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
Info on the Penn Student Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 30 can found on PHMEF’s website. CLICK HERE.
2023 Community Connections Fair to be held Oct. 7
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!
P-H-M is inviting area businesses who want to participate in the Community Connections Fair to sign up. Click here to request a table at the event.
The Fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. Families wishing to sign up to perform, click here.
Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.
Come out and enjoy the many cultural performances and student work that will be on display representing countries from all over the world!
Please join us! Click here to download and share the flyer.
For more information, please contact:
Rylee Jacobson
P-H-M Elementary ENL Coordinator
(574) 271-8598, Ext. 50913
rjacobson@phm.k12.in.us
“Back to School” Boys Basketball League
Boys in grades 2nd to 8th are invited to participate in “Back to School” Basketball League at Penn High School.
2nd – 6th grade League
DATES: September 24th; Oct. 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd 29th
LOCATION:
- 2nd-4th, Penn Fitness Center
- 5th-6th, Main Arena/West Balcony/Aux Gym Time
TIMES:
- 2nd-4th, Sundays, Noon – 4:00 p.m.
- 5th-6th, Sundays, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
COST: $99
Click here to register online.
7th & 8th grade League
DATES: September 10th, 17th, 24th; Oct. 1st, 8th
LOCATION: Penn High School
TIMES: Sundays, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
COST: $79
Click here to register online.
Questions? Please contact the League Director Coach Smith if you have any questions at jsmith5@phm.k12.in.us
2023 Community Tailgate
This year’s annual Community Tailgate will be a great way to kick off the return of the Backyard Brawl between the Kingsmen and the Mishawaka Cavemen.
All fans are welcome, Cavemen and Kingsmen! There’s plenty of food for fans on both sides.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. You must have a ticket to the football game to enter. Once inside the stadium head down to the white tents in the South End Zone, near the Zolman’s Tire & Auto Care South Concession Stand.
For $6 you get your choice of hot dog, hamburger or brat served with a bag of chips, choice of drink, and a cookie. Food tickets for the Tailgate are purchased at the Tailgate.
Fall 2023 Penn Youth Girls Basketball League, 3rd-8th grade
Penn Girls Basketball Head Coach Kristi Ulrich is once again offering a fall youth basketball league
The “Junior” League is open to girls in 3rd – 6th grades. The “Senior” League is for student-athletes in 7th & 8th grades. All those participating in the ”Senior” league MUST live in the P-H-M District or attend a P-H-M School.
Sign-ups are on Sunday, September 10 from 12 – 2 p.m. in the Penn High School Main Arena. Enter Door D.
The League runs September 17th – November 12th with a single elimination tournament for all age groups.
All games will be played on Sundays at Penn High School in the Main Arena, Auxiliary and West Balcony courts. Tournament times may vary on Nov. 12th.
Weekly Game Times are:
- 3rd & 4th grades: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- 5th & 6th grades: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
- 7th & 8th grades: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Click here to download the PDF with more information and to register.
2023-2024 District Activities Calendar
The 2023-2024 District Activities Calendar was mailed to the homes of P-H-M families the last week of July.
The calendar provides key dates for testing, recess breaks, and school specific events (for the schools that provided the information).
You can click here to view a PDF copy of the calendar. You can also view a one-page of the 2023-2024 school calendar that shows the school year at a glance.
The P-H-M District online (Google) calendar is the most up-to-date. You can add this district and any school calendar to your own personal Google calendar.
Each of our 15 schools also maintains an online calendar that is updated frequently with the school’s scheduled activities and event details. You’ll need to visit your school’s website to add that calendar to your personal Google calendar.
Junie B. Joes Jr. The Musical
Moran’s first musical was a smashing success! The student cast of “Junie B. Joes Jr. The Musical” did a wonderful job led by Director Ms. Laura Scott. Thank you to the PTO, parent volunteers, teacher volunteers, and the community partners who made the production a success: DC Meats, INOVA Federal Credit Union, Lippert, OC Cafe, OC Hardware, Policemen’s Federal Credit Union, Realtor Cathy Pormen, WNDU & Martin’s “One School at a time” grant, and Wings Etc.
A $3,778 grant from the P-H-M Education Foundation made it possible to purchase sound equipment and some microphones.
Running is Elementary Details
Running is Elementary races were postponed until Wednesday, May 3 due to the weather on Monday, May 1.
The races will still take place at Elm Road Elementary, 59400 Elm Rd, Mishawaka.
WHEN: Introductions start at 2:50 p.m.
Race Order
5th Girls: 3:00 p.m.
5th Boys: 3:20 p.m.
4th Girls: 3:40 p.m.
4th Boys: 4:00 p.m.
PARKING INFO:
South Bend Orthopedics: 60160 Bodnar Blvd, Mishawaka
Grissom Middle School: 13881 Kern Rd, Mishawaka
Shuttles start at 2:30 p.m.
ALL Runners picked up no later than 4:30 p.m. at Elm Road Elementary School. Runners may leave following their run and checking out with the coach.
P-H-M Named 2023 Best Community for Music Education
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation was named among the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) in the country by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the 10th year in a row!
Now in its 24th year, the 2023 Best Communities for Music Education program has recognized 830 school districts and 78 schools across the country for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children. This NAMM Foundation celebrated and recognized K-12 music teachers in school districts who found creative ways for the “show to carry on” despite schools moving online or to in-person settings where masks were required not only for student musicians and instruments.
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. Schools from elementary all the way up to Penn High School also perform musicals.
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.
Support Staff Job Fair, Feb. 15, 2023
Looking for a job with flexibility around your student’s school schedule? Do you know of a friend or family member looking for a great place to work?
We’re hiring these positions:
- Educational Assistants, starting at $16.42
- Teacher Aides, starting at $15.35 per hour
- School Bus Drivers, up to $25.00
- Food Service, $15.03 – $25.40
- Custodians, $17.74 – $23.96
- Kids Club Childcare Assistants, starting at $13.38
*click here for more info on hourly wages for these positions
Come out to our Job Fair for on the spot interviews!
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Schmucker Middle School (Door B)
56045 Bittersweet Rd, Mishawaka
Click here to see the open positions that are accepting applications. If you can’t make it to the job fair, fill out an application online today!