As testing season begins to wind down, students are getting some well-deserved time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the sunshine. Whether they were playing soccer, hopscotch, or just laying in the grass, students made the most of this gorgeous day outside.
We're so proud of these Pirates for the hard work they've shown throughout the school year, and we're happy to see them (and their teachers) having some fun and getting some rest.
What a great day to be a Pirate!
Who's ready for some sunshine? Get ready for a day of fun in the sun next Friday, May 15th, on our annual BCES field day!
Remember to bring a towel, sunscreen, a water bottle, a change of clothes, and comfortable shoes that can get wet.
It's going to be a day to remember, full of games, laughter, and outdoor fun. We’re counting down the days already!
Thank You for an Incredible Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week!
We’re feeling so grateful after an amazing week celebrating our faculty and staff! This morning, the Board Office was even surprised with a special visit delivering a cake from State Farm, such a thoughtful way to wrap up a week full of appreciation.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the generous businesses, families, and community partners who helped make our week of staff appreciation possible. Thanks to your kindness, we were able to have breakfast, lunch, and staff provided every single day.
With sincere thanks to:
Lucky Day Confections (cinnamon rolls)
Camaro Central (donuts)
Ferguson-Oles & Ramsay Families (muffins & fruit)
Cracker Barrel (biscuits & gravy)
Just Love Coffee (breakfast for all staff)
Kentucky Farm Bureau (Subway sandwiches & chips)
Just Eef It Group – Mikki Moran (Chick-fil-A boxes, cookies & drinks)
Papa John’s, Church on the Rock & the Lockwood Family (pizza, fruit and breakfast items)
Berea College President’s Office/Farm Store (sandwiches, wraps & salads)
Southland Christian Church–Richmond (Lee’s Chicken, green beans & mashed potatoes)
Woodward Family (snacks & desserts)
Mary Rojas / Rojas Family (chips & dips)
Moreland Family
Elementary PTO
KFC
Berea Board Members
Native Bagel
Pizza Hut
We would also like to extend a sincere thank-you to the members of the Board Office for taking the time to serve lunch each day, and to Christine Knight for organizing the majority of the week.
Our staff felt the love, and we couldn’t have done it without you!
Learnin’ The Ropes!
Last week, we had some very special guests from Learnin' The Ropes visit our elementary school for a jump rope performance that blew us all away. From jaw-dropping backflips to lightning-fast jump rope tricks, the performance had everyone cheering.
But beyond the excitement, the athletes shared an even more powerful message, that success comes from perseverance, dedication, and lots of practice. They reminded students that improvement doesn’t happen overnight, it takes patience and effort to grow any skill.
At one point, they brought some students and teachers out of the bleachers to practice their own jump roping while being cheered on by the whole school. The athletes reminded us that it's important to remember the power of encouragement, and make sure we're cheering on our friends and family when they're doing a difficult thing.
When asked who the “best” athlete was, their answer said it all, everyone has their own unique strengths. Whether it’s jump rope, academics, or anything else, we all shine in different ways, and with practice, we can all achieve amazing things.
A huge thank-you to Learnin’ The Ropes for inspiring our students and bringing so much energy and encouragement to our school, it's always a blast to see these athletes in action!
- Tuesday May 5th will be 8th Grade Night for our MS Softball Team.
- Thursday May 7th will be Senior Night for our HS Baseball Team.
- Our Tennis Team will begin Regional play on Friday May 8th at EKU and continue play on Saturday May 9th.
- The Berea Track team will compete in the Region 5 Meet on Saturday May 9th in Danville KY.
Testing Week is here! 📝
Our 2026 Kentucky Summative Assessment testing officially began today. The hallways are quiet, and our students are focused and hard at work showing what they’ve learned all year.
Yesterday, we kicked things off by welcoming a few guests from Berea College, who spoke with our middle school students about healthy testing habits and helped build excitement for the week ahead with some fun incentives.
We're excited to see all the growth we've made over the course of the school year. Best of wishes to our testing Pirates, let’s show what Berea is made of!
Weaving with Berea College Student Craft! 🧶
Ms. Cveticanin's art students were recently visited for the last time by Berea College Student Craft Outreach Director Steve Davis-Rosenbaum, and a team of Craft Educators for a lesson on weaving!
students were guided through the creative process of yarn weaving on a small wooden loom, designing their own unique pieces while experimenting with colors, patterns, and techniques, and learning about weaving as an important tradition in Appalachian craft.
We are so thankful for this wonderful partnership with our neighbors right up the hill at Berea College. It's so meaningful to have the experts right here in our classrooms, working with our students, and teaching them about new mediums and art forms. Thanks to everyone who has made this collaboration possible!
Today, we’re excited to recognize Ms. Parrish’s amazing fourth-grade homeroom class for winning this year’s READBowl Elementary Conference!
READBowl is a free global reading competition hosted by Super Bowl champ Malcolm Mitchel in which classes from around the globe compete to log the most minutes of reading in a four-week span. Mitchel started the competition in 2018 with the mission of encouraging literacy skills and reading habits in young people.
In January, Ms. Parrish enrolled her three fourth-grade classes in the competition. A few weeks ago, they learned that her homeroom earned first place in the entire Elementary Conference, while her second block placed third. As first-place winners, her homeroom received several prizes, including a live video chat with Malcolm!
On Wednesday morning, the students could barely stay in their seats when Malcolm appeared on the call. They eagerly raised their hands to ask questions, shared their favorite books, and even offered ideas for future READBowl challenges. Everyone had an absolute blast talking with the Super Bowl champion.
During the call, Malcolm shared stories about growing up in a community that valued football more than education. He explained how discovering a love for reading changed the course of his life and helped shape who he is today. He created READBowl to help shift some of the spotlight from sports to reading and education, inspiring a new generation to pick up a book and fall in love with reading.
Ms. Parrish's Homeroom class will also receive a “Read with Malcolm” Book Bundle for their classroom, 1 copy of Malcolm’s book, The Magician's Hat, per student, a personal library of 5 books per student, a Read with Malcolm READBowl Certificate of Achievement, and a feature on Share the Magic Foundation Website's READBowl homepage until the next annual READBowl begins.
We are so proud of this outstanding achievement. Berea is truly home to some amazing readers. Way to go, Pirates!
Their leadership and commitment to our schools shines in every classroom, and every hallway, keeping our student and staff on a track towards sucess every day. We couldn't be more grateful for their impact and hard work.
Tuesday morning, our senior class gathered in Singleton Gym in front of their families and friends for their senior signing! This special annual event celebrates our senior class and all of their amazing post-graduation plans. Whether it be attending college, entering the workforce, or pursuing other goals and ambitions, we were so excited to cheer on our seniors and recognize all of the amazing journeys they're planning for after graduation.
More photos of the senior class are available on the district's Facebook page.
Give it up for these amazing seniors!
Amazing performances all around at this year's Spring Concert! 🎶
Kennedy Theater was packed last night as excited families, alumni, and staff gathered to enjoy our Middle & High School Spring Choir performances.
From the Marvelettes to The Lion King and Adele, our singers showcased an impressive range of material, with some stand out duets and solos that absolutely blew us away.
A huge round of applause for Mrs. Barnhill and all of her choir students, who continue to inspire us year after year. The strength and impact of this program is unmistakable to students past and present, who carry their love of choir with them far beyond the halls of our school.
The most meaningful moment of the night came before their last song, when Mrs. Barnhill called all of her senior choir students up front to be recognized before the end of the performance. There were smiles and tears all across the room as Mrs. Barnhill shared the impact these seniors have had on her over the years. We're so proud to see the incredible performers these students have grown into, they will be dearly missed next year.
We'd like to congratulate the entire choir on an excellent last concert of the year. The spring concert is a special tradition, one that brings our community together to celebrate the creativity, hard work, and growth our students have shown throughout the year. We couldn't be more proud of these talented singers!
Singleton Gym was packed last night as students, families, alumni, and community members came together for an unforgettable night of music, art, and celebration. Our 6th Grade, 7th & 8th Grade, and High School bands, under the direction of Mr. Barnhill, delivered an outstanding performance featuring everything from traditional German pieces to Take On Me and music from How to Train Your Dragon. They did it all, and the crowd loved every minute.
It’s especially inspiring to see how far our students have come. Many of the 6 graders had never picked up an instrument before this year. And in just a few short months, they've learned the fundamentals and confidence to pull off an exceptional performance in front of their friends and families. It's always incredible to see the growth of these students from winter to now.
The evening also featured an excellent exhibit of student artwork from Ms. Cveticanin's art classes, including a variety of pieces students have worked on with Berea College's Student Craft Outreach Program. From ceramic mugs, to handmade brooms and weaving, there so much amazing work on display.
One of the most meaningful moments of the night came when Mr. Barnhill recognized each of this year's seniors before their final song with the band. He shared stories from when this group were in 6th grade during Covid, and the overwhelming experience many of them had being thrust into high school band after years of virtual classes. But there's no doubt in anyone's mind this group has grown into exceptional musicians and we're going to miss them dearly as we move into next year. We're happy to report they had an excellent final concert.
The Spring Concert is a cherished tradition that highlights the creativity, growth, and hard work of our students from throughout the year. We couldn't be more proud of these talented musicians and artists!
Just a reminder to get ready, KSA testing begins next week! Between May 5th and 14th, our students will take the Kentucky Summative Assessment. This annual testing is one of Kentucky’s measures of student proficiency and progress on the state content standards.
Last year, BCHS reached an incredible milestone, scoring in the Blue Tier for the first time ever! Not only did this put us in the highest performance level, but we were ultimately ranked 18th High School in the state! Let's keep that momentum going on this year's assessments!
To all of our testers, trust yourselves and do your best, you’ve got this. Let’s show what Berea is made of!
Today, our Sources of Strength students wrapped up a year of meaningful work with a Chick-fil-A lunch celebration!
Sources of Strength is a leadership program in the Middle school. Each year 12-15 students per grade level are selected to be a part of the team. These students meet twice a month to create and run different campaigns to encourage and uplift MS students and staff. They have created campaigns about who their school mentor is, choosing positive friends, taking care of their mental health, choosing healthy activities, and recently, they made encouraging posters for their peers for KSA testing.
We’re proud of the impact these students have made in building a stronger school community. A special thank-you to our amazing Green Dot partners (Brian Hill and Keith Stewart) who come in and help lead the work that these students do.
Teacher Appreciation Week! 🍎
Kicking off Teacher Appreciation Week today our administration team served up a Subway lunch for our faculty & staff! A big thank-you to David Mayo with Kentucky Farm Bureau for generously providing the meals.
From sunrise to sundown, our school is filled with students learning, growing, and building their futures. Behind it all are the dedicated teachers and staff who keep everything running day after day. Their long hours, late nights, and constant commitment make a lasting difference for our students and our community, and we couldn't be more grateful for all they do.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to our entire staff!
Join us tomorrow at 9:00 AM in Singleton Gym as we celebrate our incredible senior class at Senior Signing Day! This special annual event celebrates our senior class and all of their amazing post-graduation plans. Whether it be attending college, entering the workforce, or pursuing other goals and ambitions, we're excited to recognize all of the amazing journeys that our senior class is planning to pursue after graduation.
Come celebrate with us!
There will be a Special-Called Board of Education Meeting on April 28th, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the MS/HS Library.
Tech Department on Grill Duty! 🍔
If you smelled burgers in the parking lot today, your nose wasn't playing tricks on you! This afternoon our Board Office came together for a Spring Cookout Potluck, with our Technology Director Daniel Montoya holding it down on the grill outside the tech office.
From burgers to hot dogs, it turns out some of the best cooking in town might just be happening right here at the Board Office!
You just never know what’s cooking around here.
A huge thank-you to our amazing Secretary to the Superintendent, Ms. Christine Knight, for organizing office events like these to bring us together!
Today our 5th Graders took a trip over to BCMS to tour their future classrooms, meet their teachers, and watch a performance from our Band and Choir!
The move from elementary to middle school can feel like a big step, but today’s visit helped make that transition a little more familiar. Our teachers, administration, and student helpers are all here to help students learn how to navigate the new freedoms and expectations that come with being in 6th Grade.
At the beginning of their tour, students heard from current 8th graders, who shared helpful advice about staying organized, getting involved, and making the most of middle school life.
One of the highlights of the day was the performance from our Band and Choir, who showed students all the opportunities they'll have in our music department next year. After the performance, 5th graders got the chance to talk to our Band and Choir students and learn more about each instrument.
We’re so proud of this group and can’t wait to welcome them to the BCMS halls! With the support of our dedicated staff and school leaders, they’re more than ready for this next chapter.
Welcome, rising 6th graders!
Today for Throwback Thursday, we're taking a trip back to 1985 with this classic Pirate Athletics pamphlet!
Looks like 1985 was a great year to be a Pirate. Can you recognize any familiar faces on these sports teams?
