Supply Lists & Reading Lists

Miss. Hatfield:

About Me: Welcome to Kindergarten! I am Miss Hatfield and I am looking forward to being your teacher for this school year! I recently graduated with my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from West Chester University and have been teaching kindergarten for five years. The younger grades are my absolute favorite to teach! I love the children's curiosity and excitement for learning new things.

Fun Fact: I have a cat named Toodles. I love to travel and enjoy road trips in particular! I like reading, baking, and pizza :)

Contact: Lyanne Hatfield  lhatfield@dasd.org

Miss Hatfield Kindergarten Letter

Mrs. Johnson:

About Me: Hi there! My name is Mrs. Molly Johnson, and I am so excited to be your student’s kindergarten teacher this year! I’m so excited for another great year in kindergarten. 

I currently live in West Chester with my husband and our two cats, Koichi and Amelia. In my free time, I love golfing, reading, going to Orangetheory Fitness, and
watching the Real Housewives.

My Experience: This is my fourth school year teaching! This will be my second year in kindergarten at East Ward. I hold a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Psychology
from Franklin & Marshall College and a M.S. in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum from Drexel University.

My Favorites: 
Book Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Color: Pink
Coffee: Starbucks
Sport: Golf
Teams: Eagles and Phillies
Store: Target
Candy: Twizzlers or Milkyways

Contact: Please feel free to reach out via email at mjohnson@dasd.org or call me at (610) 269-8282, ext. 23116

Mrs. Johnson Kindergarten Letter

Mrs. Riggins:

About Me: My name is Mrs. Riggins. I have my Masters in Reading, Bachelors in Elementary Education and Special Education. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach or being outdoors. I live in West Chester with my husband. This is my 7th year at East ward. I can't wait for another great year in Kindergarten!

Favorite Things:
The Beach
Reading
Family
Tacos
Elephants
Sports
Nature 

Contact: Alyssa Riggins  ariggins@dasd.org

Mrs. Riggins Kindergarten Letter
 

Ms. Seygal:

About me: Hi there! I'm Ms. Seygal (pronounced sigh-gull), and I live in Downingtown with my husband, our 2-year-old son Arlo, and our newest addition—baby Hudson, who just arrived a month ago! This summer, I’ve been soaking up all the newborn snuggles and enjoying sunny days in Hilton Head Island, SC. I love spending time outdoors, especially with an iced coffee in hand, walking to local coffee shops, and making memories with my family. This year marks my 10th year of teaching, and I’m so excited to meet you when I return from maternity leave in November. Kindergarten is such a fun year—you’re going to learn and grow so much!

My Favorites: Iced coffee | Traveling | Peloton | Avocado | PB M&Ms | Beach | Cooking

My Education: Graduated from West Chester University in 2015 with bachelor’s in Grades PK-4 & Special Education PK-8 | M. Ed. in Educational Technology | M. Ed. in Educational Development & Strategies

Contact me: aseygal@dasd.org

Teacher Letter

Mrs. German:

About Me: Hello Families! I am Mrs. German and I am so excited to be your child's kindergarten teacher! I recently graduated with my Masters Degree in Elementary Education and this will be my 4th year teaching in the Downingtown School District. Kindergarten is my absolute favorite grade to teach and I can't wait to watch your children  grow each day! 

Fun Fact:  I am a proud DASD parent and have 3 small dogs who we all adore. When I am not in the classroom or with my family, I love to cook, read my kindle, and travel to the beach!

About Me:
Welcome to Kindergarten! I’m Miss Torres and I’m so excited to be your child’s teacher this year! I recently graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Elementary Education PreK-4 and a minor in Math Education PreK-8. This is my first year at East Ward, and I can’t wait to learn and grow alongside your children. Kindergarten is such a special time full of curiosity and discovery, and I’m thrilled to be part of this journey with your family! 

Things I love:

• Dancing

• Philly sports (especially the Phillies and the Eagles)

• Watching the sunset

• The beach

• Spending time with my family

Fun Fact:

My grandparents live on a farm in Puerto Rico - I love to visit and spend time there!

Miss Reilly:

About Me: The 2025-2026 school year will be my ninth year in First Grade at East Ward! I received my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at the University of South Carolina. I have my Master’s Degree in Educational Development and Strategies and am working towards my Reading Specialist Certification. I am from the Downingtown area. My favorite things to do are spend time with friends and family, read, and enjoy time down the shore. I am looking forward to a great year ahead!

About First Grade: We will spend this school year learning a lot! We will expand on reading and math skills from Kindergarten while exploring new strategies as well. Students will learn about holidays around the world, air and weather, and more! We will be reading many books and using hands on learning to grow our understanding!

My Favorites: 
Drink: Coffee
Stores: Target, Amazon, Anthropologie
Hobbies: Reading, spending time with friends and family, cheering on the Eagles!
Food: Chick-Fil-A, Al Pastor, The Juice Pod, Starbucks
Happy Place: The Beach
Children's Books: Books with positive messages & funny stories

Contact: kreilly@dasd.org

Miss Reilly Teacher Letter

Mrs. Fessenbecker

Welcome: Hello there! My name is Mrs. Fessenbecker (formerly Ms. Zamudio). I am so excited to teach your little ones everything they need to be successful! We will learn new reading, writing, and math strategies, and we will explore various science and social studies topics this year! I look forward to meeting and working alongside you and your child!

About Me: This is my sixth year teaching. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education.

My Favorites:
Sea Turtles
Taylor Swift
Reading
Beach time
The color blue
Chocolate with Almonds
Coffee!!!

Welcome: ¡Hola! Mi nombre es la Sra. Fessenbecker (anteriormente Sra. Zamudio). ¡Estoy muy emocionada de enseñarles a tus pequeños todo lo que necesitan para tener éxito! Aprenderemos nuevas estrategias de lectura, escritura y matemáticas, ¡y exploraremos varios temas de ciencias y estudios sociales este año! ¡Espero conocerte y trabajar junto a ti y a tu hijo!

About Me: Este es mi sexto año enseñando. Tengo una Licenciatura en Educación Primaria y Especial.

Algunas de mis cosas favoritas son:
Tortugas Marinas
Taylor Swift
Lectura
Tiempo en la playa
El color azul
Chocolate con Almendras
¡¡¡Café!!!

Contact: safessenbecker@dasd.org

Mrs. Fessenbecker Teacher Letter

Greetings 1st grader,

Welcome to one of the most incredible years you will have at East Ward.  This year will be exciting for the both of us. This will be a positive year for your child as we build on past successes and learn new things in first grade. With home and school working together, your child’s academic and social skills will become even stronger throughout the year.  They will learn how to read, write, add, subtract, and most importantly have fun.  I hope to make your child’s first grade year a fun, successful, and memorable one. 

Now a little bit about myself.  This is going to be my 27th year of teaching.  

I taught 4th grade for one year and 2nd grade for 6 years in West Chester and Coatesville School Districts.  I taught 5th grade here at East Ward for 13 years. This will be my 8th year teaching first grade. I am so excited.

I am looking forward to meeting you at Back To School Night on Wednesday, August 20th. Remember school begins on Monday August 25th.  If you want to contact me before school, feel free to email me at npallinisnook@dasd.org.  

Sincerely,

Mrs.  Pallini-Snook (You can call me Mrs.  Snook)

Mrs. Snook Teacher Letter

Welcome! Hi! My name is Mrs. Sabulsky (formerly Miss Lewis). I am so excited to be your teacher this year! I graduated from Penn State University and am currently getting my reading specialist certification. This is my fourth year teaching and my second year teaching 1 grade. You will learn so much as a 1 grader and we will have lots of fun along the way. I am looking forward to this year and meeting you. It’s going to be wonderful!

My Favorites:
Hobby: Crochet
Color: Yellow
Flower: Sunflower
Drink: Iced coffee
Subject to teach: Reading
Subject to learn: Math
Candy: Chocolate

Contact: klewis@dasd.org *subject to change*

¡Bienvenida! ¡¡Hola! Me llamo Sra. Sabulsky (antes Srta. Lewis). ¡Estoy muy emocionada de ser su maestra este año! Me gradué de la Universidad Estatal de Pensilvania y actualmente estoy obteniendo mi certificación como especialista en lectura. Este es mi cuarto año como maestra y mi segundo año enseñando primer grado. Aprenderán muchísimo como alumnos de primer grado y nos divertiremos mucho en el proceso. Tengo muchas ganas de conocerlos este año. ¡Será maravilloso!

Mis Favoritas:
Pasatiempo: Ganchillo
Color: amarillo
Flor: Girasol
Bebida: café helado
Materia a impartir: Lectura 
Materia a aprender: Matemáticas
Dulces: Chocolate

Conocer a la profesora: klewis@dasd.org  

Mrs. Sabulsky Teacher Letter

Dear New Second Grader,

Welcome to second grade! My name is Ms. MacLean and I will be your teacher this year. I am so excited to get to know you! This will be my 14th year of teaching and my seventh year at East Ward.

I hope you’ve been having a lot of fun over the summer! I have spent a lot of time visiting my family, traveling to other countries (Cambodia and Thailand!), and playing with my rescue dog, Rose. I’m excited to learn more about your favorite activities and hobbies this year!

We will be doing amazing things together in second grade! We will read fantastic books, write our own stories, solve challenging math problems, and work together as a classroom family. I hope you are getting excited for school to start! A few things you can do this summer to be ready for second grade are read books with your family, write in a notebook or journal, and practice your first grade math skills like addition and subtraction.

In order for me to get to know you a little better, please fill out the attached survey with your family. You can bring the survey with you to Back to School Night or on the first day of school! You will also find our second grade supply list attached to this note. Any and all supply donations are so appreciated!

Continue to have fun this summer! Play outside a lot and keep reading! I can’t wait to meet you!

Warmly,

Ms. MacLean

Ms. MacLean Teacher Letter

Second Grade Back to School Survey

Please fill this out and return it at Back to School Night or on the first day of school!

My name is: 
I like to be called:
(Nickname if you have one):
My pronouns are: (she/her, he/his, they/them, etc.).
My favorite thing to do outside of school is:
My favorite thing to do at school is:
My favorite subject in school is:
My least favorite subject in school is:
Tell me anything else you want me to know about you!
 

Greetings Second Grader,

My name is Miss Buff and I’m so excited to be your teacher this year! I recently graduated from West Chester University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and I can’t wait to start this school year with you.

Some of my favorite things to do are travel, spend time with my family and friends, and enjoy activities outside.

I hope you had a fun and relaxing summer! I’m looking forward to meeting you and kicking off a great year together in second grade!

All my best,

Miss Buff

Teacher Letter

Welcome to Second Grade!

Hello! My name is Mrs. Bretz and I will be your teacher this year. I am very excited to have you in my class! We are going to have a lot of fun together this year and we are going to learn a lot of new, exciting things.

I hope your summer has been wonderful and filled with fun activities. I have had a fantastic summer! I spent a lot of time with my family and read a lot of great books. I hope that you did, too. Below you can see pictures of me with my two kids Allie and Ryan, as well as our dogs Bella and Miley. I love spending the summer with my family, but I am also so excited to get back to school!

There are some supplies you will need for second grade. Please see the supply list attached to this letter or on the East Ward website.

I know the first day of school and starting a new school year can bring all kinds of feelings…excitement, nervousness, and everything in between. That’s totally normal! Second grade is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. If you come to school ready to learn you will be an amazing second grader. I will certainly help you with whatever you may need. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help. I believe in you already!

Enjoy your last few weeks of summer fun! We will have a Back to School Open House for Second Grade on Wednesday, August 20th from 6-7:00. You can come at any time during that hour. Feel free to bring your school supplies with you that night! I will also be sharing a Back to School Video that you can watch to learn more about second grade. I’m looking forward to meeting you at our Back to School Open House or on the first day of school. I can’t wait to have an amazing year with you!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kelly Bretz

Mrs. Bretz Teacher Letter

Dear Second Grader!

My name is Ms. Millevoi and I will be your teacher this school year. This is my first year teaching at East Ward Elementary, but you may have seen me in different classrooms over the past few years as a substitute teacher. I hope you are having a relaxing and fun-filled summer so far! I have spent most of my summer at the beach with my family, friends, and dog, Niko. I cannot wait to hear about your summer and what you are most excited for this school year. I am counting down the days until I get to learn and grow with you in the classroom! As we approach the end of summer, continue reading your books and practicing your math skills. It will come in handy once school begins. We will be learning new information, as well as strengthening our mathematical skills and reading abilities this school year. While you may be experiencing a variety of emotions about starting second grade, just remember that we are in this together and I am here to help you through it all. You can do this! There are some supplies you will need for second grade. Please see the supply list attached to this letter or on the East Ward website. Be sure to make the most of the next couple of weeks before school begins. We will have a Back to School Open House for Second Grade on Wednesday, August 20th from 6-7pm. Feel free to come at any time during that hour and bring your school supplies with you that night! I am looking forward to meeting you at our Back to School Open House or on the first day of school. I cannot wait to have a wonderful year with you!

Teacher letter

Dear Third Grader,

August 2025

Welcome to third grade! I’m Miss Mulrane, and I’ll be your ELA (English Language Arts) teacher this year. You’ll also have a separate teacher for Math, Science, and Social Studies, how exciting! This summer, I’ve been keeping busy by moving into a new place and spending time with my French bulldog, Bodhi. He’s quite the character! I’d love to hear about your favorite summer moments, what did you enjoy most? I know many of you love getting new school supplies, so here’s what you’ll need to bring for our classroom:

● Five Star 7-Pocket Expanding Zippered File Organizer Example: Amazon example

● (This one is important! If you’re having trouble finding it, let me know.)

● Earbuds or headphones

● 12 glue sticks

● A box of 24 crayons

● 2 dozen sharpened pencils

● A pack of pencil-top erasers

● Colored pencils

● A pack of markers

● A multi-color pack of highlighters

● A small, soft pencil case (must fit inside your expandable folder)

● 1 wide-ruled composition book

● 1 yellow plastic pocket folder

● You’re also welcome to bring in hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, or band-aids as a donation to our classroom supplies—thank you in advance!

On the first day of school, we’ll line up by the doors near the cafeteria. I’ll be there waiting to greet you! In the meantime, enjoy every minute of your summer—and don’t forget to keep reading and practicing your addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Also, be sure to complete the summer reading assignment posted on our East Ward webpage before the school year starts. If you or your parents have any questions, feel free to email me at amulrane@dasd.org. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year together!

Your teacher, Miss Mulrane

Teacher Letter

Dear Third Grader,

Welcome to third grade!  My name is Ms. Schwenke, and I will be your Math, Science, and Social Studies teacher this year. Mrs. Farnesi will be your English Language Arts (ELA) teacher. Be sure to check her letter out as well. This will be my fourth year teaching third grade at East Ward but my seventeenth year teaching!

I am looking forward to relaxing a lot this summer. I can usually be found hanging by the dock on Moosehead Lake in Maine with my family, friends, and my two dogs, Bailey and Charles! 🙂 How have you spent your summer?

We know everybody gets excited to shop for school supplies! You will need the following this year:

• Five Star 7 Pocket Expanding Zippered File Organizer
  Example: Amazon example (This is very important.  If you have trouble finding this please let me know.)
• earbuds or headphones
• 12 glue sticks 
• box of 24 crayons
• 2 dozen sharpened pencils 
• a package of pencil top erasers
• colored pencils 
• pack of markers 
• multi-color pack of highlighter
• small soft pencil case that will fit in your expandable folder 
• (4) wide ruled composition books

*You may also bring hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, tissues, and band aids to donate to the classroom. Thank you in advance! 

*Supplies like pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, highlighters, colored pencils will be used as communal supplies because students will be switching between 2 classrooms. All personal supplies must fit in the small pencil case that fits in the expandable folder.

*This year we will line up by the doors near the cafeteria.  I’ll be watching for you there!  We will be in room 217 at the end of the second floor.  

Enjoy the rest of your summer and don’t forget to keep reading and practicing your addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts.  There is also a summer reading assignment on our East Ward webpage. Remember to do this before summer ends!

If you or your parents have any questions for me, you can email me at sschwenke@dasd.org.

See you soon!!

Ms. Schwenke

Miss. Schwenke Teacher Letter

Dear Third Grader,

Welcome to third grade! My name is Mrs. Farnesi, and I will be your English Language Arts (ELA) teacher this year. Ms. Schwenke will be your Math, Science, and Social Studies teacher. Be sure to check her letter out as well. This will be my twenty-first year teaching at East Ward but my first year teaching third grade and I am beyond excited!!!!!

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I have been hanging with my husband Tom, kids: Tommy, Mia, Josephine, Georgia, and dog Leroy Brown. We have spent a lot of time at the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. We also love having fun in West Chester where we live. I love the beach, Philadelphia Sports, spending time with family and friends, and playing golf, tennis, basketball (any sport really).

We know everybody gets excited to shop for school supplies! You will need the following this year:

● Five Star 7 Pocket Expanding Zippered File Organizer Example: Click here for example from Amazon (This is very important. If you have trouble finding this please let me know.)

● earbuds or headphones

● 12 glue sticks

● box of 24 crayons

● 2 dozen sharpened pencils

● a package of pencil top erasers

● colored pencils

● pack of markers

● multi-color pack of highlighter

● small soft pencil case that will fit in your expandable folder

● (4) wide ruled composition books

*You may also bring hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, tissues, and band aids to donate to the classroom. Thank you in advance!

*Supplies like pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, highlighters, colored pencils will be used as communal supplies because students will be switching between 2 classrooms. All personal supplies must fit in the small pencil case that fits in the expandable folder

*This year we will line up by the doors near the cafeteria. I’ll be watching for you there! We will be in room 216 at the end of the second floor. Enjoy the rest of your summer and don’t forget to keep reading and practicing your addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. There is also a summer reading assignment on our East Ward webpage. Remember to do this before summer ends!

If you or your parents have any questions for me, you can email me at dfarnesi@dasd.org.

See you soon!!! Mrs. Farnesi

Mrs. Farnesi Teacher Letter

August 2025

Dear Third Grader,

Welcome to third grade! My name is Mrs. Turkelson, and I will be your math, science, and social studies teacher this year.  You will have a separate ELA teacher.  I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation as much as I am!  I’ve enjoyed spending my summer in Bethany Beach with my husband, two children, Ella and Jake, and my dog, Zoe.  The beach is my favorite place to go to read.  Where is your favorite reading spot? 

We know everybody gets excited to shop for school supplies! You will need the following this year:

• Five Star 7 Pocket Expanding Zippered File Organizer
  Example: Amazon example (This is very important.  If you have trouble finding this please let me know.)
• earbuds or headphones
• 12 glue sticks 
• box of 24 crayons
• 2 dozen sharpened pencils 
• a package of pencil top erasers
• colored pencils 
• pack of markers 
• multi-color pack of highlighter
• small soft pencil case that will fit in your expandable folder 
• (4) wide ruled composition books

*You may also bring hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, tissues, and band aids to donate to the classroom. Thank you in advance! 

*Supplies like pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, highlighters, colored pencils will be used as communal supplies because students will be switching between 2 classrooms. All personal supplies must fit in the small pencil case that fits in the expandable folder.

This year we will line up by the doors near the cafeteria.  I’ll be watching for you there!  We will be in room 209 at the end of the second floor.  

Enjoy the rest of your summer and don’t forget to keep reading and practicing your addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts.  There is also a summer reading assignment on our East Ward webpage.  Don’t forget to do this before summer ends!

If you or your parents have any questions for me, you can email me at jturkelson@dasd.org.

Your teacher,

Mrs. Turkelson

Mrs. Turkelson Teacher Letter

August 2025

Dear Friend,

I am SO excited that we will be spending this year together in fourth grade!  East Ward Elementary holds a special place in my heart, as I was a student here many years ago.  My fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Farley, is one of the reasons I became a teacher.  For the past 35 years, I have taught at East Ward, and I am looking forward to spending the year in 4th grade with you!

I dreamed of being a teacher while growing up on Pennsylvania Avenue and graduated from Downingtown Schools.  Next, I went to Millersville University to receive my bachelor’s degree in Education and attended Penn State for my master’s work. Currently, I live in Lancaster County near the Strasburg Railroad.  I have 2 grown children and 5 grandchildren, as well as 2 Yorkshire Terriers named Zig and Zag

Have fun for the rest of the summer, and I’ll see you at East Ward on Monday, August 25!

Mrs. Smith

Fourth Grade Mrs. Smith

August 2025

Hello Fourth Grade Students and Families! My name is Miss Quigley and I am thrilled to be your Homeroom teacher this year! I will also be your teacher for Math, Science, and Social Studies. I hope everyone enjoyed their Summer in a fun and safe way. This Summer I’ve spent tons of time outside, read some great books, and completed some home projects. I am excited to hear all about your summer vacation when we meet.

I have been working alongside the other fourth grade teachers to make this school year an amazing experience for everyone!

• Here are some things to look forward to in 4 th Grade:
• Engaging lessons on living things, map skills, weather, electricity, magnetism, and all things Pennsylvania
• Reading great literature and informational texts in ELA
• Exploring different types of Writing
• Exciting units in math including long division, fractions, and geometry topics

I hope you have been practicing your multiplication facts this summer!

During the first week of school, you will be working on a star project. For this project, you will need pictures of some of your favorite things. If you have time this summer, look through some old magazines and cut out some pictures. You will learn more information about the project during the first week of school. You can also prepare for fourth grade by reading a little bit each day and keeping a journal about your summer.

I can’t wait to meet everyone on the first day of school. We are going to learn so much in fourth grade and have the most amazing school year! I hope you are excited to meet me as well as the other fourth grade teacher you will have for ELA. Enjoy the last few weeks of your summer and I will see you soon!

Your friend,

Miss Quigley

Miss Quigley Teacher Letter

Hello!

My name is Dr. Kessler and I am going to be your homeroom teacher this year. This will be my 11th year teaching fourth grade at East Ward. I am thrilled to be your teacher and continue to learn with you every day. This year I will be teaching English Language Arts. You will have Mrs. Ellis for Math, Science, and Social Studies. We will dive into literature starting the first week of school, and I hope to help you find your love of reading! This year we’ll read about the heart, nature, and the American Revolution. It is going to be a fun year filled with memories.

I cannot wait to meet you and learn all about you, but first I am going to tell you a few things about me. I grew up in the Owen J. Roberts School District. I graduated from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA with my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I played Division III softball. I received my masters of literacy from West Chester University. I received my doctorate degree from American College of Education, so now I go by Dr. Kessler. My favorite thing in the world is spending time with my 18 month old son, Charlie. You’ll hear all about my adventures with Charlie this school year. In my spare time I enjoy reading, shopping, cooking, going to the beach, watching the Phillies, and spending time with family and our dogs, Winnie and Lilly.

I am looking forward to meeting you soon!

Enjoy the rest of your summer,

Dr. Kessler

Dr. Kessler Teacher Letter

Believe it or not, it is time for us to start thinking about our upcoming 4th grade year together!  Summer vacation seems to fly by more quickly each year!  I’ve been spending time outside with my husband and three kids, Owen, Aidan and Ainsley.  The best part of my summer was my trip to Duck, North Carolina with 50 of my family members.  I am excited to find out how you spent your time away from school!

Since school ended in June, I have also been working hard getting ready to make your fourth grade year at East Ward a great one!  As a fourth grader, you will spend the year learning about things like the earth’s processes, sound, the human brain, immigration, economics and more.  In ELA, you will read some great literature and informational texts, as well as explore different types of writing.  Big units in math will include long division, fractions and geometry topics.  I hope you have been practicing your multiplication facts this summer!

You will be working on a banner during the first week of school.  For this project, you will need pictures of some of your favorite things.  If you have some time this summer, look through some old magazines and cut out some pictures.  You can also print pictures on the computer for this project.  You will find out on the first day of school when you will need to bring in the pictures.  Other ways to prepare for your fourth grade year include practicing your math facts, reading a bit each day and keeping a journal about your summer.

I can’t wait to see you on the first day of school and be your teacher for homeroom, math, science and social studies.  I hope you are excited to meet me as well as the other 4th grade teacher you will have for ELA.  While I love summertime, I always look forward to the start of a new school year.  I also can’t wait for school to start because it means that we get to see football, playoff baseball and college basketball soon!  In my room this year, you will hear a lot about the Eagles, Phillies, Penn State football and the University of Virginia football and basketball teams.  Enjoy the rest of your summer!  I can’t wait to see you on the first day of school for what is going to be an amazing year!

Your Friend,  

Mrs. Ellis :)

Mrs. Ellis Teacher Letter

Mrs. Hamill (Math, Science, Social Studies) 

• Welcome to 5th Grade! Mrs. Hamill has been teaching for 17 years. She taught in Kennett in the 4th grade for 15 years. This is her first year at East Ward Elementary and she is excited to join the 5th grade team! Mrs. Hamill graduated with her undergraduate degree from West Chester University and has her masters degree in applied studies in teaching and learning also from West Chester University. She lives in Downingtown with her husband Tim, 8 year old son Harrison, 6 year old daughter Cameron and a boxer named Winnie. She loves basketball, reading, the beach, photography and spending time with her family! Mrs. Hamill is looking forward to building a team atmosphere and having a memorable year filled with learning.

Mrs. Jones (ELA)

• Welcome to 5th grade!  Mrs. Jones has been teaching for 15 years.   She graduated from West Chester University with her undergraduate in Elementary Education and  Point Park University where she received her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  Mrs. Jones resides in West Chester with her husband, Scott, and their three children: Marley, Sophia, and Benjamin.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, especially watching her son play baseball, and going to the beach.

Mrs. Jones Teacher Letter

Mrs. Broderick (ELA) 

• Welcome to 5th Grade! Mrs. Broderick has been teaching for 14 years. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education. She also received her master's degree in Special Education from West Chester University. Mrs. Broderick resides in Downingtown with her husband, Ryan, and her son, Hudson. When Mrs. Broderick isn't at school, you can find her spending time outside with her family and friends, trying new restaurants, and going to the beach. Mrs. Broderick is looking forward to working together this school year!

Mrs. Broderick Teacher Letter