Eight Penn student violinists performed with The Piano Guys on Thursday, November 14th at the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana for an audience of nearly 1,300 people! 

Our Kingsmen got a resounding round of applause & praise. Take a listen …

Second-grade students from Title 1 schools had a creative and educational adventure as part of the Young at Art program this week. This program aims to blend literacy and artistic expression for Title 1 schools. Hosted at Penn High School, the event provided a unique opportunity for young learners to connect with older peers through a series of interactive and engaging activities.

The photos in this story are from Tuesday, November 19th when Elsie Rogers visited, but over the course of the week there were many classes from different schools who came to Penn.

The day kicked off with a painting session led by Penn High School art students, where the second graders created cloud-themed artworks. This creative exercise set the stage for the next part of their journey — a storytime session with Penn English classes. The high school students read an engaging story about clouds, sparking curiosity and imagination among the younger learners.

Building on their newfound knowledge, the Elsie Rogers students reflected on what they learned from the story by expressing their thoughts through writing. This meaningful combination of art and literacy helped reinforce their learning and encouraged self-expression.

Additional activities added further excitement and hands-on experience. Students designed shoe prints and explored cloud types by identifying them on a mural crafted by the high school art students. Each station offered a chance to learn, create, and collaborate in a welcoming and stimulating environment.

Young at Art continues to exemplify the power of creativity in education, fostering connections between younger students and their high school mentors while integrating literacy and artistic skills in a memorable way.

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U.S. News and World Report released its “Best Schools” rankings for K-8 public schools by state.

Out of Indiana’s 395 Indiana public high schools Penn was ranked #25!

They also ranked the best public elementary and middle schools. For Indiana, 1,000 elementary schools were ranked.

Several P-H-M’s elementary schools are at the top of the list:

• Northpoint #1 in Indiana  
• Prairie Vista #2 in Indiana  
• Horizon #19
• Mary Frank #32
• Bittersweet #56
• Moran #163
• Madison #200
• Elm Road #205
• Elsie Rogers #393
• Meadow’s Edge #239

P-H-M’s middle schools were also recognized:

• Discovery #3 in Indiana
• Schmucker #40

This year’s “Short Hair Because We Care” will hold a hair donation event for the Children With Hair Loss organization will be held Saturday, November 16 at Penn High School’s Studio Theater.

Anyone in the community can donate their hair, but the minimum is 8 inches of hair. Hair that is colored and permed is accepted. Local professional hair stylists will be donating their time to cut volunteers hair for free. Because this is for hair donation, the service provided is just a simple cut, no style.

This event was started in 2019-2020 school year by a group of 7th grade Grissom Middle School students. 

“It started as something that students could give, that wouldn’t be money or something they wouldn’t have control over being young students, but everyone can donate their hair, so that’s why we started it: to give everyone an opportunity to serve even if they don’t have other resources,” Ella Smoker Class of 2024. Click to see the WNDU-TV’s story.

Last year, 33 people donated a total of 334 inches (click to see photos)! Donate this year and help beat last year’s totals!

If you’re interested in donating, click here to sign up using the Google form.

Email shbwcphs@gmail.com with questions, and follow the group on Instagram at @shbwc_phs. 

If you can’t make it to the event or don’t have enough hair to donate, you can still help out by donating directly to Children With Hair Loss.

Children With Hair Loss is a nonprofit organization that provides hair replacements at no cost to children or young adults facing hair loss at no cost. Whatever the cause, hair loss can have effects that go deeper than cosmetics. Providing this hair is how this organization gives back to the community. You can help us give back to your community and the children facing hair loss by donating your hair or simply spreading the word about the event to everyone! 

Penn High School’s exceptional learning opportunities and programs will be on display for prospective and current students at the 2024 Penn High School Showcase, 6-8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 2nd (Snow Date Tuesday, Dec. 3rd).

Penn is a recipient of the Indiana Department of Education in College Readiness Award and is ranked No. 1 in Indiana for students earning College Credentials.

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.

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 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.

If you have any questions about courses, scheduling, or graduation requirements, Penn counselors will also be on hand to meet with students/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.

Would you like to start earning credits toward your college degree and have Penn High School cover the tuition?

The Penn High School College-Based Dual Credit (CBDC) Program is a way for high school students to begin college coursework and/or prepare for a career.

Students take classes at area colleges and online and will receive a college transcript from their respective college. These are actual college classes, taught by college professors. Penn is able to pay for CTE (career and technical classes) in the areas of business, architecture, communication, public health and more.

Colleges establish the course offering and days/time the classes are in session. Students may choose an area that matches their intended college major, their career plan or personal interest area. This is also a great opportunity for parents/guardians and students
to save on college tuition expenses. In fact, through new Indiana legislation, even materials such as textbooks and required lab equipment can be reimbursed by Penn. For a list of some of the options available, please look here.

We offer a Pharmacy Technician Certification program through Indiana University at South Bend for SENIORS only. This class is offered February through mid April at IUSB on Mondays and Wednesdays. While it doesn’t receive college credit, you do receive high school credit. Also, when students complete the program they receive a certificate of completion which students can use to apply for their State license through the Indiana Pharmacy Licensing agency. Courses in the CBDC program will meet one of the requirements for the Academic and Technical Honor Diplomas.

If you are interested in learning more or in taking a class next year, make sure counselors add College Based Dual Credit to your schedule for the Spring and you will also need to sign up for the college class(es) of your choice. To know how to do this, please see Mrs. Black in the IMC during G3 or G4, or email her at dblack@phm.k12.in.us.

Penn High School students were involved in a Service Project during the recent Fall Break.

Students involved in Key Club participated in a Feed the Hungry event on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

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Penn-Harris-Madison is thrilled to announce that Kathy Green, a dedicated P-H-M bus driver for over 22 years, has been named the Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month for October 2024!

While today’s presentation was made at Elsie Rogers, Kathy drives a bus for Bittersweet, Elsie Rogers and Schmucker Middle School and is beloved at each school.

Kathy’s long-standing commitment to safety and her warm, friendly atmosphere on the bus have earned high praise from parents across the district.

We’re grateful to Culver’s and the P-H-M Education Foundation for supporting this monthly recognition, which celebrates the vital role our bus drivers play in the community. Thank you, Kathy, for exemplifying #PHMExcellence on the road every day!

You can nominate your favorite bus driver here, phmexcellence.com/PHMBusDriverNomination.

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