March 13, 2026

What a week it has been! We experienced the best of both worlds with 70+ degree sunshine and a snowfall — all in the same week. Only in our community can we move from short sleeves to snow boots in a matter of days!

🎶 Honors Band Celebration

Several of our talented musicians represented us at the district-wide Honors Band concert, led by Fern Hill’s very own Ms. Letherland.

We are incredibly proud of their hard work and the way they showcased their dedication and musical talent on stage!

🎮 5th Grade Cardboard Arcade

On Friday, our 5th graders took center stage as they hosted K–4 students at their Cardboard Arcade!

This exciting event was the culmination of their Design Lab projects, where students:

• Planned their arcade concepts

• Built original games

• Tested and refined their designs

• Welcomed younger students to experience their creations

It was wonderful to see their creativity, problem-solving skills, and leadership on full display.

📅 Looking Ahead: Conference Week

We look forward to welcoming families into the building next week!

Important Dates:

• March 18 & 19 – Conferences 8-11 & 12:20-3:20 -- No school for students

• March 20 – No school in recognition of Eid Al-Fitr

📚 While You're Here…

When you visit for conferences, we hope you will:

• Stop by the Book Fair

• Check the Lost and Found

Please note: Any remaining Lost and Found items will be donated after conference week.

We are excited to bring back Bobcat Brain Builders on Tuesday evening, March 24th at 6pm. There will be over 40 literacy and math games hosted by WCU education students and Fern Hill teachers to have fun while learning! As they complete each activity, students can earn tickets to choose small prizes. Learn more by checking out the attached flyer or event link below.

This is a schoolwide event - every is welcome to attend.

Please help us out and complete the RSVP at the link below.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Bobcat Brain Builders Event Flyer

RSVP to attend the March 24th Event

March 16-24 - Book Fair

March 18 - Trimester 2 Report Cards Available in PowerSchool

March 18-19 - Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences

• No School for Elementary Learners

March 20 - Schools Closed K-12; Eid Al-Fitr

March 24 - Bobcat Brain Builders Literacy and Math Game Night

March 27 - Jump Rope for Heart

April 1 - Half Day for Students; PM In-Service

April 2 -6 - Schools Closed - No School for Students; Spring Break

Fern Hill is proud to partner with the American Heart Association to help students learn about heart health while making a difference. Through the Kids Heart Challenge, students explore ways to keep their hearts strong, support important research that helps prevent and treat heart disease and stroke, and learn life-saving skills like Hands-Only CPR.

🐾 This Year’s Theme: Adorable Puppies!
Students can earn fun puppy-themed thank-you gifts for participating and spreading heart health awareness. The flyer includes details about the gifts, special prizes for signing up, and extra rewards for completing a Hands-Only CPR mini course.

📅 Main Event
Kids Heart Challenge Event: Thursday, March 27
Rain Date: Monday, March 30
(This will be an outdoor event—fingers crossed for sunshine!)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Join the Fun
Families are welcome to attend! Parents, guardians, grandparents, relatives, and even future Fern Hill Bobcats (ages 3–4) are invited to come celebrate heart health with our community.

Thank you for helping our students learn compassion, leadership, and healthy habits that last a lifetime. Together, Fern Hill Bobcats are making a difference—one heartbeat at a time. 💓

It is time for families to schedule their child’s Spring Conference! Our staff is looking forward to meeting with you for a Spring conference as an opportunity to share your child's progress, strengths, and areas for growth.

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 virtual conference, type Virtual 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

If you do not have internet access, please contact your child’s teacher.

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

• March 18 - No School for Students; Conferences 8-11AM and 12:20-3:20PM

• March 19 - No School for Students; Conferences 8-11AM and 12:20-3:20PM

• March 20 - No School for Students; Schools Closed

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

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!

If you have used child-sized cleats or shin guards, please consider donating them. Real Futbol Club is a local soccer club dedicated to bringing soccer to families in our area. Mrs. Christine Miller and Mrs. Lisa Baker will have boxes in their rooms for any donations. We will take donations until February 13. Thank you!

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

The Hospitality Committee will be providing a luncheon and snack cart on Wednesday, March 18. Main dishes will be catered. Donations of newly purchased drinks, snacks, and dessert funding are being accepted. Please check out the Sign Up Genius here. Thank you in advance for helping to feed our wonderful teachers and staff, they are very appreciative of this long standing Fern Hill tradition!

The Fern Hill PTO is offering discounted Hersheypark tickets for just $49 each (regularly up to $90+ for ages 3+ during summer). Tickets are valid April 3, 2026 – January 3, 2027, and every purchase supports our PTO.

Order online via the PTO website by Sunday, April 19th and tickets will be distributed the following week via e-mail. Note: You may purchase tickets for family and friends, but you cannot sell them to the general public. For orders over 9 tickets, please submit an additional form.

The Literati Book Fair is coming March 16th-24th; join us as we seek stories on the seven seas! All purchases benefit our school PTO. We would love your help with the book fair. Please sign up here to help with set-up, preview days, shopping days, and breakdown! See the attached tentative class schedule to see when your child(ren) will be participating.The online book fair remains active now!

The book fair will also be open for family shopping during conferences March 18th-19th. Thank you for helping make this adventure possible! Reach out with any questions to Victoria Hackett at vhackett7928@gmail.com

All payment types are accepted; Gift cards are available to purchase online. Please make checks out to Fern Hill Elementary PTO.

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 Megan 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.

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