Choir, Orchestra and Band members from Penn High School excelled in Indiana State School Music Association Group I qualifier competition at Chesterton, Indiana, on Saturday, April 28.

This contest determines which 16 Concert Choirs, eight Treble/Men’s Choirs, eight Orchestras, and 16 Bands will compete in the ISSMA State Finals on Saturday, May 5.

The Penn Concert Choir, under the direction of Andrew Nemeth, Lavon Oke and accompanist Andrew Napolitan, received a Gold Rating with Distinction for their performance on Saturday at Chesterton Middle School.

The Penn Women’s Chorale, under the Direction of Lavon Oke, Andrew Nemeth, and accompanist Andrew Napolitan, received a Gold Rating for their performance on Saturday at Chesterton Middle School.

The Penn Orchestra, under the direction of Anne Tschetter, and Zac Coudret, received Gold Rating with Distinction for their performance on Friday at Chesterton High School.

The Symphonic Winds, under the direction of Glenn Northern, D.J. Landoll, and Aaron Griesser received a Gold Rating with Distinction for their performance on Saturday at Chesterton High School.

The Penn Orchestra Qualified for the ISSMA State Finals Competition for the 13th time since 2003. They will perform at Pike High School, In Indianapolis on Saturday, at 11:15 a.m.

The Penn Symphonic Winds qualified for State Finals for the 17th consecutive year, and will perform at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

Two Penn High School students made history at the FIRST Robotics Competition World Competition in Detroit.

Juniors McKenna Hillsdon-Smith of Penn’s Robotics Team 135 and Zachary Simon of Granger Gears were named winners of the prestigious Dean’s List Award at the FIRST World Robotics Competition held in Detroit April 27-30. Only 10 students out of the more than 40,000 students worldwide who competed in FIRST Robotics this year were named to the Dean’s List.

It is the first time in the nine-year history of the Dean’s List Award that two students from the same high school have won the award in the same year! The "Dean's List Award" is named after Dean Kamen–engineer, inventor, and businessman best known for inventing the Segway & is one of FIRST's founding fathers. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos was also on hand at the event to honor the Dean’s List winners.

“The Dean’s list represents the best of the best,” Penn Robotics Instructor James Langfeldt said. “When the director of recruitment at both MIT and Yale profess "we want you!" that says a lot about the award recipients.”

Hillsdon-Smith said that she was incredibly surprised when her name was announced as a Dean’s Award winner.

“I specifically remember Mr. Langfeldt saying, ‘Hey, that's you!’” Hillsdon-Smith said.

Hillsdon-Smith hopes the award will have an impact at Penn and with Team 135.

“I hope this encourages all the students in our program to work hard, even when things don't look bright,” Hillsdon-Smith said.

“The award is all about leadership, and we can't have enough of those in Robotics. This should be an exciting growing period for us, and I think we're all ready.” 

Langfeldt said that Hillsdon-Smith exemplifies the type of students who participate in Penn’s Team 135 Robotics program.

“McKenna is a great example of the type of student we have on Team 135 each and every year,” Langfeldt continued. “A dedication to the greater good of her team, school, and community. I am one of the luckiest people to be able to work with such quality people!”

Simon said that he was deeply honored to be named a Dean’s List Winner.

“In order to be in contention for the award, you need to be nominated by your teammates and coaches,” Simon said. “To know that the rest of my team believes in me enough to nominate me for the award meant a lot, and to be recognized by FIRST made it even more meaningful.

Simon was hit with the emotions of surprise and joy when his name was announced as a winner.

“I was already honored just to be named a Finalist for the award, but winning it and being recognized among all of those outstanding individuals was just incredible,” Simon said.

“Winning this award opens up a lot of opportunities in my future,” Simon continued. “Primarily, it will increase my chances of getting into a high level engineering school because of its significance in STEM fields.”

Granger Gears coach C. Kenneth Cole, Technical Director and Associate Professional Faculty at the University of Notre Dame, said that Simon always puts the team ahead of his personal goals and that he has been an outstanding representative and advocate for FIRST.

“Zach started in FIRST LEGO League in the fourth grade,” Cole said. “This year marks his eighth consecutive year as a member of a FIRST team. At the age of 16, he has now spent nearly half of his life in FIRST. Zach has literally grown up in FIRST. He has been a member of two state champion teams and has traveled to tournaments in California, Arkansas, and Iowa.

 
“Zach is equally proficient as a builder/designer and programmer,” Cole continued. “More importantly Zach also takes lead responsibility to ensure that the engineering notebook is up to date. His career goals include engineering/imagineering for Disney.”
 

According to FRC, the Dean’s List Award began in 2010 to celebrate outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary. It was created to recognize the leadership and dedication of the FIRST most outstanding robotics students.

Hillsdon-Smith and Simon were cited by FIRST Robotics Competition as a student leader who has played a key role in increasing awareness in both the community and Penn about FIRST and its mission.

Among the criteria in the selection of Hillsdon-Smith and Simon to the world Dean’s List Award is overall individual contribution to their teams, technical expertise and passion, entrepreneurship and creativity, the ability to motivate and lead fellow team members and effectiveness at increasing awareness of FIRST in their school and community.

The cool, damp weather on Tuesday afternoon (April 24) did not stop Biology teacher John Gensic and 24 Early College Academy students from planting nearly 85 trees!

Mr. Gensic and his students were in Lake Albert (Elkhart County) today working hand in hand with about 20 Indiana Tool Road Concession Company LLC’s employees on the ITRCC’s sustainability program called “Strengthening Our Roots.” Click here for a photo gallery.

Mr. Gensic’s idea for the project came to him while driving along the Toll Road on his way to Chicago over winter break with his family. He recounts seeing a sign about the ITRCC project, which resulted in 700 trees being planted in 2017. He wanted to do something similar on a stretch of road near Penn-Harris-Madison’s School Corporation’s school territory.

Mr. Gensic reached out to the ITR to discuss his idea and learned while the Department of Transportation doesn't let students on the Toll Road, it does owns a plot of land in Elkhart County and Lake Albert was in desperate need of some “Kingsmen T.L.C.” (tender loving care). Even better, Mr. Gensic learned that the ITR project qualifies for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to provide trees to help replenish the forests after so many Ash trees were lost due to the Emerald Ash Borer Beetles. 

And just like that Mr. Gensic had another service learning project for his students! Under the guidance of the ITR, Mr. Gensic and his Early College students were able to “strengthen the roots” of Lake Albert by planting Burr Oak and Northern Pecan trees, 85 in all!

Other project contributors included NIPSCO, who donated recycled mulch for today’s project, and Cleveland Fire Department, which sent four personnel and two vehicles to provide water. Mr. Gensic’s class gave a combined total of 52 service hours on the project (24 students + 2 staff members x 2 hours each). ITR Concession Company’s 20 volunteers invested a combined total of 100 hours.

Planting trees is not a foreign concept to Mr. Gensic. The “Giving Trees” project was the brainchild of Mr. Gensic (P-H-M’s 2016 Teacher of the Year and top 10 finalist for Indiana TOY). That project was made possible by an initial 2016 grant from the P-H-M Education Foundation. The project continued through the 2017 school year; Mr. Gensic combined his P-H-M TOY prize money from the Education Foundation with a donation from the Springhope Farm. Between 2016 and 2017, more than 60 fruit trees planted at four P-H-M elementary schools: Horizon, Elsie Rogers, Mary Frank and Elm Road schools! The idea behind Mr. Gensic’s project based learning project “Giving Trees” was for students to participate in a real world event that not only focuses on improving the local environment, but also provides food for the P-H-M school community.

It is Mr. Gensic’s hope for students involved in all of his projects to be inspired to become agents of change leading the charge for a healthy environment and community.

See the photo gallery below of today’s Lake Albert “Strengthening Our Roots” tree planting.

To download a high resolution jpg file from the photo gallery, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right hand corner of the photo wile viewing it in the Photo Gallery function.

The Penn Baseball Team beat Jimtown, 13-0, on Friday, April 20.

Please see the photo gallery below. To download a high resolution jpg file from the photo gallery, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function.

Community Connections Fair

Saturday, April 21, 2018

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Walt Disney Elementary School

In an effort to expand outreach to the families of all of our ENL students (grades K-12), P-H-M’s ENL Services is hosting a community resource fair to make families aware of the services not only available within the district, but also in the Mishawaka and South Bend areas. Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.

Click here to download a copy of the event flier in English. Copies are also available in Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

*Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view pdf documents. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe’s website, at this link www.get.adobe.com/reader/, to download your free version.

As the vibrant sounds of “Thriller” bounced around the Penn High School Cafeteria, about 50 Kingsmen students sprang onto floor and danced to the uber-catchy classic.

Beach balls and hula hoops punctuated the festive scene.

In one corner of the Penn Cafeteria, a young child’s cheek was being painted neon green and blue. A few feet away, a bounce house was rocking. On the other side of the cafeteria, children who have benefitted from the Riley Hospital for Children were lined up to get balloon animals.

Penn’s For-The-Kids Dance Marathon celebrated the wonders of the Riley Hospital for Children, and showcased the amazing efforts of Penn students.

Kicking off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2018, the highlight came with the big reveal at 6 p.m., that Penn’s students spearheaded a drive that raised $25,090.16 for the Riley Hospital for Children!

Top student fundraisers for the event were Olivia Coughlin, Cassandra McCoige, Maggie Sullivan, Sheila Patel, Rachel Wobbe, Ashley McCoige and Matthew Pruitt.

Penn teachers Michele Ball and Kate O’Brien sponsored the event.

“Being a part of the Dance Marathon has been an incredible experience, and it is very exciting that we were able to raise over $25,000 in our first year,” Penn Junior Matthew Pruitt said. “At our event, we had several families who visited the Riley Children's Hospital share their experiences, and that was when I realized that we will be impacting so many lives as a result of our hard work and dedication.

“I am very proud to be part of this club and all that it has accomplished so far, and I am excited to continue raising money for the Riley Children's Hospital in the coming years,” Pruitt said.

Ball said that the event was far more than one morning and afternoon of activities.

“We have been raising funds in earnest from the end of January,” Ball said. “We held Parents' Night Out events at Bittersweet and Horizon.  We entertained the students while the parents enjoyed a little time on their own.  We had two restaurant fundraisers, at Hacienda and Chipotle.”

Corporate sponsors included Paige's Custom Lettering, Gibson Insurance, Korhorn Financial Group, Bruno's in Granger, Jimmy John's, Lippert Components, and Martin's Supermarkets.

Penn High’s Baseball Team defeated Bremen, 12-5, on Friday, April 13, 2018.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn High School is hosting a Dance Marathon for Riley Hospital for Children is Saturday.

Dance Marathon is a multi-hour, multi-faceted event that blends dancing, games, crafts, food, and fun into one philanthropic experience. Students are on their feet the entire duration of the marathon as well, as they stand for the kids at Riley.

Stop by for dancing, games, and a chance to hear the stories of our Riley families.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the Penn High School Cafeteria.

Donations may be made at http://donate.rileykids.org/site/TR?fr_id=3579&pg=entry if you are unable to attend the event.

A total of 39 Penn High School students have qualified for the TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Math and Science) Nationals.

Coached by Penn Math Instructor Becky Tagliaferri, the Penn students will compete in the Nationals in Atlanta, Ga., from June 22-25.

Tingyu Lu and her team – Amy Bernard, Yewon Oh, Michelle Kwok, Riya Patel, Ian Baker, Zach Simon and Chelsea Chen – won the state championship in the 11/12 division.

David Wang’s 9/10 team of Gabby Haywood, Joey Meier, Peter Tiebout, Olivia Venditti, Ryan Ludwig and Sydney Domal placed third in the state.

“This competition reflects the strong STEM education we have here at Penn High School,” Tagliaferri said. “This is our fourth state championship in a row and out of the six years there has been a national competition under the TSA umbrella, we have excelled all six years and have brought home several Top 10 placements every year!  Penn is a powerhouse at TEAMS national competitions.”

Other national qualifiers included the 11/12 team of Nick Casetti, Alyssa McNarney, Amanda George, Sunny Sun, Elisabeth Casetti, Dhruv Khanna, Corey Wang and Matt Rach; the 11/12 team of Leah Ingle, Sage Marchand, Siddarth Das, Sabrina Kurian, Trang le, Moon Joy, Emma Doshi and Sydney Doshi; and the 9/10 team of Grace Waddell, Allison Nguyen, Sharon Ni, Anna VanAvermaete, Janusha Cooray, Madeline Calvin, Julia Son and Anna Wong.

In the TEAMS competition, regional scores are taken from tests and a design build. Those scores are compared with scores from around the state to determine state champions and national qualifiers.

A total of 250 students representing 32 teams competed in the Indiana event.

Penn’s state championship TEAMS group is ranked No. 4 in the nation.

According to Tagliaferri, the event encompasses what engineers do in their jobs. There is an 80-question multiple choice math test, a paper that must be written, and a design/build portion. All of these are centered around the theme this year of "Engineering the Enviroment,"  narrowed by eight topics that the students research.  

Congratulations to these young men on their acceptance into the Startup Moxie program for the 2018-2019 school year. This is a transformative experience, one in which students will become self-reliant, goal-oriented individuals who will feel empowered to begin their own venture. This program provides the opportunity for students to learn through real-life experiences.

Startup Moxie is a year-long, four-credit high school course with college dual accreditation through Ivy Tech for Entrepreneurship 101 & 105. The class meets in local businesses and changes locations throughout the year.

Each student in the Startup Moxie Program will be paired up with a mentor from the St. Joseph County business community. Mentors help students immerse themselves in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. The student selection process is a defined process in which students submitted a written request for admission, letters of recommendation and complete an entrepreneurial profile.