Spotlight on Bittersweet students at PHM Board Meeting
Our school hosted the Monday, October 7 P-H-M Board of School Trustees meeting. It was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on some of the amazing things our students and staff are doing.
Principal Shonda Masterson kicked the meeting off by sharing with the School Trustees Bittersweet’s test data–Bittersweet students scored in the Top 5% of schools on last year’s ILEARN. Principal Masterson credited the teachers and the use of formative assessment with a focus on fostering stronger and more confident student writers.
Creative writing exercises are being used at all levels. As an example second graders wrote about their field trip to Kercher’s Apple Orchard using their story vocabulary words. Alyssa Moles, Emmalyn Fazi, Steven Johnson, Cami Cromartie read their stories to the Board Members.
Other Bittersweet highlights included:
- pictures from 1st grade’s visit to nearby Garden at Chapel Hill Cemetery last Memorial Day to honor deceased veterans
- the Pen Pals program for 1st and 5th graders to other P-H-M elementary schools
- sharing the Bittersweet P.A.W.S. Pledge written by Media Aide Julie Villalba
The spotlight on Bittersweet ended with a performance by Mrs. Cayleen Balbo-Veal’s 5th grade music students.
P-H-M Schools Receive $53,600 in Robotics Grants
Today the IDOE announced the recipients of the K-12 Robotics Competition Grants and 15 Penn-Harris-Madison robotics teams from eight P-H-M schools were awarded a total grant of $53,600!
- Penn High School (2 existing teams) – $14,000
- Grissom Middle School (2 existing teams) – $5,000
- Bittersweet Elementary School (1 new team) – $3,175
- Elm Road Elementary School (2 existing teams) – $6,137.50
- Horizon Elementary School (2 existing teams) -$6,137.50
- Meadows Edge Elementary School (1 new team) – $3,175
- Northpoint Elementary School (4 new teams) – $12,800
- Walt Disney Elementary School (1 new team) – $3,175
For all teams, existing and new teams, the grant pays for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots. Funds can also be used for transportation to events.
For existing teams, most of their supplies will be updating and replacing used parts, tools, storage, and new parts needed for the new game. New teams’ supplies will be start-up kits, tools, storage, and game specific parts.
The P-H-M proposal was selected from more than 145 grant proposals submitted for this funding opportunity, 137 school corporations and non-profit groups were ultimately chosen. The IDOE review team was impressed with P-H-M’s plan to design, construct, program, and participate in competitions with the goal of increasing Indiana student interest in STEM.
This grant removes barriers for schools and gives students opportunities to excel. It also creates a P-H-M pipeline of future Kingsmen robotics students with experience and excitement about robotics. Ultimately this opportunity gives students more STEM co-curricular experiences and broadens their horizons for future careers.
2024 Community Connections Fair
Last Day of School, 2023-24 School Year
Friday, May 31, 2024 was the last day of the 2023-24 school year. Our mascot the Bobcat made a special appearance joining the teachers and bus drivers to give the students a memorable send-off!
2024 PHM Elementary Spell Bowl Results
Tuesday, March 19 was P-H-M’s annual Elementary Spell Bowl event. Student 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teams from all 11 elementary schools compete. Click here to see the photo gallery below.
Below is this year’s “leaderboard”:
3rd Grade Winners:
- 1st place- Northpoint with 29 points, coached by Nichol Monday
- 2nd place- Prairie Vista with 27 points
- 3rd place tie – Bittersweet, Horizon and Mary Frank each with 22 points
4th Grade Winners:
- 1st place- Northpoint with 30 points, coached by Jen Payne
- 2nd place- Bittersweet with 29 points
- 3rd place- Prairie Vista with 27 points
The 5th grade competition was very close with Northpoint and Bittersweet neck and neck. The tiebreaker words were: panache, soup du jour, fluorescence, pharmaceutical and Albuquerque.
5th Grade Winners:
- 1st place- Northpoint with 38 points, coached by Ros Morehouse
- 2nd place- Bittersweet with 37 points
- 3rd place tie – Prairie Vista and Horizon each with 26 points
Overall Bittersweet did so well that when the 5th grade team came out on stage to be recognized, the other students and parents cheered, clapped, and gave them a rousing round of congratulations!
The teams spend weeks preparing for Spell Bowl with their teacher coaches. They may study word lists, learn about derivations (e.g., Latin roots) and rules (e.g., capitalization, pluralization), and how to spell correctly under pressure.
The format of the Spell Bowl is more like a written test. The emcee reads a word and uses the word in a sentence, the students listen and then write it on paper within a 15-second time limit. The students’ written entries are reviewed by a panel of judges and then their score is posted in front of the audience. Each correct word spelling is worth one point.
The annual event is held in Penn High School’s Center for Performing Arts to not only accommodate all the student teams, but also the students’ “fans,” which are their family, friends and other staff from their home schools!
Mrs. Cassie Scarsella, P-H-M’s High Ability Coordinator, manages the Spell Bowl and works to assure that it is a positive and enriching experience for students. Academic competition can give students confidence, increase their motivation to sharpen their skills and abilities, and expand their opportunities to receive recognition.
eLearning Day for April 8 due to Solar Eclipse
At the P-H-M Board of School of Trustees meeting on Monday, February 26, district administration made a presentation to the Board regarding the total solar eclipse taking place on Monday, April 8. As part of the presentation, district administration announced that for a variety of reasons Monday, April 8 will be an eLearning Day. If the district has used all of its allotted three eLearning Days (we currently have used two), the day will be a Virtual Learning Day. No P-H-M sponsored field trips or planned evening activities will take place on this date. Monday, April 8 is the first day back after Spring Break (April 1-5).
Indiana is in the path of totality and is centrally located in the United States, thus the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is telling tourists, residents, school districts and public agencies to be prepared for three days of potential impact such as, oversized crowds, gridlock traffic, communications disruptions, and even nocturnal animal confusion. Click here to see the full presentation from last night’s Board meeting.
The Indianapolis area and south will experience 100% totality; while the St. Joseph County area will experience 96%. Click here to see a map of Indiana regions that will experience varying degrees of darkness from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website. The South Bend area will start experiencing darkness at 1:53 p.m., lasting until 4:23 p.m., with 96% totality occurring at 3:09 p.m. and lasting just over 4 minutes. Because these times are around school dismissal times and based on the recommendations of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the IDOE, P-H-M will not be holding in-person instruction on April 8.
Thanks to Old National Bank and P-H-M Education Foundation, all students in the district will receive eclipse glasses to use at home with instructions. Mrs. Mindy O’Malley, Director of P-H-M’s Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium and Digital Video Theater, and a team of teachers, are preparing grade-level eclipse information to send home with students. In the classrooms leading up to April 8, teachers will educate students about this nearly once-in-a-lifetime event; the next total solar eclipse where portions of Indiana will be in full totality will be 2099.
If parents have any questions, they should contact their students’ principals. Employees should contact their supervisor or Human Resources.
Ms. Lynn Named Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month
We’re happy to share the news that P-H-M bus driver Andrea Enyeart, or “Ms. Lynn” as the students call her, was named Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month for February 2024!
Ms. Lynn drives for Bittersweet, Moran and Schmucker Middle School. Her positive and upbeat personality is highly valued by all in the transportation department.
The surprise took place at Bittersweet on Feb. 28, 2024 as she waited for her students to board for afternoon pick-up.
Transportation Administrators (Director Brandon Tugmon, Asst. Directors Amy Aschenbrenner and Robin Tharp) joined Osceola Culver’s restaurant co-owners Mark Nowak and Keith Remington, Bittersweet Principal Shonda Masterson, and P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom to surprise/congratulate Ms. Lynn.
Thank you Culver’s and and the P-H-M Education Foundation for being valued partners to make this award possible!
If you would like to nominate your student’s bus driver, click here to fill out the nomination form.
2024 Young Authors’ Conference, Books & Bots
This year P-H-M Education Foundation’s Young Authors’ Conference is partnering up with the Next Gen Robotics event to bring you Books & Bots! This event blends literary innovations with robotic creations. It’s a wonderful opportunity for P-H-M students in Kindergarten – 5th grade. Click here to view photos on Facebook from last year’s Young Authors’ Conference; click here to view photos of the 2023 Next Gen event.
The event will start at 9:15 a.m. in Penn’s Fitness Center. There will be the three rotations at three locations within Penn High School. Families and students will visit each station for 45 minutes, with a 15 minute break in between. The rotations will be an author visit, reader’s theater, and fun with the bots! Next Gen (the bots area) will be open until 1:00 p.m. Registered participants will receive a S’more with confirmation details the week of February 26. You and your student’s rotation schedule and starting location will be provided in the S’more. If you have any questions after receiving the email, please contact ccussen@phm.k12.in.us.
Please enter Door D. Parking is available in the front of Penn, at Schmucker Middle School, and in the parking lot near River Valley Church. Click here to access a Penn Building Map. Once inside Penn, look for “Books and Bots” signage and please arrive at your room between 9:00-9:15 a.m. With record attendance expected, plan plenty of time to park and walk to your designated area.
Books & Bots is completely FREE! Thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation and P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and his wife Donna Thacker for covering the cost of the YAC for the second year in a row from the proceeds of #GivingTuesday donations.
NEW THIS YEAR … both events will be held at Penn High School!
While the events are FREE, registration is required!
Registration is NOW OPEN! Click here to register today! Registration closes Friday, February 23.
One parent only must accompany students! Younger siblings may not accompany adults. Due to the planned activities and available space, this experience is for your young author and one parent.
As part of the morning activities, students will participate in two rotations: one with well-known children’s author and speaker, Carolyn Crimi; and the other with Jocelyn Dupuis. Following these rotations, students will enjoy spending time exploring technology, with an opportunity to share a piece of their piece of writing on a FlipGrid or online writing platform.
Thanks to Better World Books, parents can purchase ahead of time Carolyn Crimi books online and then bring them to the March 2 event. Click here to preorder your student(s) books.
As a way to support Better World Books’ mission of providing books to children around the world to do their part in achieving global literacy, a collection box will be set up near Penn’s Door D for families to donate their gently used books.
BACKGROUND ON CAROLYN CRIMI:
Carolyn Crimi enjoys snacking, pugs, Halloween, and writing, although not necessarily in that order. Over the years she has published 19 books for children, including Weird Little Robots, Secondhand Dogs, Don’t Need Friends, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, Where’s My Mummy?, There Might Be Lobsters, and I Am The Boss of This Chair. When she’s not snacking, Carolyn enjoys giving author talks to elementary schools all over the country.
BACKGROUND ON JOCELYN DUPUIS:
Also as part of Young Authors’ Conference, participants and parents will also enjoy an interactive experience with P-H-M’s extraordinary Jocelyn Dupuis. Jocelyn has a passion for music education and the performing arts. As a music teacher, she has taught many students to enjoy music as well.
*Questions, please contact Candace Cussen at ccussen@phm.k12.in.us.
2024 Middle School Instrument Selection Night
Every P-H-M 5th grader who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall 2024 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!
Fifth graders at Moran, Bittersweet, Elsie Rogers, Walt Disney, and Prairie Vista Elementary Schools will attend Schmucker Middle School for 6th – 8th grades.
Schmucker’s Instrument Selection Nights are Monday, March 4th and Tuesday, March 5th.
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band and orchestra at Schmucker, Discovery and Grissom Middle Schools.
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. Click here to download, view and print more information on Instrument Selection Night.
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.
What Fans Need to Know Before Heading to Penn Homecoming Parade & Game
Friday, September 29 is Penn’s Homecoming Parade, Fun Zone, Food Trucks & the Penn football game versus St. Joe. The P-H-M Education Foundation is once again sponsoring all the fun and new this year–FIREWORKS after the football game!
The entire P-H-M community is invited to come out for this fun-filled family event. All the fun starts with the Homecoming Parade. Be sure to grab your spot on the route by 5:00 p.m. Parade starts at 5:30!
Here are some things that will be helpful for families as they head out for all the festivities.
Parking:
- Paid Parking ($3 cash) at these lots:
- Penn High School (Front Lot & Jefferson Rd. Lot)
- Softball/Tennis Lot
- Bittersweet School Lot
- Free Parking at these lots:
- Soccer Lot (Bank Lot)
- Pennway Lot
- Schmucker Lot (front, Sides & in Back of School)
Fun Zone:
- 5-7:00 p.m.
- Penn Baseball Field
- Teacher Dunk Tanks, Jumpies for elementary students
- FREE for EVERYONE!
- Food Trucks:
- Ben’s Pretzels
- Junbuggies
- Keim’s Elephant Ears
- Kona Ice
- Prized Pig
- REAL Grille
- Rulli’s Pizza
- Fans will be allowed to take food purchased at the Food Trucks into the stadium. However, no other outside food will be allowed!
Gate & Ticket Info:
- Penn vs. St, Joe, Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
- P-H-M students K – 5th grade get in FREE with paying adult!
- Tickets are on sale now-Thurs., Sept. 28 online, ticket price is $6 (students & all other age groups same price)
- Tickets on Friday, Sept. 29 are $7 (online or at the gate)
- PHM Employees plus one guest get in FREE, but you must have ID badge & the guest must be with the employee
- Please remember middle schoolers cannot be dropped off unsupervised. Once in the game, the students are free to walk around. At least one responsible adult must be onsite.
- Tickets are sold at the North & South gates only!
- Penn All Sports Passes and tickets (hard & online) are accepted at all gates
- The Center Gate is reserved for Penn All Sports Passes and online ticket holders only
- No Reentry!
Fan Safety:
- Click to download and red the Lost Child Policy
- Please utilize crosswalks when crossing Bittersweet Road after the parade
Rules to Remember:
- No reentry to Everwise Field; once you leave, you are not allowed back in.
- No outside food or beverages, no insulated cups
- No backpacks
- Diaper bags & large women’s purses are allowed
- Penn does not have a clear bag policy
- No electronic noise makers
- No Footballs or Beach Balls
- No weapons of any kind
- No alcohol
- No Smoking/Vaping products of any kind. All PHM school property is smoke free.
- No open flames at private tailgating