October 10, 2025

What a week at Fern Hill! Our Bobcat Bolt community soared past our $23,000 goal, raising an incredible $36,000+ to support our school—thank you to every student, family, and staff member who contributed!

Students enjoyed some well-deserved rewards for their hard work:

• The winning coin jar class celebrated with a fun minute-to-win-it challenge.

• Our top 10 fundraisers had the unforgettable experience of pieing Dr. Southmayd in the face!

• The top 3 fundraising classes aimed for the ultimate splash in the dunk bucket challenge to soak Dr. Southmayd.

• Plus, all students got active on inflatable obstacle courses during a special recess!

This past week also included our first security drill of the year, giving students and staff a chance to practice situational awareness and prepare for emergencies in a safe, structured way.

Looking Ahead to Next Week:

• Friday, October 17: Student half-day with 12:10 PM dismissal

• Monday, October 20: No school for students

And don’t forget—Trunk or Treat tickets are on sale now! Trunk spots are already sold out, so make sure to purchase your tickets in advance. It’s sure to be a spooktacular evening on Saturday, October 18! Check the PTO News section below for details.

October 17 - Half Day for Students (12:10 Dismissal)

October 18 - PTO Trunk or Treat

October 20 - No School for Students

October 31 - Halloween Parade and Class Parties

Join us in cheering on our 5th grade Fern Hill Band students as they perform alongside the West Chester East High School Marching Band for Band Night 2025! Our young musicians will help rally the crowd, share their love of music with the community, and experience the excitement of Friday night football!

The game kicks off at 7:00 PM, and our band will be performing throughout the game up until halftime. It’s a fun-filled evening of music, football, and school spirit. Most importantly, it’s a great way to come together as an East Feeder Pattern family to support our amazing students.

Ticket Link: https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/wcasd/L2VtYmVkL2FsbD9zY2hvb2xzPTE0

Hope to see you there,

Ms. Letherland & our Bobcat Band 💙🎶🎺

Parent Portal continues to be your one-stop shop for all things school, including your child's gradebook! Be sure you have created an account, and that you have set your notifications to receive alerts when new grades are added on a weekly basis. Families are also encouraged to download the Parent Portal access for a cleaner look on your smartphone while you are on the go!

Gradebooks are continuously updated to keep you informed of your child's progress. Report Cards will continue to be sent home on a trimester basis and are an average of your child's grades all trimester long.

We’re excited to introduce our district’s new Portrait of a Graduate, which highlights the durable skills our students will carry with them long after they leave our classrooms. These traits—problem-solving, adaptability, empathy, responsibility, and communication—will be woven into daily instruction and learning experiences here at Fern Hill.

This Portrait was developed by a district committee with representation from families, staff, students, and community members, and we’re grateful for their time and dedication. We look forward to sharing how these skills are coming to life in our classrooms and helping students grow into thoughtful, capable learners and leaders.

If you are a family member of a current Fern Hill Elementary student or staff member and you are a veteran or currently serving in the Armed Forces, we would like to invite you to our annual Veterans Day Celebration on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. We want to have the opportunity to say THANK YOU for serving our nation! Guests can arrive at 8:45 AM. We will begin with refreshments in the cafeteria with your Fern Hill host from 8:45 - 9:15 a.m. Following refreshments, we will move to the gymnasium for a school-wide assembly. If you can attend, please fill out the form below so that we can be prepared for your attendance. Thank you for your service, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Click here to sign up a veteran!

Please contact our Veterans Day coordinators, Mrs. Stefano (astefano@wcasd.net) or Mrs. Heckenberger (mheckenberger@wcasd.net) with any questions.

The Bobcat Bolt was a resounding success, raising over $36,000!! Thank you to all our Bobcat families for helping take us far over the finish line.

A big thank you to all that helped with the event and a HUGE thank you to our Fundraising Chair extraordinaire, Heidi Mulherin! Your passion for this event and fundraising for our school shines in all you do!

Join us for one of the favorite events of the year: Fern Hill’s Annual Trunk or Treat, Saturday, October 18 from 6-7:15 in Fern Hill’s parking lot. New this year- we’ll have Chick-fil A on site for food purchases! Tickets are on sale now and are $5 per child, age 5+. Use the links below to get tickets, sign up to help, or register your trunk. We can’t wait to see you there!

• Click here to register your trunk
• Click here to sign up to help at the event
• Click here to purchase tickets

Don’t miss Fern Hill PTO’s annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest!

We're seeking decorated (un-carved) pumpkin designs for our school pumpkin patch contest. Drop off completed designs in the front of school between 10/13 - 10/17 in order to qualify. For more information and to sign up click here. Please contact Jessica Mootz @ Jessicamootz27@gmail.com with any questions.

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!

Explore the outdoors and have fun with friend too! Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) has activities and adventures for Boys and Girls from Kindergarten to 12th grade!

On Wednesday, September 10th at 6PM, Cub Scout Pack 122 (chartered to the East Goshen Elementary School HSA) will hold their "Join Scouting Night" event at East Goshen Park near the amphitheater. Join the pack this year will be Troop 21B and Troop 76G - so middle and high school kids are welcome to come too! We will be teaching some fire safety while roasting marshmallows, exploring a model campsite, building edible fires and launching paper rockets. Bring your family out to learn about the Scouting program and the fun activities each unit has lined up for this school year.

Questions? Email cubscoutpack122.westchester@gmail.com.

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