
January 31, 2025

This Week's Recap:
- Snowflakes with Dr. Southmayd! For this month's PBIS reward, some lucky winners enjoyed hot chocolate and snowflake making with Dr. Southmayd. Our snowflakes will hang throughout the halls in hopes of bringing more snow for sledding this winter!
- More Golden Bobcat Buck Earners! We have 5 more bobcats who demonstrated PAWSitive behavior and were caught doing the right thing!
- Tonight is Bingo Night! It is a sold-out PTO event and we're excited to see so many Fern Hill families for a fun-filled night of Bingo!
Looking Ahead:
- Eagles Spirit Week February 3-7: The momentum is building for the Super Bowl, and we want to rally our community together to cheer on the Eagles!
- Art Goes to School (AGTS) February 3-7: AGTS is a volunteer-led program that brings engaging, interactive art appreciation experiences to our students, fostering creativity and a deeper understanding of famous artworks. Be sure to ask your bobcat about their art class this week!
- Global Play and World Read Aloud Day - February 5: Students will be immersed in play and reading all day long! From reading and playing with their buddy classes to some extra time outside, there will be no shortage of pages read and play had!
A few things to find below:
- Reminder about District Policy on smart watches and cell phones for student use - thanks for ensuring your child is in compliance with our district policy and is focused on their learning at school.
- Flexible Instruction Day overview is below -- we have one more snow day in our "bank" to use before executing this plan -- but we're ready for it!
- Women's History Month Female Professionals Needed! We need women from our community to share about their careers during Women's History Month -- see the flyer and sign-up form below.
Reminder about Cell Phones and Smart Watches
We want to remind families of the district policy for smart watches and personal devices to ensure that students are able to attend to learning without distractions from wearable technology. Students who wear a smart watch to school will be reminded by their teacher to remove it, turn it off, and place it in their backpack. The same is true for those with cell phones. Thank you for your support in keeping personal and/or wearable technology at home or turned off and kept in a child's backpack.
School Board Policy 237 describes personal technology devices as:
- Cellular telephones and smartphones.
- Handheld, tablet, and laptop computers.
- Digital music players, including without limitation iPods and MP3 players.
- Still and video cameras.
- Wearable technologies including without limitation smart watches, smart glasses, or earbuds.
The Board prohibits use of personal technology by students during the school day in district buildings; on district property; on district buses and vehicles, and during the time students are under the supervision of the district (collectively "on-campus").
Flexible Instruction Day Information
We are prepared in the event of needing to use a FID, and your learner will be doing a test-run next week with their class to learn how to access Microsoft Teams and other resources with independence.
The FID plan is similar to previous years in that students will have a schedule for the day which includes two live instructional meetings with their class and some assigned work. In grades 3-5, students will also have a live session with their special areas teacher.
We will share more details should we get closer to a FID, but in the meantime, know that our team has a strong plan and is working with our bobcats on learning the tools they'll need to be successful learning from anywhere!
Women's History Month Celebration - We Need Your Help!
We're excited to invite women from various professions to join us for our Women's History Month event at Fern Hill on Tuesday, March 18th!
We are looking for inspiring women to share their career journeys and experiences with our students. This is a wonderful opportunity to empower the next generation and help our students see the wide range of possibilities open to them. Whether you're in science, art, business, or any other field, your story can make a lasting impact.
5th Grade Families -- It's time to start thinking about middle school!
Calling All New Kindergarteners for 2026-2027!
The WCASD partners with our local preschools and their families to offer events and activities for preschool children. The purpose of the Preschool Parent Group is to attract and transition children and families into the WCASD.
One of the well-attended events is our Kindergarten 101 session. Kindergarten 101 is an informational night for families to learn what to expect when their child enters elementary school. The WCASD will be hosting Kindergarten 101 again this school year! This informational session will be on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Fugett Middle School. You may register for Kindergarten 101 here.
PTO News
Fern Hill Ice Line Outing: Almost Sold Out!
5th Grade Valentine’s Dance: Attention 5th grade families!
The annual Valentine’s Dance is coming up and we’re firming up details for ways to help and volunteer for this special tradition. The dance takes place during the school day right around the holiday. Be sure to check your email for updates in the next week.
Fernhill Yearbook: Purchase now
Volunteer Clearances
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.
Planning a Vacation?
Fern Hill Elementary School
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