Discovery Middle School kicked off its annual “One Book, One School” program with a scavenger hunt that sent Archers all over the building in search of clues. The friendly competition added energy to the day and helped set the tone for a schoolwide culture of reading.

This year, all 6th through 8th graders are reading Bloom (The Overthrow) by Kenneth Oppel. Described by The New York Times as “the perfect book right now for young readers searching for hope, strength, inspiration — and just a little horticultural havoc,” Bloom is the first book in a fast-paced action-thriller trilogy.

The story begins in an unexpected way: with rain that carries mysterious seeds. Those seeds sprout overnight and spread rapidly, taking over fields, homes, and streets. The plants release toxic pollen and even form pods that can swallow animals and people. While the invasion seems unstoppable, three students: Anaya, Petra, and Seth, discover they might hold the key to fighting back. Their unique allergies appear to make them immune, and the race is on to understand why as the threat continues to grow.

The “One Book, One School” initiative encourages shared reading experiences, promotes discussion, and builds community across grade levels. With a thrilling book selection and an active kickoff, Discovery is well on its way to another successful year of reading together. 

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Seventh grade students at Discovery Middle School are gaining important, real-world skills through their Wellness classes by learning how to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver.

As part of the unit, students were taught proper CPR techniques, including how to administer chest compressions and rescue breaths. They then practiced on both adult and infant training dummies to simulate real-life scenarios.

In addition to CPR, students also learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, a critical skill used to help someone who is choking.

Through this hands-on learning experience, Discovery’s 7th graders are building confidence and understanding the importance of acting quickly and safely in emergency situations—valuable skills that could one day help save a life.

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The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted unanimously this morning to appoint Mrs. Jennifer (Jen) Smoker to fill the Penn Township Seat #1 vacancy created by the resignation of Matthew Chaffee in early October. 

A long-time resident and active community volunteer, Mrs. Smoker is a dedicated P-H-M parent of four children attending district schools. Her service and advocacy for students and staff have been felt across the district and throughout the greater community.

Mrs. Smoker currently serves on the P-H-M Education Foundation (PHMEF) Board of Directors, where she has chaired the Grants Committee since 2019. In that role, she helps oversee the process of awarding teacher and school grants that enhance learning, spark innovation, and promote excellence in all 15 P-H-M schools. She also supports PHMEF’s fundraising events and community partnerships that benefit students across the district.

Beyond her PHMEF service, Mrs. Smoker is deeply involved in several community organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for Granger Community Church, where she helps guide strategic planning and budget oversight; chairs the Grissom Middle School PTO Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships to Penn High School seniors; and previously served as Board Secretary for Jr. Irish Soccer Club and Development Chair for Girls on the Run Michiana. Through these roles, she has combined her love of youth development, leadership, and service—supporting programs that build character, confidence, and connection.

Professionally, Mrs. Smoker brings two decades of business leadership and creative experience. A graduate of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, she began her career as an Account Executive for major advertising firms in Detroit and Chicago, managing national brands such as Lincoln/Mercury and Quaker Oats. In 2003, she founded and operated CardCare.com, an online greeting card company she successfully led for 20 years.

“Mrs. Smoker’s commitment to servant leadership and her deep connection to our schools make her an outstanding addition to the Board,” said Board President Christopher Riley. “She has demonstrated her heart for P-H-M through years of volunteerism and community involvement and will bring a strong parent perspective to the table.”

Superintendent Dr. Heather Short added, “Jen’s energy, insight, and collaborative leadership reflect the very best of P-H-M’s Triangle of Success—students, teachers, and parents working together. Her service to our schools and community exemplifies P-H-M Excellence.”

Arrangements will be made with the P-H-M Board Attorney for Mrs. Smoker to take her Oath of Office. She will serve through the remainder of the current term, which expires in 2026. She may choose to run for election to the ensuing four-year term in the November 2026 general election.

Mrs. Smoker was chosen from five applicants. The other four candidates were John “Todd” Douthit, Brandon M. Kastner, William “Matt” Ludwig, and Ryan C. Woodruff (click here for their resumes). Public interviews of these applicants took place during a special board meeting held Tuesday, October 28th. President Riley said the decision to fill the vacancy was a difficult one, as all five candidates would have been excellent choices.

Click here for the process the Board of School Trustees followed for filling the vacancies.

U.S. News and World Report released its “Best Schools” rankings for K-8 public schools by state and Discovery is #3 out of Indiana’s 483 public middle schools.

Data is based on the 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years.

Schmucker also made the list at #53.

And all of P-H-M’s elementary schools are ranked among Indiana’s “Best Elementary Schools”:

• Northpoint #1  
• Prairie Vista #2 
• Horizon #37
• Mary Frank #39
• Bittersweet #94
• Elm Road #172
• Moran #175
• Elsie Rogers #297
• Madison #273
• Meadow’s Edge #370
• Walt Disney #385

Indiana’s 395 Indiana public high schools were also ranked, and Penn ranked #26.

The U.S. News & World Report analyzed 103,391 pre-K, elementary and middle schools nationwide for their rankings. The rankings use the same methodology for all included grade levels. For each state, schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. In other words, the top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students. Click here for more information on the methodology.

The highest ranked U.S. public schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best High Schools rankings are those whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions. They reviewed data on 17,901 public high schools. Click here for more background information on their ranking system.

P-H-M’s ENL Department is hosting their annual Community Connections Fair on Saturday, November 1st.

Join us for activities, arts & crafts, food, performances, and to learn about resources in our community. It is completely FREE and all P-H-M families are invited to attend. Click here to see photos on Facebook of past Fairs.

For any families that want to sign up to perform, please click here to fill out the Google form.

October is National Principals Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing short Q&As with each of our principals—giving you a glimpse into their leadership style, favorite parts of school life, and what drives their #PHMExcellence every day.

If you could swap places with a student for one day, what class or activity would you be most excited to participate in — and why?

Piano Lab – I secretly would love to learn how to play piano and this class is so unique and fun to have in a student’s schedule at Discovery, I would absolutely enjoy it!

What’s your go-to morning routine (or must-have snack/coffee order) that helps you tackle the day?

Right now I am really into the iced coffee with vanilla flavor from McDonalds, not just for the taste, but the price….$1.06 with the app – you can’t beat that! Midday I love to order a tea from Discovery’s StarBuddies coffee shop; the price is even better — FREE!

What were you like as a middle or high school student — and what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

I attended Schmucker MS (because Discovery wasn’t built yet) and Penn HS and I was shy and worried about doing things “right” a lot of the time. I think I would tell my younger self to not be afraid to try new things and try out any sport or club that looks interesting. You never know what will end up being the thing you are passionate about and meet some great friends along the way!

If your job as a principal had a theme song, what song would be your walk up song–the one playing when you walked into school each day?

Unstoppable by Sia

What was your favorite school lunch or snack when you were a student? What is your favorite school lunch now as a principal?

Hands down, the square pizza then and now! I have a lunch account now and eat in the cafeteria regularly and although the walking taco is a close favorite; the school pizza has always been a core memory and I can’t pass it up!

What’s one fun fact about you that most students or staff don’t know?

I am working towards my black belt in Taekwondo along with my three sons. I am currently a brown belt and I recently competed in a tournament and one first place with my weapons form – nunchucks.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies outside of school that might surprise people?

I am fluent in Spanish and love to Latin Dance – salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia; it’s a fun hobby and great music.

What’s one thing on your bucket list you still hope to do one day?

Travel to all 7 continents – I have been to 4 so far!

What’s your favorite school tradition or event?

Discovery does the One Book One School event every year and it is such a great event that brings the whole school together. Everyone in the building reads the same book and we do fun activities like hallway detectives, scavenger hunts, Student and Teacher Trivia Gameshows and the final event – Battle of the Book. So many prizes and everyone is excited and talking about the same book, both staff and students, during that month and half!

If you could describe your school in one word, what would it be?

Excellence

P-H-M hosted a districtwide drug awareness parent and community meeting on Tuesday October, 21, 2025 to help educate P-H-M families and the greater community about the current drug trends attracting teenagers. This valuable information is something all adults should be aware of, click the image above to watch the recorded video of the presentation. It will only be available until end of business day Thursday, Nov. 20th.

The session was led by Tall Cop Says Stop™ contracted educator, Melissa Moore, CPS. Tall Cop Says Stop™ was created by Officer Jermaine Galloway, an Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997. Galloway is regarded as one of America’s top experts in various drug and alcohol trends and specializes in underage drinking and drug enforcement. For more than 15 years, he has trained school administrators and safety personnel in spotting the dangers that threaten teens and the community. Melissa Moore, a 24-year public health experienced professional, who works to advance the mission of Tall Cop Says Stop™ in helping educate parents/guardians and students about the latest deadly effects of so-called recreational drug use.

Click here to access Melissa Moore’s resources referenced in her presentation.

Questions can be directed to the presenter at m3consultingllcwi@gmail.com.

Moore also presented a student focused presentation to Penn students (grades 9-12) during the school day on October 21st and 22nd.

P-H-M’s Annual Community Tailgate is a long-standing tradition that brings families, students, staff, and community members together to show their Penn pride. The event is held before the Penn Football home opener and is a chance for everyone across the district to connect, celebrate, and support the Kingsmen.

This year’s home opener will be “The Backyard Brawl” against Mishawaka on Friday, August 29th, 2025. Click here for game ticket info.

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 at the Yeoman Family Plaza.

Friday night marks the 67th meeting between Penn and Mishawaka. Penn leads the all-time series 49-16-1. 

Penn-Harris-Madison invites students, families, alumni, and community members to celebrate Homecoming 2025 on Friday, September 26, 2025 courtesy of the PHM Education Foundation.

The annual celebration includes the Homecoming Parade on Bittersweet Road in front of Penn High School, showcasing student groups, athletic teams, school clubs, and community organizations, followed by the Penn Kingsmen football game against South Bend Adams at Everwise Freed Field.

This is an event for the ENTIRE community and will have activities for people of all ages. Mark your calendars and plan to join in the fun! More details will be shared closer to the date.