The Berkshire community kicked off the Lunar New Year celebration with a Chinese dragon dance and a presentation at All-School Meeting led by students in the Asian Affinity group and Mrs. Beattie's Chinese IV/V class. The celebration continued with a special lunch (including dumplings and sushi!) and a variety of cultural activities, games, and more! đ
Classroom Spotlight
Chinese Classes
Chinese classes under the Mountain made dumplings in preparation for Lunar New Year. The centuries-old tradition is believed to bring prosperity in the coming year.
The Lunar New Year is a wonderful opportunity for students at Berkshire who celebrate the festival to share their culture with their classmates and teachers.ââSusie Beattie, Chinese teacher
Academic Achievement
Edward Lee â25 was recently accepted into the MIT PRIMES-USA research program for mathematics. Just 51 students in the nation are selected for PRIMES-USA (Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering and Science), where they have the incredible opportunity to work one-on-one with a graduate student or faculty member from MIT or another university. Last yearâs areas of research in mathematics included projects in combinatorics, algebraic combinatorics, algebra, computer algebra, graph theory, financial mathematics, and number theory.
I am excited about doing research under my mentor, and I look forward to learning new materials, collaborating with other students in research, and organizing my work into a formal research paper!ââEdward Lee '25
The Winter Musical
February 15-17 at 7:30 pm in Allen Theater
The Theater and Music Departments are proud to present "Into the Woods" next weekend. "Into the Woods" features the combined stories of many famous fairy tale characters, as we watch while the ever-difficult question is played out before our eyes, âWhat happens after happily ever after?ââ
With constant humor, unbeatable music, and classic moments from well-loved characters including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack (and his faithful cow, Milky White), a pair of handsome (but shallow) princes, a wolf, a witch, and more, you wonât want to miss this show.
There will be a $2.00 suggested donation at the door and snacks at intermission.
Expect the tropes and joys youâve come to love from classic fairy tales, and also be ready for some unexpected twists and turns along the path. Backed by a truly amazing cast, breathtaking scenery and lighting, a live band, and a crew of talented student stage managers, you wonât regret coming on the journey with us!ââJesse Howard, Theater Director
Winter Dance Concert
February 23 at 7:30 pm in Allen Theater
The upcoming Winter Dance Concert will feature a variety of styles including ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, salsa, tap, and Vietnamese lyrical.
Dancers have had the opportunity to explore and emphasize their own personal artistry throughout this season, and, in addition to their group routines, the concert will feature a solo routine from each of the dancers. Our team really took these solos as an opportunity to show off each of their individual journeys and relationships with dance, and Iâm so excited to see them share with our community.ââMadison Bagby, Dance Program Director
Fifth Form College Program
Berkshire welcomed representatives from Bucknell University, Davidson College, Skidmore College, and the University of South Carolina for our recent Fifth Form College Program. The two-day event opened with a presentation from College Kickstart, highlighting current college admissions trends, keys to creating a balanced college list, and more. That evening, college reps held a panel discussion about the application process, which was followed by a dessert reception for parents hosted by Berkshire's Parent Association. The following morning, parents attended the Mock Application Review, a unique window into how admission decisions are made.
A recording of the College Admissions Panel is now available below.
The College Counseling team with, from left: Kevin Mathes, Bucknell; Matthew Cohen, Skidmore; Mike Mansuy, Davidson; Wintress Ross, University of South Carolina
Winter team photos are here!
Be sure to follow @BerkshireSchoolAthletics on Instagram and Threads to keep up-to-date on athletic news, scores, and highlights!
Mic'd Up with Coach Czepiel
Go behind the scenes with Varsity Hockey Coach Kevin Czepiel as the Bears prepare for game day. Watch the video below.
New Head Coach for Boys Varsity Basketball
We are excited to announce Wilbur Allen as the new Head Coach of Berkshire Boys Varsity Basketball for the 2024-25 season. Allen joined the Berkshire community in the summer of 2023 as an assistant director of admission, duty team member, and advisor. In addition, he has served as an assistant coach to the football and basketball teams.
A Temple University alum, Allen spent four years playing for legendary Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney. After college, he started his now-decade-long career as a basketball coach at his alma mater, Oak Hill Academy, in Virginia. With Allen as an associate coach, the Warriors compiled a 175â15 record, including a national championship season in 2012 (44 wins, 0 losses) as well as a national runner-up season in 2009 (40 wins, 1 loss). After working at the NBA Yao School in Beijing, China, Allen joined the University of Mississippiâs (Ole Miss) menâs basketball staff. He worked at Ole Miss for two seasons, one of which the team advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament. Most recently, he was a member of the University of Alabama at Birminghamâs (UAB) basketball program. The Blazers were 49â15 with Allen on staff, which included winning a school record of 27 games in 2022, and captured the Conference USA Tournament Championship, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. During his career, Allen has helped develop 9 players whoâve gone on to play in the NBA.
With over 50 courses led by students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni, two off-campus trips, and community-wide evening events, Pro Vita Winter Session is always one of the most anticipated weeks of the school year! Follow us on Instagram to learn more about Berkshire's signature "For Life" program.
Guest Speakers
Berkshire has welcomed two guest speakers to share thoughts at all-school meetings this winter. The first was from Prevention Solutions, a nonprofit organization that provides alcohol, nicotine, and other drug education to schools and communities, empowering young people to make healthy, responsible choices. The second guest was from Minding Your Mind, another nonprofit whose primary objective is to provide mental health education with the goal of ending the stigma often associated with mental health issues. Both speakers took questions from the community in a Q&A after their remarks and were available to students afterwards for discussion.
New Student Center
Construction is underway on Berkshire's new Student Center, with completion scheduled for 2025! To learn more about the projectâs progress through photos, renderings, and videos, click here.
Alumni Spotlight
Elyse Harney Morris â83
Elyse Harney Morris â83 has lived in some of the most amazing places in the country and world since her time as a day student in the â80s. Now, she sells real estate back in the Berkshires and surrounding area, where she has been an active member of the community since 2008. Read more about her time under the Mountain, her conservation efforts, and more below!
I found my passion in land conservation, and it's where I make a meaningful impact. In the final months of 2023 and the first two months of 2024, I am proud to have brokered the conservation of over 1,000 acres in Connecticut and Massachusetts.ââElyse Harney Morris
The annual Alumni Hockey Game brought Bears back from the classes of 1964 to 2022 with Will Reynolds â26 and Matt Crowson â05 in goal for some friendly Green vs. Gray competition. It was an exciting game, with Gray winning by a score of 8â4!
Alumni Hockey Co-Chairs Chris Reichart â98 and Jason Pendrock â98 presented this yearâs awards to Lt. Col. Tim Murphy â98, awarded the W. Ross Hawkins Alumni Hockey Player of the Game, and to Steph Holmes â06, who was awarded The Elizabeth Hayes McGraw Alumni Hockey Player of the Game. Afterward, Head of School Pieter Mulder presented Dan Driscoll with a Berkshire jersey honoring his 30-year career as a varsity hockey coach across New England. Thank you to all those who attended this special event and also enjoyed some family skate time! đ»đ
A special thanks to Chris and Jason for their dedication to organizing this year's event and to all those who attended. We canât wait to see you back on campus next year!
Players in alphabetical order: Matt Crowson '05 (goalie), AJ Grimm '06, Steph Holmes '06, Robin McGraw '70 (coach), Steph Miller '08, Tim Murphy â98, Jason Pendrock '98, Jeff Pietrasiak '02, Chris Reichart '98, Lee Reichart '64 (coach), Will Reynolds '26 (goalie), Kevin Soja (Advancement Office), Matt Spurling '09, Pratt Stetson '22, Alex Watts '02, Whit Watts '13, Billy Zegras '18