The Bears' Den | 12.18.23 A semi-monthly newsletter designed to keep our Berkshire community connected and engaged.

Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Watch the video below to hear a message from Head of School Pieter Mulder.

Academic Award Winners & Honor Roll

Congratulations to our students who earned Academic Awards and made the Honor Roll for the fall trimester! đź“šđź‘Ź

Classroom Spotlight

Regeneron Science Talent Search

Four Advanced Math/Science Research students have submitted research projects to the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) competition. The STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors.

As part of a Saturday Pro Vita programming, Bears participated in one of 25 seminars designed to bring a little joy into their week. Scientific evidence shows that joy boosts our immune systems, fights stress, and supports longer lives!

In workshops that included ax throwing, aerial acrobatics, intuitive painting, cookie baking and decorating, yoga, karaoke, paddle tennis, martial arts from both Brazil and Thailand, rock climbing, African-Brazilian drumming, pizza-making, origami, and more, our community took a break to explore little moments of joy that support our connections to our fellow Bears.

The program concluded with the Berkshire community coming together in Allen Theater to hear a lively performance by the Berkshire Bateria and the Bears who took their workshop in the morning.

Student News

Read the latest student news from "The Green and Gray" online!

A shoutout to all the student contributors, dedicated newspaper staff, and Editors-in-Chief Kiki Grace '24 and Catherine Yan '24, and their newspaper advisors, Ms. Pitcher and Ms. Maher.

Fun fact: The earliest issue found in the Archives is from December 7, 1912. That's 111 years' worth of Green and Grays!

Congratulations to all our talented performers who warmed our hearts with music for the holiday season. You can watch our Winter Concert featuring Jazz Ensemble, Digital Music, Chamber Music Ensemble, Chorus, Ursa Minor, and Greensleeves, right here on demand.
For more photos from the Winter Concert, click here to SmugMug.

Beyond Berkshire: Photographs by Alex Barnosky ’19

Alex Barnosky '19 returns to campus with his upcoming exhibit in The Warren Family Gallery. As a student, Barnosky excelled at photography; he was a two-year AP student, the winner of multiple Scholastic Art Awards, and the recipient of both the Allen Buck Prize for Excellence in Photography and the Segalla Memorial Art Award.

Since Berkshire, Barnosky has continued to explore photography, both at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he was a 2023 graduate, and in his travels around the U.S. and abroad, particularly Wales and Italy. In this exhibit, he shares recent work that was built upon the foundation of his Berkshire experience.

“Beyond Berkshire: Photographs by Alex Barnosky '19” will be on display January 12 through March 2, with an Opening Reception on Friday, January 12, from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Fall Athletic Awards

Congratulations to our Fall Athletic Award winners! đź‘Ź

Watch the video below for highlights from the season.

The Bears skated to an exciting 4 - 3 victory over Lawrenceville School in the fourth annual Skate for Her game! This year the event benefited the nonprofit Morgan’s Message, an organization dedicated to eliminating stigma around mental health in student-athletes.

Sofia Rae Beyerl, daughter of Eric Beyerl '06, performed the national anthem

The annual game was the brainchild of Coach Lisa Marshall who originated the event during the School’s celebration of 50 years of coeducation. With skaters from the local Berkshire Rattlers program joining the Bears on the ice, the event provides an opportunity for more young female athletes to “see it to be it,” in the words of tennis legend Billie Jean King, and is played annually in support of an organization of the seniors’ choice.

Watch highlights from the Skate for Her game below.

For more photos from Skate for Her, click here to SmugMug.

Bears Win Pink Out

The D'Arco family presenting the Cup

It was the Bears over the Rhinos by a score of 4 - 3 in the 16th annual battle for the D’Arco Cup! The high-intensity game was played on Taft’s home ice before a packed house. The game honors the memory of Lucille D'Arco, a supporter of both schools and mother of Brad D'Arco, former Taft hockey player and Berkshire coach, with proceeds from the event benefiting breast cancer research.

Congrats to the Bears for bringing home the Cup!

Photos courtesy of Robert Falcetti/Taft and Derek Ward Photography

Bringing Berkshire's Rich History into the Classroom

Bebe Clark Bullock ’86

Bebe Clark Bullock '86 has worn many hats under the Mountain: teacher, coach, and advisor, to name just a few. Her current role as archivist has her knee-deep in Berkshire's history, and this fall she’s been sharing some of the School’s rich history with students, and working with faculty, to intentionally embed that history into the curriculum. Read more about how Berkshire's Archives are coming to life in the classroom.

For more photos from the Boston and NYC Holiday Parties, click here to SmugMug.

'Tis the Season of Giving

What I cherish most about Berkshire are the deep, meaningful connections I've formed here. The relationship between students, faculty, and staff is unlike anything I've experienced before."—Toby Huang '25

The enduring impact of the Berkshire experience is felt by all under the Mountain. Stay connected and make a difference this holiday season by supporting Berkshire with a tax-deductible gift to Berkshire's Annual Fund before the calendar year.

You can make a gift in several ways:

• Venmo @Berkshire-School

• Wire Transfer: Call Myra Riiska (413) 229-1225 or email mriiska@berkshireschool.org.

• Appreciated Securities: Visit our website here for stock transfer instructions.

• IRA Charitable Rollover: Learn more here.

Enjoy a special edition of Berkshire's Campus Loop with members of our Admission Office.