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.

We’re happy to introduce PHM bus driver Diane O’Konski, as the Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month for April 2024!

Diane drives for Penn High School and has been with PHM since April of 2014. She is a strong driver and a great team player, going out of her way to help cover routes when the department is in a pinch.

Diane has completed 155 hours of extra curricular trips this school year and has only missed two days of work. Her willingness to get the work done and build strong relationships with students exemplifies the standards the Transportation Department strives to uphold.

The surprise took place at Penn High School on April 24, 2024 as he waited for her students to board for afternoon pick-up. 

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