coach in Kingsmen Boys Basketball history with a record of 239-128 in 15 seasons.

Dr. and Mrs. Thacker’s donation to name the court after the Hall of Famer was a natural decision, said Dr. Thacker. “It’s only fitting that the hardwood where Kingsmen student-athletes racked up so many wins under Coach Rhodes’ leadership would be named after him. This is an excellent way to commemorate and celebrate Penn Basketball’s winningest coach ever!”

The unveiling of the new court signage is scheduled to take place at the Penn-Clay game on December 1, 2023. The new court name will be displayed above the scoreboard.

Per PHMEF’s naming rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent directly funds professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing the education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Dr. Thacker has been superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation since 2006 and has supported the Education Foundation wholeheartedly. Over the course of 17 years, Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have donated $202,500 to the P-H-M Education Foundation, including this most recent donation of the naming rights. Most of this money has either been unrestricted donations or used as matching funds for fundraising initiatives. This is the second time they have made a donation to the naming rights campaign. In 2021, they donated $25,000 to have the Kingsmen Athletic Center renamed the Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center after Penn’s legendary football championship coach. Click here to see pictures and video of the dedication.

“The Foundation Board and I are so appreciative of Dr. and Mrs. Thacker’s generosity through the years,” said Jennifer Turnblom, Executive Director of the P-H-M Education Foundation. “Their unwavering support has been a tremendous help to us fulfilling our mission. The Thackers’ donations alone have made it possible for the Foundation to fund approximately 20% more classroom grants, activities and programs possible for the students of all P-H-M’s 15 schools. Their impact has been nothing less than incredible!”

The Arena is still available for naming rights.

Senior packets are available in the high school’s main office. The packet contains a catalog and ring sizer. You will receive a sample of your graduation announcement in the mail. The announcement is an important part of the graduation order to send to family and friends regarding your commencement details. Jostens will be sending additional information during the campaign week to assist you with your ordering process.

IMPORTANT – Campaign week starts Friday October 13th and ordering is open ONLINE by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this flyer and by PHONE at 574.216.6336. The group order DEADLINE is FRIDAY, OCT. 27. Any student who orders the below items by the group order deadline will receive those items during SENIOR CELEBRATION on WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1

.These items are: Pullover Fleece Hoodie, Class of 2024 T Shirts 2 pack, Stretch Jogger, Black Sweatpants, Gray Sweatpants, 2024 Beanie, 2024 Trucker Hat, 2024 Key Ring, Water Bottle, Swag Bag and/or Souvenir Tassel.

SENIOR PACKET INFO for details.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/catalogBrowse/1072642/PENN-HIGH-SCHOOL/Graduation/2086444544/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/

This afternoon P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker handed out the last two teacher Impact Awards as part of Round 1. This portion of the awards highlighted the teachers with the most significant overall student growth during the 2022-2023 school year.

Today’s awardees are both math teachers. Penn’s Brian Griman teaches College Algebra, Pre-Calculus & Trigonometry, and Calculus courses; and Tony Krupa teaches 8th grade Math at Schmucker Middle School. Dr. Thacker was able to surprise both Griman and Krupa with the help of some other members of P-H-M A Administration: Asst. Superindent of Instruction Dr. Heather Short, Director of Professional Development Dr. Lavon Dean-Null, and Director of Literacy & Title I Ryan Towner. P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom was also on hand. The Foundation covered the cost for the awards given to each winner.

To surprise Mr. Griman, Dr. Thacker enlisted the help of Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher. At Schmucker, Principal Sarah Smith and Assistant Principals Cam Brundage and Matthew Garber helped surprise Mr. Krupa in the middle of class.

Serendipitously, both Griman and Krupa’s children were both in their father’s classroom today when they received the surprise awards, making the awards even more special.

Click here to see more pictures on Facebook.

Griman received his Impact award because he had the largest increase of student growth in passing, from PSAT to SAT. The growth in the number of students proficient from PSAT to SAT was 11%.

Krupa was recognized because his students had 85% growth in proficiency from Clear Sight 1 to ILEARN. Krupa also had two of the top three highest growth 8th grade math classes.

P-H-M appreciates all teachers across the district for their commitment to helping their students achieve academic success. 

Round 1 of the Impact Awards is now complete. Round 2 of the Impact Awards will be handed out mid winter.
 

On Thursday, October 12th, 2023, approximately 1,600 junior and seniors attended the annual College and Career Fair offering students invaluable insights into various post-graduation pathways. Organized by the P-H-M Education Foundation, the College and Career Fair was a resounding success for the second year in a row! 

With an aim to empower students with knowledge and guidance as they navigate their options after high school, the fair featured 60 tables with area post secondary options as well as informative breakout sessions. The breakout sessions were led by seven speakers who shared their expertise on distinct paths to success.

Throughout the Fair, students had the chance to interact with representatives from various colleges, universities, technical schools, and military branches. This hands-on experience allowed them to gather information, ask questions, and begin building connections that will be instrumental in their future endeavors.

The College and Career Fair was not just an event; it was a stepping stone towards a brighter future for Penn High School’s juniors and seniors. It instilled in them the confidence to explore their passions, dream big, and take the first steps towards achieving their goals.

With the support of the P-H-M Education Foundation and the guidance provided at the fair, the students of Penn High School are poised to embark on exciting journeys, knowing that their futures are full of promise and opportunity.

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This afternoon (Friday, Sept. 29) representatives from Riley Children’s Foundation visited Penn High School to thank members of Kingsmen Court, Penn students and staff for their generosity. 

Last year Kingsmen Court organized the “Turkey Legs” competition, during which teachers wear shorts and/or dress up in costumes in the days leading up to Thanksgiving Break, and collect money from students and staff with all proceeds going to Riley Children’s Hospital.

Last year’s “Turkey Legs” raised $7,436.25 teachers participated, and three raised over $1,000: Glenn Northern, Kyle Berres, and Jeremy Starkweather. Glenn Northern raised just over $1,600 in donations!

With this gift to Riley, the Foundation was able to sponsor an actual Red Wagon at the hospital–the patients’ main method of transportation in the facility–with a special license plate bearing Penn High School’s name to honor the Kingsmen’s generous philanthropic spirit.  

Today Susan Miles, the Riley’s Kids Caring & Sharing Officer came to Penn to honor Penn for achieving its Red Wagon Sponsor status presenting a duplicate license plate to Kingsmen Court representatives, teacher sponsors Sandy Hunter and Sarah Klein, as well as Principal Dr. Sean Galiher and P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker.

Penn High School has a history of raising thousands of dollars for Riley Children’s Foundation. In 2018 and 2019, Penn students held a Dance Marathon FTK (For The Kids) raising $25,090.16 and $36,929.21 respectively. And even during the 2020 pandemic shutdown without holding the Dance Marathon, Penn students were still able to raise $25,008.12 virtually!

In year’s past, Penn’s annual Dodgeball Tournament proceeds have also been donated to Riley. In 2019, the Tournament raised $4,154.25. Click to read more.

We are very proud of our students and staff for their commitment to community service.

Today (Friday, September 29, 2023) Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker awarded another P-H-M teacher with the Impact Award. Dr. Thacker visited Penn High School to surprise 9^th grade Early College Biology teacher Dr. Lee Morris. Click here to see photos on Facebook.

The P-H-M Impact Award is being presented to educators who have helped their students achieve individual academic growth on their formative assessments over time. All P-H-M teachers across the district are dedicated to helping their students achieve personal academic success. The P-H-M Impact Award is shining the spotlight on those teachers who are showing the most significant overall student growth during the 2022-2023 school year. They are prime examples of how our teachers and students achieve P-H-M Excellence!

Dr. Morris had the highest percentage of growth year over year with passing percentage growth; in 2022, it was 61%, and 83.4% in 2023. Her students’ growth was 28% higher than the overall Penn High School ILEARN Biology proficiency rate.

Dr. Thacker popped into Dr. Morris’ class and surprised her in the middle of reviewing an experiment with her students. In on the surprise was Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, Associate Principal Rachel Fry, Assistant Principal Josiah Parker, Early College Academy Leader Danielle Black, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, and Director of Professional Development Dr. Lavon Dean-Null.

P-H-M is grateful to the Education Foundation for covering the cost of these beautiful awards. 

There are more P-H-M teachers to recognize in the days, weeks and months ahead!

The 2023 Homecoming Weekend will be bigger and better than ever! 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

• Homecoming Parade
  • 5:00 p.m. Start
  • Final route details coming soon!

• Expo
  • 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
  • Meet area vendors that have a shared interest in supporting P-H-M School Corporation
  • Silent Auction, the proceeds benefit the PHM Education Foundation
• Fun Zone
  • 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
  • Wrist bands cost $5. Free Admission to the football game with wrist band purchase!
  • Inflatables, dunk tanks and more
• Penn vs St. Joseph Football Game
  • 7:30 p.m. kickoff
• FIREWORKS AFTER THE GAME! 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

• Homecoming Dance (Sponsored by Ashley Rene’s Prom & Pageant)
  • 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
  • Location: Everwise Freed Field
  • Click here to purchase tickets, $25 a person
  • Dress-to-Impress semi-formal/festive attire. Have fun with your look.
  • No heels are permitted on the field, only the dance floor
  • Outdoor Fun, Games, and Dancing
  • Music Mix provided by DJ CPTN Jack & DJ EVN
  • A variety of food trucks (additional to ticket cost) will be on hand to sell food items
  • All students must show ID

Friday, September 29 is Penn’s Homecoming Parade, Fun Zone, Food Trucks & the Penn football game versus St. Joe. The P-H-M Education Foundation is once again sponsoring all the fun and new this year–FIREWORKS after the football game!

The entire P-H-M community is invited to come out for this fun-filled family event. All the fun starts with the Homecoming Parade. Be sure to grab your spot on the route by 5:00 p.m. Parade starts at 5:30!

Here are some things that will be helpful for families as they head out for all the festivities.

Parking:

• Paid Parking ($3 cash) at these lots:
  • Penn High School (Front Lot & Jefferson Rd. Lot)
  • Softball/Tennis Lot
  • Bittersweet School Lot
• Free Parking at these lots:
  • Soccer Lot (Bank Lot)
  • Pennway Lot
  • Schmucker Lot (front, Sides & in Back of School)

Fun Zone:

• 5-7:00 p.m.
• Penn Baseball Field
• Teacher Dunk Tanks, Jumpies for elementary students
  • FREE for EVERYONE!
• Food Trucks:
  • Ben’s Pretzels
  • Junbuggies
  • Keim’s Elephant Ears
  • Kona Ice
  • Prized Pig
  • REAL Grille
  • Rulli’s Pizza
• Fans will be allowed to take food purchased at the Food Trucks into the stadium. However, no other outside food will be allowed!

Gate & Ticket Info:

• Penn vs. St, Joe, Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
• P-H-M students K – 5th grade get in FREE with paying adult!
• Tickets are on sale now-Thurs., Sept. 28 online, ticket price is $6 (students & all other age groups same price)
  • Click here to buy your tickets online
• Tickets on Friday, Sept. 29 are $7 (online or at the gate) 
• PHM Employees plus one guest get in FREE, but you must have ID badge & the guest must be with the employee
• Please remember middle schoolers cannot be dropped off unsupervised. Once in the game, the students are free to walk around. At least one responsible adult must be onsite.
• Tickets are sold at the North & South gates only!
• Penn All Sports Passes and tickets (hard & online) are accepted at all gates
• The Center Gate is reserved for Penn All Sports Passes and online ticket holders only
• No Reentry!

Fan Safety:

• Click to download and red the Lost Child Policy
• Please utilize crosswalks when crossing Bittersweet Road after the parade

Rules to Remember:

• No reentry to Everwise Field; once you leave, you are not allowed back in.
• No outside food or beverages, no insulated cups
• No backpacks
  • Diaper bags & large women’s purses are allowed
• Penn does not have a clear bag policy
• No electronic noise makers
• No Footballs or Beach Balls
• No weapons of any kind
• No alcohol
• No Smoking/Vaping products of any kind. All PHM school property is smoke free.
• No open flames at private tailgating

Info on the Penn Student Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 30 can found on PHMEF’s website. CLICK HERE.