Northpoint News

2023 IREAD-3 results were recently released and we are proud to share that corporation-wide P-H-M's pass rate was 87.7% (state passing was 81.9%). Five P-H-M elementary schools had pass rates in the 90th percentile, including us! Congratulations to our students, teachers and families for your outstanding achievement.

P-H-M is also among Indiana’s top performing public school corporations withSpring 2023 ILEARN results. The district is in the Top 5% of Indiana public schools that passed both ELA and Math. And our school is once again a top leader in the state with two other P-H-M Schools. Congratulations!

August 25-P-H-M Community Tailgate

August 31-PTO Meeting 11:00 am

September 4- Labor Day (No School)

September 8-Picture Day(not on district calendar)

September 18- Afternoon Adventures begin

September 21-Fall Festival

All Kingsmen, future Kingsmen, families, and community members will have a chance to show their Penn Pride with three t-shirts options –

Homecoming Spirit Wear

1.) Penn High School Students & Staff - $12.00 Each

*This shirt was designed by one of our Penn High School students.

2.) Kingsmen Families & Community Members - $10.00 Each

3.) Future Kingsmen - $10.00 Each

Orders must be placed online by Friday, September 15th. All orders will be delivered to your student’s school. Please select the school from the dropdown menu and fill in your student’s name (along with grade, teacher / homeroom teacher) information that would be helpful to the middle and elementary schools’ office staff for delivery. Penn High School students can pick their orders up in the bookstore.

We are super proud of how well all of our shining stars are adjusting to the transition back into our new school year. Teachers are using the data from our beginning of the year assessments to plan for instruction, and we are settling into our regular learning routine. Thank you to all who attended our parent information nights this week. If you missed one, please be sure to reach out to your child's teacher to get any information you may have missed.

Northpoint PTO is excited to welcome new and returning families to the 2023-2024 school year! Parents, please join us at the school on August 31st at 11 am for an informal meeting, where we'll share about the PTO's activities and ways you can get involved. Feel free to ask questions and bring younger children along.

We're already gearing up for one of Northpoint's best activities: Afternoon Adventures. Parents of 1st-5th graders: we need you! See this google form for more details and to sign up to help.

Thank you so much!

It is imperative that students be in attendance each school day in order to maintain consistency in their learning. Important learning results come from active participateion in classroom and other school activities that cannot be replaced by individual study. All students must be in their classrooms by 7:55 a.m. and ready for morning work. Student who arrive after that time MUST be accompanied by an adult and signed in at the main office desk. Frequent absences and tardiness may result in a referral to the St. Joseph County Truancy Prevention Center. If your child is absent for any reason, parents HAVE to notify the office. If we don't receive any communication, we will call and that will result in an unexcused absence. If your child has over 10 absences we will be sending attendance letters. If your child is ill and has a Dr.'s note or has been called in, this will count as an excused absence. After 10 illness related absences, a Dr.'s note will be required. You can call the office at 574-271-8598 or email northpointattendance@phm.k12.in.us. Thank you for your support with this important issue.

As we get settled into our regular routines and procedures, here are a few reminders for arrival and dismissal;

CAR RIDERS, PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE CROSSWALK AT THE STOP SIGN. WE HAVE STUDENTS WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE BE PATIENT AND DO NOT CROSS THE CENTER LANE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE SCHOOL ENTRANCE.

1. If you are going to change the way your child is getting home, please notify the office by 1:00 p.m. if possible. If the office does not have a notice, they will go on their regular bus, or be sent to the car pool line.

2. If you are parking your car in the neighborhood and walking down the path to pick up your child, please have them be dismissed as walkers and they can meet you by the front doors instead of you having to find them in the car pool line.

3. If your child will be a bike rider, they will need to get a permission form signed by Mrs. White first.

4. If your child is a car rider PLEASE PULL UP TO THE END OF THE CURB IF YOU ARE FIRST IN LINE. Stopping close to the doors backs the whole line up. Thank you for following this procedure.

5. If your child arrives after 7:55, they will be marked as Tardy to school.

Dear Parents of car riders,

Due to an increased amount of car riders this year, we need to change our car pool procedures to provide a safer environment for our staff and students. Please be sure to pick up a car tag number in the office if you don't have one yet. We would appreciate your patience and cooperation as we implement the following new procedures;

1. Once you have entered the curb line up, please wait until you have been ushered forward to begin exiting the car pool line.

2. DO NOT pass around cars at any time while you are in the car pool line.

3. Cars will be stopped at the entrance to the the curb line to allow for all students to enter vehicles and exit safely.

4. Your child will be directed to walk safely to their vehicle that should be stopped along the curb.

5. If you are stopped at the entrance to the car pool line, you will be the lead car that should pull all the way up to the first cone . DO NOT STOP WHERE YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE STANDING.

6. PLEASE STAY OFF YOUR CELL PHONES DURING CAR POOL PICK UP.

7. Watch for the traffic ushers who will be wearing orange vests to direct you when in the curb lane.

We understand that waiting in a long line is frustrating, but we have to think of the safety of our students and staff members. We appreciate your support with these new procedures. Please call Mrs. White at 574-271-8598 or email her at lwhite@phm.k12.in.us if you have any questions.

If you would like to have a lunch date with your child, please sign up for a spot in our Sign-Up Genius form. Availability is limited, so please plan accordingly. Below is the link to sign up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signup&urlid=10c0e49afa82da5fdcf8-lunch1&view=calendar

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s FREE Community Connections Fair! October 7th from 10:00 am-1:00 pm at Schmucker Middle School
56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka

Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!

The fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. If you or your child want to perform you can sign up at https://forms.gle/CB3Kxa5j85i2G1hw5

We do offer before and after school child care. If you would like to register please click on the link. https://www.phmschools.org/kids-club

There currently is a wait list and Kid's Club will not be available for sign-ups on Monday at our ice-cream social.

Below is a link to all of the consent forms that need to be signed. You will not be able to access until August 11.

We are hoping you have heard, but we have great news to share regarding student book fees! The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill (HEA 1001-2023) that eliminated textbook and curriculum costs at public schools, which includes school supplies like pencils, paper, and notebooks. Parents will no longer be asked to pay school fees. For more information on the specific details, click here.

We wanted to share that legislation was passed (HB 1447) that all schools prepare a catalog of materials found in the school library Alexandria and a response and appeal procedure for materials parents find questionable.

We have that process in place already and it is posted on all school websites Instructional Material Feedback. In addition, secondary teachers will provide their syllabus to you with listed materials and classroom teachers have been asked to create a master list of titles in their classroom libraries. More information will be provided by your teacher in classroom newsletters. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your classroom teacher or myself.

Links for Instructional Feedback.

• https://northpoint.phmschools.org/parents/instructional-material-feedback/

Once you are on the School website access the Quick Links tab and under that choose Launch Pad. This will let you search for book titles on Alexandria.

Click the attachment to learn more about Dyslexia Screening process for PHM.

The Safe School Helpline® is a confidential way to report student concerns about threats, suicide, drugs, bullying or anything that threatens the safety of our schools. It's Available 24/7. Click to watch a video on how to get in touch with Administration anonymously 24/7/365.

Four Ways to Report to the Safe School Helpline®

Call: 1-800-418-6423 ext 359

Text: TIPS to 66746

Online: SafeSchoolHelpline.com

Mobile App: Download the FREE app from the GOOGLE PLAY STORE and the APPLE APP STORE

• The app makes it easy to anonymously report a safety or mental health concern using your mobile device to text, call, or submit an online form.

Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. You can make an appointment if you need assistance with anything else or you can email Mrs. White.

Email: lwhite@phm.k12.in.us
Website: www.northpoint.phmschools.org
Location: 50800 Cherry Road, Granger, IN, USA
Phone: 574-271-8598
Twitter: @NorthpointStars