West Chester Area School District

Dear WCASD Community,

I want to thank all of you, our students, families, staff, and community for making this month one to remember. From the Harlem Wizards’ Event to multiple teams coming home as State Champions and so much more, our students and families have shown how exceptional the West Chester Area School District truly is.

Although this month has also been filled with many challenges, we cannot forget to celebrate all of the exceptional ways that we’ve come together, how we’ve recognized each other’s successes, and how much we have to look forward to!

As you can see, our monthly newsletters continue to get longer and longer, and while I know that means there is a lot to read and take in, the amount of positive stories and upcoming events that we want to share with you reminds me of all the reasons I am proud to be your superintendent.

It’s hard to imagine but the next few months as we get closer to the end of the school year will be even busier and pass by all that much more quickly. Enjoy every moment!

To make sure that you don’t miss any of the events coming up for the WCASD, check out the list of upcoming events below and our Celebrate the Arts Flyer.

Important Dates:

April: Autism Acceptance Month | National Poetry Month | School Library Month

April 1: House of Hope Charity Concert | 7:00 p.m.

April 11: Education Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m.

April 11: Pupil Services Committee Meeting | 7:00 p.m.

April 14-18: Spring Break - Schools Closed

April 19: Property & Finance Committee | 6:30 p.m.

April 25: School Board Meeting | 7:00 p.m.

April 26: Community Conversations Part 3 | 6:30 p.m.

Exton Elementary School celebrated its 80th birthday this month, making it the oldest continuously operating building within the West Chester Area School District.

Students and staff selected items to add to a time capsule that would show future Exton Eagles what the school was like in 2022 and they decorated hallways, created a memory lane, sang Happy Birthday, and had fun with their mascot, Hawkeye!

Graduates of West Chester Area School District that are currently pursuing an education major at Immaculata University visited all three high schools this semester. The alumni spoke on what led them to pursue a teaching career and their experience in their current program, as well as provided current high school students with advice on how to select a college that is right for them!

Please join the WCASD for a virtual parent session focused on Digital Safety on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. We will address students’ use of technology at home, technology balance, and digital footprints.

To register, click the photo or button below!

Thank you, Zaria and Lucy, for your informative reports and leading us in a salute to the flag!

Thank you as well to our Student Representative from East High School, Eleana Rudderow, for bringing senior art to showcase.

Have you bought your tickets yet for the annual House of Hope Charity Concert on Friday, April 1, at 7 PM?

What are you waiting for!? Join us at West Chester East High School for an evening celebrating local high-school talent while also benefitting the community. All concert proceeds go towards supporting the Home of the Sparrow.

In honor of International Epilepsy Awareness Day, Mrs. Rosini joined her son Dominic's class to celebrate Purple Day and spread awareness about epilepsy. Dominic and his family are the driving force behind a new law in Pennsylvania that promotes seizure recognition and response training for school personnel.

Mrs. Rosini read The Great Katie Katie Explains Epilepsy to Dominic's class and together they answered questions!

WCASD high school students visited Good Fellowship EMS and Training Institute through the career exploration program. Students learned the training and skills needed to work in emergency medical services and received a tour of the facilities. Thank you Good Fellowship EMS and Training Institute for hosting our students!

Required documents to complete your child's registration include:

• Birth certificate
• Immunization records
• Two proofs of residency – one must be the mortgage statement, lease or deed and the second can be a current utility bill, cable bill, etc.
• The nurse's office will need the latest physical and dental exam, though these items can be turned in after registration.

To register:

1. Go to the district site and select New Student Registration
2. Select ‘Register for the 22-23 School Year’. Please note, registrations cannot be complete without the documents listed above.
3. Once you submit the enrollment you may not revisit the form. Please be sure you have included all necessary documentation before making your submission.

After their classmates cheered them on as they left for the competition, Henderson's Unified Bocce Team went on to earn the State Championship!

GIANT partnered with our school district’s food service organization to help support children in our school district facing food insecurity. Thank you to everyone in our community who "rounded up" at the register and donated the proceeds to the district over the last few months!

Starkweather's physical education teacher and her morning students know how to wake themselves and the whole school up in the morning - with some fun colors, loud music, and fast-paced drumming!

Students get their exercise in while keeping rhythm with Ms. Douglas as they drum on exercise balls to classic music.

The community was invited to come out to relax and enjoy coffee, snacks, music, henna, and the exceptional student artwork on display!

Local author and former Daily Local reporter, Bruce Mowday, visits Rustin High School to share some of the darker side of Chester County's history with American Government and Sociology classes.

He shared his up close and personal experience with a notorious local gang from the 1970s known as the Johnston Brothers. The 1980s movie "At Close Range" starring Christopher Walken and Sean Penn is based on the actual activities of the Johnston Brothers. Bruce has written over 20 books, and one student was even able to have him resign a copy his parents' owned and Bruce signed over 10 years ago.

Students learned how seeds can grow without soil, the importance of bees, careers in agriculture and much more.

The Henderson Girls Ice Hockey Team won the Flyers Cup and the WC East Boys Ice Hockey Team were also Flyers Cup champions for the second year in a row!

We are so proud of these exceptional student athletes!

Penn Wood Elementary students not only learned about snakes, turtles, and rabbits, they actually got to meet a few too!

The Elmwood Park Zoo brought a few furry, and not so furry friends, with them to help answer student questions about what wild animals eat, how long they live, where they typically live and much more!

While visiting and chatting with international students at WC East, Dr. Sokolowski also got to hold the other special, and much smaller, visitor joining the class - an adorable puppy!

Thank you to Fulton Bank, a wonderful supporter of our district and students, for this generous donation!

Many families came out to the Harlem Wizards’ event benefiting students throughout our district through the West Chester Area Education Fund. The excitement and fun felt throughout the East High School Gym was incredible!

And thank you again to all of our incredible volunteers and sponsors for making this such a wonderful night!

The Stetson Equity team was joined by Carlos Ojeda, dynamic youth empowerment speaker, and founder of Cool Speak. He shared his own story of growth and empowerment and encouraged students to find their voices!

This Chester County Intermediate Unit event will focus on examining current digital interaction apps and platforms, increasing parental awareness of digital interaction threats and identifying the steps that parents can take to keep children safe.

Participants will explore the digital connections children make through social media, gaming systems and various online applications.

Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

The West Chester Area School District Water Quality Education Center was recently awarded the MWEE School of Excellence Award for planning the design, construction, and development of the Water Quality Education Center by students, and also development and implementation of Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences by teachers and students.

Did you know that the WCASD offers a Senior Tax Reduction Incentive Volunteer Exchange Program designed to assist Senior Citizens with the burden of Real Estate Taxes? In return for volunteering their services through this program, senior citizens may be entitled to a rebate of property taxes in accordance with the guidelines outlined on our Senior Tax Reduction Incentive Volunteer Exchange Program webpage.

Before applying to the program, we encourage those interested to review the attached brochure below and the guidelines on our website.

Attention WCASD parents, teachers, coaches and the community! East Bradford Neighbors Magazine is constantly looking for a few students who have done or are doing something of interest academically, athletically, artistically or in the community to feature in the magazine. If you know a student that has been achieving their personal best, share up to 500 words about them and what they've been up to along with one or two high-resolution photos for them to be considered.

Email East Bradford Neighbors Magazine Publisher Fay Steiger (fsteiger@bestversionmedia.com) to submit an article about your favorite kid! The deadline is the 5th of every month.

Do you or your student have a teacher that has made their experience at WCASD extra special? Or maybe one of their coaches or the school nurse have made a difference?

Share a story, quote or photo of a memorable teacher or moment with us so that we can help celebrate all of the exceptional educators in the WCASD!