“Running is Elementary” took place on Monday, May 1 for the 9th consecutive year! Almost 700 students from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools participated in the 1 mile run on the Penn cross-country course located behind Elm Road School.

Although the weather was windy, cold and rainy, the runners’ spirits were high and full of excitement as family, teachers, staff and friends cheered them on.

Each year fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to sign up for the free running club. Designated coaches at each school are then tasked with training the runners for the 6-week club which then culminates with the Running is Elementary Race.

Cindy Batalis (P-H-M’s 2009 Teacher of the Year and physical education teacher at Horizon Elementary) began the yearly tradition of Running Is Elementary in 2008. Batalis’ own love for running and her desire to pass that love on to students is evident in the passion she puts into the Running is Elementary event each year.

The top times for the 2017 Running Is Elementary Race were as follows:

• 5th Grade Girls 

     1. Bib 87- 6:14     Elm Road
     2. Bib 478- 6:16   Moran
     3. Bib 159- 6:26   Elsie Rogers

• 5th Grade Boys

     1. Bib 612- 6:26   Prairie Vista
     2. Bib 658- 6:35   Walt Disney
     3. Bib 23- 6:39     Bittersweet

• 4th Grade Girls

     1. Bib 293- 7:15   Horizon
     2. Bib 48- 7:21     Bittersweet
     3. Bib 550- 7:24   Northpoint

• 4th Grade Boys

     1. Bib 144- 6:26   Elm Road
     2. Bib 141- 6:37   Elm Road
     3. Bib 578- 6:46   Northpoint

Congratulations to all runners for their great spirit and effort!

A big thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation and Corporations for Education for hosting the event!

Sponsors for the 2017 event:

Presenting sponsor – Corporations for Education

Royal Excursion, the Hunter Family, and Team Pride Athletics

After Race Snack & Water Donations:

Urban Swirl, B&B Organics & Fleet Feet

​        

Jayson Snyder, principal of Meadow’s Edge Elementary School, was named 2017 District 2 Elementary School Principal of the Year! Jayson was elected by his fellow District 2 principals. The Indiana Association of School Principals will choose the state winner from all the district winners and announce the Indiana Elementary Principal of the Year at their Fall Conference in November.

Principal Snyder has been principal at Meadow’s Edge for the past five years. Under Principal Snyder Meadow’s Edge has achieved an “A” rating from the Indiana Department of Education. In 2014, the school was nominated for a National Title I Distinguished Award. The year prior, Meadow’s Edge was honored as an Indiana “Top 3” Title 1 School for Student Achievement. In Principal Snyder’s first year (2012) as principal, Meadow’s Edge was named a “Reward School” by the IDOE.

Principal Snyder created a school-wide RtI (response to intervention) model to provide early, systematic academic and behavioral assistance to students who are at risk for or already performing under grade level. This model was replicated and implemented at Penn-Harris-Madison’s 10 other elementary schools.

Before becoming principal at Meadow’s Edge, Snyder was assistant principal at Schmucker Middle School from 2010-2012. He started at P-H-M as an elementary school teacher at Prairie Vista in 2003. He also taught at Walt Disney (2005-2007) before returning to Prairie Vista in 2007-2010.

Principal Snyder is a Penn-Harris-Madison student alum. He attended Mary Frank Elementary and Schmucker Middle School and graduated from Penn High School in 1997.

Principal Snyder was named a member of the “Forty Under 40” 2014 Class by the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce and won the IUSB Excellence in School Administration Award in 2010. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Purdue University (expected completion December 2017).

Follow Dr. Thacker’s lead and get a jump start on the Give Local St. Joseph County May 9 day-long online giving event NOW!

Starting today, Monday, May 1 you can schedule your gift in advance for the P-H-M Education Foundation. When the 24-hour giving event kicks off on May 9, your gift will already be in ahead of the game!  

Penn-Harris-Madison School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker made his #GiveLocalSJC donation May 1 designating the P-H-M Education Foundation. 

Make an online donation of $25 or more designating the P-H-M Education Foundation

as part of #GiveLocalSJC campaign and

• 75% of your gift to P-H-M Education Foundation will be paid out to help the Foundation now;
• 25%—plus generous matching funds—will   go into the Foundation’s Endowment Fund to generate annual earnings that will help from now on!
   

Every dollar donated on May 9 to any of the 67 charities participating in Give Local St. Joseph County will be increased by a share of $2.4 million in matching funds provided by generous sponsors.

So this is your opportunity to maximize your donation to the Education Foundation. 

DONATE NOW!

It’s the gift that continues to give!

The Education Foundation supports value add educational programs across the P-H-M school district by awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Online gifts may be made by clicking here May 9, 2017, starting at 12:01 a.m. and for the next 24 hours, using your credit or debit card. You can also schedule your online gift in advance, any time after the preview period begins on May 1, 2017. If you use a credit or debit card, your card will not be charged until May 9.

If you wish to send a check, please mail it early to ensure receipt by May 9, 2017. Checks are to be made out to the Community Foundation (P.O. Box 837, South Bend, IN, 46624) and dated May 9, 2017, make sure to include “P-H-M Education Foundation” in the memo field. Donations are 100% tax deductible.

Meadow’s Edge Teacher’s Aide Shari Cerney got the shock of her life when she walked back into the classroom after recess on Thursday (April 27, 2017).

Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Principal Jayson Snyder and several members of

P-H-M Administration were waiting for her. That’s when Dr. Thacker surprised Mrs. Cerney telling her that she had been chosen as the 2017 P-H-M Classified Employee of the Year. The announcement was made even more special because several of her family members were also in the classroom waiting. Her husband Jim and her two daughters, Tai Cerney and Ali Renz, who is a kindergarten teacher at Elm Road, were present along with Mrs. Cerney’s first cousin, Shane Galloway and his wife Jaye Galloway, who is a P-H-M Board of School Trustees member.

Understandably, Mrs. Cerney was just a bit startled when she walked in and saw the TV news cameras and all the invited guests in the back of the room. She was moved to tears telling the students that they are the reason why she comes to work every day and thanked her fellow Meadow’s Edge staff members noting “It takes a village!” The students of 2nd grade teacher Ms. Leah Gerbeth's class were elated to celebrate with her.

Mrs. Cerney has been a P-H-M employee for 21 years! She started as an instructional aide in 1996 at Elm Road Elementary, where her daughter was attending at the time. After two years, she transferred to Meadow’s Edge and has been there ever since. Mrs. Cerney has had many roles at Meadow’s Edge including running a program that helped struggling students turn around their behavioral and academic problems. She takes great pride watching her students grow and excel. Her love for education is infectious and permeates everything she does.

Meadow’s Edge Principal Jayson Snyder describes Mrs. Cernery as  “collaborative and committed to excellence in everything she does. She leads by example, providing a model of what integrity and selfless leadership looks like for both students and staff,” said Mr. Snyder. “Simply put, Shari makes everyone around her better.”

Mrs. Cerney will be officially recognized and receive her plaque at P-H-M’s Employee Recognition Dinner on May 17th.

Mark your calendars for the 12th Annual Silver Mile Run for Education & Health and Fitness Fair, hosted by the P-H-M Education Foundation.  This popular fun-filled family event will take place on Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. – noon at Penn High School. 

Register online today!

Kids Club will be open for Spring Break 2017!

WHEN: Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7

                 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

                *House of Bounce Carnival Day on Friday, April 7

WHERE: at the Mary Frank Elementary School location

                    13111 Adams Road, Granger (Entry through Door H) 

COST: $25 per child, per day + $10 activity fee per child

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Payment due Monday, March 27

                                                         Click here to download and print the registration form

Questions? Please contact Kailey Campanaro at (574) 258-9514 or Ashley Stoffl at (574) 258-9587 or click here for more information about P-H-M’s Kids Club program.

THE DEADLINE IS NOW EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1!

P-H-M’s annual Young Author’s Conference offers an opportunity for all P-H-M elementary students in grades K-5 and their parents to meet and learn from a well-known children’s author.

This year’s guest author Judith L. Roth has written three children’s picture books (Goodnight Dragons, Julia’s Words and Cups Held Out) and a middle school novel-in-verse, Serendipity & Me. A native of California, Roth has been a resident of Indiana for almost 30 years now. Inspired by a love of music, Roth also writes some poetry. Her love of writing began with her love of reading when she was a student herself at the age 10. Roth is hoping to inspire other budding young authors like she once was!

While students are meeting with their peers, parents will attend a special presentation by Penn High School English teacher and Writing Coordinator, Mrs. Mary Nicolini, who is a recent recipient of the University of Chicago’s Outstanding Educator Award.

The Young Author’s Conference is sponsored by Corporations for Education, a division of the P-H-M Education Foundation.

DATE: Saturday, March 11, 2017

TIME: 8:45 – 11:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Schmucker Middle School, 56045 Bittersweet Road

COST: Just $5.00 per child; the registration fee is used for conference expenses. Checks should be made payable to: YAC. Cash is also accepted. 

REGISTRATION: The deadline for registration is now Wed., March 1 2017.  Please make sure you return the registration packet and fee to the front office by March 1. Please contact your child’s school, if you did not receive one. We require that at least one parent accompany their student(s) to the Conference. However, keep in mind that students and parents will separate for a portion of the day.

CONFIRMATION: Participating students will receive additional information prior to the conference through their home school the first week of March.

QUESTIONS: Please click here to email Lisa Duerksen.

At Penn-Harris-Madison, we are proud to offer year-round academic enrichment, athletic and recreational activities for the students and families within our award winning school district.

For months, P-H-M administrators, teachers, coaches and staff have been busy planning all the camps and activities that will be available for students when school lets out this year on Wed., June 7, 2017.

Everything from Japanese to building apps for mobile devices to baseball will be offered this summer! And we’re adding more and more …

Click here to see the full list of camps and activities being offered so far this year. New this year, some of the camps now have online registration making it easier for busy parents to register their children for these engaging opportunities.

Click here to read the latest news!

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band, orchestra and even piano at our three middle schools.

Every P-H-M student who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall has the opportunity to join an instrumental music class, which includes either band or orchestra.

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.  

“Instrument Selection Night” is when students and families get to make their choice!

At “Instrument Selection Night,” a music professional musician will be availability 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.

Please see the dates and times below for your students’ soon-to-be middle school …
 

Grissom Middle School

Tuesday, March 7

4:30-8:00 p.m.

Click here to learn more about Instrument Night and to make your appointment for designated school and date.