October 30, 2026

It was another busy and fun week at Fern Hill! Our staff had some fun with an undercover spirit week, leaving our Bobcats guessing the theme each day. Third grade also headed to Elmwood Park Zoo on Wednesday, where they had the chance to see a real bobcat in action! We capped off the week on Friday with our annual Halloween Parade and classroom parties. Thank you to all of our families who joined us for the parade and to our party volunteers who helped make the afternoon such a fun experience for our students. We wish all of our trick-or-treaters a wonderful Halloween night on Saturday!

As we look ahead to next week, please remember that there is no school on Tuesday, November 3, for Election Day. Also, conference sign-ups for Thanksgiving week opened at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 30. More information about conferences and how to sign up is included below.

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 departmentalized model—where learners receive instruction from all grade-level teachers—you’ll schedule your conference with your child’s homeroom teacher.

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

As a reminder, the school schedule for conference week is as follows:

• November 23 – Half Day for Students; Conferences 1-4PM

• November 24 – Half Day for Students; Conferences 1-4PM; 5-8PM

• November 25 – No School for Students; Conference 8-11AM

• November 26 – No School For Students

• November 27 – No School For Students

• Oct 30 - Conferences Sign Up Released
• Nov 3 - Teacher In-Service
• Nov 23 - 1/2 Day for Students; 12:10 Dismissal -- Conferences 1-4pm
• Nov 24 - 1/2 Day for Students; 12:10 Dismissal -- Conferences 1-4pm & 5-8pm
• Nov 25 - No School for Students -- Conferences 8-11am
• Nov 26-27 - No School for Students

The district recently shared its new K-5 Purposeful Technology Use Guidelines, designed to support balanced learning experiences across our elementary classrooms. These guidelines establish clearer expectations for screen time, encourage purposeful technology use, and protect important opportunities for hands-on learning, creativity, and connection. We're excited to continue putting this guidance into practice while keeping what matters most at the center of every decision: our students!

We encourage families to explore the guidelines and additional information on the district website.

Mr. Usilton is excited to offer our 4th and 5th grade learners two different extracurricular opportunities. Students are all signed up and they are ready to kick off the after-school sports season!

Once you enter a request, Mrs. Spiegel will send the car tag home with your child.

Help the PTO distribute our classic mini pretzel orders on select Fridays throughout the year! This task is completed from 8:15-9:00am so that homeroom teachers have them on hand before the students arrive. This is a fun job for your student to help with, too!

Sign Up Here

The holiday food drive is almost here! Help the PTO fill Thanksgiving and Winter food baskets for select Fern Hill families. Donations will be collected from November 5th-November 19th. See the flyer for grade-specific donation items or click here to donate gift cards and other items needed!

A big thank-you to all our attendees, trunk decorators, sponsors, volunteers, and Trunk or Treat Committee for making our event a success! We appreciate your time, creativity, and support in making this a fun and memorable event for everyone!

If you would like to join the Trunk or Treat Committee next year, please email Stephanieannfawcett@gmail.com

Until next year — Happy Halloween! 🍬👻

And the Trunk Winners Are:

1st Place - Candy land - Cosgrove Family

2nd Place - Stranger Things - Smith Family

3rd Place - Skeletons- Ovelman Family

(INSERT WINNERS PHOTO)

LAST CALL FOR INPUT ON THE TRUNK OR TREAT - Your responses will help shape next year’s event! - TAKE SURVEY

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.

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

• FHE: Kindergarten Lunch Duty
• FHE: 1st Grade Lunch Duty
• Replacement Car Tag Request Form

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