Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 14 & Sunday, March 15 for the FIRST Robotics St. Joseph District Event. Penn High School is once again hosting more than 40 high school FRC robotics teams from Indiana and Michigan who will battle it out for the title. Join more than 5,000 students, coaches, mentors, parents and fans during this one-of-a-kind two-day FREE event!

Saturday, March 14 

10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Next Gen (K-8): 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Click to watch the video below to check out all the upcoming excitement, then come out to cheer on Penn Robotics Team 135!

Make sure to also bring your young Robotics fans to "Next Gen," an area for students ages K-8, who can get hands-on engaging fun with some of Team 135’s other robots. Next Gen will be open Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This event is also FREE ADMISSION!

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is a nationwide organization that recognizes outstanding middle school students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship. Being a part of NJHS encourages students to develop strong leadership skills, build a commitment to community service, and strive for academic success. It’s a great opportunity for students to grow personally and make a positive impact on their school and community.

Visit www.njhs.us/about to learn more about the program.

Check ParentSquare to find out how to get involved in NJHS at Discovery Middle School.

Some of our eighth grade students from S.W.A.G. (Students With A Goal) spent some time at Horizon Elementary this morning (Thursday, Jan. 23) talking with some “scientists!”

Though Horizon’s Science Fair has been going on for many years, this is the first time our students have gone over to help judge. This is a great initiative to help our students put their critical thinking skills to the test, while also helping Horizon students practice presenting information about their experiments.

Our students participation in the judging process is also a SEL (Social Emotional Learning) lesson in human interaction. The judging process offers the students the opportunity to practice their interpersonal skills among different age groups. 

Check out the photo gallery below to see how today’s activity went. To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge!

Penn High School CPA (Center for Performing Arts)

56100 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka 

*Enter Door C

6:00 -8:00 p.m.

Parking will be located in the main student lot

Penn will serve as the regional location for this informational community learning opportunity by the Indiana Department of Education, in collaboration with the Indiana State Department of Health.

This opportunity is open to all parents and members of the regional community. (Training for regional educators will take place earlier in the afternoon).

The purpose of this event is to engage and discuss the impact of vaping within the community. The presentation will provide data related to youth vaping; address vaping devices; discussion on model policy for schools to combat vape use on campus; education and community resources through the Vape-Free Indiana Website.

Click here for more details. 
 

Sign-up Meeting

Next year's Freshmen (current 8th graders):

March 16, 4:30 p.m. 

Penn Staff Dining Room (Enter through Door D)
 

Tryouts:

Next year’s Freshmen (current 8th ​graders):

March 30, 31 and April 1

4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.

Penn Main Arena (upstairs balcony)

The first day for students of the 2020-2021 school year is Wednesday, August 19, 2020 and the last day for students is Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Other important dates include:

• September 7, 2020: Recess Day – Labor Day
• October 23 & 26, 2020: Fall Recess Days
• November 3, 2020: Recess Day – General Election
• November 25-27, 2020: Thanksgiving Recess Days
• December 21-Jan. 1, 2021: Winter Break
• January 18, 2021: Recess Day – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• February 15, 2021: Recess Day – Presidents’ Day
• April 2, 2021: Recess Day
• April 5-9, 2021: Spring Break
• May 31, 2021: Recess Day – Memorial Day

Click here for a one-page pdf copy of the 2020-2021 school year calendar.

For the 2019-2020 school year and activity calendar, please click here.

Due to the lack of snow, ski club will be canceled on Wednesday, January 15^th. This meeting will be rescheduled for a later date.

Since 2009, PHM students from all three middle schools have participated in the China Excursion, the most recent trip occurring in the spring of 2019.

This nine day trip planned for the summer of 2021 departs June 28 and returns July 6 (tentative dates). Students will tour historic sites in the cities of Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, China. You can view some of the places explored in this slideshow. This experience will allow students to explore the ancient culture of China and also witness firsthand the country’s rapid development. The trip to China is aligned to seventh grade social studies standards that focus on imperial China, the Mongol Empire, European colonization, types of government, and trade. 

The China Excursion is open to any students currently enrolled in 6th or 7th grade at Discovery, Grissom, or Schmucker. If you are interested in learning more about this experience and itinerary, please plan on attending informational meeting …

Friday, January 17

7:30 a.m.

Discovery Middle School LGI

*Please park in the west staff parking lot, between Discovery and Horizon.

If you have any questions, please contact James Howard at jhoward@phm.k12.in.us or Lavon Dean-Null at ldean-null@phm.k12.in.us. 

Click here to register for eighth-grade summer PE.

Summer PE is both sessions – Approximate dates for 2020 are June 8-26 (Session I) and July 6-24 (Session II). 

4 Hours in the morning, exact times still to be determined. (Summer 2019 times were 8:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.).

Eligibility to Register for Summer PE:
Students MUST be a current 8th grade student attending a P-H-M Middle School; 
Or 
Be enrolled as a Penn High School student for the 2020-21 school year. 
 

Students must attend all days of both sessions.

Please see below for the timeline:

• Summer PE Registration Form will be released on the Penn website Monday, Feb. 3, 2020  at 9:00 a.m.

• Feb. 3 – Feb. 14, 2020: Fill out the online registration form AND make the $50 payment in the Penn High School Bookstore to secure a spot.

• 200 Spots Available. First Come, First Serve! A student does not secure a spot until both the online Registration Form is filled out & $50 Fee is paid to the PHS Bookstore. Students on the Free/Reduced Lunch Program do not pay the fee, but will be required to confirm  their interest in order to secure a spot.

• Feb. 14 @ 3:00 PM: 8th Grade Summer PE registration and payment acceptance CLOSES!

• A confirmation letter will be immediately provided from the Bookstore after payment is received and student spot is guaranteed.

• After all available spots are filled, students will be placed on a wait list. Refunds will be issued for any student still on the waitlist on May 15, 2020. 

• Summer PE transportation is provided for students residing within the P-H-M District. 

*Fees must be paid by check, cash or money order. No credit cards, over-the- phone, or online payments can be processed. No Refunds will be given after May 15, 2020!

Questions? Please contact:

Shannan Lindzy, Summer School Coordinator

slindzy@phm.k12.in.us

(574) 258-9506

Ski Club will be canceled for Wednesday, January 8, 2020 due to the Swiss Valley closure. It will be rescheduled for a later date.