December 13, 2024

What a week of holiday cheer! Our students had a blast celebrating the season with themed spirit days, including Candy Cane Day and Festive Friday! On Thursday, all of our bobcats enjoyed “A Gift of Time” with Dr. Southmayd, playing bingo together as a grade level. It was a fun and festive way to connect with one another.

As we wrap up our last week before winter break, we have more exciting events to look forward to! Next week, we'll welcome East High School's music groups on their Holiday Tour for a special performance, and the Fern Hill tradition of the Sing Along will bring us all together in song and spirit as we close out 2024 together on Friday afternoon. We're also looking forward to hosting our Winter Class Parties as a fun way to close out the year and segue into winter break!

A quick reminder: Report cards were made available on the Parent Portal on December 10. Be sure to check for more details further down in this newsletter.

We also have a staffing change that will happen over winter break. Please see the details below regarding our change in the school nurse role as we excitedly welcome Mrs. Garraty back to the Fern Hill community! She will begin with us on January 2 and can be reached at bgarraty@wcasd.net.

Wishing everyone a joyful and festive week ahead!

Ms. Dana DiLiberto, our current school nurse, is transferring to Greystone Elementary School upon our return from winter break on January 2. We are thankful for her dedicated care of our students and families. During Ms. DiLiberto's time at Fern Hill this Fall, she experienced many medical emergencies and always demonstrated utmost professionalism and care for every child and community member involved. Please join me in expressing your appreciation for the compassionate support she has provided to our community.

Beginning on January 2, Mrs. Brittany Garraty will be returning to Fern Hill to step back into the role of our school nurse. Mrs. Garraty was our school nurse for the past three years. She was transferred to Peirce Middle School this Fall and will fortunately be returning to us at FHE in January! Mrs. Garraty will bring along her outstanding communication, organization, and student-centered approach. We’re thrilled to welcome her back and know she will rejoin us with the same warmth and professionalism that our community values.

Looking for the perfect gift to support the young innovator in your family? Our Design Lab Gift Guide offers thoughtful suggestions that align with our Design Lab class, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on exploration. After opening the link, select any of the red price tags to shop for the item online.

The first trimester report cards will be available to families on December 10 through Parent Portal. To view your child's report card, please log into your parent PowerSchool account. Please review the information below to better understand your child's report card.

Grades K-2 - WCASD utilizes standards-based reporting. Each child will receive a 1, 2, 2+, 3, or 4 for each standard addressed this trimester. N/A means that the standard has not yet been assessed.

Please remember that the standards represent end-of-year expectations. In December, you may see many 2’s and some 1’s, which is appropriate for this time of year. The goal is for students to be "on grade level" and meet the standards with a 3 by the third and final report card in June. In addition, please know that 4’s are relatively rare, even at the end of the school year. For a child to reach that level, he/she is performing significantly and consistently above grade level standards and expectations.

Grades 3-5 - WCASD utilizes numeric grades (55-100) that correspond to letter grades (A, B, C, F) for core subjects. Please know that standard grading (1, 2, 3, 4) does not correlate to a letter grade. Teachers utilize various assessments and assignments to determine an overall trimester grade. Parents are encouraged to stay abreast of progress via Parent Portal.

Special education students and reading support students will receive progress reports with the child's report card that goes live on Parent Portal in December.

Learning Related Behaviors (LRBs) are assessed for all students: (NI) needs improvement, (P) progressing, or (DC) demonstrates consistently (DC). Special Area Subjects - For grades K-5, we utilize standards-based reporting as noted above for K-2. LRB are a great starting point for a conversation with your child about their areas for behavioral growth while also celebrating their strengths.

• Fern Hill Bingo Night: Join us for the Annual Fern Hill Bingo Night on Friday, January 31, 6-7 pm. Tickets go on sale January 3rd and are $15 per family which provides 2 Bingo cards per student. You will also be able to pre-order pizza again this year and purchase concessions at the door. See the flyer for more details.

• Family Ice Skating at Ice Line: Join us February 23 from 12-2 for Fern Hill Family Ice Skating at Ice Line in West Chester.

Coming in January! For anyone who did not order pretzels in the beginning of the year, we will be opening up pretzel orders again in January to order through the end of the school year. More details to follow.

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! Click HERE to order.

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