Grissom and Schmucker National Junior Honor Society students joined forces Friday, May 10 on a service project.

Students worked for 2.5 hours working to help beautify Mishawaka’s Merrifield Park by spreading mulch, planting flowers and painting fence posts. Click to see the full photo gallery.

NJHS is a national organization that does more than just honor middle school students for their academic success; it also teaches them service, leadership and citizenship.

Eighth grader Jason Juarez learned today that his design won 1^st place in a logo design project developed by Grissom Art Teacher Ms. Elizabeth Marshall and local advertising/design firm, Pathfinders.

Ms. Marshall’s goal with this project was to help her art students see first-hand what it’s like to work on a graphics design project. She worked with Pathfinders’ Associate Creative Director James Jursinic to develop a logo/brandmark development project for the students. The students had seven weeks to create two concept sketches (one black & white, the other color) for a logo/brandmark for the fictitious company “FLEEK Footwear.” The students had deliverables to meet throughout the timeline of the project with Ms. Marshall and Mr. Jursinic giving feedback at each milestone. The project was designed to give students exposure in art direction, creative direction, graphic design, project management, time management and client relations.

​Esmeralda Morales Magallanes’ design seen below was chosen as Runner Up.

Pathfinders’ Associate Creative Director James Jursinic said of the student designs “I’m really impressed by the effort your students put into this project and how talented they are. … Each student had logos that had unique characteristics, style, and panache. … Jason Juarez’s logo was a standout. His use of negative space and the cleanliness of his design followed many of the rules of good logo design and had a clear vision that I believe would resonate well with the target audience.”

This was a great real life learning experience for all the students. Back in March, they also got to tour Pathfinders’ offices in Mishawaka. Click to see pictures of that class visit.

Click here to get the physical forms, student activities code, accident insurance and details on how to register your student-athlete in Aktivate, formerly Register My Athlete.

The Penn High School Athletic Department is once again providing the opportunity for student-athletes, including incoming Freshmen, to get their Sport's Physicals. This year’s event takes place on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in the Main Arena at Penn High School, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Spring athletes will have priority. This is only for high school students and incoming freshmen. 

The physical covers students to participate in Penn High School athletics for the 2019-20 school year. The cost is $25.

Please click here to download and complete the IHSAA Physical Form. The first and last pages of this form must be completed, including the parent signatures before students can register.  The doctors will fill out their portion (on page 2) during the physical.
 

IHSAA Physical Forms can also be picked up in the the Penn Athletic Office.

*Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view the pdf document on this page. 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.

Tuesday, May 14

6:00 p.m.

Penn Cafeteria (enter through Door D)

Attention 8th grade boys interested in playing football at Penn High School in the fall 2019: there will be an informational meeting for both parents and 8th grade boys interested in being a part of the Penn Freshman football team in the fall.  

The meeting will take place Tuesday, May 14, 6:00 p.m. in Penn’s Cafeteria.

Please plan on attending.

Contact Coach O'Connell at koconnell@phm.k12.in.us for details.

Saturday, May 4

8:30 a.m. – Noon

Penn High School

Register online today! Early Bird Registration is available until Sunday, April 21 ($20 for adults, $10 for students)!

Do you like bubbles? Well, if you do, you’ll enjoy the Silver Mile Bubble Bash!  

Highlighted changes for this year’s event:

• Earlier start time, 8:30 a.m.
• 1.5 mile and 5K route options
• Lower early bird prices:$20 for adults, $10 for students
• The school with the most participation will win a Gaga Ball Pit or 9 Disc Golf Baskets ($2,500 value)!
• And more bubbles!

Missed out on all the bubbly fun last year? Don't let it happen two years in a row! Watch the video and see how much fun you and your whole family will have …

The Student Talent Show starts at 9 a.m.

The Health & Fitness Expo will be in the cafeteria where everything from free health screenings by presenting sponsor Saint Joseph Health System to numerous businesses showcasing their health-related items will be offered.

And don’t forget about the Silent Auction!

The Silver Mile Run is the largest fundraiser for the P-H-M Education Foundation and all the proceeds go towards providing innovative P-H-M teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development, and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Click here to take advantage of early bird registration and for more information on the Bubble Bash.

With music education programs at all grade levels (K-12), Penn-Harris-Madison has been named  one of 2019 Best Communities for Music Education for its outstanding commitment to music education. P-H-M is one of only 623 districts nationwide and 12 in Indiana to receive the honor from The NAMM Foundation. 

The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. The BCME award acknowledges the commitment of P-H-M’s music teachers and administrators in the District’s 11 elementary, three middle schools and Penn High School.

In our elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes. Beginning in 6th grade, P-H-M students at our three middle schools (Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom) have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as their music elective. Students at Discovery also have the option of choosing Piano Lab. 

Penn High School offers the Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs, either Choir, Orchestra, Band or another music program.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, P-H-M answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study from the University, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improves how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Beyond the Northwestern research, other studies have indicated that music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving and flexibility in work situations, as well learning how to give and receive constructive criticism to excel.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation serves more than 11,100 students in 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and Penn High School. The School Corporation has consistently received an “A” rating from the Indiana Department of Education since 2011. With the release of the Spring 2018 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation ranks in the state’s Top 5% of public school districts for grade 10 ISTEP+ results and in the Top 6% for grades 3-8. Northpoint is Indiana’s #2 public elementary school and Discovery ranks #3 out of the state’s public middle schools. Penn High School ranks in the Top 5% of all Indiana public high schools and has a 97% graduation rate, exceeding the state’s graduation rate. P-H-M’s “Triangle of Success” connects students, teachers and parents for excellence in education. 

About The NAMM Foundation: The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

A group of 8th grade students from Ms. Elizabeth Marshall’s art class are getting some real world experience thanks to a project based learning project developed in partnership with local advertising/design firm Pathfinders in Mishawaka. Click to see the photo gallery below.

Ms. Marshall’s goal with this project is to help these art students, who will be Freshmen next year at Penn High School, to see first-hand what it’s like to work on a graphics design project. Introductory vocational projects such as these give students practical “on the job training” giving them insight into what a job they are interested in would really be like. These types of experiences are invaluable for middle and high school students as the District prepares them to be college and career ready.

“Many of our students are attempting to make decisions about scheduling and their next steps towards their career,” said Ms. Marshall. “In order to give students the opportunity to see if the arts are an avenue they would like to pursue, we have teamed up with the Pathfinders.”

Ms. Marshall worked with Pathfinders’ Associate Creative Director James Jursinic to develop a logo/brandmark development project for the students. The students have seven weeks to create two concept sketches (one black & white, the other color) for a logo/brandmark for the fictitious company “FLEEK Footwear.” The students have deliverables to meet throughout the timeline of the project with Ms. Marshall and Mr. Jursinic giving feedback at each milestone. The project was designed to give students exposure in art direction, creative direction, graphic design, project management, time management and client relations.

Students learned of their project scope on a recent visit to Pathfinders’ offices (Friday, March 15). Students got to see for themselves the fun and professional world of advertising and design. After the tour and introductions to staff members with brief explanations of job responsibilities, Mr. Jursinic presented the students with the project brief, giving students a chance to ask questions. The winner of the project will win bragging rights, a prize from Ms. Marshall and of course get an “A” on the assignment!

*To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you free of charge.

This past weekend Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th Penn High School hosted the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Middle School Band and Orchestra Festival. Penn hosted 34 middle school groups, including 18 from P-H-M’s Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker Middle Schools.

Of the 18 P-H-M Orchestras and Bands that participated, 17 of these ensembles received Gold Ratings! In addition, 11 received superior scores indicating a “With Distinction” status! 

The “With Distinction” status indicates a near perfect score and is achieved by less than ten percent of all groups across the state of Indiana.

Congratulations to the following P-H-M Ensembles and their Directors …

Grissom:

• 6th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating
• 6th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Gold Rating
• 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating
• 7th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Silver Rating
• 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: Vickie Marshall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• 8th Grade Band, Director: Heather Baker, Gold Rating

Discovery:

• 6th Grade Orchestra, Directors: April Oppenheim/Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• 6th Grade Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: April Oppenheim, Gold Rating
• 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: April Oppenheim, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• Symphonic Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)
• Honor Band, Directors: Murray Weaver & Carol Weirich, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

State Show Choir ISSMA competitions were also held on Saturday, March 16. Discovery’s three choirs all received Gold “With Distinction”:

• 6th grade Choir, Group 4, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 7 & 8th grade Male Choir, Group 2, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

• 7 & 8th grade Treble Choir, Group 1, Director: Jennifer Graybill, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

  Schmucker:

  

  • 6th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
  • 6th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff and Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
  • 7th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
  • 7th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)​
  • 8th Grade Orchestra, Director: Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating​
  • 8th Grade Band, Directors: Jeff and Dodi Carnall, Gold Rating (With Distinction)

Grissom Instrument Selection Night

Thursday, March 7, 2019

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band and orchestra at Grissom and the other two P-H-M middle schools Discovery and Schmucker.

Every P-H-M 5th grader who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall 2020 has the opportunity to join an instrumental music class, which includes either band or orchestra. “Instrument Selection Night” is when students and families get to make their choice!

In order to join 6th grade band or orchestra, students must select an instrument that they will learn, practice and perform for the school year.  Click this link to sign-up for your appointment at your designated school and date. *If you have not received a letter with details about this process, please contact Glenn Northern at gnorthern@phm.k12.in.us.

At “Instrument Selection Night,” a music professional will be available to give students advice about which instrument may be best suited for them. They will be allowed to “try out” instruments from various instrument groups.