Berea Community Schools is proud to share that Superintendent Dr. Ryan Neaves met today with Berea College President Dr. Cheryl L. Nixon to discuss ways that they can strengthen the partnership between our schools and the college.
The conversation included discussions about dual credit opportunities, after-school programming, volunteer efforts, admission pathways, and other collaborative ventures that directly benefit Berea students and families. This historic connection continues to provide unique advantages for our school community, and both institutions are committed to exploring new ways to support student growth and success.
We look forward to building on this shared vision and to the many opportunities that will come from strengthening this partnership with Berea College.
The conversation included discussions about dual credit opportunities, after-school programming, volunteer efforts, admission pathways, and other collaborative ventures that directly benefit Berea students and families. This historic connection continues to provide unique advantages for our school community, and both institutions are committed to exploring new ways to support student growth and success.
We look forward to building on this shared vision and to the many opportunities that will come from strengthening this partnership with Berea College.
📸 In honor of today's Picture Day, this week's Throwback Thursday is a tribute to class photos from years past! Featured here are the senior classes of 2012, 2010, 2009 — and one mystery class we can’t confidently place. Anyone here recognize the last group? How many familiar faces can you spot?
Beaming smiles and sharp outfits at school today and yesterday on account of Picture Day! Huge thanks to the wonderful team from Strawbridge Studios for taking such great care of our students and helping everyone look their best for the yearbook!
Let's give it up for all our senior athletes who were recognized at their Boys Soccer Senior Night Tuesday evening! What a roster, these seniors have already lead their team to some historic victories this season, and set a strong standard for the rest of the team. We're proud to call them Pirates! ⚽💪
Meet the BCHS Majorettes, a talented team of enthusiastic Pirates, whose baton-twirling choreography brings the crowd to life during any halftime show or parade here at Berea Community.
Their uplifting energy means a lot to our school, "I never used to really have school spirit until I joined majorettes." says Abigail Gamble, "Now, that kind of thing is kind of a big deal to me (...) I want people to come to the games and have fun, I want to see people having a good time. For me, dancing around in a sparkly costume with my friends is my way of having fun, and I want to spread that joy to other people." No doubt, that joy goes a long way towards bringing students together!
Watching them perform, you can tell they have a real bond. As said by Natalie Lynkins, " We haven't known each other that long, yet we are all good friends with each other and enjoy a common hobby (...) most importantly over everything else, we are a family.” "The BCHS Majorette team is a safe space" says Gamble, " nobody is going to judge you if you look, dress, or act differently, because our differences don’t matter here. We came here to twirl baton, and there’s probably a lot of different reasons we’ve each stayed, but in the end, we’re all here, and we all love each other and this group.”
Claire Caudill, now team captain, joined the Majorettes as a sophomore, and has seen it transform "from a small group into a supportive sisterhood". She says the team's success is thanks to the dedication of the members, sustained interest from the student body, and the continuous encouragement from leaders like Coach Andrea McCracken, who pushes them to learn and improve.
The BCHS Majorettes are a shining example of our student body's enthusiasm for their school and community. Now that's what I call Pirate Pride!
If you caught a whiff of smoke on campus today, no worries, it was all part of the lesson!
This morning, Mr. Billings and the Berea Fire Department gave Fire Science students a hands-on “Burn & Learn” experience using the Max Fire Box training kit. Students got an up-close look at fire behavior and thermal imaging in action, no alarms, just education in full effect!
Huge shoutout to the Berea Fire Department for making this possible and taking care of our students!
This morning, Mr. Billings and the Berea Fire Department gave Fire Science students a hands-on “Burn & Learn” experience using the Max Fire Box training kit. Students got an up-close look at fire behavior and thermal imaging in action, no alarms, just education in full effect!
Huge shoutout to the Berea Fire Department for making this possible and taking care of our students!
Huge shoutout to all our incredible runners who showed up and showed out at last Saturday’s Cross Country Invitational! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
The Berea College Fields were buzzing with life as crowds lined up to watch the students pass by, and our Pirates were right at home on their home course. Amazing performance from all our Pirate athletes. Great work, team!
The Berea College Fields were buzzing with life as crowds lined up to watch the students pass by, and our Pirates were right at home on their home course. Amazing performance from all our Pirate athletes. Great work, team!
This week's Senior Spotlight is for the one and only Ava Damrell! Ava has been a Pirate for 6 years, and one of her favorite teachers along the way was Mrs. Larinda Agee. She plans to go straight into college after graduation. Give it up for Ava!
Berea Athletics schedule for the week of Sept. 22 - 27! Good luck to ALL of our teams and coaches this week. Go PIRATES!!
- Good luck to our Girls and Boys Golf teams as they participate in Regional play this week! Boys will play at Arlington tomorrow and the Girls will play at Lakeside on Wednesday.
- Our MS Girls Basketball team will have their 8th grade night tonight against Model. Come out and support these girls!
- HS Boys soccer will play host to Bourbon County on Tuesday as they celebrate Senior Night. Come out to support our boys!
- Good luck to our Girls and Boys Golf teams as they participate in Regional play this week! Boys will play at Arlington tomorrow and the Girls will play at Lakeside on Wednesday.
- Our MS Girls Basketball team will have their 8th grade night tonight against Model. Come out and support these girls!
- HS Boys soccer will play host to Bourbon County on Tuesday as they celebrate Senior Night. Come out to support our boys!
There's nothing like a football game under the lights of the Spoonbread Festival Balloon Glow! What a special Friday night. Thanks to all our students, staff, and Pirate families who came out to support our athletes and enjoy the game. Let's go, Pirates!
Yesterday morning, school leaders met with Berea College's Director of Craft Outreach, Steve Davis-Rosenbaum, to explore exciting new craft workshop opportunities for our students. We're always looking for new ways to help the arts thrive at Berea Community, and by collaborating with Berea College's wonderful craft department, we hope to give our students some real hands-on experience with traditional Appalachian crafts, like broom-making, weaving, and ceramics, right here in our classrooms.
We're taking steps towards integrating these lessons into our existing curricula, giving students a chance to connect what they’re learning in math and science to real craft skills. We're excited to give our students a deeper connection to our region’s rich craft traditions, and we can’t wait to see their skills grow!
We're taking steps towards integrating these lessons into our existing curricula, giving students a chance to connect what they’re learning in math and science to real craft skills. We're excited to give our students a deeper connection to our region’s rich craft traditions, and we can’t wait to see their skills grow!
We're proud to recognize our senior girls soccer athletes from last night's Senior Night! It was a special evening celebrating their hard work, leadership, and accomplishments. These seniors have kept their team grounded, and we truly appreciate all they've done for this community.
Thanks for coming out and supporting our girls soccer team. This is an incredible group of players, and we're excited to see what they accomplish this year. Let’s go, Pirates!
Thanks for coming out and supporting our girls soccer team. This is an incredible group of players, and we're excited to see what they accomplish this year. Let’s go, Pirates!
In celebration of National IT Professionals Day we'd like to recognize Daniel Montoya and Nolan Sweet from our technology department for keeping everything running smoothly here at Berea Independent Schools.
Both proud BCS graduates, Daniel and Nolan serve their community with dedication and commitment every single day. From fixing Chromebooks to troubleshooting internet outages, they handle it all, making sure students and staff can focus on learning and teaching. Throughout the day, you can often spot Mr. Montoya and Mr. Sweet walking the halls, on a mission to make a teacher or student's day easier.
If you see them in the halls today, give them a wave, a smile, or a big “thank you” for everything they do. Happy National IT Professionals Day, Mr. Montoya and Mr. Sweet! 👨💻
Both proud BCS graduates, Daniel and Nolan serve their community with dedication and commitment every single day. From fixing Chromebooks to troubleshooting internet outages, they handle it all, making sure students and staff can focus on learning and teaching. Throughout the day, you can often spot Mr. Montoya and Mr. Sweet walking the halls, on a mission to make a teacher or student's day easier.
If you see them in the halls today, give them a wave, a smile, or a big “thank you” for everything they do. Happy National IT Professionals Day, Mr. Montoya and Mr. Sweet! 👨💻
📸Say cheese! Picture day is right around the corner!
Wednesday, September 24: Grades 7-12
Thursday, September 25: Grades K-6
Let's make those yearbook photos shine! Practice those smiles, we can't wait to see your best glamour shots!
Wednesday, September 24: Grades 7-12
Thursday, September 25: Grades K-6
Let's make those yearbook photos shine! Practice those smiles, we can't wait to see your best glamour shots!
At last night’s Board of Education meeting, the retirement of Mrs. Leah Graham was made official, effective September 30.
Mrs. Graham has faithfully served our students, staff, and families with dedication and care as our Library Media Specialist. Her passion for fostering a love of reading and lifelong learning has left a lasting impact on countless students. We are deeply grateful for her many contributions and wish her the very best in retirement. 🏴☠️
With this transition, we are now seeking a Library Media Specialist to carry forward the important work of inspiring young readers and supporting instructional resources across our schools.
Interested candidates may apply through our district employment portal. Please share to help us spread the word!
Mrs. Graham has faithfully served our students, staff, and families with dedication and care as our Library Media Specialist. Her passion for fostering a love of reading and lifelong learning has left a lasting impact on countless students. We are deeply grateful for her many contributions and wish her the very best in retirement. 🏴☠️
With this transition, we are now seeking a Library Media Specialist to carry forward the important work of inspiring young readers and supporting instructional resources across our schools.
Interested candidates may apply through our district employment portal. Please share to help us spread the word!
Busy athletics schedule for this week! Good luck to ALL of our teams and coaches this week. Go PIRATES!!
- HS Girls Soccer will take on Paris on Tuesday night at HOME. It will be Senior Night for our girls. Come out and support our Lady Pirates!
- The 2025 Berea Cross Country Invitational will be held on Saturday, September 20 at the Berea College Alumni Fields. The high school races begin at 9:00 and the middle school at 11:15. Elementary races start at 12:15. Last year we had 1000 runners cross the finish line in 12 races, representing over 50 teams. Come out and support our runners!
- HS Girls Soccer will take on Paris on Tuesday night at HOME. It will be Senior Night for our girls. Come out and support our Lady Pirates!
- The 2025 Berea Cross Country Invitational will be held on Saturday, September 20 at the Berea College Alumni Fields. The high school races begin at 9:00 and the middle school at 11:15. Elementary races start at 12:15. Last year we had 1000 runners cross the finish line in 12 races, representing over 50 teams. Come out and support our runners!
This week for our Senior Spotlight, we're highlighting Madalyn O'Bryan! A Pirate for 2 years, Madalyn has already made many amazing memories at Berea including her academic team trip to Chicago with Mr. Blankenship. Some of her favorite teachers include Ms. Brown and Ms. Vanwinkle, and after graduation she hopes to major in communication disorders and become a speech therapist, as well as write children's books! We wish you the best of luck Madalyn, maybe one day we'll see your books on the shelves of the BCS library!
Today at our Club Rush, middle and high school students explored the many club opportunities at BCS and eagerly signed up to get involved! From book club to guitar club, everywhere you looked there was a booth full of passionate smiling faces excited to connect over shared interests, and grow their communities together.
Clubs are a great way for our students to build camaraderie and develop skills outside of their core classes. Skills that could lead to a career down the road, or simply be a fun activity after school. We can’t wait to see how these student-led groups evolve and make an impact throughout the year!
Clubs are a great way for our students to build camaraderie and develop skills outside of their core classes. Skills that could lead to a career down the road, or simply be a fun activity after school. We can’t wait to see how these student-led groups evolve and make an impact throughout the year!
Racing the clock in Fire Science!
This Wednesday morning, our fire science students put their skills, and speed, to the test in a firefighter gear-up challenge. Under the instruction of Mr. Billings, who has been with the Berea Fire Department for 15 years, they experienced just how tough it is to suit up quickly when every second counts in an emergency.
This hands-on, real-world training is more than just a class, it’s preparation for life-saving careers. We’re proud to offer opportunities that inspire, challenge, and prepare our students for the future.
That's the Berea way!
This Wednesday morning, our fire science students put their skills, and speed, to the test in a firefighter gear-up challenge. Under the instruction of Mr. Billings, who has been with the Berea Fire Department for 15 years, they experienced just how tough it is to suit up quickly when every second counts in an emergency.
This hands-on, real-world training is more than just a class, it’s preparation for life-saving careers. We’re proud to offer opportunities that inspire, challenge, and prepare our students for the future.
That's the Berea way!
Attention Juniors and Seniors! If you're interested in painting your parking spaces in the student lot, the cost will be $20, to be collected by Cerra Miller. Painting will take place on Sept. 19th and 27th. Start sketching up some ideas now, we can't wait to see what designs you come up with!
