The Campus Center is Open!
A project 10 years in the making is officially open! The new Campus Center houses the dining hall, mailroom, Student Life offices, The McLanahan Bookstore, Shawn's Place, Day Student Lounge, and the Music Center, making it a hub of life under the Mountain.
Thanks to everyone for your time, patience, belief, and dedication as we transition to the new space. The heart of our campus returns with this building, and it is thrilling to anticipate using it in all the ways that we will.” –Pieter Mulder, Head of School
On Friday, March 28, the full community gathered to officially open the new space. The celebration was complete with a ribbon cutting by Sixth Form leaders alongside Head of School Pieter Mulder and Board of Trustees Chair Jim Haskel '86, P'20,'22,'25. Flik Dining served a special lunch menu created by Student Council, and student musicians and dancers shared celebratory performances.
I think I speak for all the alumni, all the faculty and staff, everyone that has been part of Berkshire community, that this is one of those signature moments." –Jim Haskel, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Spring has sprung! We're looking forward to welcoming families to campus for Spring Family Weekend April 18 & 19!
Hear from the weekend's guest speaker, Jarrod Spencer, in Allen Theater on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Spencer is a leading sports psychologist who's worked with professional athletes and Olympians and helps high achievers maximize their potential through his signature message: A clear mind leads to better performance.
118th Commencement
Friday, May 23 at 11 a.m.
We are thrilled to be celebrating the Class of 2025 at Berkshire's 118th Commencement ceremony held at the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. Following the event, graduates and their families are invited to a special luncheon under the tent.
Photographers from Highpoint Pictures will be on campus to capture Commencement. They will be taking photos of the graduates before the ceremony, images of them with their diplomas, and family photos on the lawn afterwards.
Dartmouth President to Give Commencement Address
We’re excited to announce Dartmouth President Dr. Sian Beilock as our 2025 Commencement Speaker! President Beilock is a cognitive scientist by training and the first woman to serve as president of Dartmouth. Prior to leading Dartmouth, she served as president of Barnard College at Columbia University and Executive Vice Provost at the University of Chicago.
President Beilock is one of the world’s leading experts on the brain science behind “choking under pressure” and the brain and body factors influencing all types of performance. She has worked closely with Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and public sector leaders to build high-performing teams and create environments that attract, retain, and get the most out of their talent.
All-School Presidents
Congratulations to Nathalie Fenton ’26 and Emmanuel Marmolejo ’26, the All-School Presidents for the 2025-26 school year!
Nathalie and Emmanuel were elected from a very strong slate of ten candidates from the Class of 2026, who each presented their platforms at a school assembly.
The person representing our student body should be someone who shows up, not just for themselves, but for the entire community, and encourages everyone else to do the same. I want to serve our community by being there to support everyone and acting as a mentor for younger students and new Bears.” –Nathalie Fenton '26
I want to serve the community in this position because of everything it has given me over the past two years. I am so grateful for all that the school has done for me, and serving as All-School President is my way of giving back—to help make every student’s experience even better than my own.” –Emmanuel Marmolejo '26
#Classof2026
Advanced Math/Science Research student Jacob Lee ‘26 traveled to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts last week for the Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair.
The fair is the showcase and the celebration of both the scientific journey and completion of thousands of student research projects in the state. As part of Berkshire's longstanding project with Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin (Stratford, CT), Jacob's presentation focused on electrical improvements to the entire system and research collected on static and dynamic torque.
Jacob won a Third Place Award for his project entitled “Mitigating Vibrations in High-Speed Helicopters: Model to Investigate an Electric Power Transmission System for a Vibrational Control Moment Gyroscope”
His conclusions were as follows: This project presents a novel electric power transmission system designed to address the limitations of using pinion-bevel gears to spin gyroscopic discs within the Vibratory Control Moment Gyroscope. The experimental results indicate viability of a generator and motor to produce the same amount of torque while being more efficient than a gear assembly. While certain hurdles have been encountered, continuing to improve trials will certainly prove its viability. Implementing this system would enhance the structural reliability of the X2, broadening the appeal for both military and civilian applications.
Congratulations Jacob!
Bears at Brown
Last weekend, Bears attended the Brown University Math Olympiad (BrUMO) competition, an inaugural math event for high schoolers hosted on the Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island.
The competition creates an inclusive environment for young students to learn and challenge themselves in math and critical thinking. It consists of three rounds (individual, team, and "guts" or intuitive understanding of numbers) spanning the following topics: algebra, geometry, combinatorics, and number theory.
Five Bears were part of the 250-student tournament: Sherlock Dong '27, Hanson Li '28, Allan Qi '27, RunQi Zhang '26, and Zoe Zhang '28.
2025 Scholastic Art National Medalist
In addition to the art students who earned recognition in the 2025 Regional Scholastic Art Awards, Sahar '26 earned a National Silver Medal for her abstract photograph. This year in the National competition, 310,000 works were submitted by teens from across the United States and Canada.
It's Game Day!
Come cheer on our Bears this spring! For the athletic schedule, click here.
Follow @BerkshireSchoolAthletics on Instagram and Threads for athletic scores, news, and more!
#gobears
News from the College Office
College Fair | April 16
The College Office will host its Spring College Fair on Wednesday, April 16th, from 12–1 p.m. in the Jack!
We’ll be welcoming admissions representatives from over 75 colleges and universities, including Bates, Bucknell, Davidson, Southern Methodist University, the University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, and the University of Wisconsin.
Bears enjoyed the first event in the new Campus Center by dressing up and putting their card skills and poker faces to the test during Casino Night!
Looking ahead: Tending to the Mountain is coming up on Saturday, May 3! Students will spend the morning engaging in various acts of community service with an emphasis on trail clean-up, invasive species removal, community garden prep, Berkshire School Road trash pick-up, and more! After the work is done, the Bears celebrate in Buck Valley with local food, music, and fun. ⛰️ #provita
Alumni Spotlight
Joshua Bernstein ’22, a computer science major and junior center on the NCAA Div. III Tufts University Men’s Basketball team, started his own business based on his recent experience touring colleges.
His business, Touredlt, connects interested high school students with current college students for personalized, one-on-one college tours. Read about how the full-time student-athlete and business owner balances his commitments and the advice he'd give budding entrepreneurs.
Mark Your Calendar!
Every April, members of the Berkshire community come together to impact the lives of our students, faculty, and staff by participating in One Day for Berkshire.
On Wednesday, April 16, join alumni, students, parents, and friends in making the 10th anniversary of One Day for Berkshire a big success!
We hope you'll join us in this community-wide event!
#ODFB