Berea Independent School District

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!

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!

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!

Rounding out Spirit Week with Jersey Day and Adam Sandler Day! You all are killing it with these outfits! Tomorrow, we’ll be wrapping up with Freaky Friday, where students dress as teachers and teachers as students. Be sure to go all out and surprise your teachers with your best impressions of them. Have fun with your outfits and keep it respectful—let’s celebrate each other’s styles and quirks! We can't wait to see what you come up with!

We’re proud to celebrate our amazing 8th grade soccer athletes from last night’s 8th Grade Night! Smiles and tears all around, what a great night to be a Pirate. 🏴‍☠️

Unforgettable! As part of our High Attendance Day activities, Pirates grades 6-12 went head-to-head in an epic Castle Ball Tournament. The objective? Knock down the other team's hula-hoop castle before they knock yours down, all while playing under classic dodgeball rules.

The competition was fierce, the energy was electric, and the games were absolutely nail-biting. For most of the tournament, 8th grade dominated, taking down 7th, 9th, and 10th grade in an unprecedented win streak. There were tears, and cheers, but at the end of the day, they were no match for our seniors, who rose to the top and took home the gold.

Nothing like a mid-day Dodgeball match to build comroadery and get us all excited to come to school. Because when you miss school, you miss out. Way to go team, let's go Pirates!

🗝️🔦 Escape Room Challenge… Berea style!

This morning, all of our 6th–12th graders kicked off the day inside a custom-made “Dr. Neaves Breakout Room.” Their only clue to get started? That Dr. Neaves “left something behind to help them see.” After discovering the blacklight flashlight, hidden messages around the room led them to a digital link filled with riddles, trivia, and problem-solving challenges.

From uncovering the last year Berea volleyball defeated Madison Southern, to crunching equations about just how many burritos Dr. Neaves grabbed from Just Love, students had to think, collaborate, and persevere.

But it didn’t stop there. The next scrambled clue hinted at locker 67… or was it 76? 🤔

Students worked hard piecing it all together and had a blast solving the puzzles.

In the end, Mr. Jenkins’ and Mr. Woodward’s classes cracked the code first and claimed victory! Their reward? A well-earned donut party. 🍩🎉

We loved seeing our students dive into teamwork, problem-solving, and a whole lot of fun to start the day. Pirate Pride was on full display! 🏴‍☠️

Our elementary Pirates had a blast today at their bounce house party in Conkin Gym!

From racing through the inflatable obstacle course to flying down giant slides, the energy was through the roof. And let's not forget Mr. Poynter’s festive hat! You definitely couldn’t miss him!

This awesome celebration was all part of our High Attendance Day festivities, and it was great to see so many of our students showing up ready to learn and have fun. Because when you miss school, you miss out! Let's keep showing up Pirates!

Today, our fire science students suited up in real firefighter gear for hands-on training! Berea is a frontrunner in the expanding fire science career and technical education pathways in Kentucky schools, and we're proud to offer our students this special opportunity to learn about careers in emergency service and public safety.

FCCLA is organizing a FRYSC drive for the whole month of September. Accepting women's leggings, men's and women's underwear, and nonperishable food. There is a bin located in the atrium. Any and all donations are appreciated!!!

What a cozy start to the week! No one even bothered to change out of their PJs for school! 😴
It's always fun to see our teachers and staff dress up for Spirit Week. Remember we have 4 themed days left so don't forget to show your pirate pride and put together some memorable outfits this week!
Tomorrow is “Anything But A Backpack/Water Bottle” day, so we want to see some creative props in the halls!

Important information about upcoming MS/HS Archery events!
There will be an open gym on Sept. 29th from 5-7pm
There will be a parent meeting Oct. 1st from 6-7pm
Those interested in participating in the 25/26 season should plan to attend for important information.

Berea Athletics schedule for the week of Sept. 8 - 13! Good luck to ALL of our teams and coaches this week. Go PIRATES!!

- Congratulations to Kadee Stepp and Story Nunn-Bonta on making the 11th Region Volleyball All Tournament Team. HS Volleyball will take on Madison Central at home on Monday night. They will also host their Invitational Tournament on Saturday. Come out and support these hard working girls.
- Congratulations to our HS Boys and Girls Soccer teams on defeating District Rival Model last week. Come out and see them in a double header on Tuesday evening.
- Our Boys and Girls Golf teams will host the Berea Invitational Tournament on Saturday at Berea Golf Club course. Good luck to both teams.

This month's Board of Education Meeting will be held on September 15, 2025, at 7 PM in the MS/HS Theater.

For this week's Senior Spotlight, we're recognizing the lovely Layla Lady!

Layla has been at Berea for six years, and after graduation she plans to go to college to major in elementary education. One of her favorite teachers is Mrs. Caudill, who has helped her when she's felt overwhelmed at school. Her favorite memories include pie-ing her teachers in the face, as well as her FCCLA trip. We can't wait to see everything Layla goes on to achieve!

Throwback Thursday is taking us back to Spirit Week 2012. From Western Day to Jersey Day, these Pirates brought the energy, with some unforgettable fashion choices. But we think Spirit Week 2025 has the potential to be even bigger! Let’s go all out this year, dig deep into your closet, bring the creativity, and create looks they'll be talking about in 2035!
What's your favorite Spirit Week memory?