May 1, 2026

This Past Week at a Glance

• 🎶 Spring Concert
  Our Band, Chorus, and Orchestra impressed with a wonderful showcase of their hard work and musical growth.
• 🚌 Bus Driver Appreciation Day
  We recognized our dedicated drivers who ensure students arrive safely each day—thank you!
• ✅ PSSAs Complete!
  Students showed focus and perseverance—great effort across the board!
• 🚲 Bubble Bike Parade (see the Instagram reel here)
  A joyful, school-wide celebration to close Autism Acceptance Month with inclusion and fun.
• 🏅 Special Olympics
  We proudly supported our bobcats representing our community with determination and spirit with a clap-out as they boarded the bus!

This Weekend:

• 🎺 5th Grade Band @ Blue Rocks
  An exciting performance opportunity for our young musicians in a professional setting.

• 🏃‍♀️ Girls on the Run 5K
  After weeks of training, our runners are ready to accomplish their goal—good luck!

Coming Up Next Week:

• ⭐ Staff Appreciation Week
  We celebrate our incredible teachers and support staff—caregivers are encouraged to share a note of gratitude.
• 🎓 5th Grade Transition Visit
  Fugett MS Principal Lewis will meet with students to support a smooth move to middle school.
• 💻 5/7 Departmentalization Meeting (6:00 PM, Teams) - Register to attend
  Join us to learn more about this district-wide initiative and what it means for students.

May 4 - May 15 - Read with Rita's

May 11 - 3rd Grade Field Trip

May 12 - Art Show & Market 5-7pm

May 13 - 4th & 5th Grade Track Meet at WCU

May 16 - Bobcat Block Party 3-6pm

May 18 - Beginner Band and Strings Concert @6:30PM

May 19 - No School - Teacher In-Service

May 20 - 5th Grade Field Trip

May 22 - Kindergarten Field Trip

May 25 - No School

May 26 - Senior Walk for High School Graduates

May 27 - No School

May 28 - Heritage Day

May 29 - Fun Day - Families welcome!

Save the date for the Art Show on May 12 from 5-7pm!

Are you interested in helping the art show come alive? Email Mrs. Jenkins @ejenkins@wcasd.net to coordinate a time to hang artwork. Feel free to volunteer anytime during the school day!

From Principal Lewis -

Please note that the Fugett MS 101 Parent Meeting for our feeder elementary schools will take place on Wednesday, May 6. The start time has been updated to 7:00 PM (previously 6:30 PM). Families should report to the Fugett auditorium for the opening welcome. We kindly ask that you share this update with your families to ensure a successful event.

We are excited to meet the parents and guardians of the Class of 2033 and begin building strong partnerships ahead of their transition to middle school.

Thank you for all that you do in support of our students and school communities. We look forward to welcoming our incoming 6th grade students in August 2026!

We are excited to invite you and your students to participate in this year’s “Read with Rita’s” program, running from May 4th–15th! As the weather warms up, we know it can be tough to keep students motivated to read—but this fun and simple program is designed to reignite their enthusiasm.

Students are asked to complete 120 minutes of reading each week, either at home or in school. Reading can be done independently or with someone at home, and all time is tracked on a reading log, then confirmed by a parent or teacher. Once a student completes their goal, the bottom of their log will need to be signed by a teacher and can be redeemed at the West Chester Rita’s for a FREE kid-size Italian Ice—one per week, for a maximum of two. Let’s keep our students reading and enjoying sweet rewards along the way!

Logs will be sent home on May 4!

Our annual WCASD Elementary Track Meet is coming up on Wednesday, May 13 (rain date: May 15) at Farrell Stadium (WCU). All 4th and 5th grade students will attend and participate in a variety of running and field events during this exciting day of teamwork, effort, and school spirit!

Families are encouraged to join us as spectators or volunteers to help support events throughout the day.

Action Required:
👉 Please complete the permission form by April 17 (it takes just 2 minutes)

👉Consider volunteering! Click here for volunteer information and to sign up.

Additional details, including what to bring and volunteer information, can be found in the full event overview.

We are excited to host our FHE Heritage Day on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 9:00-3:30 and are looking for parent and guardian volunteers to participate. Heritage Day is a full-day event where students learn about and explore cultures from around the world. Volunteers may share their culture through materials, presentations, food, pictures, or by teaching students about customs and traditions. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the Google Form linked below. We would love to celebrate and learn from our school community.

In WCASD’s full-day kindergarten, learning begins with play. Through hands-on, play-based experiences, children build language skills, confidence, creativity, and friendships while learning how to work together and try new things.

It’s a joyful foundation that supports your child’s growth today and sets them up for success in the years ahead. We can’t wait to welcome your family to the WCASD Way!

As the school year starts to wind down, it’s the perfect time to make sure you’ve purchased your yearbook. It’s such a special way to capture all the memories, friendships, and moments from this year that you’ll want to look back on for years to come. Don’t miss out on having a keepsake of all the fun and milestones, be sure to order yours before it’s too late!

Click here to purchase [web.treering.com

Come on out to the Bobcat Block Party May 16 from 3-6 PM at Fern Hill. Rain date May 30. More details to come. We can’t wait to see you there!

Teacher Appreciation week is next week and we’d like send a big THANK YOU to Jill Podhiny and the Hospitality Committee for their time, effort, and talent in organizing a fun and special week to honor our hardworking, amazing teachers at Fern Hill.

It’s not too early to start thinking about how you’d like to be involved at Fern Hill next year! The PTO Board is a fantastic way to make a difference and be involved in our many fun events and fundraisers! Several spots will be vacant with our fifth grade families moving on. If you have any questions please reach out to Meghan Kazanjian at meghankaz@gmail.com

Calling all Fern Hill parents! We are looking for parents to join together to start a Fern Hill Chapter of West Chester Unplugged! Please reach out to Ali Haas at ahaas19603@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining. This is for parents interested in learning about and setting boundaries for technology with our kids, both at home and in school.

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. Easy and quick! Last year we earned $500 from Box Tops for Fern Hill!

• Tuesday, May 12: 11am - 9pm Dining Night Out at Patelmo's Pizzeria (20% of sales)

• Tuesday, June 2: 4-8pm. Dining Night Out at Chipotle West Chester (25% of sales @ 101 Turner Lane)

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.

• Fern Hill Website
• PTO Website
• Vacation Approval Request Form

• FHE: Kindergarten Lunch Duty
• FHE: 1st Grade Lunch Duty

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