November 14, 2025

As we head into a busy and meaningful stretch of November, here are a few updates to keep on your radar.

• Holiday Food Drive: We are still very much in need of donations to ensure our own Fern Hill families can enjoy a warm and abundant holiday meal this season. Our drive runs through Wednesday—thank you for giving what you can. You also can donate grocery store gift cards to accompany the meal baskets to buy a turkey--sign up here!

• National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is November 17-21. Next week, we’re joining schools across the country in recognizing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. To help raise awareness of youth homelessness, our Fern Hill students and staff are welcome to wear red any day throughout the week. This small act helps shine a light on an important issue that impacts many children and families nationwide.

• Fall Conferences: Conference time is right around the corner, and we encourage all families to confirm their appointment. A reminder that in Grades 4–5, conferences are scheduled with the homeroom teacher, and students are expected to attend their student-led conference. We look forward to partnering with you. PTO also provides lunch for our team on the "long day" -- consider contributing to the staff luncheon HERE.

• Book Fair: While you're here for conferences, stop by the Book Fair! Students will preview early next week, and buying days will take place later in the week. If you’re able to volunteer, we’d love your help (details below).

• Something Good Today: This week, we asked students to share “something good that happened today,” and their responses were full of joy—click here to see what’s filling our bobcats’ buckets!

• Veterans Day Celebration: We were honored to welcome more than 30 veterans to Fern Hill this past week. Students had the chance to recognize them for their service and learn from their experiences through classroom Q&A sessions. Check out the Instagram reel here!

Nov 24 - Student Half Day 12:10 Dismissal; Conferences 1-4pm

Nov 25 - Student Half Day 12:10 Dismissal; Conferences 1-4pm and 5-8pm

Nov 26 - No School for Students; Conference 8-11am

Nov 27-28 - No School for Students - Thanksgiving Break

We’re excited to share that sign-ups for caregiver-teacher conferences is now open!

Our team looks forward to connecting with you to strengthen our partnership through conversation and collaboration about your child’s growth and progress. These conferences are a valuable opportunity to celebrate learning and set goals together.

For families of students in grades 4–5, please note that with our new departmentalized model—where learners receive instruction from all grade-level teachers—you’ll schedule your conference with your child’s homeroom teacher. We’re especially excited that grades 4–5 will host student-led conferences this year to promote student ownership and collaboration in sharing their learning journey. Please be sure to choose a time when your 4th or 5th grader can attend with you.

To schedule your child's conference,

1. Go to https://ptcfast.com/schools/Fern_Hill_Elementary_School

2. Please check the box for your child's homeroom teacher. Families with multiple children will have to do the process individually for each child.

3. Enter your registration information.

4. Check your email (and spam folder) and click on the access link to select your conference time. If you would like to request a conference via zoom, type Zoom Conference in the Special Request box.

5. Click Confirm Selections & Exit. If you need to schedule a conference for another child, go back to https://ptcfast.com/schools/Fern_Hill_Elementary_School

Please contact your classroom teacher with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in the building soon!

Mrs. Jenkins is looking for artists and hobbyists to participate in Guest Artist Day and our very own Fern Hill Art Market! Being a professional artist is not required—anyone with a creative hobby is encouraged to join. We’re inviting individuals who enjoy artistic activities such as henna art, crocheting, photography, watercolor painting, and more to share their talents with our school community. If you or someone you know might be interested, please pass this information along and have them scan the QR code to fill out the interest form. Let’s celebrate the creativity that makes Fern Hill shine!

This week wraps up our 7-part Standards-Based Grading Community Series, and we’re closing it out with a focus on what matters most—partnering together during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Conferences shouldn’t be the first time you hear about your child’s progress, and thanks to tools like Parent Portal, you’ve been able to follow their learning journey throughout the trimester. Our upcoming conferences give us the chance to celebrate growth, look closely at student work, and talk together about academic, social, and emotional goals.

We’re really looking forward to meeting with you soon and having meaningful conversations about your child’s progress.

Below, you’ll also find sample K–2 and 3–5 report cards so you can preview what will be available in Parent Portal in just a few weeks.

Our Fern Hill teachers and staff are quite busy at the upcoming fall conferences, so we want to keep their bellies full during the long days!

The Hospitality Committee is organizing a luncheon and snack cart for Tuesday, 11/25. We greatly appreciate your support by donating drinks, dessert funding, and snacks. Please see this Sign Up Genius for requests.

Thank you in advance for helping to feed our wonderful teachers and staff, they are very appreciative of this long standing Fern Hill tradition! Questions - reach out to sallykilleen421@gmail.com

Join Fern Hill PTO in spreading holiday cheer by donating items for the Thanksgiving and Winter food baskets for select Fern Hill families. Items will be collected from November 5 through the 19. Please see the flyer for grade specific items or click here to donate gift cards.

Soar with dragons and frolic with fairies at our upcoming book fair! Get a head start on books, games, and more at literati.com/store. Our online store is already active and runs through 11/26. Then join us at the Everglow Forest: November 17th-26th in Fern Hill’s Library for the in-person part! Students will have the opportunity to preview and shop during the school day. Families will have an opportunity to shop during conferences. Cash, check and digital gift cards are all accepted. If a family would like to participate in this activity and cannot due to financial means, please reach out to Lisa Baker, Fern Hill Caseworker at lbaker@wcasd.net by Monday November 17th.

We need volunteers!! Click here to sign-up to help with set-up, preview and shopping days!

Want one less thing on your to-do list in May? Order your yearbook early and save 10%—but hurry, the discount ends October 31st!

Click here to purchase [web.treering.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. Easy and quick! Last year we earned $500 from Box Tops for Fern Hill!

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