The Bears' Den | 12.19.24 A newsletter designed to keep our Berkshire community connected and engaged.

'Tis the Festive Sweater Season!

Quick and easy access to useful links below!

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

Watch a winter message from Head of School Pieter Mulder and Green Key Heads, Olivia Feeley '25, Josh Williams '25, and Charlotte Ruhe '25.

Bears are staying busy during the quick stretch before winter break!

Academic Award Winners & Honor Roll

Congratulations to our students who earned Academic Awards and made the Honor Roll for the fall trimester! 📚👏

Scholar Award recipients for the fall 2024 trimester

Three Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR) students have submitted their research to the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors.

Maggie Ding ’25 (left), Richard Zhu ’25 (center), and Sam Forouzan ’25 (right) are the latest AMSR students to apply to the competition which will announce the top 300 semifinalists in early January.

Participation in the Regeneron STS is an accomplishment in itself! This competition attracts the best and brightest young minds in the country. I am very proud of our Bears for devoting countless hours to completing the nearly 100-page application which includes a 20-page formal research paper. Their dedication to exploring the frontiers of science and the drive to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time is truly inspiring." –Dr. April Burch, Director of AMSR

To learn more about each student’s research, visit our AMSR webpage below.

Guest Speaker: Minding Your Mind

During All-School Meeting, Quinton from Minding Your Mind came to talk with the community about his journey to finding balance and creating healthy habits. He shared his personal struggles with anxiety and depression while reminding everyone that it is okay to ask for help from your community of support.

Minding Your Mind is an organization whose goal is to end the stigma associated with mental health issues and create dialogue to encourage audiences to seek help. Quinton left students with the following three takeaways: Write your own story; There is strength in vulnerability; Hold on to hope.

Pro Vita Update!

New Trip: Cross Country Skiing & Sustainability

We are happy to announce a new Pro Vita Winter Session travel opportunity at the historic Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Over the course of four days and three nights, students will cross country ski through farms, fields, and forests on 105 kilometers of meticulously groomed trails in northern Vermont. All the while, they’ll be a guest at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and learn about the organization’s sustainability and stewardship practices. Students will also visit the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont and spend an afternoon on Church Street in Burlington.

Interested in applying? Students should check their email for application details today. The deadline for submission is Monday, January 6th at 10:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact Pro Vita travel coordinator Amber West [awest@berkshireschool.org] or trip leader Rob Rose [rrose@berkshireschool.org].

As part of Saturday Pro Vita programming, Bears participated in one of 28 workshops designed to bring a little joy into their week. This year, Peer Listeners helped plan and lead a few of the activities, bringing more student voices to the event.

Workshops included outdoor pizza making, coffee and karaoke, Muay Thai boxing, aerial arts, cookie making, paddle tennis, and many more! Our community took a break to explore little moments of joy that continue to support our connections to eachother and to ourselves.

The program concluded with the community coming together in Allen Theater to hear a lively performance by local musicians Berkshire Bateria, who perform samba rhythms on traditional Brazilian percussive instruments.

For more photos from Drop Everything & Discover Your Joy, click here to view the SmugMug album.

Angela Pham '25 Wins Diana Award

Angela Pham '25 was awarded the 2024 Diana Award, given to the most inspirational young people in the United Kingdom and around the world. Angela founded her own nonprofit Embrace Her in 2023 with the goal to, “enhance access to education, healthcare, and sanitary products for girls worldwide.” It has since grown to include 18 chapters throughout the world with over 180 members.

Read more about Angela's nonprofit and her journey to winning this award below.

Congratulations to the talented performers in Vocal Cabaret: Allan Qi '27, Lily Royce '27, Jess Sonner '27, Sophie Benjamin '26, Luka Davis '26, Hannah LaPier '25, Michkael McKenzie '25, and Trevor Sullivan Weinstein '25
For more photos from Vocal Cabaret, click here to view the SmugMug album.

On Sunday, BIMP performed some classic improv games in the Berkshire Hall atrium, with everyone's favorite, "My Movie," capping off the night with hilarious results.

The show was the 15th annual BIMP performance led by Mr. Howard and delivered, as always, hearty laughs and a joyful good time.

Front row, from left: Chloe Howard '26, Akari Ikeda '25, Talia Bukhman '25 Back row: Gabby Watkins '28, Zoe Zhang '28, Diarra Fall '25, Gabe Dahari '25, Mr. Howard, Luka Davis '26

Fall Athletic Awards

Congratulations to our Fall Athletic Award winners on a great season! 👏

Bears Win Pink Out!

It was the Bears over the Rhinos by a score of 5 - 1 in the 17th annual battle for the D’Arco Cup! The high-intensity game was played at Berkshire 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.

The D'Arco family presenting the Cup

Congrats to the Bears for bringing home the Cup for another year!

Girls Varsity Basketball Pink Out

In their home opener, Girls Varsity Basketball played Cushing Academy as part of the Rose Classic Prep Jam Tournament. This was their first Pink Out game, complete with a half court shot competition at halftime, and they raised money to support A Shot For Life, an organization dedicated to raising cancer awareness. The Bears secured the win with a final score of 43 - 37 in a packed gym!

It was great to see the community come out and support––that is why this place under the Mountain is special. Our girls played hard and have started 5-0 for the first time in a very long time. I'm very proud of the team but especially my seniors. To see it come together for them is very special! -Junior De La Hoz, Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach

The Bears skated to an exciting 2 - 0 victory over Lawrenceville School in the fifth annual Skate For Her game! This year the event benefited the nonprofit Movemeant, an organization empowering girls through movement and mindset.

The annual game is the brainchild of Coach Lisa Marshall who originated the event during the School’s celebration of 50 years of coeducation in 2019. With skaters from the local youth programs 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 game highlights below!

This year, the Jewish Affinity Group and the Christian Affinity Group combined forces to present a joint celebration in the dining hall where the annual Hanukkah Dreidel-Fest met a Christmas Cookie Decorating party. Lots of Bears participated in the festivities and enjoyed sharing their holiday traditions.

Note from the Interfaith Chaplain: Berkshire will be offering classes for any student who would like to be confirmed through the Roman Catholic Church. The class will be working with Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Sheffield. If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out to Interfaith Chaplain Kevan Bowler [kbowler@berkshireschool.org].

Class of 2025 Families Surpass Goal

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Class of 2025 families, the Senior Parent 10-Day Challenge was a tremendous success! With 93 donors, we exceeded our goals of 85 donors and $500,000, raising an impressive $536,700 for Berkshire’s Annual Fund.

As a result, the Class of 2025 will enjoy five senior socials in the new Student Center this spring. We’re also thrilled to announce that the hearthstone oven will be named in honor of the Class of 2025, with an inaugural firing and pizza party at the first senior social.

It’s so awesome knowing that senior families came together with such enthusiasm to take on—and exceed—this challenge.” —Billy Adkins ‘25
The opportunity to enjoy five senior socials in the new Student Center this spring is a meaningful way to celebrate the final moments we will share as a class.” —Maxine Wexler ’25
To have the pizza oven named in honor of the Class of 2025 is such a cool legacy to leave behind. It’s something we’ll always remember.” —Alden Nisi ‘25

Alumni Hockey Game

January is just around the corner, and one of the highlights of the winter season is the annual Alumni Hockey game. This year, the game will be played on Saturday, January 18th at 12:30 p.m.

Alumni, mark your calendars and join us back on campus for a fun day of hockey and camaraderie with players of all ages!

The Season of Giving

Judy Johnson with grandsons Brooks '19 and Briggs '20
As a grandparent of five Berkshire Bears, I’ve seen firsthand how Berkshire becomes a home away from home—a place where students learn to live with others from all walks of life, make independent choices, and build habits that shape their future. Every time I visit campus, I’m struck by the camaraderie, the beautiful environment, and the sense that these kids are not only learning but thriving together. It’s truly a fruitful and loving atmosphere where lifelong friendships are made, and for that, I am incredibly grateful." – Judy Johnson GP’16,’19,’20,’22,’26

This season, you can show your appreciation for Berkshire by making a tax-deductible gift to Berkshire's Annual Fund before December 31. Every gift, no matter its size, makes an immediate and meaningful difference in the lives of our students and in shaping their Berkshire experience. From all of us under the Mountain, thank you for your support!

For questions about making a gift, please contact Associate Director of Advancement Services Myra Riiska at 413-229-1225 or mriiska@berkshireschool.org.

If you missed it in person, now is your chance to catch last month's incredible TEDx Berkshire School presentation! Organized by Harry Stone '25 and Zach Zaurov '25, speakers include: Eli Haskel '25, Claire Kim '26, James Welsh '25, Mason Moorehead '25, Emily Yang '27, Noboru Tsuru Davara '25, faculty member Clay Splawn, and alum Kevin Kelly '19 (not pictured).

Enjoy a special holiday video message from Berkshire's Admission Office (featuring a few Bears)!