West Chester Area School District
March Newsletter
A NOTE FROM SUBSTITUTE SUPERINTENDENT DR. KALIA REYNOLDS
Dear WCASD Community,
March signals the welcome of spring. On the horizon are days filled with more light, warmer temperatures, and the beauty that change can bring. The start of a new month is a reminder for us to embrace what’s to come.
There are a variety of productions across our schools this month that showcase our students’ many talents, the expertise and dedication of our staff, and the commitment and partnership of our families and community to support student learning in all forms. We invite you to attend an event at one of our schools to celebrate the arts along with us!
With a continued focus on excellence, each day presents an opportunity to check-in on our goals and review how we’re being intentional about making small steps to accomplish key priorities. This calls us to our WCASD Comprehensive Plan. Our team is using this month to take stock of where we are to celebrate the progress that we’re making and to press forward on areas that need continuous improvement.
I hope you will join me this month in continuing to see, smile, and succeed!
To make sure that you don’t miss a moment of the WCASD events and activities, check out the list of upcoming events in our Celebrate the Arts Flyer.
Important Dates:
March: Women’s History Month | National Music in our Schools Month| National Nutrition Month
March 5-11: National School Social Worker Week
March 8: Half-Day Dismissal for Grades K-5; Full-Day for Grades 6-12
March 9: Half-Day Dismissal for Grades K-5; Full-Day for Grades 6-12
March 10: No School for Grades K-5; Full-Day for Grades 6-12
March 13: Pupil Services Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m.
March 13: Education Committee Meeting | 7:00 p.m.
March 14: Pi Day
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 20: Property & Finance Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m.
March 22: Teacher Inservice - No School for Students
March 22: First Day of Ramadan
March 24: Harlem Wizards vs. WCASD Staff at EHS | 6:00 p.m. (Tickets Required)
March 27: School Board Meeting | 7:00 p.m.
Black History Month Museum
Fern Hill Elementary transformed the cafeteria into a Black History Month Museum. Students shared some of the projects they worked on to honor Black History with their peers such as biographies, historical timelines and events, books, and more.
Black History Month Presentations and Food
Rustin High School celebrated Black History Month with live presentations from students in the Black Student Union, informational displays for students and staff to explore at their own pace, and by sharing delicious, traditional recipes with fellow students!
Black History Month Tour
Mary C. Howse also turned their school into an interactive Black History Museum that they opened to their families for an evening last week. Visitors took a tour through the hallways to learn about historically Black colleges and universities, local and national Black leaders, and more.
Coaches advocating for their own players is one thing. But when they commend players from opposing teams, it carries much more weight.
So what does it say when a bunch of soccer coaches all around the Ches-Mont league absolutely rave about West Chester Henderson’s Ryan Kuegler? A lot.
To read what soccer coaches and Kuegler had to say about Ryan being named DLN Soccer Player of the Year, visit Papreplive.com or click the blue button!
Thank you, Gracie and Tommy, for your wonderful report on all of the events, activities, and learning experiences taking place at Stetson Middle School. As Board President Tiernan mentioned, Falcons are incredibly fast so move out of the way because these kids are going places!
We would also like to thank School Board Director, Dr. Kate Shaw, for her dedicated service to this district as a school board director for the past eight years. We have appreciated your insight and tireless advocacy of our students and community and we will greatly miss you!
Dr. Shaw is leaving the board to pursue other opportunities at this time and the district plans to share the next steps to fill the board seat as soon as possible.
Can you spell “dedication” (D-E-D-I-C-A-T-I-O-N)? What about “formulaic” (F-O-R-M-U-L-A-I-C)? While competing in the 2023 Chester County Spelling Bee on February 7, Stetson Middle School student, Christian Miller, proved his dedication to his studies and passion for spelling. Miller took home first place in the competition and qualified to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, MD in May.
Read the full article on MyChesco.Com or by clicking the blue button!
Join Substitute Superintendent, Dr. Kalia Reynolds, for an incredible event that introduces young children to classical music! The Kennett Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Michael Hall, offers a dynamic, kid-friendly, 45-minute children’s concert with a chance for children to try instruments afterwards.
Tickets are $10 each, and the show often sells out, so we recommend getting your tickets soon. Bring the entire family!
To purchase tickets, click the blue button or the event photos!
PMS Wellness Fair Explores Wellness Activities and Strategies
Peirce Middle School’s Wellness Team organized a Wellness Fair for students. The Wellness Fair had over 25 exhibitors that shared information and provided activities for students on a variety of wellness topics.
Students had an opportunity to rotate through the exhibits, try a variety of activities, and collect valuable information on many aspects of wellness. Peirce organizes the Wellness Fair so that students get to experience and learn about the many wellness organizations and services the community provides.
PMS Global Day of Play Celebrates Connection and Fun
Peirce Middle School also joined over one million other students throughout the world by participating in the Global School Day of Play last month. During Unified Arts classes, students played, created, and competed in class games and activities that didn’t require a screen or electronic device. Our Unified Arts teachers lead the fun-filled day for our students.
Come together for an evening of learning and discussion around building community within the WCASD. We will explore how social awareness and relationship skills are foundational to a safe and supportive community for all.
Each session will include purposeful prompts to facilitate sharing, reflection, and solutions-based practices and strategies around building community. Session dates are:
- March 2 - East Feeder Elementary Schools
- March 23 - Middle Schools
- March 30 - Rustin Feeder Elementary Schools
- April 12 - Henderson Feeder Elementary Schools
- April 19 - High Schools
To register for any of the sessions, click the blue button!
The Henderson baseball team got some advice from a special guest as Henderson Alumni and Houston Astros player Chas McCormick stopped by for a visit!
The now World Series Champion talked to students about his path to playing in Major League Baseball, how he prepared for the World Series, and how important it is to keep working hard to achieve your dreams (even if that means early morning practice!).
During the first week of February, the district recognized school counselors, career counselors, mental health specialists, psychologists, crisis intervention specialists, and APT teacher for National Counseling Week. Over 75 staff members received special certificates and were honored at staff get togethers held at each high school. Thank you to all of our mental health staff for your hard work and dedication to our students.
This photo is of our East feeder pattern team...before the Superbowl.
Thank you to all of our West Chester Area Education Foundation (WCAEF) board members, WCASD students and staff, and community members for joining us at last month at the Business Round Table Breakfast event!
We were honored to be able to connect with community members, share the Foundation's mission, discuss different options for getting involved, and have a student give an account of the positive impact the WCAEF has on our district. We look forward to fostering these connections and, if you were not able to join us but are interested in learning more about WCAEF, click the button below.
At various times throughout the year, community members may request a review of instructional materials or books related to the WCASD. When this occurs, the Superintendent can create a committee to review the material in question. Parents and community members are an important part of the committee and review process.
If you would be interested and willing to serve on review committee if the need should arise, we encourage you to complete a brief interest form by clicking the blue button.
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.
