Penn Manor High SchoolJanuary 24, 2014 is the first day of the second semester for the 2013-14 school year. Students will begin their Spring semester classes and continue with year-long classes. Students may obtain their schedule through the Community Web Portal under the Courses and Grades tab. If a student needs a paper copy of their schedule he or she may obtain one from the main office.
Author: Dorina Andes
Scholarship Information
Attention seniors and parents/guardians of seniors,
Please visit the counseling moodle site and apply for the many scholarships available to Penn Manor graduating seniors. Currently, there are over $20,000 worth of scholarships available. Most of these are awarded only to Penn Manor students and are awarded based upon financial need, future major in college, and involvement in extracurricular activities. There is also a scholarship provided from each elementary and middle school located in PM. This is a great time to apply and earn some free money for college.
To access these scholarships:
Click on scholarship on the right side of the page.
Log in to Moodle as a guest.
Scholarships are organized by due date.
If you have any questions, please contact the counseling office at 872-9520 ext 1820.
1:1 Laptop Program Information
Final preparations are being made for all students at Penn Manor High School to receive a personal laptop for learning. We are looking to provide students with a laptop the last week of January. In order for this to happen, students need to turn a signed agreement 1:1 Student Agreement for Laptop Use to the high school office as soon as possible.
Students will be provided with the Acer TravelMate TMB 113 series laptop running Ubuntu, a flavor of the Linux operating system. The Acer/Ubuntu combination is a perfect blend of computing capability, battery life and software flexibility. Students will also receive a mouse, a carry bag, charger, and a flash drive.
In preparation for the roll out, class meetings were held in December. The administrative team stressed the policies that cover the program, proper care of the laptops and internet safety. The powerpoint that was used during the meetings is available at https://www.pennmanor.net/techblog/1to1classmeeting.
Read more about the pilot program kickoff on PennPoints, our school newspaper.
To assist students with the use of the laptop, a student help desk team has been developed. Providing peer support to fellow students, the student team solves technical issues, prepares and configures laptops, trains peers and prepares documentation and help guides. You’ll find a great example of their work on the 1:1 help blog: http://blogs.pennmanor.net/1to1/. PennPoints, recently posted an excellent article on the student help desk.
It is critical to keep in mind that our program is not about the device; it is for and about our students. Excitement is building as we move toward our goal of empowering all Penn Manor High School students with a laptop to explore personal passions such as creative design, engineering, programming, writing and music.
Keystone Exams: January 8th – 15th
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday season and vacation from school.
Beginning January 8, 2014, we will be administering the Keystone Exams in Algebra, Biology, and Literature to freshmen and sophomores who are enrolled in Algebra, Biology and Literature classes and any junior who has not scored proficient on the Algebra and Literature tests.
The Literature exam will be administered on Wednesday, January 8 and Thursday, January 9. Students will take the Biology exam on Friday, January 10 and Monday, January 13. We will finish this testing window by administering the Algebra exam on Tuesday, January 14 and Wednesday, January 15.
Due to the smaller number of students who are taking the exams, we will continue to operate on a regular schedule with classes meeting while students are testing. Testing will occur in the Math/Science Wing and Library each day.
All half-day CTC students, who are eligible to test, will take the Keystone Exams in the morning of each day. Morning CTC students will not attend the CTC. Afternoon students will leave for the CTC at their regularly designated time each day.
Students are encouraged to bring a calculator for the Biology and Algebra exams. If a student does not have a calculator one will be provided for him or her.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is very clear in their directions regarding cell phones. Any student who is taking a Keystone Exam is expected to not be in possession of a cell phone. We want to have a test environment that is free of any unnecessary noise or distractions. If a student brings a cell phone to the test site, it must be turned off and given to the test proctor. Please remember the reason for the rule about cell phones at the test site is to ensure the best possible environment for all students.
Students are encouraged to bring a fiction or non-fiction book with them each day of the testing. Students will be permitted to read once he or she has finished the exam.
This administration of the Literature and Biology Exams is the first opportunity that the members of the Class of 2017 have to demonstrate proficiency on these tests. Many of the freshmen took the Algebra exam at the end of their eighth grade year, while others will be taking the Algebra test in May. Members of the Class of 2017 are required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to demonstrate proficiency on the Algebra, Biology and Literature Keystone Exams in order to graduate.
If you have any questions regarding Keystone Exams, please contact Mrs. O’Connor at 872-9520 ext 1802.
Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Employee Nominations
Penn Manor School District is seeking nominations for the Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Employee Awards that will be presented later this school year. Nominations are being solicited from parents/guardians, students and colleagues. Nominations for these awards are open until February 28, 2014.
Click on the attached documents for more information:
Outstanding Educator Informational Letter
Free Motorcycle Safety Courses
The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program offers free training courses at this school.
The MSP teaches riders of all skill levels the basic fundamentals needed to safely operate a motorcycle.
Courses are free to Pennsylvania residents with a valid motorcycle permit or motorcycle license. Visit our website at www.pamsp.com to create a profile now. Our 2014 schedules will be available to view in mid- February. Students may also call 1-800-845-9533 beginning February 24 for more information.
High School Career Day – January 31
PMHS will be holding it’s annual Career Day on Friday January 31st.
During homeroom on Thursday, January 2nd, students will be given the opportunity to sign up for the guest speaker sessions that they would like to participate in.
The link below is the list of all of the speakers that will be present on Career Day. Students and parents, please look over this list before sign ups on January 2nd.
Career Day List of Guest Speakers
If you have any questions, please contact the guidance department.