Today in Eric Bowers’ European History class, his students experienced a little bit of a time warp. Mr. Bowers had been going over the French Revolution, but then he did a quantum leap of 131 years to Le Francport near Compiègne, France.

That’s where the Germans signed the armistice with the Allies to end World War I. It was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day, of the 11th month in1918. The day became known as Armistice Day, later as Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom and eventually Veterans Day, a federal holiday in the United States.

Mr. Bowers then had students sign a Veterans Day card for fellow Penn teacher Matt Rollins, who teaches Government in the Early College Academy. 

Mr. Rollins was in the Army and served in the Iraq War. Students got a chance to ask Mr. Rollins questions about his service. One student asking him if he ever interacted with anyone famous while he was in the Army. Surprisingly Mr. Rollins answer was YES!

Mr. Rollins was actually assigned to then Vice President Joe Biden’s security detail, and he told the students if they “Googled” it, they’d find a picture of him in the background of a picture of now First Lady Jill Biden.

The students did in fact find this picture of Dr. Jill Biden taken July 4, 2010 when she was visiting Camp Victory, Iraq, and who was in the background? Mr. Matt Rollins!!!

Mr. Bowers’ G1 European History class got a very well rounded Veterans Day history lesson!

Penn Theatre is excited to present Agatha Christie’s “The Hollow”, Thursday-Friday-Saturday, Nov. 9-11, in the Studio Theater.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Thursday and Friday shows begin at 7 p.m., and Saturday’s show is at 3 p.m.. Tickets to the murder mystery play are only $5 for any students Grade 12-and-under (including from other schools) and adults are just $10. Tickets can be bought at the door or online at https://phmschools.hometownticketing.com/embed/all Please note that this production involves pre-recorded shot sound effects.

Cast includes: Adriana Aquila, Mina Blalack, Maggie Cohorst, Andrew Dell, Miles Kraus, Five Love, Ben McPherson, Nico Reyes, Mars Slavinskas, Kingston Smithson, Lauren Turnquist, Eva Wells

Student-Director: Evelyn Shrout

Lights: Drew Lynn

Sound: Mikey Hogg

Costumers: Toby Prince, Elizabeth Sweet

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The Showcase will be held from 6–8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 (“Snow Day” will be Tuesday, Dec. 5, 6–8 p.m.)

This year the IDOE honored Penn High with the Excellence in College Readiness Award for being #1 in the state with the most students earning ICC (Indiana College Core) or AGS (Associate of General Studies) certificates earned! Click here to read more about Penn’s Points of Excellence.

Penn High School’s exceptional learning opportunities and programs will be on display for prospective and current students at the 2023 Penn High School Showcase.

Incoming Freshman click here for additional details.

Sophomore Scheduling information click here.

The Showcase allows incoming Freshmen (current Eighth Graders) and prospective move-ins, along with their families, to have the opportunity to tour Penn, meet with staff and students, and hear about the all the college and career readiness opportunities Penn offers through its eight Academies.

All prospective Penn students and current Penn 9-11 graders and their families are welcome to join us to learn about classes and clubs they can look forward as Penn students.

Student Last Names A-L (it is suggested you enter through Doors B, C, or D)

• Begin in the CPA at 6 p.m. to hear a presentation from administrators and counselors.
• After the presentation, families can tour the building, visit open classrooms, talk to staff & students.

Student Last Names M-Z (it is suggested you enter through Doors A, M, or L)

• Begin by touring the building, visiting open classrooms, talking to staff & students.
• Report to the CPA at 7 p.m. to hear a presentation from administrators and counselors.

Penn High School is filled with so many opportunities that the choices can be overwhelming. This is a great time to speak to teachers and current students about course options. Some classes will be available to see live in action!

 Besides the Live Classrooms, students and parents are encouraged to visit the Academy booths, which will be set up around the building, to gain information into the Academy structure at Penn High School. Teachers representing both Academy and elective classes will be available to answer questions and provide information. We will also have representatives of the Early College Academy, Exceptional Education and the Elkhart Area Career Center. We will also have tables with club representatives set up in the Sunshine Hallway. Stop by to see the many club and extracurricular activities available to Penn students.

Penn Administrators and Freshmen Counselors will give presentations about Penn, both what to expect, support structures, and information about four-year planning. Last names A-L will attend the presentation at 6 p.m., while last names M-Z will have this opportunity at 7 p.m. Counselors will also be on hand to answer questions and meet with students and families.

Your involvement in your child’s education is vital to making their high school experience a positive one. We value your participation in decisions related to planning your child’s class schedule. A collaborative effort between parents, students, teachers and counselors is essential and represents P-H-M’s “Triangle of Success!”

Incoming Freshman click here for additional details.

Sophomore Scheduling information click here.

Penn High School Short Hair Because We Care Club held its sixth annual hair donation event on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn-Harris-Madison students and community members donated hair that was cut by professional hair stylists. The hair is sent to Children With Hair Loss, a non-profit organization that makes free wigs for children who are experiencing hair loss due to medical reasons.

This year’s event surpassed last year’s in the amount of inches of donated hair. This year 33 people donated a total of 334 inches! Last year 35 participated and donated 200 inches.

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Penn-Harris-Madison schools celebrated the musical talents of its students with the Kaleidoscope I Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Penn High School Main Arena.

Students representing the eighth-grade bands from Discovery Middle School, Grissom Middle School and Discovery Middle School were featured, along with Penn’s Symphonic Winds, Advanced Jazz Ensemble and the Marching Kingsmen.

The Kaleidoscope II Concert is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Center for Performing Arts.

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The Short Hair Because We Care Club is hosting a Hair Donation event on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

**8 inches minimum, hair can be colored, bleached, or dyed

Who: Short Hair Because Care Club @ Penn High School, Instagram account @shbwc_phs

What: This year we are excited to announce the 6th annual Short Hair Because We Care hair donation event will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at Penn High School from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Anyone in the community can come and donate their hair for FREE! Donators should enter Penn through Door F. 

Hair can be dyed and color-treated, as long as there is 8 inches to donate. All hair will be cut by professionals and sent by the club to Children With Hair Loss, a non-profit organization that makes free wigs for children who are experiencing hair loss. Again, anyone in the community can donate, so invite your friends and family!

Children With Hair Loss: Children With Hair Loss, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization established over 20 years ago, is a charity that provides human hair replacements at no cost to children and young adults facing medically-related hair loss. When a child’s hair is lost due to Cancer treatments, Alopecia, Trichotillomania, Burns, etc., the painful effects are far deeper than just cosmetic. Each year, the number of children requesting our hair replacements increases and with your support, we can continue to increase the number of children we are able to help in the future!

When: Saturday, November 4, 2023 @ 11:30a -2:30p

Where: North end of the cafeteria (enter through door F)

Hygiene Drive: On top of that, we are hosting a hygiene drive in the week leading up to and during the event to give community members another opportunity to donate to those in need. Hygenic items, including deodorant, razors, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and hand warmers, can be brought to the hair donation event to be donated as well! Or donated in the bin located outside of Mr. Berres’ room.

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American Sign Language (ASL) students from Penn High School embarked on a special mission to Bittersweet Elementary School today. Their goal? To spread the magic of sign language and raise awareness within the community for the hearing impaired.

Bittersweet students learned the alphabet as well as basic words including colors.

The visit was not just about learning sign language; it was also about fostering understanding and empathy for the hearing-impaired members of their community. Community outreach is part of the ASL 3 curriculum.

But the story doesn’t end there. On September 15th, 2023, well over 100 students from both Penn High School and Elkhart High School came together in a powerful display of unity. Using the beauty of sign language, the signed the national anthem at the Elkhart vs Penn football game.

The community outreach of Penn’s ASL program showcases the power of education, empathy, and unity in fostering a more inclusive and compassionate community.

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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.