In advance of National Reading Month in March, Elsie Rogers Elementary welcomed special guest readers on Friday, February 27 to help build excitement for a month focused on literacy.

Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lavon Dean-Null, Director of Professional Development & Student Learning Dr. Mindy Higginson, Director of Academic and Student Support Randy Williams, and Officer Howard spent time in classrooms reading with students and sharing their love of books.

The visit provided students with the opportunity to hear stories from district leaders and community partners while reinforcing the importance of reading both in school and at home.

As National Reading Month begins, Elsie Rogers students are already off to a strong start, inspired by leaders who took the time to celebrate the power of literacy.

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Krystle Mauro, a 3rd grade teacher at Elsie Rogers Elementary School, has earned a P-H-M Impact Award for strong student growth in math between Checkpoint 1 and Checkpoint 2.

She was visited by P-H-M Superintendent of Schools Dr. Heather Short in recognition of the achievement.

Using the average class scale score, students demonstrated a gain of 52 scale points. This growth reflects meaningful progress during the instructional window and contributes to overall grade-level improvement.

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The Elsie Rogers Drama Club, made up of students in grades 2 through 5, took the stage this week to present their production of Shrek The Musical KIDS. Over two days, the cast performed twice during the school day for their classmates and twice in the evening for family and friends.

The 30-minute show brought the beloved story of Shrek to life, filled with humor, heart, and plenty of fairytale fun. Students stepped into the roles of ogres, princesses, storytellers, fairytale creatures, and more. The musical follows Shrek as he sets out with a talkative sidekick, Donkey, to reclaim his swamp from a group of displaced fairytale characters. Their journey leads them to Princess Fiona, who brings her own surprises to the adventure.

The young performers captured the spirit of the story while sharing its message of acceptance, courage, and celebrating what makes each person unique. Colorful costumes, imaginative sets, and energetic musical numbers helped create a lively performance that the Elsie Rogers community enjoyed throughout all four shows.

Congratulations to the cast, crew, and staff who made the production a success. The Elsie Rogers Drama Club continues to provide students with opportunities to grow in confidence, creativity, and teamwork, and this year’s show was another wonderful example of what young performers can achieve.

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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.

Today, the top 10 students with the most reading minutes in January had the honor of unveiling Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine—a brand-new addition to the Elsie Rogers Elementary library designed to inspire a love of reading.

The book vending machine is part of an exciting literacy incentive program, where students earn special tokens to “purchase” a book from the machine. The best part? The books are theirs to keep, encouraging a sense of pride and enthusiasm for reading. The criteria for earning tokens are still being finalized and will be shared with students soon.

This wonderful initiative was made possible through funding from the P-H-M Education Foundation, which provided the vending machine, valued at up to $7,169, to enhance literacy opportunities at the school.

With the tagline “Feeding Your Mind One Book at a Time,” this book vending machine is set to make reading more exciting and accessible for the Elsie Rogers community!

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Due to the absence of local, state, or national elections on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, all P-H-M schools will be in session on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.  P-H-M will no longer have a Recess Day on this date.

As a result, the last day of school for students will now be Thursday, June 5, 2025. This is one day earlier than previously scheduled. P-H-M Teachers Association worked collaboratively with the District Administration to make these calendar changes.

Indiana law requires schools to be in session for 180 days each year. If necessary, P-H-M can utilize up to three weather-related eLearning days, as permitted under Indiana law (HB-1093). If additional makeup days are needed, they will be added to the end of the school year, following the new last student day, Thursday, June 5, 2025. Currently, no eLearning days have been called.

Excitement filled Elsie Rogers Elementary today as Jennifer Turnblom, Executive Director of the PHM Education Foundation (PHMEF), visited to surprise teacher Hollie Truckowski with a grant award. Ms. Turnblom presented Ms. Truckowski with a check for $7,169.00 to fund the purchase of a book vending machine for the school.

The vending machine will be part of an incentive program designed to encourage literacy and student engagement. Students will have the opportunity to earn tokens, which they can use to select books from the vending machine. Each book is theirs to keep, promoting a lifelong love of reading. The vending machine will feature PHMEF branding and will be placed prominently in a high-traffic area, such as the school library or lobby, to maximize visibility and accessibility.

This innovative project underscores the commitment of Elsie Rogers Elementary and PHMEF to enhancing learning opportunities and fostering a culture of reading. Congratulations to Ms. Truckowski and the Elsie Rogers community on this exciting addition to the school!

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The jungle came alive at Elsie Rogers Elementary School as students performed the beloved Disney musical, The Jungle Book KIDS. In a special daytime performance, 3rd-5th grade students were treated to a showcase of talent, humor, and energy.

Tomorrow, younger students in K-2nd grade will have their chance to experience the magic during another daytime performance.

Evening shows are scheduled for November 21st and 22nd at 6:30 p.m., giving families and community members an opportunity to enjoy the production.

Based on the classic Disney animated film, The Jungle Book KIDS follows Mowgli, a young boy banished from the jungle by the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan. With the help of his loyal panther friend, Bagheera, and the fun-loving bear, Baloo, Mowgli embarks on an unforgettable adventure. The story is filled with colorful characters, jazzy musical numbers, and exciting challenges, from a sly snake named Kaa to a wild encounter with King Louie and his band of monkeys.

Elsie Rogers’ student performers have embraced the vibrant energy of the jungle with enthusiasm and charm, making the show a delight for all ages. The cast features a variety of roles, allowing many students to shine, whether as main characters or as members of the lively jungle ensemble.

Elsie students performed their first “off-Broadway” production in November 2022, putting on Seussical The Musical. Thanks to a grant from the P-H-M Education Foundation, we were able to purchase some of the equipment to make these productions possible.

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