District News

Congratulations to the Unionville High School Class of 2023! The 327 graduates, surrounded by their families and friends, participated in the commencement ceremony held at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center. This year’s ceremony held special significance as the Class of 2023 is the 100th graduation class since the district was created. Congratulations again to all of our graduates and their families on this special day! Best of luck on your next adventure!

The graduates shared their plans for after graduation in the "Life After UHS" video. Click here to watch.

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board recently approved the appointment of two new assistant principals for Charles F. Patton Middle School. Mr. James Smith and Mrs. Caitlin Ward will take on their roles as assistant principals at Patton Middle School beginning July 1, 2023.

Smith has been the dean of students at Patton for the past four years. Prior to becoming dean, Smith was a special education teacher at Patton for seven years. Additionally, he taught emotional support in the Downingtown Area School District and coached track and cross country for several years. He is also the middle school athletic director at Patton.

“I am grateful for this opportunity and I am honored to be a part of this school community in a new capacity,” Smith stated. “I’m excited to get started. I will continue to do everything I can to support the mission of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and our students.”

Ward comes to UCFSD by way of Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland, where she served as a middle school assistant principal. She was previously dean of students and athletic director in the Central Kitsap School District in Washington state. Prior to her roles in educational leadership, she taught math, social studies, ELA and special education.

“I am truly humbled to have been chosen for this role in such a highly revered school district,” Ward stated. “I am honored to be a part of such a strong administrative team alongside so many esteemed colleagues. I am eager to build strong relationships and add value in ways that will positively impact the Patton school community.”

The district received over 60 applications for the Patton Middle School Assistant Principal position. A group of administrators, school board members and teachers reviewed the applications to narrow down the field. Candidates participated in two rigorous rounds of interviews with a variety of stakeholders. At the end of the process Smith and Ward rose to the top.

“We are thrilled for James and Caitlin and the Patton Middle School Community,” said Dr. John Sanville, Superintendent. “We are fortunate to have acquired not one but two exceptional educational leaders who will add incredible value to the middle school staff, students and community. During the interview process it was clear that both James and Caitlin were the perfect team to work with Dr. Dissinger. This leadership structure will allow us to provide exceptional support to the students, staff and parents of Patton Middle School.”

The Patton 8th Grade Celebration was held June 12 at Unionville High School. Led by members of the UHS marching band and Dr. Dissinger, Patton 8th graders processed through the halls of UHS to symbolize their transition from middle school to high school. Patton Principal Dr. Steve Dissinger and Unionville Principal Dr. Amy Jenkins engaged in the annual hand off after which, Dr. Jenkins along with Lenny the Longhorn guided the students into the gymnasium where they took the UHS class of 2027 photo. Students were then treated to a fun-filled evening with food, dancing and games. It was an exciting night to officially welcome them to Unionville!

Unionville High School German language students are visiting Germany as part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP). The students will have the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Germany while traveling through different parts of the country. This trip is especially exciting as this is the district's first ever Instagram takeover run by students! Safe and happy travels to our GAPP students!

Congratulations to recent Charles F. Patton Middle School graduates Winston, Nathaniel and Mary on being named finalists in the Pennsylvania Civics Bee! All three of them made it to round three, in which the top five contestants from rounds one and two advance. After round three speeches, CFPMS graduate and incoming UHS 9th grader Nathaniel won first place with a prize of $1,000 and CFPMS graduate Winston took home third place with a prize $500! Way to go UCFSD students!

Fifth graders at each of our elementary schools were celebrated with clap outs and fanfare! Students took one last walk down the halls of the schools that most of them have called home for the past six years. The classes also presented their leave-behind projects as a final gift to the schools.

Congratulations to all of our 5th graders in the district on completing elementary school! We have loved watching you grow up and can't wait to see all that you will accomplish at Patton Middle School and beyond!

On Friday, June 2, Hillendale Elementary School unveiled their new husky statue! This generous gift is a donation from Carrie and Jim Lee to honor their Hillendale Huskies as well as the amazing community they've come to know as extended family at Hillendale. The whole school came together at the event to recognize this new central place on campus to celebrate what it means to be "a husky" and part of the Hillendale community. Thank you to the amazing Hillendale PTO and the Lee family for making this generous gift come to life!

On May 30, Unionville High School hosted their SHOC Day! SHOC is a peer mentor program for incoming freshman. Every school year, current UHS students are selected as mentors to aid in the transition for current eighth graders from middle school to high school. On SHOC day, the mentors lead the mentees through various activities including UHS building tours, field games, and information sessions. Thank you to all the staff and mentors for organizing this amazing program to set up incoming freshmen for success!

On May 18, the UHS JV Academic Team attended the CCIU's "Breakfast of Champions" end of year celebration. At the event, the team received the championship plaque for winning the JV competition championship match that took place on March 21. Congratulations to Liam Church, Katherine Connolly, Grant DeWilde, Rohan Gandhi, Thomas Gibson, John Kinsley, Ismaeel Qureshi, and Ria Saxena on the JV championship win!

JV Team Members missing from the photo: Ismaeel Qureshi, Katherine Connolly, Liam Church

The Unionville High School Class of 2023 presented their senior class gift on May 19 - a large bronze Longhorn statue! Students, staff, and administrators gathered in front of Unionville High School for the unveiling of the new Longhorn statue, complete with the marching band, Lenny the Longhorn, and confetti cannons!

The statue was gifted by Unionville’s 100th graduating class as a token of their appreciation for their school and represents the school’s nickname and mascot, the Unionville Longhorns.

The class held fundraisers throughout the year to bring this monumental gift to campus, which will serve as a legacy for the 100th graduation class of Unionville High School.

Congratulations to all of the individuals involved in making this happen.

Patton Bocce visited Hillendale Unified Bocce on May 18! The bocce program is fully inclusive and allows students of all abilities to come together to practice and compete as equal teammates. Students make new friends and learn how to play bocce. Awesome job to our Patton Hawks and Hillendale Huskies!

Chadds Ford Elementary School had their field day on June 1! The day consisted of activities such as relays, tug-o-war, capture the flag, and more. They were also treated to Rita's Italian Ice by the PTO! Thank you to the staff and parents who helped make a day full of fun for our CFES students!

Happy Hillendale had their field day on June 2! The huskies were treated to many Super Mario themed games and activities. Thank you to the everyone who helped organize this day full of fun for our HES students!

Pocopson Elementary School hosted their Super Mario field day on June 2! They had many themed games and activities including Wario's Waterslide, Peach's Beach, Toad's Toss, and more. Thank you to all the PES parents and staff for making this day possible!

Unionville Elementary School had their field day on June 7! Thank you to the parents and staff for making this amazing Super Mario themed day happen.

The class of 2023 had their Senior Stroll on June 6. Unionville High School students visited their old elementary schools to walk the halls one last time to see their former teachers and say hi to the current students, who gave them a big welcome home! Senior Stroll ended with all the seniors going to Patton Middle School for one last visit before graduation.

UHS class of 2023 participated in Sincerely Seniors on May 31 and June 1! During the event, graduating seniors have the opportunity to write to current and former UCFSD staff members that had an impact on them. This project is one of the many fun ways seniors wrap up their time at UHS!

Congratulations to the following UHS students who won awards for their artwork at the recent Chester County High School Art Exhibition:

Morgan Chapman - Second Place in Painting

Brian Lee - Third Place in Drawing

Ella Monthei - Honorable Mention in Painting

Sophie Rissmiller - Honorable Mention in Painting

Paulina Teseroni - Honorable Mention in Digital Media

Addison Smith - Honorable Mention in Mixed Media

We are so proud of their skillful work and representation of our curriculum. Way to go UHS art students!

Charles F. Patton Middle School hosted a career fair on May 26 for Patton seventh graders! The goal of this event was to expose students to the variety of careers that exist, and to get them thinking about what careers they may be interested in exploring further. Patton seventh graders spoke to professionals from the communications, finance, health sciences, hospitality, and manufacturing industries to name a few. This was a great opportunity for the students to learn more about future careers of interests! Thank you to all the staff and volunteers for organizing this amazing event!

Charles F. Patton Middle School students have been named 2023 Chester County Knowledge Bowl Champions! In the seventh and eighth grade competition, Patton Middle School 8A team won first place and the 7B Benchwarmers Team placed third.

At the end of the sixth grade competition, Patton Middle School's 6B team took first place while the 6A team placed third. Congratulations to our Patton Middle School Knowledge Bowl teams on their academic achievement!