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.

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.

The Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2025 is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, June 9, at the University of Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion.

Read the attached PDF for important information from Jostens: Penn Senior Parent Letter

Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher announced that six Penn students have achieved the prestigious status of being named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Stanton Barnes, David Guarraci, Calum Jessop, Hannah Kang, Stanley Liew and Proshun Nishorgo are among 16,000 Semifinalists nationally in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These 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 couldn’t be prouder of these students for being selected as National Merit Semifinalists,” Dr. Galiher said. “This prestigious achievement reflects their hard work and dedication, along with the support of the outstanding teachers they’ve had throughout their time at P-H-M schools.”  

More than 1.3 million Juniors took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in October of 2023, which is the initial screening of program entrants.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Robotics programs have been awarded a grant of $53,600 by the Indiana Department of Education. The grant is for 15 teams at eight different P-H-M schools.

The P-H-M proposal was selected from more than 145 grant proposals submitted for this competitive funding opportunity. The DOE stated that its review team was impressed by Penn’s plan to design, construct, program, and operate robots in competitions sponsored by non-profit organizations with the goal of increasing Indiana student interest in STEM.

Penn’s two Robotics Teams each received $14,000 from the grant.

Other P-H-M schools and the benefitting Robotics teams are:

• Grissom (2 existing teams, $5,000)
• Horizon (2 existing teams $6,137.50)
• Elm Road (2 existing teams, $6,137.50)
• Meadows Edge (1 new team, $3,175)
• Walt Disney (1 new team, $3,175)
• Northpoint (4 new teams, $12,800)
• Bittersweet (1 new team, $3,175) 

Penn’s portion of the grant pays for team registration and supplies for building competition robots.

“We are incredibly honored and deeply grateful to announce that Penn High School’s two FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) teams have received a generous grant from the Indiana Department of Education to cover the registration costs for the 2024-2025 season,” Penn First Robotics Coach Kyle Marsh said. “This support is not only a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, mentors, and volunteers but also a recognition of the transformative power of STEM education.

“This grant ensures that our teams can continue to innovate, collaborate, and compete at the highest level, while nurturing the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders,” Marsh continued. “We are humbled by this opportunity and remain committed to representing our school, community, and sponsors with pride and excellence.

Thank you to all who made this possible. Your belief in our students is inspiring, and we look forward to making the most of this incredible opportunity.”

For the existing teams, the grant pays for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots.

Most of their supplies will be updating and replacing used parts, tools, storage, and new parts needed for the new game. 

Funds will also be used for transportation to events. 

The new teams will use the grant money to pay for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots.

Most of their supplies will be start-up kits, tools, storage, and game specific parts. 

Funds will also be used for transportation to events. 

“The grant allows existing P-H-M Robotics teams to continue excelling and meet the cost of participating, new robotics teams to meet the extra costs of starting up, and for P-H-M to pay coaches a stipend for all the work they put into robotics teams,” Penn High School Assistant Principal Josiah Parker said. “The grant is really removing barriers for schools to give students opportunities to excel in STEM. It also helps build a pipeline of students with experience and who are excited about Robotics to the high school and eventually into STEM-related fields in our community.”

It was a big day for preschool aged students in our Playschool 2 class this morning. In an effort to get the students to dream about their future, they had the opportunity to interact with professionals in two very different fields.

Two Penn School Resource Officers (SRO’s) brought their police vehicles to Playschool 2. The students had the opportunity to meet the officers and they also got to climb into the drivers seat! Some students honked the horn while others were able to talk on the radio.

Students Learn How to Roll and Cut Sugar Cookies

Next, Serena from Ciao’s Restaurant and Bakery stopped by to show the students how to make Sugar Cookies! Each child had the opportunity to roll out dough, use a cookie cutter, then decorate with sprinkles with colors of their choice.

We’d like to thank School Resource Officers Mr. Wilkey and Mrs. Gresso as well as Serena from Ciao’s Bakery for their time. Take a look at the photo gallery below for more pictures.

Penn High School teacher Eric Bowers found a way to bring history to life by bringing in the “Revolutionary War Traveling Trunk” from the American Battlefield Trust.

The Traveling Trunk came complete with teacher manuals, lesson plans and of course, realistic replicas of common items that would have been used in every day life during the time period of the Revolutionary War.

From playing cards to clothes to fold out paper fans, take a look below of some items the students had the opportunity to experience!

 

On Sunday, September 8, the Michiana community joined Penn and P-H-M in giving Olympic Gold Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt a Heroine’s Welcome!

Before Sarah’s “Welcome Home” kicked off, the local media got some one-on-one time with Sarah, her parents, and Penn Head Wrestling Coach Brad Harper during a news conference. Coach Harper was Sarah’s wrestling coach when she was at Penn; he became her personal coach and coached her at the Tokyo Olympics wear she won Bronze. Coach Harper planned this special homecoming for Sarah. Click to see the full photo gallery below.

The parade left from Penn High School and went down McKinley approximately two miles and ended at Zolman’s Tire.

Thank you to all the parade participants who volunteered their time on a Sunday afternoon: Mishawaka and Penn Twp. Fire Departments, St. Joseph County Police, the Marching Kingsmen, Penn Girls and Boys Wrestling Teams, Penn Cheerleaders, Penn Youth Wrestling Club, Rocket Football cheerleaders, and Dr. and Mrs. Thacker. Along with Sarah with her mom Nancy and dad Chris, Sarah’s extended family were also in the parade. Sarah and her parents were in a golden yellow convertible Mustang driven by St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman. Thank you to Zolman’s Tire for supplying some trucks.

After the parade was over, hundreds gathered at Urban Swirl in Granger for an Olympic Celebration emceed by Mark McGill. A representative from Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood’s office read a proclamation declaring September 8th as Sarah Hildebrandt Day! U.S. Congressman Rudy Yakym read the historical entry on Sarah’s Olympic achievement that he will be submitting to the official U.S. Congressional Record.

Sarah was able to see and catch up with the coach who gave her first break, then Discovery Middle School Wrestling Coach Raoul Donati.

Sarah threw out free T-shirts featuring her smiley face tattoo on the front and her viral X tweet on the back.

Grateful for all the love and support that her hometown gave her, Sarah graciously took hundreds of pictures with all of her adoring fans. She also signed hundreds of autographs on posters, shirts, singlets, wrestling shoes and even foreheads! 

Check it all out in the photo gallery below.