Last Thursday, we celebrated our incredible seniors at the Senior Night Football Game, a group that truly embodies the Berea spirit, on and off the field.
From your ambition, to your dedication to your teams and communities, you guys remind us what Berea is all about. Go PIRATES!🏴☠️
Sara originally started her career working in urban districts across the east side of Las Vegas. She brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for supporting all students.
" I am especially devoted to fostering acceptance, inclusion, and celebrating neurodiversity. As both a parent of two children on the autism spectrum and someone with ADHD myself, I understand the importance of creating a positive, safe learning environment for every child. Feel free to reach out to me! I am always happy to connect and support our school community."
Thank you Sara for your commitment to our students and our school. We're so grateful for our team of school psychologists and all the incredible work they do for this community.!
Berea Community Elementary 3rd graders are hosting our district’s participation in the Million Cans Recycling Contest, a fun and eco-friendly challenge sponsored by Recycling is Like Magic, Novelis, and the Recycling Society.
From now through April 30th, we’re collecting empty aluminum cans to help our school climb to the top! Bring your cans to our front office, where a collection location will be set up.
Join us in supporting our 3rd graders and helping Berea Pirates lead the way in recycling. ♻️
Superintendent Dr. Ryan Neaves and FRYSC Director Natasha Johnson took center stage today at the Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative (SESC) Connect Leadership Community to showcase how Berea is redefining staff well-being.
Their presentation highlighted the innovative systems, culture, and care that make Berea a model district others are now looking to for inspiration. When it comes to investing in our people — no one does it quite like the Pirates! 🏴☠️
Last Thursday, students and parents gathered in Singleton Gym to celebrate our JAG students and initiate officers at the 2025 JAG Initiation and Installation Ceremony.
As explained by freshman Gabby Harris, "JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) is a program in our school district that helps students become ready for the real world when we graduate."
JAG focuses on giving students the opportunity to develop soft and hard skills that may not otherwise be taught in their core classes. It's about fostering those traits that will help them succeed in professional environments. How to properly present yourself, what language to use, etc.
If you spend any time at all around these students, it's impossible to miss the fundamental impact the JAG program has on many of them. From their handshakes and confident eye contact to the professionalism of their emails, the degree to which they apply these skills outside of the classroom is astounding.
Susie Harris and Nikki McHenry spearhead these programs with stewardship and integrity like you wouldn't believe, teaching our students lessons they'll carry with them throughout their professional life. We deeply appreciate the work they’re doing.
It was great to see this program recognized and celebrated at the ceremony, along with all the students, staff, and community members who make JAG what it is. Congratulations to all those initiated officers, and thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a success.
Ms. Combs has been at Berea Community Schools for 8 years, with 24 years total as a school psychologist. She has served various populations over the years, across various socio-economic and
cultural groups, which includes work in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and inner-city
Indianapolis.
She did her under-graduate work at Berea College (B.A. – Psychology) and
her graduate work at the University of Kentucky (M.S. and Ed.S. – School Psychology).
"I am passionate about school psychology, helping students identify their strengths, and
succeed at home, school, and life, per the NASP model. My counseling interests
include, in part, focusing on mindfulness and gratitude. I provide counseling services,
including crisis counseling services, as needed."
Tonya's office is located at the Berea Independent Schools Board office, as well as an office located inside the elementary school.
We couldn't be more appreciative of Tonya and the contributions she makes for our school and our community every single day. What an incredible team of people we have working with our students. Thank you Tonya!
5:30-6:00PM - Meet Your Basketball Teams
6:00-6:20PM - Middle School Boys 3 Point Shoot Around
6:20-6:30PM - Half Court Shot Contest
6:30-7:00PM - High School Girls Black & Shite Scrimmage
7:00-7:30PM - Alumni Game
7:30-8:00PM - High School Boys Take The Court
For more information, contact Eric Fields at eric.fields@berea.kyschools.us
Mark your calendars for December 9th, our Middle and High School Choir and Band students are ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime!
MS/HS Choir – 6:00 PM | High School Theatre
Middle School Band – 7:00 PM | Singleton Gym
High School Band – 7:45 PM | Singleton Gym
Come out and enjoy an evening filled with music, talent, and holiday spirit as we celebrate our amazing student musicians!
All week long, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and schools across the United States will celebrate the 2025 National School Psychology Week (NSPW). This week celebrates the contributions of school psychologists and the important role they play in schools and communities.
NSPW is an annual opportunity to recognize school psychologists' work to help children thrive in school, at home, and in life. This year’s theme, “Finding Your Path,” recognizes the ways that school psychologists take an active role in helping everyone in their communities determine paths to learning, growth, and overall well-being that meet their unique needs. Through their deep expertise and training in consultation, collaboration, and evidence-based practices, school psychologists empower others to set their destination and find a route that fits their needs, all while sharing tools to help them thrive along the way.
Throughout the week, we’ll host activities focused on mental health and well-being, including:
🧠 Mindfulness Minutes
💬 “Be Gentle to Your Mental” reminders
💛 Fun and informative activities promoting social-emotional health
📣 Spotlights on our amazing BCS School Psychologists and mental health supports
We appreciate our school psychologists and all they do for our community, they are an incredible resource for us all, and we couldn't ask for a better team of people to support our students. Let’s give a big round of applause to these amazing professionals who help our students find their path and flourish!
Berea Community Thespians Present: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie! 🎭
This week kicks off our first theater production of the school year, a thrilling mystery that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
📅 Showtimes:
Nov 6, 7, & 8 at 7 PM
Nov 9 at 2 PM
$10 General admission
$5 Students
Join us for an unforgettable night of suspense in the Kennedy Theater and support our talented Thespian Pirates!
We’ve received several questions about ways to support during the gap in SNAP benefits. To make things easier, FRYSC has created a simple infographic outlining how you can help.
1. Donate to the FRYSC Latchkey Account
This account goes directly to funds that help students and their families. You can make checks out to the Berea Community LATCHKEY Fund. If the donation is $250 or up, you need to request the School Activity Fund Donation Acknowledgement Form from the Front Office.
2. Donate Gift Cards
You can donate gift cards to Berea Independent Schools FRYSC to be used to purchase needed food.
3. Donate Nonperishable Food Items
You can donate nonperishable food items to the small Berea Independent Schools FRYSC pantry. All donated food items will stock the pantry to be distributed to families in need.
4. Donate to BUURR
They can buy a lot more food for a lower price than FRYSC. They serve 1 person for a week for $10. BURR is a huge supporter of our FRYSC office and our families.
Community Resources & Ways to Get Involved🍎
The second flier includes a list of verified local food pantries and free meal sites in Berea. Anyone in the area who finds it useful can distribute it through their networks. Anyone is welcome to share, print, and distribute it through their workplaces, community groups, neighborhoods, churches, etc. All info on the flier is current and verified.
If you’re able, consider donating to or volunteering with these local partners:
-The Berea Food Bank asks that we give as generously as we can during their Annual Fund Drive now through November 22. Donations are gratefully accepted at https://bereaoutreach.org/support.html and by check mailed to 108 Parkway, Berea KY 40403.
-Donate to or volunteer with the UP Initiative of Madison County—a meal site and drop-in center for a range of services including to-go bags of shelf stable food. Go to https://www.up-initiative.org/donate to donate or call (859)986-0087 to volunteer or contribute items.
For more information: 859-986-8446 ext. 1276 or 1319
natasha.johnson@berea.kyschools.us
marilyn.benton@berea.kyschools.us
This week's Senior Spotlight is for the one and only Jesse Benton!
Jesse has been a student here at Berea for 7 years, and his favorite memories have been playing soccer and basketball. One of Jesse's favorite teachers is Ms. Lilly Rader.
Everyone show some love for Jesse Benton, we can't wait to see everything you go on to accomplish! 🎓
We’re thrilled to celebrate the amazing Ms. Nikki McHenry for receiving the JAG National Peak Performance Award last week!
The JAG National Peak Performance Award is presented annually at the JAG National Training Seminar to recognize specialists who demonstrate outstanding performance and dedication to student success. This year, McHenry received the award for achieving the highest average contact hours nationally in the middle school division.
This award is given to a specialist who demonstrates a commitment to fostering strong relationships with students and providing consistent, meaningful support throughout the school year. Contact hours include leading JAG classroom lessons and workshops, mentoring and academic coaching, offering career counseling, coordinating community engagement projects, organizing guest speaker events, and advising student leadership teams. Ms. McHenry also continues to support students for 12 months after they leave the middle school program, helping them transition successfully into high school. We are so proud of Ms. McHenry and deeply grateful for the dedication, compassion, and leadership she brings to our school community every day.
Thank you, Ms. McHenry, for empowering our students to reach their full potential. This recognition is so well deserved!
We’re so grateful for our first responders and all they do to keep our community safe. Thank you for your service and dedication, BCS appreciates you!
The evening kicked off with the crowning of our Homecoming King and Queen, Jonah Hill and Samone Burgess. Congratulations to both! We had an incredible lineup of Pirate candidates this year, and we’re so thankful to all the families and fans who came out to cheer them on.
Meanwhile, the BCHS Class of ’95 reunited for a tailgate celebration! It was great to see some familiar faces back on campus to spend an evening catching up and enjoying the game.
To keep spirits high (and everyone warm!), our Chili Cook-Off served up hot bowls of homemade chili, while the Pep Band and Majorettes took the spotlight for their Taylor Swift-themed halftime show. And to top it all off, our Pirates took home a sweeping victory! 🏆
We’re so proud of our Pirate athletes and grateful for the community spirit that made this such a memorable end to Homecoming Week 2025. Thank you to everyone who helped make it a success!
They enjoyed a fun game about Art History, created art in the drawing/painting and clay studios, and toured the Giles Art Gallery with Melissa Vandenberg, where they viewed the exhibit “Dividends: Kentucky Arts Council Grantee Retrospective.”
This is always a wonderful learning and creative experience for the students. They love participating.
A huge thank you to everyone who made this experience possible:
Ilona Szekely, Melissa Vandenberg, Isaac Powell, Ian Mabry, Amanda Strasik,
the Art Education Student Association, EKU Art and Design, Giles Gallery, and the Kentucky Arts Council.
Good vibes all around at this year's Homecoming Bonfire! 🔥
After Thursday's Homecoming Parade, students gathered on the front lawn to enjoy the warmth of an impressive bonfire, made possible by Mr. Billings and the Berea Fire Department. Everyone enjoyed s’mores and hot dogs served by our wonderful FRYSC staff, and spent the evening laughing and chatting with friends as Homecoming Week came to a close.
For many alumni, this classic Berea tradition is among their fondest memories at Berea Community Schools. It was so special to bring it back for a new generation of Pirates to enjoy. We're already looking forward to next year!
We'd like to give a huge thanks to all our community partners and volunteers who helped make this year's Homecoming activities such a success. Thank you to the City of Berea, Berea Fire Department, Berea Police Department, Big Hill Jeep Club, Walmart, Domino's, Raising Cane's, Lori McCay, and all the parade float drivers, builders, and candidate drivers, for their time, donations and support.
Stand Up. Speak Out. Be Kind.
This month we raise awareness for Bullying Prevention Month. Being kind helps everyone to feel included, valued, and safe.
All evening the school's atrium was packed with creative costumes, great music, and smiling faces. We loved seeing our Middle School Pirates show off their best dance moves and enjoy a fun night with friends.
Such a great way to wrap up a busy and spirited Homecoming Week!
