The community kicked off Lunar New Year with a Chinese dragon dance and a presentation at All-School Meeting led by students in the Asian Affinity group and Ms. Beattie's Chinese IV/V class.
Ahead of the school-wide celebrations, Ms. Beattie's students made their own dumplings from scratch in class.
Everyone enjoyed a special sushi and dumpling lunch in the dining hall to kick off the Year of the Snake which officially began on January 29.
Bears Eye Young Stars
Gabe Dahari ‘25 and Sahar ’26 recently joined Berkshire astronomy teacher David Dahari at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland. The trio attended the January conference to present research on young stars, or what’s known scientifically as a Young Stellar Object (YSO), in the constellation Cassiopeia.
Our solar system was once a Young Stellar Object. This planet was once scattered dust particles in the protostar's accretion disk. In a less philosophical and more practical sense, looking for regions containing many young stellar objects can help us locate potential young solar systems, which is promising in terms of potential life.” –Gabe Dahari ‘25
While Gabe has performed his research in Berkshire’s Advanced Math/Science Research program, Sahar has enlisted her teacher’s help through an Independent Study.
The student pair analyzed optical and infrared archival data from several different surveys, including NASA’s WISE and Spitzer space telescopes, collecting more data than had previously been gathered by research. The end result: approximately 120 likely new YSOs.
For humans to understand our star, the sun, and the planets, we have to know where that all comes from. It’s a great opportunity that Berkshire offers, letting students dive deep into a topic they are interested in.” –Sahar ‘26
Poster credit: Gabe Dahari & Sahar
Model United Nations
The Model United Nations (MUN) team traveled to New Haven last month to participate in Yale's MUN Conference along with 1,800 high school students from around the world.
The 14 Bears in attendance included six who were new to MUN. The first time attendees served on one of the two New Delegate Committees: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and Commission on Population and Development. The event was a success and Tildie Ettedgui ‘27 earned an Honorable Mention for her work on the HIV/AIDS Committee!
Debating real-world issues with students from all over the world and seeing so many different perspectives challenged the way I think. It was definitely nerve-wracking at times, but also so much fun, and I left feeling even more confident and excited about international relations." –Stella Demmert '25, MUN Leader
Attending Yale MUN has been my favorite conference so far! While the scale of the conference was a bit intimidating at times, I have no regrets about being part of such an amazing experience with fantastic students and faculty. I’m already looking forward to the next trip!" –Riki Ishiyama '25, MUN Leader
Black History Month
The Black Student Union (BSU) led the first All-School Meeting of February to kick off Black History Month. The meeting opened with the Black National Anthem, and members of the BSU highlighted important figures in history from astronaut Mae Jamison to political leader Marcus Garvey and other famous Black Americans to illustrate their impact in American history.
Leaders from Berkshire's various affinity groups also presented their connections with Black History, illustrating the many intersections of backgrounds and identities on campus.
The BSU will continue to host programming and events throughout February as part of Black History Month. Just yesterday, the group hosted a "Dress Up" day in honor of Frederick Douglass' birthday, where community members were encouraged to wear the colors of the Pan-African flag—red, green, yellow, and black—to show their support.
The Winter Musical
Berkshire celebrates its 60th anniversary of the Winter Musical with Mamma Mia!, a bright and breezy musical featuring the timeless songs of ABBA, set on a beautiful Greek island. The audience follows Sophie, a young bride-to-be, who secretly invites three men from her mother's past, hoping to discover which one is her father before her upcoming wedding day.
A celebration of love, family, and self-discovery, the show offers up romance and classic high-energy musical numbers that promise a toe-tapping good time in Allen Theater!
Mamma Mia! is that rare musical that combines humor and depth against a backdrop of fantastic music. A live band and an amazing cast of energetic performers deliver a story about taking risks and pursuing your dreams.” –Jesse Howard, Theater Director
Mamma Mia! runs from Thursday, February 20 to Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Allen Theater. There is a $2.00 suggested donation at the door.
Bears at MMEA
Nine students attended the Massachusetts Music Educators Association’s (MMEA) Western District Music Festival! This concert showcase features the state’s most talented high school musicians who perform in chorus, concert band, jazz band, and orchestra.
Luka Davis '26 (tenor/soloist), Fred Faulkner '27 (bass), Allan Qi '27 (bass), and Sam Wang '27 (bass) performed in the music festival's chorus, while Toby Huang '25 (concertmaster), Claire Kim '26 (violin), Jacob Lee '26 (viola), Claire Yoon '27 (violin), and Kaleb Yoon '26 (violin) played in the orchestra.
Winter Dance Concert
February 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Allen Theater
The upcoming Winter Dance Concert will feature a variety of styles including ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, K-Pop, and tap. Don't miss it!
Dancers: Yuki Hu '26, Claire Kim '26, Katherine Nelson '27, Angela Pham '25 (Senior Captain), Ciecee Qiu '28, and Emily Yang '27
Dance Program Director Madison Bagby shared the following concert preview:
"Our team focused on further developing the textures behind their movements, while leaning into the musicality of each moment. The dancers have started to make the leap from solely counting music to becoming one with the music. This is a challenging step and it has been such a pleasure to watch each of them delve deeper into the artistry of their movement, not only connecting the choreography to the music, but also telling a story through that process. This team is disciplined in their pursuit of excellence and balances this seriousness with humor and a lighthearted playfulness."
"I am looking forward to the Winter Dance Team sharing their talents and passion for dance with our community! I have had the honor of coaching members of this team for multiple seasons and their growth as performers and athletes is outstanding. The routines this season highlight the dancer’s versatility and skills, while also bringing dynamic energy and emotional storytelling to the stage.”
Fifth Form College Program
Berkshire welcomed representatives from Kenyon College, Syracuse University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Vanderbilt University for our recent Fifth Form College Program.
The event opened with a presentation from Berkshire's College Office, highlighting current college admissions trends, keys to creating a balanced college list, and more. That evening, the college reps, representing colleges and universities of different sizes and from varying locales, held a panel discussion about the application process and answered questions from both students and parents. If you missed the evening panel, tune in at the link below.
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!
Honoring Wil Smith
The Girls Varsity Basketball team is hosting Ethel Walker School on Saturday, February 22 with a 4:00 p.m. tip-off. This date coincides with the 10th anniversary of the passing of Wil Smith. Coach Smith was a father, friend, educator, mentor, and advocate who passionately loved basketball and all those who played for him.
Coach Smith’s memory is alive through the culture, commitment, and language in our athletics program. The Girls Varsity Basketball team's pre-game huddle break is “Keep Working,” as a lasting tribute to Coach Smith.
Before tip-off, there will be a brief moment of remembrance and reflection. For those who can’t make it to campus, there will be a live webstream with video interviews about Coach Smith during half-time. Come out to support the team and keep Coach Smith's legacy alive. If you can't make it in person, tune in live at game time.
The countdown is on! In just over two weeks, Berkshire kicks off Pro Vita Winter Session! With 60 courses led by students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni, two off-campus trips, a Global Celebration, and community-wide evening events, Pro Vita is always one of the most anticipated weeks of the school year. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to learn more about Berkshire's signature "For Life" program and see daily updates from classes all week long!
Community Life Summit
Last month, a group of students and faculty attended the annual Community Life Summit hosted by Kent School. The Summit included workshops on environmental sustainability; community service; equity, inclusion, and belonging, and others.
Gabby St. Clair '27 and Katherine Nelson '27 presented at the workshop, sharing highlights of Berkshire’s Trailblazers Mentorship program which helps new students of color build community, utilize resources, and develop skills that will help them throughout their time at Berkshire and beyond.
Berkshire grandparents are invited to join Head of School Pieter Mulder and Director of Admission Allison Letourneau ’07 for a special Grandparent Zoom this coming Thursday, February 20, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. (ET).
Pieter and Allison are looking forward to this time together, during which they’ll share their unique perspectives, explore what makes the school so special, and provide time for questions about Berkshire today and what lies ahead.
To register for the Grandparent Zoom, please click below or contact the Director of Parent Engagement, Shannon Tyree Brown via email or at 413-229-1282.
Save the Date!
We hope you can join us for Spring Family Weekend on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19.
Spring Family Weekend offers parents, guardians, grandparents, and their guests the opportunity to visit campus to engage with the school, their children, and each other! The weekend is full of events including a Young Alumni and Parent panel, a host of home athletic contests, the Spring Concert, and much more. See the full schedule of events below.
Alumni Spotlight
Melissa Fennell '02 is the proud recipient of four Emmy Awards, four Telly Awards, and one Gabby Award for her work in the field of motion graphics production.
Her talent has led her to produce successful promotional content for major athletic teams, news programs, and shopping brands. Read more about Fennell's journey from Jamaica to Sheffield, where she finds her creative inspiration, and why she thinks you should never hesitate to give your elevator pitch!