September 12, 2025
We’ve officially wrapped up our first full five-day week! Students are building their stamina, settling into classroom communities, and diving into meaningful learning. At the same time, teachers are administering Fall benchmark assessments. These assessments help us better understand each child’s strengths and areas for growth so we can plan the most purposeful instruction for the year ahead.
We’re also excited for our first community event of the season—“Fern Hill at the Phillies” tonight at Citizens Bank Park! If you can’t join us this evening, don’t worry—there are plenty of Fall traditions to look forward to, including the Bobcat Bolt, Trunk or Treat, and our Halloween Parade.
A few reminders and highlights:
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Picture Day is coming up on Friday, September 19. Ordering information was shared last week and is linked below.
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This issue also includes a save-the-date for our Halloween Parade, an invitation for Veterans to join us at our Veterans Day assembly, and details about extracurricular opportunities for our 4th and 5th graders.
Bobcat Bolt 2025 – Kicks Off Monday!
Our annual Jog-A-Thon campaign begins on Monday, September 15. Students are encouraged to wear Bobcat blue to show their spirit on kickoff day!
Want to help out? Flyers are attached with details on how you can get involved. If you have any questions, please reach out to our event chair, Heidi Mulherin (heidi.mulherin@gmail.com).
Upcoming Dates
September 15: PTO Open Meeting
September 19: Picture Day
September 22: Half Day for Students; 12:10 Dismissal
September 23: No School for Students
Picture Day is coming up on September 19!
All students will have both an individual photo taken and a class photo. Families are invited to order a photo package through The Barksdale Group.
Hard copy flyers were sent home through your child's Bobcat Folder.
Calling all Veterans!
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.
Unicycle Club – New This Fall!
Calling all 4th and 5th graders who love a challenge—our Unicycle Club is here! Led by Mr. Usilton, students will build balance, focus, and determination as they learn one of the toughest (and most exciting) skills in elementary school: riding a unicycle!
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Meeting Dates: Wednesdays – Nov. 5, 12, 19 & Dec. 3, 10, 17
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Time: 4:00–5:00 PM (pick-up at the library entrance car line)
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Spots: Limited to 12–15 students (lottery if interest exceeds capacity)
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Required: Students must bring their own helmet (limited helmets available if needed).
Permission slips are due by October 15. Questions? Contact Mr. Usilton at musilton@wcasd.net.
Get ready to roll—on one wheel!
Registration Now Open: After School Sports for 4th & 5th Graders
We are excited to announce that registration for After School Sports is now available! Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If your child is not part of this fall session, they will have priority for the next session.
Program Details
- Dates: Monday, September 15 – Monday, November 10
- Schedule:
- Girls meet on Mondays
- Boys meet on Thursdays
- Exclusions: No sessions on holidays, early dismissals, half days, or snow days
- Capacity: 35 students per session
Times & Pick-Up
- Sessions run 3:45–4:45 PM (beginning right after dismissal)
- Pick-up: Promptly at 4:45 PM in the parent-pickup line at the back of the school (library entrance)
- Reminder: After the third late pick-up, your child will be excused from the program for the remainder of the session.
Activity Fee
The West Chester Area School District has implemented a $28 Activity Fee for the 2025–2026 school year. This applies to all students participating in band, orchestra, chorus, or after school sports.
- Please pay the fee before the first session (week of September 15th).
- Visit the West Chester Activity Fee webpage for payment information.
**Please contact Mrs. Katelyn Zarr (kzarr@wcasd.net) with any After School Sports questions.
From the Nurse's Office...Exams Needed!
PA State school health mandated immunization, physical and dental requirements for 25-26 school year:
- All students are required to be up to date with PA state mandated immunizations within the first 5 days of school in order to avoid being excluded from school.
- All kindergarten students and any student registering for the first time to FHE must submit updated physical and dental examination report to the school nurse within the first 60 days of school in order to avoid being excluded from school. Reports can be dated on/after September 2024.
- Rising 3rd Graders- Your child is required to have a dental exam in his/her 3rd grade school year (2025-2026). This is not a new requirement, but WCASD now has a provisional period of 60 days from the start of school. This means your child’s dental exam report is due on or before November 1, 2025. This deadline is a long time off, but the nurse can accept upcoming or recent dental reports any time and update your child’s health record now. Exams must have been after 8/30/2024.
If you have questions about these requirements, please contact our school nurse, Mrs. Brittany Garraty (bgarraty@wcasd.net).
If you registered your child(ren) through WCASD portal and did not upload all or part of the above PA state school health mandates, please send the information to Mrs. Garraty at the above email address as soon as possible.
Thank you for partnering with us to ensure we have your child's most up-to-date medical records on file.
Bobcat Bolt: Help Needed.
Our annual Bobcat Bolt 2025 Jog-A-Thon campaign is only a few weeks away! Know of a great business that might want to help us reach our fundraising goals? Want to help out with the event? Check out the attached flyers for ways to get involved.
Please don't hesitate to e-mail our event chair, Heidi Mulherin (heidi.mulherin@gmail.com) with any questions.
PTO Committee Sign ups- Volunteers needed:
The fun and success of all our school events and fundraisers depends on volunteers. We still have some open spots that need to be filled to ensure our Bobcats have an awesome fun-filled year! Check out all the open spots and sign-up where you want to lend a hand. No prior experience required. If you have questions email Meghan at Meghankaz@gmail.com.
Save the date: Trunk or Treat:
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!
Scan your receipts to earn BoxTops for Fern Hill
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!
K-1 Lunch Volunteer Opportunity
We are so grateful to the families who have signed up to support in the cafeteria. Your time makes a big difference in creating a positive lunchtime experience for our learners!
Volunteer Expectations:
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Encourage independence: Help students open food/drink packages by modeling how to open them, rather than doing it for them.
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Promote safety & order: Remind students to stay seated during lunch.
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Supplies & cleanup: Hand out sporks/napkins as requested, remind students to pick up dropped trash, and help move trash cans around tables when directed by the staff member on duty.
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Bathroom requests: If a student needs to use the bathroom, please direct them to the staff member on duty. Volunteers are not permitted to walk students to the bathroom.
Sign Up Today!
Use the link below to choose your preferred grade & time slot to get started. Guidance will be provided—no experience necessary!
**Please note, volunteer clearances must be on file with the office prior to attending in person.
Cub Scout Pack 122 Update
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.
Volunteer Clearances - Get a Jump Start!
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.
Planning a Vacation?
Fern Hill Elementary School
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