Apri 11, 2025

This past week, our Bobcat Brain Builders Literacy and Math Night brought the joy of learning to life! Families engaged in hands-on games and activities alongside West Chester University education students, making it a night full of fun, connection, and brain-building moments. Thank you to everyone who joined us! Check out our Instagram reel, or follow us @FernHillES.

As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed April 17–21 for spring break. We wish all of our families a joyful, restful break and a Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

When we return, we’ll kick off a spirit week to celebrate April as Autism Acceptance Month—a time to embrace neurodiversity and promote understanding and inclusion in our school community.

Lastly, one of our Fern Hill families is navigating a recent hardship. Please keep an eye out for communication from our PTO on ways we can come together to offer support. We are continually grateful for the strength, care, and compassion that defines our Fern Hill community. 💙

On March 24, the School Board approved a renovation of Fern Hill's playground. While parts of our playground were new during our renovation 7 years ago, the older gray climbing structures situated in the mulch between the Gaga Pit and the swings is the oldest equipment in the district and is ready for an overhaul!

This summer, all of our mulch and gray climbing structures will be removed to make way for new playground structures including a 6-person slide, 4-person seesaw, play school bus, and new climbing structures. This renovation will add safe and fun new equipment for students to explore beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

Please bear with us through the summer as our playground will be closed for renovation. We will provide plenty of updates via our Instagram account so you can follow along with the construction zone. Dr. Southmayd is convinced the Facilities and Operations team will let her take a turn in a real Bobcat to help move some mulch! Follow along to find out if her wish comes true!

Earlier this week, Dr. Missett, Director of Elementary Education, shared a letter with families regarding a shift to a standards-based grading and reporting system K-5.

Starting next school year, all grades (K-5) will use a Standards-Based Report Card (SBRC) which aligns with the PA State Standards. The SBRC focuses on the student’s knowledge and skills mastered at each grade level. Please keep in mind our students in grades K-2 have been assessed using standard-based grading since 2006 and almost all school districts in Chester County use a standards-based grading approach.

Click here to read the letter from Dr. Missett and plan to join us for a virtual informational session on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 6:30 pm via Microsoft Teams on the transition to a standards-based report card in grades 3, 4 and 5. Please RSVP here so we can send you the Teams link a week prior to the event.

Dr. Sara Missett, Director of Elementary Education, shared with families of 3rd and 4th grade students that Fern Hill, Starkweather, and East Goshen will all participate in a departmentalized pilot program for the 2025-2026 school year. We hope our families of 3rd and 4th grade families will join us virtually on April 22 for an overview of departmentalization. If you're unable to make it on April 22, stay tuned for a site-based session at Fern Hill later this spring to provide more site-specific information regarding the 4th and 5th grade learner experience for next school year.

Click here to RSVP in order to receive the virtual meeting link for April 22 at 6:30PM.

After reviewing our space limitations at Fern Hill Elementary and reflecting on the overcrowding at our winter concert, we have decided to move our Spring Concert to a larger venue. This change will provide a more comfortable experience for our growing music programs and all the families coming to celebrate our students’ talents.

The Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Spring Concert will now take place at Fugett Middle School, offering more seating and a better overall experience. Additionally, this gives our young musicians the exciting opportunity to perform on the Fugett stage, helping them become familiar with their future school setting.

To help students prepare for this transition, we will hold a rehearsal at Fugett Middle School on Monday, April 28th, from 8:15–10:00 AM.

• Students should be dropped off at the Fugett Auditorium entrance at 8:15 AM.

• After rehearsal, students will be bused back to Fern Hill at 10:00 AM.

• On the evening of the concert, students should arrive at Fugett by 6:30 PM via the auditorium entrance to ensure they are ready to perform.

Thank you to everyone who purchased discount tickets for Hersheypark! Families who ordered tickets before 2:00 PM Friday, April 4 will have their e-tickets organized and emailed this weekend; thank you for your patience! Missed the first deadline? Ticket sales are STILL OPEN and we can accept check orders to the Main Office or online orders through April 24th (11:59pm). If you have any questions, please e-mail heidi.mulherin@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars and join Fern Hill’s PTO and Dr. Christopher for our last public meeting this school year, Monday, May 12 at 6:00 PM in the Library.

Join us Saturday, May 31, from 12:00 - 3:00 PM on the Fern Hill Playground/Blacktop before we break for summer for ONE more great family event! In lieu of the Spring Carnival, the PTO is creating a fun-filled day with FREE activities for the kids and some items to purchase. More details are coming soon, but keep that date penciled in! (Rain Date: Sat. June 7)

We are also looking for some extra business sponsors to help support the entertainment at this event. If your family business is interested, please e-mail Heidi.Mulherin@gmail.com. Thank you!

Kindergarten lunch is in need of parent volunteers!. This is a great volunteer opportunity to be a part of the school day and help make the lunch experience smoother for all. Responsibilities include teaching students to open their packages independently, supporting cafeteria clean-up, and helping students remain seated by distributing utensils, napkins, etc.

*You must have your volunteer clearances on file with the front office prior to volunteering. For additional information and to sign up, click here.

Have a student that is graduating and you want to acknowledge them in a unique way? Consider ordering a yard sign! Signs are 18x24 and come with a stake. Single-sided are $17.99, double-sided are $23.99. A proof will be sent before printing and signs can be delivered to school, picked up, or delivered to your home. Banners and other items are available on request. Use this link to order.

Fourth grade families, your child will be receiving a t-shirt to wear to the upcoming track meet as a gift from PTO. Please click the HERE to submit your child's size. Keep in mind that they will be wearing it again next year, so you may want to size up. If you have any questions, please contact Meghan Kazanjian at meghankaz@gmail.com.

Earning money for our school has never been easier! All you need to do is download the Box Tops app, create an account, and scan your grocery receipt. Last year we earned $500 from Box Tops for Fern Hill!

Check one thing off your end of school-year to-do list and purchase your 2024-2025 Fern Hill yearbook now. It’s never too early, but soon it may be too late! Click HERE to order. If your student/family would like to purchase a yearbook and are experiencing financial difficulties please reach out to Lisa Baker, Home and School Visitor at lbaker@wcasd.net.

We love having our families volunteer throughout the building. In order to volunteer, adults are required to have their clearances on file with us. Clearances can take 4-6 weeks to acquire, so please be sure to get the process started if you're looking to volunteer this Fall.

If you are planning a family trip, please complete the Trip Approval Form to notify the Main Office and gain approval for your trip. The Vacation Request Form will also always be available on our Fern Hill Website under the "For Parents" section.

Jennifer Southmayd

Principal

Email: jsouthmayd@wcasd.net
Website: https://www.wcasd.net/fhe
Location: 915 Lincoln Avenue, West Chester, PA, USA
Phone: 484 266 1600
Twitter: @FernHillES