First, Second, & Third Grade
First Grade: Mirella Gavarrete Santos, Tayvin Robinson, Adaman Sissoko, Katherine Campoverde, Emmanuel Dweh Jr, Dafne Fuentes, Jesiah Harris, Winner Rasamny, Christopher Series, Citlalli Sandoval Lorenzo, Afeena Rahaman, JB Phillips, David Whelan, Daniel Cordero, Marqui Rideout, Aqib Khan
Second Grade: Mariam Issaka, Jadynce Garcia, Lauren Truitt, Ethan Dunkley, Marcella Fountain-West, Marrayah Carr, Riley Wilson, Khamiah Small, Nasratu Tejan, Sharol Orellana, Malik Wilson, Adiba Hossain, Mawa Kamara, Erica Logan
Third Grade: Christine Jarama-Romero, Abdulallah Kone, Edwin Cema Guerra, Nye'Lah Hudson, Reggie Reid, Stephanie Santos, Alhassane Diallo, Salma Fusseini, Ayan Ullah, Debbie Parreno, Era Ali, Joseph Mendoza
Fourth Grade
Meet Ms. Ferguson-Smalls!
College: Temple University - Bachelor of Science in Education
Years Teaching: This is my very first year teaching! I student taught in a kindergarten classroom at Alexander K. McClure Elementary School.
About Me: Hey there! My name is Yasmine Ferguson-Smalls. I was born and raised in Upper Darby! I graduated from Upper Darby High School in 2019 and loved every moment of growing up in such a diverse neighborhood. Now, I live in the Media area with my significant other and our two adorable pups, Nala (the fluffy Chow-Chow) and Sosa (the goofy American Bully). You'll often find me walking my dogs, buried in a good book, crocheting, tending to my plants, and binge-watching Netflix. Life's pretty awesome, and I'm just rolling with it! 😊
Meet Mr. Berman!
College: I went to college at West Chester University graduating in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and a minor in health education.
Years Teaching: This is my 13th year teaching Health & Physical Education, but my first year here at Stonehurst. For the last 8 years I taught at Wissahickon Charter School in Philadelphia. Prior to that I spent 4 years teaching at Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia. I also spent a number of years working for Philadelphia Outward Bound School running leadership and wilderness education courses for middle and high school students throughout the area.
About Me: Hi, my name is Randy Berman. I grew up in Havertown, and still live there today with my wife Kara and 3 daughters Lucy (9), Katherine (7), and Scarlett (4). I am a huge Philly sports fan, especially when it comes to the Phillies and EAGLES. When I am not at school, I try to spend as much time as I can outside with my family (we love hiking, climbing, and kayaking), or coaching one of my daughters' sports teams.
Guidance Counselor: Marissa Difilippo
October is National Bullying Prevention Month! This month, all students received an age-appropriate lesson focused on bullying prevention.
First grade learned about what bullying is: mean or hurtful behavior that is one-sided, repeated, and on purpose. We listened to a read aloud of the story Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney. In second grade, we reviewed our bullying definition and read the story Bully B.E.A.N.S. by Julia Cook.
First and second grade social skill of the month: Keeping a Safe Body. We talked about why it is important to keep our hands and feet to ourselves.
In third grade, students used what they have learned so far this year to decide whether different scenarios were bullying or being mean. In fourth and fifth grade, students learned about ways to respond to bullying and stand up for themselves. After listening to or reading different bullying scenarios, students decided which strategy they would use for each situation.
School Nurse: Colleen Stetler
Hello Stonehurst families! As the weather starts to change, respiratory illnesses will be on the rise. COVID, Flu, and RSV are three illnesses that could impact your child’s health this season. The best protection against these viruses is hand washing with soap and water for 30 seconds! There are also vaccines available for these three illnesses and our health department is hosting three FREE drive- thru flu clinics in the coming weeks. Please see below for more information.
Let’s keep our community healthy! If your child is sick, please keep them home from school until they are feeling better. This helps them recover and keeps their peers healthy. If your child requires medication at school, even if just on an as needed basis (such as when they are sick), please make sure the school nurse is aware and the Medication Administration Form has been completed. Thank you!
News from the Library
Calling all 4th & 5th Graders! Come Join our Team!
The Reading Olympics team starts in late October. All 4th and 5th graders (both virtual and in-person) are invited to join the Stonehurst Reading Olympics (RO) team. The team competes against other schools in Delaware County. For the past 3 years, the team has taken home 1st and 2nd place ribbons! Here at Stonehurst, Dr. Ebin and Ms. Weil are working together to coordinate this year's team. Students read some of the books on the RO list (6 or more) and together the team makes sure someone has read each of the 46 books on the list. The team answers questions about the books in competition. The books are of all types, genres, and formats including graphic novels, picture books, and chapter books. Many of the books can also be accessed as audiobooks. There are books for every reading taste and many are available both electronically and in physical formats. Come join the team!
Electronic resources available for our students to borrow digitally through both our MackinVia and Sora applications. Both of these libraries can be reached through your child’s Classlink page (see the icons). There are both ebooks and audiobooks available to borrow from there as well as just under 50 titles in Spanish. These materials can also be read or listened to through a personal tablet or phone if you download each of the free apps first. It’s a great way to get your children reading when they are on the go. There are two library catalogs available via the Sora app. The school district has a catalog of a few hundred books, but it is also possible to link into the Delaware County Library online book catalog for children. (Please note that books available through the public library catalog include middle school and high school books as well as elementary titles, so some parents may want to help steer their child toward specific material there).
Contact Margie Weil, Librarian @ mweil@upperdarbysd.org with any questions or to volunteer
News from Physical Education
Hello Stonehurst superstars:
To start this year in physical education, students learned all the rules and routines of the gym, and then moved onto playing games to focus on teamwork and moving safely in personal space. For health students learned about germs and how to properly wash our hands by playing germ ball.
We will now move into a physical fitness unit so our students can understand the power of their own body. It is also fire prevention month in October, so students will learn about fire safety as well. Your students will be reminding you to test your smoke detectors and talking with you about fire safety at home. If you are in need of smoke detectors for your home please reach out to the Upper Darby Fire Department, and they can help get you some at no cost.
The Mr. B. beard challenge has just gotten underway. For this first challenge classes will earn a point if their whole class comes prepared for PE. To be fully prepared and to be able to participate in physical activity students must come with sneakers and clothing they can easily move around and get sweaty in. At the end of November, the class with the most points will be able to design how Mr. B. will have to cut his hair and beard. I will then spend a day at school rocking whatever look they gave me. Please help your child by making sure they are coming to school with sneakers on their PE day.
Lastly, If you need any assistance finding ways for your child to be physically active outside of school please feel free to reach out to Mr. B at rberman@upperdarbysd.org.
Stay Healthy, Stay Active, and Stay Safe,
Mr. B
In this issue we are featuring a third grader, Dominik!
In 2022, Dominik moved to the US from Ecuador with his mother and father.
1. What was the weather like in Ecuador?
The weather was very nice. Sometimes it was hot and sometimes it was cold.
2. Did you go to school in Ecuador?
Yes, it was good. There were more students in the classes. We didn't have art, music, or library. My favorite class was math.
3. What is your favorite Ecuadorian food?
My favorite food to eat from Ecuador is black bean soup.
4. What did you do for fun in Ecuador?
My friends and I would play soccer.
5. What do you miss most about Ecuador?
I miss my friends.
October 23-27- Red Ribbon Week
October 24- School Board Committee Meeting
October 25- Student of the Month Assembly
October 26- Family Movie Night
October 27- Fall Parade
October 31- Early Dismissal
November 2- UDSD Parent Volunteer Workshop
November 7- No School (Election Day)
November 8- Reading & Math Literacy Night
November 13- No School (Diwali)
November 14- UDSD Special Education Information Night
November 14- School Board Meeting
November 14-21- Scholastic Book Fair
November 16- Family Bingo Night
November 17- Fall Picture Retakes
November 20-21- Fall Conferences
November 20-22- Early Dismissals
November 23-24- No School (Thanksgiving Break)
November 28- School Board Committee Meeting
November 29- Student of the Month Assembly
