Class of 2025 Information
Welcome to Penn High School Class of 2025!
Penn’s national reputation for excellence is based on its outstanding academic, athletic and fine arts programs. Penn has been featured on national TV network news for students’ ingenuity and creativity! With a graduation rate of 97%, Penn is focused on graduating responsible, community minded, young adult citizens who are college and career ready.
Penn uses an Academy System to categorize our classes. Take a look below to see what we have to offer.
- Freshman Academy
- Early College Academy
- Fine Arts & Communications Electives
- Health & Human Services Electives
- Management & Business Electives
- STEM Electives
- World Languages
- Exceptional Education
- How to Schedule Your Classes
For course selection and scheduling information, as well as information on how to enroll, visit the Incoming Freshmen page. We’re looking forward to meeting you!
hi i'm mr gallagher principal at penn high school we are super excited to welcome the class of 2025 to penn high school next school year penn high school is filled with opportunities for students to be engaged in learning and opportunities to accelerate your individual strengths we have several core values that guide our decision making we believe all students can learn we believe that we should all interact with respect integrity and responsibility while value diversity and individuality we also believe
00:00:30
that we should inspire towards excellence and we believe that we should model and promote critical thinking through quality instruction thank you for being a pen kingsman and we look forward to seeing you soon [Music] hi my name is john westra director of the counseling center at penn high school and we're here today to talk to you about that journey as you consider coming to penn high school as a freshman when we think about some of the great things at penn high school one thing we want to highlight
00:01:00
is our tremendous and incredible faculty and staff we have so many great teachers support systems counselors administrators we're all here to support our students my name is rachel fry and i'm an assistant principal at penn i work very closely with both the early college and the freshman academies as you learn about various course offerings and extracurricular opportunities some things may feel a little overwhelming i want you to know that we anticipate that and have plans in place to support you
00:01:27
the freshman academy is made up of houses each house has approximately 150 students to make a large school seem smaller and more personable in addition to the supports that you will receive from the adults in our building a group of 10 through 12th grade students serve as freshman mentors and help you adjust to the high school in a number of different ways touching each week on multiple topics that are relevant and important to your success at penn high school hi i'm marnie kronk and i'm one of the
00:01:54
freshman counselors here at penn high school students are able to tailor their schedule to their specific areas of interest whether it's technology business music or early childhood this is one of the advantages of a large high school we are able to provide more choices when it comes to classes and extracurricular activities students can begin taking dual credit courses as early as their freshman year ap courses are available beginning sophomore year these courses allow students the potential to earn college credit
00:02:21
while still attending high school we also have so many opportunities for students to move into the workforce directly one of those fantastic options is our building traits program they're actually building a house and really what they do is they leave us with skills that they can take with them into the into the workforce penn high school is always on the cutting edge with facilities when you talk about athletics and the athletic programs that we have here always top-notch we know that we have a
00:02:45
97 percent graduation rate each year our senior class accumulates nine million dollars in scholarship we also know that over fifty percent of our students graduate with an academic or technical honors diploma you know the traditional model has been replaced it's no longer istep and credits we're talking about the idea of graduation pathways there's still going to be some standardized testing but what we're going to do is replace that with our post-secondary readiness competencies
00:03:11
and then demonstration of employability skills so as you consider the rest of your eighth grade year scheduling is going to be a big portion of what an eighth grade student an incoming freshman will have to focus on here we think november december that's where we start to register for classes and think about some of those scheduling opportunities for next year and then as we move into spring you know we work through some processes to try to get them acclimated to what penn high school will be i believe penn high
00:03:34
school is an amazing place we have fantastic faculty so many amazing students and amazing parents and it's just a fantastic place to grow and mature and think about that that process of growing into a into an adult there's so many support systems in place and we really think that we are preparing students for life after high school and giving them the tools that they need to be successful [Music] you
Freshman Academy
The Penn Freshman Academy aspires to join parents and our community in providing a world-class education that prepares each student to grow academically and socially in a safe environment, thus assisting each student in developing the independence and self-sufficiency necessary to succeed and contribute responsibly in a global community.
The video above walks incoming Freshman through the process of selecting courses that will set the stage for a successful career at Penn High School!
For a full description of the Freshman Academy, visit the academy page.
the vision of the early college academy is to ultimately have students earn an associate's degree in general studies from ivy tech by the time that they graduate high school that's our number one goal but through that we have a lot of other goals what i like about early college is this kind of small community that you have the bonds that you make with not only the teachers but people here that you may not have ever talked to before and i just think that's something great and something different that
00:00:40
not really other kids get to experience your classes are pretty well laid out for you with an average of two electives per year so you can do things like you know the arts if you're passionate about choir or orchestra or dance and or robotics so you know two electives a year does give you a lot of options but you do have to choose spanish as a foreign language that is a requirement for some of those college classes because ultimately you will have 60 college credits by the time you graduate from this
00:01:15
program if you follow the prescribed course sequence so i'm a senior this year and i want to go to iupui and study dentistry and with being in early college i'll have 60 college credits already when i graduate so that's a big bonus in that step forward and it looks really good on like when you apply to as well and it's also great because most of the teachers you have like all four years or at least like two years like you have multiple times and you can you can always like go back to their
00:01:50
classrooms and like talk to them or they're they'll help you out even though you don't have them and things like that it's kind of just like a family basically even though the pen early college academy is largely by invite only we do take requests and so we do have a smaller percentage of our students who join because it's an amazing opportunity that parents or students want to take advantage of so if this sounds like something that's interesting to you and you would like to be put on the list
00:02:23
to be considered for this dynamic family program then you can contact myself or mrs rachel fry and we will start moving that ball forward for you to enter our program
Early College Academy
Penn High School’s Early College Academy started in the 2014-2015 school year and is designed to offer students a unique opportunity to begin working toward college requirements while simultaneously fulfilling courses for graduation at Penn High School. Penn High School is partnered with Ivy Tech Community College to offer a selection of courses, including dual credit courses, that can potentially earn a student college credits up to an Associate Degree by the time the student graduates. The yearly sequence of courses for the Early College Academy student is specific and required. Students may select elective courses when available.
For a full description of the Early College Academy, visit the academy page.
hello welcome to the penn fine arts and communications academy each year almost 2 000 students take at least one fine arts class a pin this video is intended to give you an idea of the classes that are available to you as a freshman in the fine arts and communications academy penn offers a vast array of visual art classes introduction to two-dimensional and three-dimensional design is a common class for freshmen however we also offer classes like photography graphic design entertainment design painting sculpture
00:00:34
drawing and ceramics want to take an art class but are unsure of which one we suggest taking introduction to 2d and 3d design this class will teach basic art skills as well as give you a glimpse into all other art classes students in our theater classes will have the opportunity to develop their acting skills as well as learning the basics of set design set construction lighting and makeup in addition all pin students are eligible to audition for roles in the mini production that our theater department put on
00:01:02
each year dance performance is the level one dance class in this class we focus on four different styles of dance which are ballet modern tap and jazz the students spend first semester learning about the history terminology and how to perform each style with proper technique during the second semester we focus on learning choreography for the penn dance classic which is the end of the year performance students who complete this course will have the opportunity to continue with their dance studies with three
00:01:33
additional levels within the upper levels additional performance opportunities will be available penn choir is a community of singers where students learn to read music and improve their individual voice any student interested in singing can join pin choir no experience required girls would join belle canto and boys would join singing kingsman in addition to learning how to improve your individual voice with proper technique students also learn to read music using solfege and takademi we have two big concert seasons each
00:02:02
year three performances in december and two in may students will also have the opportunity for solos and ensembles at isma concerts and other performances our pen orchestras offer five levels of music to accommodate all of our musicians learning we perform with guest artists like mark wood from the trans-siberian orchestra we travel nationally we've been to florida in new york city recently to perform and are performing internationally in scotland this summer we love our orchestra family and friends
00:02:32
and invite you to continue your love of orchestra music with our musical string family band members at penn have many opportunities to play from our award-winning concert bands and jazz ensembles to our state finalists marching band the pen band offers five concert bands three jazz ensembles four winter guards percussion ensemble pep band and our marching band the pit marching kingsman band members also have the opportunity to participate in solo and ensemble contest full orchestra the pit in our school
00:03:00
musical as well as many honor bands throughout the year in 2021 our marching band is planning to travel to california to perform in the hollywood christmas parade we hope that this video gives you an idea of your options for fine arts courses at penn refer to your scheduling sheet to see specific classes that are available for the freshman year and of course your middle school guidance counselor can help you with any questions that you or your parents might have we're looking forward to having you with
00:03:27
us as a pen kingsman
Fine Arts & Communications Electives
The Penn Fine Arts & Communications Academy offers a multitude of courses to engage students in creativity and self-expression. From Sculpture and Ceramics to Graphic Design; from Shakespeare plays to Broadway Musicals; from Beethoven Symphonies to the music of Duke Ellington; from our literary magazine and yearbook to our broadcast journalism courses and sports journalism opportunities, students at Penn High School have a wealth of resources and experiences available to them within the fine arts and communications curricula. Fine Arts & Communications offers more than 30 courses. A Fine Arts & Communications Pathway can lead to numerous career choices. Learning for students in the Fine Arts & Communications Academy is enhanced by numerous community partnerships.
For a full description of the Fine Arts & Communications Academy, visit the academy page.
and health and human services consists of english social studies health and pe and facts which is family and consumer science we have an amazing number of courses available in our health and human services but the vast majority that are available to incoming freshmen would lie in the facts department and a few in the english department so i'd like to talk a little bit about those today in our english department we have debate journalism and radio and tv available to incoming freshmen in our facts
00:00:47
department which again is family and consumer science we have four courses that are available to incoming freshmen we have interpersonal relations intro to fashion and textiles early childhood development and nutrition and wellness so many of the classes are very hands-on in the nutrition classes they are working with food they are looking at recipes and adapting to that in the health classes they are hands-on learning how to treat sports injuries learning how to save lives in there the child development classes get to
00:01:31
work with children so i think for health and human services again we have a unique opportunity to have so many actually hands-on classes where it's beyond the books and actual real-life experiences so we are super excited to have you come into penn high school and start finding more out about health and human services
Health & Human Services Electives
Health and Human Services Academy is committed to creating life-long learners through authentic problem solving, critical thinking, community involvement, and the exploration of the diverse opportunities within the areas of health and human service-related careers.
Joining the Health and Human Services Academy allows students to engage in a smaller, more personal learning community to improve academic achievement and to ready students for both college and careers by engaging in the world outside of school. Courses included in the Health & Human Services Academy Pathway are designed to prepare students for numerous career opportunities. The Health & Human Services Academy has built community partnerships to enhance student learning. There are numerous activities and opportunities available within the Health & Human Services Academy.
For a full description of the Health & Human Services Academy, visit the academy page.
hello my name is paulie corp and i am the academy leader for the management and business academy for our freshmen we have digital applications we have computer illustration and graphics personal finance principles of marketing we have computer science one and also we have introduction to business some of our classes that we offer are dual credit so as a freshman you could start earning dual credits from ivy tech in a number of our classes the introduction to business i want to tell you a little bit about that gives you a
00:00:39
sampling of many areas of business so if you're not sure what you like take introduction to business you will get to work in different areas and it's really eye-opening to what some of those areas have to offer for either career possibilities or post-secondary education hi there my name is aubry mcguire and i'm a senior at penn and last year i took computer illustration and graphics with mrs paul this is a really fun class within the business academy at penn high school where mrs ball will teach you photoshop
00:01:11
canva adobe illustrator and other graphic design softwares that are super fun to use and super functional in the way they can be applied so if you're looking for lifelong skills great relationships and just to have a good time and work hard this is definitely a class for you to consider we also offer personal finance this year which is another brand new dual credit option that class does include life skills balancing a checkbook working through credit looking at how to obtain a loan for a car or for a home and so
00:01:44
that class along with digital applications as well gives you a lot of life skills that you can take on with you to the workplace we're interactive we're engaging the teachers in the business department like to have fun with their students we do a lot of hands-on projects so give us a chance we'd love to have you in one of our business classes beginning in the fall
Management & Business Electives
Students participating in the Management and Business Academy will develop a better understanding of the business world. Students have the opportunity to take classes for college credit or to work with a local company as a professional intern.
Every company regardless of industry needs business professionals to function, giving students with a business or business-related degree broad career options. Approximately 547,000 new businesses get started each month. In Indiana, 97 percent of all employers are small businesses and women and minority businesses have increased by over 50 percent.
For a full description of the Management & Business Academy, visit the academy page.
At Penn, the courses we offer in science, technology, engineering, and math in our STEM Academy help prepare you for well-paying, respectable occupations and careers in the future. And if you want to better reach your potential as a person and be a force for good in the world, the Penn STEM Academy is the place for you. Interested in the medical field? PLTW is an engaging and hands-on pathway designed to help students learn the skills necessary for a biomedical career.
00:00:32
You will learn about many unique topics and perform labs and activities to support them. I've had such a wonderful experience in the PLTW pathway. I've been able to do so many labs and hands-on activities that have confirmed my interest in pursuing a biomedical career. I have especially loved the principles of biomedical science and following Ana Garcia, being able to figure out the cause of her mysterious death in our forensic science activities. Consider taking the PLTW biomedical courses offered at Penn and see for yourself.
00:01:02
Beyond biomed classes, Penn STEM Academy also offers robotics classes, engineering classes, architecture classes, forensics classes, environmental science classes, all to help you have a diverse experience in science, technology, engineering, and math.
00:01:23
Along with those classes, we also have construction classes and manufacturing classes that allow all of our students to find success in the STEM Academy, to be prepared for those high paying jobs, to have a respectable career, and be more knowledgeable about what's happening in the world around us.
00:01:40
Hi, I am Mrs. Peters and I teach in the Engineering and Technology Department. I'm here to tell you about some of our introductory courses. We have Intro to Engineering Design, which is basically all about 3D modeling on the computer. Computers in Design and Production is an exploratory STEM class where you cover a little bit of everything that's basically on this sheet and all the classes we offer in the department.
00:02:03
IT support is more computer based, meaning you're going to learn how computers work, how to fix them and how to build them. Advanced manufacturing is manipulating metals with different types of machinery and tools. Construction is manipulating wood with different machines and tools. Architecture is about how to build a house and how to design a house properly.
00:02:26
And then first tech challenge is our robotics class. All these classes are introductory classes and allow you to move up into our secondary, third, and fourth level classes. So the world is faced with many challenges today and lots of opportunities. And learning to use your STEM skills through Penn STEM Academy, you can learn to be a force for good in the world and help shape a brighter future both for yourself and for everyone else.
STEM Electives
If you enjoy figuring out how an object works, doing puzzles, understanding the human body, discovering the secrets of nature or creating new applications for existing technology, then consider selecting the STEM Academy. Choosing the STEM Academy will be the beginning of an exploration of fields such as structural design, computer science, nanotechnology, environmental science, assistive technologies, robotics, physics, chemistry and biology. Each of the fields that STEM explores features technology that plays a central role in our daily lives, including cell phones, computers, the Internet, cars, bridges, food and medicines. If these are topics that interest you, STEM is an appropriate choice.
For a full description of the STEM Academy, visit the academy page.
top 10 reasons to study world languages at penn world language study creates more positive attitudes and less prejudice towards others while it contributes to an appreciation of cultural diversity creativity is increased with the study of our languages world language study enhances listening skills and memory a second language improves improves your skills and grades in math english and also improves your scores on the sat and act analytical skills problem-solving skills and dealing with abstract concepts
00:00:36
all improve when you study a world language world language study enhances one's opportunities in government business medicine law technology military industry marketing and the list goes on business skills combined with world language skills make you more employable and more valuable in the marketplace it also gives you a distinct advantage in the global world if you are bilingual international travel is made easier and is more enjoyable if you know another language world languages open the doors to art
00:01:12
music dance fashion cuisine film philosophy and science and more penn students say that they have the most fun in their world languages classes penn offers six languages asl chinese french german japanese spanish we're happy to have you here and we want you to join us as soon as possible so that you have as many opportunities to get through four years or multiple languages if you're interested for an academic honors diploma at penn high school you're required to take at least three years of one language
00:01:50
or two years of one language and two years of another we hope to see you in the hallways at penn high school in a world language class estudia espanol and penn high school zai penn high school jongwon nihongo o baikyostek rasai high school
World Languages Electives
The World Languages Department believes that students living in a global society should learn a second language to develop a deeper understanding of our diverse world as well as an appreciation for other cultures.
For a full description of the World Languages Academy, visit the academy page.
hi i'm jenny schaefer i'm the academy leader for the exceptional education academy at penn high school i've been a teacher at penn high school in the exceptional education academy for 14 years and over this time i've seen lots of students come from the nervous 8th grader to graduating and being so proud of their accomplishments we support students in gaining access to their education based on their individual disabilities we work with the 8th grade teachers to plan their transition
00:00:24
and make sure that we're meeting their needs the case conference committee at the middle school will make a recommendation on what classes that your student should take at the high school if they are taking special education courses that'll be in their iep if they're in general ed courses then we plan supports in place to make sure that we're allowing them to access their general education classes the special education supports that we give at penn high school are similar to what you have in the
00:00:50
middle school but we're always moving towards more individualized independence in their education if you have any questions about your students schedule or supports that they'll have at the high school please contact your teacher of record and ask those questions there if it's something that they need support in answering then they will totally contact me freshmen schedules are pretty directed if you're on a diploma track then you're taking your general ed classes but we do have some support
00:01:17
classes in place to help you we also have classes that are for students who may not be earning a diploma and those are taught by our special education teachers and we're meeting the content connectors for those core academic subjects we're working towards students being able to be successful individuals in our society so we're working towards employability skills self-management skills things like that if you're nervous about your eighth grader coming to penn high school you are like every other parent but
00:01:45
we're here to support you please feel free to contact us if you would like your student to see the spaces or see the school prior to the school year starting we can make arrangements for that also we will have an exceptional education open house in spring hopefully we can hold it in person and we will make sure to get that information to the tors at the middle schools as soon as possible so that you know when you can have the opportunity to come in and meet us you can find our contact information on
00:02:13
the penn high school website under exceptional education
Exceptional Education
Penn High School is committed to providing college and career readiness development in an inclusive learning environment for individual learners and individual learning styles. This includes support and individualized instruction across a spectrum of services, with a focus on the enrichment of skills and knowledge.
For a full description of Exceptional Education, visit the program page.
How to Schedule Your Classes
Now that you’ve explored Freshman and Early College Academies and all the elective options, it’s time to schedule your classes!