Perry Township Schools is committed to preparing students for success in the classroom, as well as life after high school. Once our scholars walk across the graduation stage to receive their diplomas, they should be empowered to enroll in college, accept employment opportunities, or enlist in the military.

Our goal is to ensure that each student has the skills and knowledge to confidently enter the next stage of their life. Our educators and administrators actively engage students to help them thrive outside of the classroom.

Resume writing and interview techniques are skills that nearly everyone needs to land a quality job, and the ability to write and communicate effectively will serve students well no matter what path they choose.

Perry Township Schools’ Human Resources team spent a portion of their day at the Compass Education Center to help students plan for their futures. HR coordinator Ashley Pumphrey presented the students with the do’s and don’ts of writing a resume and cover letter. After the presentation, she invited students to fill out a form to help them develop their own resume and cover letter. Next, HR generalists Suzie Kent and Natalie Roehling led demonstrations to show appropriate interview conduct.

The resume building workshop was designed to help students prepare for an upcoming Union Day/Career Day where students can explore and apply for jobs in HVAC/plumbing, roofing, carpentry/flooring, and electrical. For four 30-minute sessions, students will be invited to speak with career representatives of their choice.

With guidance from the Indiana State Board of Education and the Indiana Department of Education, our educators strive to help every student graduate from high school with a general game plan to pursue individual career interests and options, a strong foundation of academic and technical skills and demonstrable employability skills that lead directly to meaningful opportunities. This HR department’s resume and interview workshop aligns with the state’s requirements to prepare students for the next steps in their journey of adulthood.

Compass is the district’s newest school that serves Perry Meridian and Southport High School students who need to catch up on the credits required for graduation, as well as students who desire a more flexible schedule or small learning environment.

Students at Perry Meridian and Southport High who would like help finetuning their resumes or practicing their interview skills should contact their Guidance Department for resources.
​
For more information on Compass, visit perryschools.org/cc.

This is a critical time for education across Indiana and the country. As educators plead with lawmakers for fair and competitive salaries, reasonable professional development requirements, and adequate funding, honest conversations with legislators and education leaders become a necessity.

Perry Township Schools believes it is important to have an ongoing dialogue with these lawmakers because they can effect change and impact the school environment for students and staff. We are truly thankful to have state and federal lawmakers who are willing and enthusiastic to accept our invitations to visit our schools and engage with students and staff.

Perry Meridian High School recently welcomed U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and U.S. Rep. Andre Carson(D-Ind.). Sen. Young serves on several committees including the Senate Committees on Finance, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Foreign Relations. Very appropriately, he began his visit in Economics class where he answered several questions about his job. He was also given the opportunity to visit with senior student Charles Stoner, who was recently nominated by Sen. Young for the U. S. Naval Academy.

​Afterward, Principal Kert Boedicker escorted Sen. Young to staff members of FOCUS, the student newspaper. The budding journalists asked insightful questions about foreign relations, student debt solutions, and alternatives for students who choose not to attend college.

Rep. Carson stood front and center at a recent Town Hall at PMHS. He patiently answered questions about issues facing our community and the world, and he described his role in creating policy for issues such as education funding and gun violence. He also talked about the importance of engaging young people in politics.

Southport Middle School rolled out the welcome mat for Indiana State Sen. Jack Sandlin (R-Indianapolis) and State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis). Sen. Sandlin took a tour of the newly renovated school, where Principal Stephanie Quinlan showed him the innovative programming available to students.

Rep. Behning also observed our teachers in action during a tour of our 21st Century classrooms, which includes Project Lead the Way – a STEM-based curriculum. Because Quinlan is a member of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute which helps the Indiana General Assembly recognize the significant impact of school leadership on student achievement, she and Rep. Behning also discussed the legislator’s vision of future legislation that may impact education.

Perry Township Schools extends an open invitation for legislators and policymakers who want to work with teachers and administrators to improve education in Indiana. We are committed to providing each student a high-quality education.

Perry Township Schools is committed to providing a high-quality education to every child. We have worked hard to create a welcoming environment where every student feels included and important, and we value the English Learners (EL) program which is focused on educating, supporting and advocating all language minority students – many of whom are refugees or immigrants.

We are pleased to announce that the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) has honored two of our EL teachers for promoting and supporting Spanish culture and language for their colleagues and students. IFLTA awarded the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award to Perry Meridian High Spanish teacher Laura Holloway and the Rising Star Award to Southport High Spanish teacher Conner McNeely.

The awards were presented at the IFLTA fall conference with more than 400 language educators from Indiana and neighboring states to share innovative teaching strategies and learn about motivating and guiding students. IFLTA partnered with the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) to recognize educators for their outstanding dedication, professional contributions, evidence of continuing education, student mentorship, and influence on Spanish/Portuguese language education.

With 72 languages and 67 countries represented within Perry Township Schools, we are proud of the diversity that enriches our community. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed. According to spring 2018’s World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) – which measures multilingual readers – 47 percent of our EL population reads at a Level 5, the most proficient level.

This growth represents a 21 percent increase over the previous year. Much of our student success can be attributed to our devoted EL Department which is comprised of 42 EL teachers, 38 tutors/translators, and seven facilitators to support students. Our schools are also committed to teaching our families about the rich diversity that surrounds us. Each spring, Southport High School hosts the Cultures of Southport, which features several students who graciously recount their immigration stories.

They also share food samples, strut in fashion shows, and give presentations representing their homelands. In fact, many other schools host their own cultural fairs that include food, dance lessons, and demonstrations that allow guests to experience a few of the distinctive delights of their beloved culture. Perry Township Schools values diversity, as well as inclusion and equity. We want everyone in our community to be active participants in making our district the best it can be because we are strengthened by the collective knowledge, experiences, interests, cultures, and traditions.

We strive to engage all of our families as partners in education through trusting relationships built on culturally responsive two-way communication and mutual respect. The EL Department is a crucial component to providing the programs, practices, and services that reflect the changing educational and cultural needs of our students and their families.

On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Perry Meridian High School will celebrate the achievements of basketball legend Katie Douglas.

Basketball fans are invited to attend Katie Douglas Night when her famed PMHS No. 23 basketball jersey will be retired. The ceremony will take place at 7:15 p.m., following the Southport-Perry Meridian girls’ varsity basketball game and before the boys’ game in a Battle of Perry Township double-header.

Douglas, a left-handed, long-range shooting guard, graduated from PMHS in 1997, but her influence on the game is still respected on campus, across Perry Township, throughout Indiana, collegiate basketball nationally and as an all-star with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and Indiana Pacers.

In 1997, Douglas capped her high school career as runner-up for Indiana Miss Basketball and an Indiana All-Star team selection.

At Purdue University, she played on the 1999 NCAA championship team, became a two-time All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, and led the Boilermakers to the 2001 National Championship. Those achievements earned her an induction into the Purdue Hall of Fame.

In 2001, Douglas moved from the Hoosier State to the Sunshine State when she was selected 10th in the WNBA draft by the Orlando Miracle, which moved to Connecticut and was renamed the Sun. The Sun traded Douglas to her hometown team –the Indiana Fever.

During her WNBA career, Douglas reached four WNBA finals, finally winning the 2012 title with the Fever. In 2015, she retired after 14 seasons in the league. During her professional career, Douglas earned the distinction of becoming the first player in WNBA history to record dual milestones of 500 three-pointers and 500 steals.

Douglas remains a fixture in the community. In 2017, she opened two Orangetheory Fitness franchises. One is located downtown; the other is in Greenwood at 1675 W. Smith Valley Road. She even makes time to visit and encourage students at Glenns Valley Elementary, where she was once a student.

The Southport-Perry Meridian girls’ game starts at 6 p.m.
​
Join together to cheer each team’s current student-athletes and to honor one of our own, Katie Douglas.