Kingsmen Nation

Congratulations to Kingsmen Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman for reaching his 200th career with the victory over Mishawaka Friday, August 25th. For that milestone, Coach Yeoman was named Indianapolis Colts/NFL Coach of the Week for Week 2. Click for more details. We wish the Kingsmen luck as they take on Indianapolis Cathedral this Friday, Sept. 1. Watch for game updates on The Pennant X (Twitter) account; click here to follow.

During the first full week of school Principal Sean Galiher and Assistant Principal Sarah Hendricks hosted virtual class meetings and in-person class meetings with the entire student body. During these class meetings students were introduced to Student Services and the 3 Deans. Mr. Bonner, Mrs. Wheeler, and Mr. DeDario.

We explained our theme for the year “Find your Rhythm”, and the Penn Take 3 Motto. Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each other, Take Care of this Place. Along with this Theme and discussions on goal setting we also explored student expectations. A few key takeaways from the virtual meetings:

• Student services is here to help! While they are responsible for discipline, they are also here to help students struggling with all aspects of academics and social emotional issues.

• Attendance is extremely important and a focus of the dean's office. We will be monitoring and intervening with students who have chronic attendance issues. Our goal is to make all students Persistent attendees.

• Students who receive three tardies will serve lunch detentions.

• Students should have received ID’s and are expected to wear them and show them to enter the building. If they are lost or you didn’t receive one we will soon be able to make them in the IMC. An announcement will be made when this is available.

• The full dress code is available online in the student Handbook. Anything that disrupts the education environment, is destructive to school property, and/or is a threat to the safety or health is prohibited. A few key takeaways are : No blankets, and no undergarments should be visible at any time.

• Vaping is prohibited on campus and vape detectors are throughout the building

• Student Parking procedures were reviewed.

• New third block Advisory period was introduced. This will be during 3rd block and will be a 4 week rotation of: class meetings, Naviance lessons, community building, and grade checks. There will also be a weekly attendance component.

• Reminders of the safe school helpline. See something, say something. This is an anonymous tip line.

• Proper etiquette on transportation, and the process for a friend to ride the bus home. Both students must have a signed note turned into student services at the beginning of the day. Deans will be verifying the notes and students will pick these up at the end of the day. If they don’t have the signed note from the deans, bus drivers will not allow the friend to ride.

• Some additional safety reminders: no opening doors or propping doors. No Doordash or food delivery. Must have a pass to be in the halls. Anything in your possession you are responsible for. Even if you are “holding it for a friend”. All students should exit the building at the end of the day. Unless you have a club or practice you should have a ride home and not be hanging in the school. Also there should be no pepper spray on keychains, this should be left in the car or at home.

• Football game reminders: no bags or drinks in the student section.

We look forward to having additional virtual meetings throughout the school year. This is a great way to connect with our student body and continue to Take Care of Yourself, Take care of Each other, and Take Care of this Place.

Join us on from 7:30-11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 30, for our Sunset Dreams themed Homecoming Dance ever!

Click here to purchase Tickets ( $25 per ticket).

The dance will be at Everwise Freed Field, and there will be yard games and food trucks. (The food trucks are not paid for by your ticket).

This dance is semi-formal. Dress to impress!

We hope to see you there!

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Kingsmen Court has decided to open up the position of "representative" to make student government more accessible to the whole student body.

As a representative in student government (at Penn known as Kingsmen Court), students will engage in community service, organize & come up with school-wide events, and voice their concerns & suggestions on behalf of their peers.

All applications are due Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 11:59 p.m. The first representative meeting is on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 a.m.

Club Representative Application

Freshman Representative Application

Sophomore Representative Application

Junior Representative Application

Senior Representative Application

Feel free to email penn-kingsmen-court-grp@phm.k12.in.us if you have any questions!

An Academic Teams Informational meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 18, from 3:30-4 p.m. in Room 257 (upstairs before the ramp).

This will include: Spell Bowl, Academic Super Bowl, TEAMS, Quiz Bowl, TSA, Math Competitions, and E-Sports

Auditions for the Fall Play, Agatha Christie's "The Hollow," will be on Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. in the Choir room (near door C). Students should bring their schedules for now until mid-November with them, and should wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable to move around in. No preparation is needed. Email the director, Miss K. Hein, for any clarification - khein@phm.k12.in.us

Penn Volleyball is hosting Elkhart on Thursday, Sept. 7, in the Main Arena and we would love to have as many students and athletes at this game as possible. It will be a Black Out with JV/Freshmen starting at 6 p.m. and Varsity soon to follow. Varsity has typically been starting around 7.

The P-H-M DVT/Planetarium will begin evening public shows the week of September 18-22. Weekday public shows begin at 6:30 p.m. with the museum open and free to all ticketholders from 6 pm - 6:30 p.m.!

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens and can be pre-ordered by visiting the DVT webpage on the P-H-M Schools website. Look for the updated schedule to be posted after Labor Day.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door with cash, check, or card 30 minutes before the show starts. The DVT is located inside the front door of Bittersweet Elementary.

Join us under the dome for some stellar shows!

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair! Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families! Click here for more information and to sign-up for a table if you are a business or a family that wants to participate and share your culture in a performance.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, is National Voter Registration Day. Representatives from the St. Joe County Board of Voter Registration will be at Penn during all lunches on Sept. 19th and 20th to register eligible voters. You must be 18 on or before Tuesday, Nov. 7, to register to vote. You may also register to vote online at the Indiana Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) Public Information Site.

National Poll Worker Recruitment Day was Aug. 23. If you are 18 years old and interested in working the polls on Election Day, you may sign up by filling out the Online Form. If you would like a print version of the sign-up form it is available here.

Even if you are not 18 years-or-older, you can volunteer to be a poll worker on Election Day through Hoosier Hall Past Election Day.

To work the polls on Election Day through the Hoosier Hall Pass Election Day Program, you must meet the following requirements:

• be 16 or 17 years of age.
• be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the county in which you would work on Election Day.
• have the written approval of Penn Principal Dr. Galiher.
• have the approval of a parent or guardian.
  

Interested students must satisfactorily complete any training required by the county election board and serve in accordance with normal State of Indiana poll worker statutes.

Students must also have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Permission slip linked below:

https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/files/16-AND-17-YEAR-OLDS-Permission-Slip.doc

• Hoosier Hall Pass Election Day Opportunity for 16 and 17 year-olds

• Sixteen-and-seventeen-year-olds can participate through the Hoosier Hall Pass Program! Download the Student Poll Worker form and submit it to voter@sjcindiana.com or have it delivered to the office in the County-City Building.

Our partners at Michiana Homes for Heroes sponsors Penn High School's Teacher of the Month program, and has been honoring teachers for a number of years,. They believe in highlighting those who are making a positive impact in the local community. Please take a moment to nominate a teacher who demonstrates excellence in the classroom, motivation, leadership, community service, creativity, dedication, and professionalism.

Representatives from McKinnies Realty Homes for Heroes will award the Teacher of the Month with an engraved trophy, public recognition in front of peers & students, and a gift. Nominate a teacher for Teacher of the Month here. Thank you for taking the time to nominate a teacher deserving of this special recognition!

Free and Reduced Meal Applications must be filled out each year.

To access the application form go to SchoolCafe.com

You can also find our menu and nutritional information there.

We are hoping you have heard, but we have great news to share regarding student book fees! The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill (HEA 1001-2023) that eliminated textbook and curriculum costs at public schools, which includes school supplies like pencils, paper, and notebooks. Parents will no longer be asked to pay school fees for curricular materials. For more information on the specific details, click here.

We wanted to share that legislation was passed (HB 1447, effective January 1, 2024)

that all schools prepare a catalog of materials found in the school library Alexandria and a response and appeal procedure for materials parents find questionable.

We have that process in place already and it is posted on all school websites Instructional Material Feedback. In addition, secondary teachers will provide their syllabus to you with listed materials and classroom teachers have been asked to create a master list of titles in their classroom libraries. More information will be provided by your teacher in classroom newsletters. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your classroom teacher or myself.

Penn: https://penn.phmschools.org/alexandria/

Seniors: Get your Meningococcal Vaccinations ASAP and turn in your shot records to the Health Office.

All Students: Please have your parents sign the non-prescription med form in Skyward in order to take Tylenol, Tums or Ibuprofen in the health office. Parents must sign a new form EVERY school year in Skyward.

Passes are REQUIRED from your teacher before you come to the Health Office.

Click here for the Fine Arts Newsletter for information on Penn's renovated state-of-the-art spaces, and other Academy updates.

Powder Puff practices start on Monday, August 28, (6:30-8 p.m. on the practice football field).

Powder Puff Game Night is set for Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

Students must attend seven of the eight practices to participate in the game.

Participants must register in Aktivate (registermyathlete.com).

No physical is needed but you must pay the insurance fee.

You must sign up using the QR Code link below:

Attendance is located at Door C.

• Students who get an early dismissal will now be checking out and leaving through Door C.

• Parents who plan to pick up their students early can do so at Door C until 2:40 p.m.

Parents/Guardians now have the ability to submit attendance reasons - for full-day absences, early dismissals or late arrivals - for approval by the school - through Skyward/Family Access, instead of calling Penn High School.

Click here for more information on Attendance procedures.

Requests can be entered on the day of the absence (i.e. a student is ill) or scheduled in advance (i.e. - a student has a doctor appointment).

Click here for instructions on how to submit attendance reasons through Skyward/Family Access.

In addition, guardians of Penn students who attend the Elkhart Area Career Center are responsible to report their student’s attendance issues.

Contact Trisha Malone, attendance secretary, 574-262-5650 or tmalone@elkhart.k12.in.us.

In addition, EACC offers a new email address: Email: Attendance@elkhart.k12.in.us

The Penn Bookstore has Kingsmen Spirit apparel on sale now.

• Polo shirts - $15
• Gym shorts - size large - $5
  
• Yellow 2022-23 t-shirts - $5
  

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is committed to creating a healthy and safe environment for our learning community.

Click here for the P-H-M Health and Safety Overview.

If you wish to purchase Chromebook insurance, please make a $25 payment at the Penn High School bookstore or online at phm.revtrak.net (click “Chromebooks” then “Penn High School” ). Online payments are only accepted until 9/15/23. If you purchase insurance after 9/15/23, your Chromebook must pass an inspection by the Technology Department and the fee can be paid in the bookstore.

Click here for additional information on Chromebook insurance.

Please click below for Transportation information

Enrollment is open for Playschool (potty-trained children ages 3-4), Playschool 2 (potty-trained children ages 4-5), and Toddler Time (children ages 1-3 and a parent/caregiver).

Each year the Penn High School students enrolled in Childhood Development classes offer the two unique programs described below for preschoolers in our community.

We encourage you to take advantage of PLAYSCHOOL and TODDLER TIME if you have young children in your household, and to tell your friends as well!

Parents can sign their children up for more than one group. For example, if they would like to come every day, they could sign up for the G3 Orange group & B3 Blue Group, or G4 Yellow Group & B4 Blue Group. G2 Red group is filling up fast for Toddler Time.

Click the links below to register:

Playschool 2

Playschool

Toddler Time

Click here for a list of non-school activities and events made available to P-H-M students and families by area organizations.

Click here for information about jobs available for Penn students.

Join an institution committed to excellence. P-H-M is looking for prospective employees in a number of areas.

Click here for the jobs board.

The P-H-M Education Foundation has many new upcoming events. Please visit www.phmef.org for event information, to signup for our quarterly news letter or to find out how PHMEF supports excellence in education in the P-H-M school district.

Click here for the Penn News Network (PNN) YouTube Channel. Subscribe to the PNN YouTube Channel to stay up-to-date on Penn news.

Penn-Harris-Madison is happy to pilot free fitness opportunities for the P-H-M community.

Who is eligible to participate: The P-H-M Adult Community and Staff (no students). This includes residents of the school district and non-resident parents/guardians of attending students.

What: Access to walking/jogging tracks, open gym/basketball courts, and weight room

When: Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the sites listed below. Note: The Fitness Centers will be closed during designated school recess dates.

Schedule:

• Penn: Weekly on Saturdays and Sundays from 7-9 p.m.
• Discovery: Weekly on Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m.
• Grissom: Weekly on Fridays from 7-9 p.m.

The Safe School Helpline® is a confidential way to report student concerns about threats, suicide, drugs, bullying or anything that threatens the safety of our schools. It's Available 24/7. Click to watch a video on how to get in touch with Administration anonymously 24/7/365.

Four Ways to Report to the Safe School Helpline®

Call: 1-800-418-6423 ext 359

Text: TIPS to 66746

Online: SafeSchoolHelpline.com

Mobile App: Download the FREE app from the GOOGLE PLAY STORE and the APPLE APP STORE

• The app makes it easy to anonymously report a safety or mental health concern using your mobile device to text, call, or submit an online form.

Click here for a listing of non-school community resources available to Penn students and families by businesses area organizations.

Adobe Acrobat Reader will be required to view the pdfs on this page. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe’s website, at this link http://www.get.adobe.com/reader/www.get.adobe.com/reader/, to download your free version. Or you can stop by the Educational Services Center at 55900 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka to pick up a copy.

Student-Athletes who are getting picked up at the main Penn High School building must be picked up at Door D after practices.

Parents/Guardians are asked not to pick up student-athletes at Door E due to safety concerns.

Anyone interested in participating in athletics or a club must complete the online registration at https://www.registermyathlete.com/. Click here for the Code of Conduct.

Freshmen Mentoring is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 7, and Friday, Sept. 8

If students want to meet with a Kingsmen Tutor for academic assistance, they need to see their counselor for a pass.

Click here for the Counseling Center Staff Directory and contact information.

Click here for the current scholarship list.

Penn PTO is a group of devoted parents and volunteers who work hand-in-hand with administration to support our students, staff and teachers through events that bring together community and show appreciation.

Click here for information.

The PTO provides grants to our teachers, clubs and student groups.

We also coordinate Snowball (an event your student will not want to miss), teacher appreciation week and monthly appreciation events for teachers and staff, as well as organizing and funding special events.

We have meetings once a month and would love for you to join us and learn more. Please email pennhspto@gmail.com to be added to our meeting invite list for a virtual meeting option or check the calendar and join us in person.

• PTO Officers + Chairs

• President – Jessica Saros
• Vice President – Julia Johnson

• Co-Vice President – Shadia Perkins

• Treasurer – Kelley Wassner
• Secretary – Aubrey Saros
• Volunteer Coordinator – Barb Zuidema
• Teacher Appreciation (Monthly Chairperson) – Nabeela Gill *Officers will assist on these events, as needed, and will be responsible for the May, weeklong teacher appreciation festivities
• Snowball Chairs – Shawn + Jessica Saros
• Social Media Chair – Zaina Arain

All students interested in joining the Speech and Debate team should stop by Coach Starkweather's Room 192 for information.

The First Spell Bowl Meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 3:30-4:30 (or 5 p.m.) in Room 118.

Drama Club will have their first meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Choir room (near door C). Students need not sign up to come, nor do they need to bring anything. We will be introducing what the Club is and future expectations, as well as Board members. Email Miss K. Hein, the Club sponsor, with any questions - khein@phm.k12.in.us

If you are interested in the Muslim Student Association (MSA), please come to our first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Room 175 (Mr. Bowers' room) at 7:45 a.m. We will meet every first Wednesday of the month. Please see our website. https://www.smore.com/nfyke-msa

The Writers’ Guild is a group of students who love creative writing in all of its forms-short stories, flash fiction, poems, fanfiction. We meet in order to foster creativity and share our work with each other. We trade ideas, techniques, and offer feedback in a supportive environment. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 6, after school in Room 239 until 4:15 p.m. You can email Mrs. Morton (cmorton@phm.k12.in.us) with any questions. We look forward to seeing you!

Tabletop Games Club will have its first meeting on Monday, Sept. 11. If you are interested in signing up, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/EmNnQSKaj1wAjeAb8

Looking for an opportunity to affiliate yourself with fellow STEM aficionados? Or to cultivate your unique talents within competitions specifically designed to suit your interests? Then look no further - Technology Student Association is there for you! No matter what your skill set may be, TSA has everything you will need: from on-demand videos, coding competitions, stem-based debates, to even building your own CO2 dragster!

The first meeting is on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 3:30 p.m. in LGI-B. Hope to see you there!

Follow Kingsmen Court !!!

Instagram: @pennkingsmencourt

Twitter: @courtkingsmen

E-mail us with any questions @penn-kingsmen-court-grp@phm.k12.in.us

The designated student morning drop-off at Penn High School is in the Jefferson Rd. Student Parking Lot (south of the football practice field). All entrances will open for students at 8:05 unless there is a previously scheduled appointment. Students must then report to door A.

The designated after-school student pick-up areas include the Jefferson Rd. Staff Parking Lot and the Jefferson Rd. Student Parking lot. Left turns are not allowed into the Jefferson Rd. Staff Parking Lot.

Click on the following links for IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION:

School Messenger, the alert notification service: https://www.phmschools.org/parents/schoolmessenger

Parent FAQ on Emergency Preparedness:

https://www.phmschools.org/school-emergency-frequently-asked-questions

12th-grade Immunization Requirements:

https://www.phmschools.org/parents/12th-grade-immunization-requirements

All parents and guardians are encouraged to review Skyward information for your student. General directions are listed below to access Skyward. Please take some time to review student progress and encourage your student to develop a plan for any missing work as we get ready to start the school year.

Email: srgaliher@phm.k12.in.us
Website: https://penn.phmschools.org/
Phone: 574-258-9503
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennHighSchool/
Twitter: @SeanGaliher