October is National Principals Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing short Q&As with each of our principals—giving you a glimpse into their leadership style, favorite parts of school life, and what drives their #PHMExcellence every day.

If you could swap places with a student for one day, what class or activity would you be most excited to participate in — and why?

Advanced Team Sports (ATS) I enjoy being active and in a competitive environment.

What’s your go-to morning routine (or must-have snack/coffee order) that helps you tackle the day?

I start with my day with an Americano that I learned to make recently.

What were you like as a middle or high school student — and what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

My middle school and high school years were fun but at that point in my life, I really did not anticipate or know what my future career would be. My advice to my younger self would be to trust the process and work hard and whatever you are currently doing as future opportunities will be a result of that hard work. Also, get involved in extracurricular activities as these activities can help drive motivation and help you as a future adult tackle challenging moments.

If your job as a principal had a theme song, what song would be your walk up song–the one playing when you walked into school each day?

Indiana Jones: Raiders March

What was your favorite school lunch or snack when you were a student? What is your favorite school lunch now as a principal?

Rectangular pizza as a high school student. As a principal, I enjoy a Mexican rice bowl from our cafeteria.

What’s one fun fact about you that most students or staff don’t know?

I have my own baseball card from my time playing baseball after college. I was in the state of Indiana 3 point shooting contest in Indiana in 1995 and made it to the finals in the RCA Dome.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies outside of school that might surprise people?

I enjoy all genre’s of music and believe I still have Vanilla Ice’s song Ice Ice Baby fully memorized…I think!

What’s one thing on your bucket list you still hope to do one day?

Travel to Europe

What’s your favorite school tradition or event?

Commencement

If you could describe your school in one word, what would it be?

United

P-H-M’s ENL Department is hosting their annual Community Connections Fair on Saturday, November 1st.

Join us for activities, arts & crafts, food, performances, and to learn about resources in our community. It is completely FREE and all P-H-M families are invited to attend. Click here to see photos on Facebook of past Fairs.

For any families that want to sign up to perform, please click here to fill out the Google form.

Penn High School hosted its annual Kaleidoscope Concert last night, Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

The evening was a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved, as Penn’s bands joined with P-H-M’s middle school musicians for an exciting night of music. It was especially thrilling for the middle school students to perform on the Penn stage alongside the high school ensembles.

A photo gallery from the event is available below.

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Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher announced that a school-record 15 Penn students have earned National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist status.

Sreeja Bhattacharjee, Mehreen Buchh, Balthasar Cammett, Madeline Dunn, Connor Geoghegan, Zachary Girton, Quinn Hayden, Wasif Javed, Sultaan Khan, Trenton Mager, Ishita Masetty, Leo Ni, Joshua Oh, Roman Ramos and Grant Spadafore  are the academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

“We are incredibly proud of our 15 National Merit Semifinalists whose academic excellence reflects years of dedication, curiosity, and a deep commitment to learning,” Dr. Galiher said. “This milestone celebrates not only the exceptional talent of our students but also the collective effort of our teachers, families, and the Penn community that continues to foster a culture of excellence and engagement where all students can thrive.” 

More than 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. 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.

Penn recently celebrated National Custodian Appreciation Day, grateful for all that our custodians do to support our students, staff and families.

Penn-Harris-Madison Supt. Dr. Heather Short said that Custodians do far more than keep our buildings clean and safe. They’re the first to arrive and often the last to leave, ensuring our schools are welcoming spaces where students can learn and staff can do their best work. Their care, dedication, and hard work often go unseen, but the impact is felt every day in every classroom and hallway.

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P-H-M is hosting a districtwide drug awareness parent and community meeting to help educate P-H-M families and the greater community about the current drug trends attracting teenagers. This valuable information is something all adults should be aware of. This event is open to all Parents/Guardians of all grade levels, K-12, and all families in the community are invited and encouraged to attend.

The session will be led by Tall Cop Says Stop™ contracted educator, Melissa Moore, CPS. Tall Cop Says Stop™ was created by Officer Jermaine Galloway, an Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997. Galloway is regarded as one of America’s top experts in various drug and alcohol trends and specializes in underage drinking and drug enforcement. For more than 15 years, he has trained school administrators and safety personnel in spotting the dangers that threaten teens and the community. Melissa Moore, a 24-year public health experienced professional, who works to advance the mission of Tall Cop Says Stop™ in helping educate parents/guardians and students about the latest deadly effects of so-called recreational drug use.

We hope that P-H-M families and adult members of the community are able to attend this very important education session.

Due to the nature of the discussion, children of any age are not permitted at the parent session the evening of Tuesday, October 21. Moore will present a student focused presentation to Penn students (grades 9-12) during the school day on October 21st and 22nd.

Livestream

Check back on this page for the livestreamed video. It will be embedded in this page: phmexcellence.com/DrugAwareness

• “Don’t Speak” by Gwen and Eric Stefani
• “Symphony no. 10” by Dmitri Shostakovich
• “Heart-Shaped Box” by Kurt Cobain
• “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky

The Penn High School Marching Band advanced to the Finals of the Bands of America Northwest Ohio Regional on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio.

This is the first time since 2018 that the Penn Marching Band has advanced to Finals at a BOA Regional.

The event featured bands from six different states.

Purchase Tickets Online Here

To help ensure that we have a smooth evening, we encoursge students to buy their tickets early.

The Penn-Harris-Madison Education Foundation is excited to host the Penn Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 7:30 – 11:00 p.m. Please note: this is the Saturday BEFORE the Homecoming Football Game and Parade on September 26th, 2025.

Important Information for Students

• Who: Only Penn High School students may purchase tickets. Students may come from other schools IF they are the date of a Penn High School student AND they are 20 years old or younger.
• Location: Everwise Freed Field behind Penn High School
• Dance Start Time: Doors open at 7:30 p.m. – please do not arrive early.
• Wristbands Required: You must wear your wristband to be admitted.
• Wristband Pick-Up: Students must pick up their wristbands in the cafeteria during lunch September 15–19.
• Parking: Available in the main lot.
• Dress Code Reminder: Semi-formal wear is encouraged. No heels are permitted on the Penn football field.
• Refunds: No refunds will be issued.
• Food and Drink: Popcorn and 1 free drink from a coffee cart are included with ticket. Food trucks will have full meals available for purchase.

Questions?

Contact Kelsey Weaver at the P-H-M Education Foundation:
📧 Email: PHMEFHOCOrocks@gmail.com
📞 Call: 574-259-7961

Purchase Tickets Online Here

Pre-sale tickets for the Mishawaka at Penn Football game are on sale now!

🗓️Friday, Aug. 29

🏈Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

📍Penn’s Everwise/Freed Field

🍔🌭Come early (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) and enjoy a budget, family friendly meal at the Community Tailgate. Click for more details.

Tickets can be purchased at Penn High School and Mishawaka High School.

If purchasing in person at Penn, enter Door A, which is located on the west side of the building. Upon entering, ask for the Athletic Office. Tickets can be purchased daily from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. until Thursday, Aug. 28. Tickets can be purchased on game day from 9 a.m.- Noon in the Athletic Office.

Tickets are $6 until game day. Game day tickets are $7. These are CASH ONLY transactions!

Click here to purchase tickets online.

Students and Patrons please the graphic below to be aware of the items prohibited from bringing into the Stadium.