Penn High School students Jagmit Singh and Dhruvi Patel had an incredible showing at the Northern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NIRSEF), earning 1st place for their innovative research projects and securing their spots at the Indiana State Science Fair!

The competition, hosted by Notre Dame, took place virtually on Saturday, February 22, with students presenting their research and answering questions from judges. Prior to the virtual event, Singh and Patel showcased their projects in person at Penn High School, giving a glimpse into their impressive scientific work.

Award-Winning Research:

Dhruvi Patel – “Will Mutant Macrophages Eat More Cancer?”

In addition to winning 1st place, Patel also received the Harper Cancer Institute Award for her research.

Jagmit Singh – “APC Loss Impacts DNA Damage on Triple Negative Breast Cancer with a Resistance to Doxorubicin”

What’s Next?

With their success at regionals, Singh and Patel will now compete at the Indiana State Science Fair, representing Penn on a bigger stage.

Congratulations to Jagmit and Dhruvi for their incredible achievements!

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Before the start of the Penn vs. Mishawaka Boys Basketball game on Tuesday, February 25, Mr. Curt Rallo was recognized for his upcoming honor of being named to the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame. See the full photo gallery below.

Mr. Rallo is a Penn High School Journalism teacher, Penn Sports Information Director, and member of the P-H-M District Communications Team. He’s worked at Penn for 24 years and has a total of 38 years as a working sports journalist with the South Bend Tribune, covering local high school sports, Big Ten Men’s Basketball and Football, the University of Notre Dame, as well as spot coverage of the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. Click here for more background on all the amazing work Mr. Rallo does with Penn students.

P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart, and P-H-M Communications Director Lucha Ramey honored Mr. Rallo at half-court with a commemorative G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) award. He received a rousing round of applause and shout outs from the student body, student-athletes, parents and Kingsmen fans.

Along with this celebration of one of the Kingsmen’s biggest supporters, it was senior night. Penn defeated Mishawaka 72-42. Click here to visit Pennant’s Facebook page for game footage and stats.

Mr. Rallo will be inducted at the annual awards banquet to be held in early April in Greenwood. Click for more details on the other inductees on the Stateline Sports Network website.

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Penn High School will host the FIRST Robotics Competition 2025 – Reefscape – on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2.

Saturday’s competition will be from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday’s events are scheduled from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Attendance is free (concessions support the teams).

Two alliances of three robots each compete to score Coral (tubes) on the Reef and Algae (balls) in the Processor and Net. Near the end of the game, the robots hang on the Cages at the center of the field or park next to them.

Penn has two teams: Team 135, the Black Knights, and Team 328, the Golden Rooks.

Click here to watch a video for more information on the competition.

Penn High School placed first overall at the Technology Student Association Indiana State Conference competition held at Purdue University, February 14-15, 2025.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Individual results:

Audio Podcasting:

1st: Ishita Awasthi, Fiona Bao, Diya Lahane, and Vyomi Patel

2nd: Jacob Bognar and Carter Mitchell

Board Game Design:

1st: Kai King, Carter Mitchell, Hal Roach, and Mitchell Schindler

5th: Shivam Kalani, Kathy Lee, Harsh Patel, and Emily Shim

CAD 2D Architectural Design:

5th: William Wu

CAD 3D , Engineering Design:

1st: Raafe Rahman

4th: Kathy Lee

Children’s Stories:

2nd: Amina Spahic, Rebecca Wolter, and Kelsey Meyer

3rd: Madison Kuzmic, Victoria Kuznetsov, and Jasmine Petresh

Coding:

4th: Sultaan Khan and Aydin Kurama

5th: Joshua Oh and Aydin Qazi

Debating Technology Issues:

2nd: Kai King and Sohan Patel

3rd: Arnav Meda and Kaiyi Zhao

Dragster Design:

5th: Calum Jessop

Engineering Design:

1st: Shivam Kalani, Kathy Lee, Harsh Patel, and Emily Shi

Future Tech Teacher:

1st: Jacob Bognar

Manufacturing Prototype:

1st: Kai King and Hal Roach

On Demand Video:
1st: Ishita Awasthi, Fiona Bao, Diya Lahane, and Vyomi Patel

2nd: Calum Jessop, Liam Perrin, Raafe Rahman, Wasi Rasul, and Kevin Wu

5th: Hamza Ansari, Sultaan Khan, Aydin Kurama, Aidan Lee, Joshua Oh, Aydin Qazi, MohamedSuliman, and William Wu

Photographic Technology:

2nd: Rishita Maheshwaram

Prepared Presentation:

3rd: Kaiyi Zhao

5th: Arnav Meda

Structural Design and Engineering:

1st: Amina Spahic and Rebecca Wolter

Technology Problem Solving:

1st: Liam Perrin and Raafe Rahman

Elected TSA State Officers for the 2025-2026 school year:

President: Ishita Masetty

Treasurer: Abhijay Masetty

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Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, along with assistant principals, director of athletics and students showed off and explained how Penn is “Building Bright Futures.”

At the Penn-Harris-Board of School Trustees meeting held Monday, Feb. 10 at Penn, the high school demonstrated how they are putting this year’s theme into action in everything they do.

From highlights from the Homecoming parade in the fall to reports on Penn’s amazing 98% graduation rate and everything in between. Other reports included:

• Building & Trades program (now in its 56th year!)
• Engineering Design & Development program (competed against and beat college students in the TECH 120 class at Purdue) 
• Class of 2025 students on track for an Honors Diploma
• AP Enrollment & Success
• SAT Performance
• Attendance
• Athletic & Academic Teams update
• Teacher Professional Development update
• … and so much more!

Click here to view Principal Dr. Galiher’s full presentation.

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In an intense and highly competitive field, Penn Science Olympiad made an incredible debut at the IU Northwest Regional.

Photo Gallery posted below.

Competing for the first time, Penn’s team delivered outstanding performances across multiple events:

 5th Place: Robin Sullivan & Allie Tessier – Botany
 5th Place: Aiden Lee & Ishita Masetty – Chem Lab
 6th Place: Allie Tessier & Madison Kuzmic – Ecology 6th Place: Toby Prince & Natalia Vogt – Geological Mapping
 6th Place: Robin Sullivan & Madison Kuzmic – Microbe Mission
 7th Place: Iniya Christopher & Alishba Syeda – Disease Detectives
 7th Place: Toby Prince & Robin Sullivan – Entomology
 8th Place: Iniya Christopher, Alishba Syeda, & Allie Tessier – Experimental Design
 8th Place: Toby Prince & Natalia Vogt – Material Science

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Penn High School’s Building Trades program is once again giving students hands-on experience in the construction industry by building homes from the ground up. This real-world learning opportunity allows students to develop valuable skills that prepare them for careers in the trades—all while still in high school.

This year, the program has students working on two separate homes—which allows ample opportunities for all the students who wish to participate.

Now in its 56th year, these are the 57th and 58th houses in the programs history—a testament to the program’s continued success and impact on career readiness.

From framing and roofing to electrical work and plumbing, students gain insight into multiple trades, helping them develop specialized skills that can lead to future careers in construction, carpentry, and beyond. The experience also fosters teamwork, problem-solving, and a strong work ethic—essential qualities in any trade.

By building homes, Penn High School’s Building Trades students are not only constructing houses—they’re building their futures.

Click HERE to view progress photos from the 2024-25 house builds.

Today (February 4th, 2025), we stopped by both houses for an updated. Students were installing flooring, tiles, electrical, roofing and more. View today’s photo gallery below.

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Juniors:

Penn’s School Day SAT, which is required for all Juniors, will be on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. 

The SAT School Day: Student Guide is available only as a digital resource, since students may access full length practice tests through their College Board account.

Click here for a SAT School Day Study Guide.

Fourth and fifth-grade students from Bittersweet, Elm Road, Mary Frank, Meadow’s Edge, and Northpoint elementary schools recently enjoyed a musical demonstration by the Penn High School Symphonic Orchestra. This event offered the elementary students an exciting glimpse into what musical instruments may be in their future.

The demonstration began with a slow, moving piece before transitioning into a showcase of individual instruments. Penn orchestra members lined up at the front of the stage to perform brief solos. Each instrument’s unique sound and appearance were highlighted, sparking curiosity and excitement among the elementary students.

The event reached its peak when two Penn teachers brought a thrilling touch of cinematic drama to the stage. Dressed as Princess Leia and Darth Vader from Star Wars, the duo engaged in a light saber battle to the delight of the audience. In a dramatic twist, Darth Vader emerged victorious and led the orchestra in a powerful rendition of the iconic “Imperial March.” Adding to the spectacle, the string players adorned their bows with LED lights, transforming them into glowing light sabers as they performed the final number.

The demonstration not only entertained but also served as an introduction to the world of orchestral music, inspiring many young students to consider learning an instrument in the future. The Penn High School Symphonic Orchestra’s performance was a perfect blend of education and entertainment, leaving a lasting impression on its young audience.

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Penn High School students excelled at the Science Olympiad competition that took place on Saturday, Jan 25, 2025, at Notre Dame.

Photo Gallery posted below

Chemistry Lab: Aidan Lee, Tobias Prince, 2nd place

The next competition is the Regional on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025.

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