As we head into the holiday, we’re thankful for our incredible students, families, staff, and community who make BCS such a special place. Have a safe, joyful, and restful break, and we’ll see you back on December 1st!
This morning, our Kindergarten students gathered in the cafeteria with their families to enjoy a classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving meal. Together, they shared time with teachers, classmates, and loved ones, and participated in fun seasonal arts & crafts.
Staff joked that they might have earned a Guinness World Record for the speed that they were buttering toast and setting up tables. Whether Guinness calls or not, one thing was clear, the effort meant everything to our Pirate families.
A huge round of applause for everyone who helped bring this memorable day to life, and to all the parents and families who joined us. Your presence made the celebration truly special for our students!
Let's give a hand for the exceptional teachers and staff who helped make this achievement possible. Their dedication is unmatched. As highlighted in The Edge’s recent article, Superintendent Dr. Neaves praised the team, saying: “Their professionalism, persistence, and commitment to high expectations laid the foundation for these results.”
Middle & High School Principal Ms. Caldwell echoed this gratitude, telling staff: “This is all because of YOUR dedication to students, standards-based instruction, holding all students accountable while supporting their needs (…) and most of all, being on board with our vision to support students in being the best they can be!”
We're proud to celebrate our teachers for the expectations they set, and the mentorship they provide our Pirates every single day. And we’re equally proud of our students—their determination, pride, and willingness to rise to those expectations inspire us all. They deserve a school like Berea, one that believes in their potential, supports their growth, and creates an environment where success is inevitable.
Last Friday, our senior class came together during school to host a Thanksgiving potluck, connecting with their class and celebrating this season of gratitude together.
This event was a truly special display of community, right within the walls of our school. From preparing the dishes to planning and organizing the entire gathering, our seniors took the lead every step of the way. Their effort and enthusiasm showed just how much they value their classmates and their BCHS family. That’s what it means to be a Pirate.
We couldn't be more proud of these students and the example they set. Their commitment to their classmates and excitement for their school is unrivaled, and the impact of that dedication can be felt far beyond this one event.
This is community. This is family. This is Berea. 🏴☠️
Our archers delivered an outstanding performance this Saturday at the Boyle County Tournament, earning 4th place overall with a score of 3114, with three of our archers receiving medals. Congratulations to Elaina Kirby, Austin King, and Story Lockwood for their placements!
Way to go, Pirates!
- Our Archery team had 3 members receive medals at Boyle County:
Austin King, 3rd place for HS boys, 293
Elaina Kirby, 8th place for HS girls, 280
Story Lockwood, 8th place for MS girls, 271
The HS team placed 4th with a score of 3114. Congratulations to all!
A December to Remember!
Believe it or not, the holiday season is right around the corner! This year we're celebrating with three full weeks of themed dress-up days leading right up to winter break.
From Holiday Sweater Day to Toe-Tally Festive Sock Day, there won’t be a dull moment at BCS this December. Start planning those outfits now, we can’t wait to see our halls bursting with color, creativity, and school spirit. It's sure to be a December to Remember!
Yesterday’s Fall Festival was an absolute smash hit! 🍁 🍂
Last night, the halls of our elementary circle came to life, buzzing with students and their families playing games and having fun at our annual Fall Festival event.
From the classic cake walk, to the Photo Booth station, to mini golf, there was something for everyone to enjoy, and it's safe to say our young Pirates made the most of every moment!
We're so grateful for all the Berea families who came out to enjoy the festival, and to all the teachers and staff who helped put it together. Events like this are so important for bringing our community together and we couldn't do it without everyone's collaboration and dedication to our students. Way to go, Pirates!
Let’s give a big shoutout to Avery Plessinger, who officially signed her National Letter of Intent yesterday to continue her basketball career at the University of Northwestern Ohio!
This is such an exciting milestone in Avery's future, and we can't wait to see everything she goes on to accomplish. Join us in wishing her the very best as she takes this exciting step toward her future! 🏀
For the first time ever, BCHS has scored in the Blue Tier, the highest performance level in Kentucky’s Summative Assessment Accountability System!
Our overall score jumped from 56.1 (Orange) last year to an impressive 87.8 this year—an extraordinary achievement made possible by our students’ hard work and by our teachers’ and staff’s unwavering dedication to standards-based instruction, holding all students accountable while providing the support they need, mentoring, and encouraging every student to reach their fullest potential.
We couldn’t be more proud of this historic accomplishment. Join us in celebrating by wearing BLUE this Friday! 💙
Dr. Ryan Neaves and FRYSC Director Natasha Johnson joined Berea College’s HR Department for their annual breakfast — and the generosity on display was inspiring. Berea College staff and faculty packed the room and showed up with bags and boxes of nonperishable food items, all donated directly to Berea Community’s FRYSC food pantry.
Because of this amazing outpouring of support, our students and families will have food for the holidays and well into the new year. This is the second year of this partnership, which began when Berea College’s own Heather Schill heard about the need during a FRYSC Advisory Council meeting and helped spark this entire collaboration.
We are incredibly thankful for Berea College, their big-hearted employees, and their continued commitment to our community. When Berea comes together, our students feel it — and our families feel it.
Community in action. Support in action. Berea at its best.
Elementary and High School are learning about fire safety together!
This morning, Mr. Billings’ Fire Science class took the stage outside our Kindergarten classrooms for a hands-on presentation about fire safety. Our Fire Science students demonstrated various tools and gadgets a firefighter might use in an emergency, and explained the importance of having a safety plan at home.
For our Kindergarten students, a fully suited firefighter can seem intimidating at first, so or Fire Science students focused on showing them the person underneath, and familiarizing them with all the firefighter equipment.
Demystifying these concepts makes all the difference, helping students understand and trust our local emergency responders, which is paramount in a real emergency situation.
It’s always special to see our Elementary and High School students collaborate on projects like this, educating learners from both ends of their BCS journey and helping break down barriers between the schools. You could tell many of the High Schoolers remembered being on the other side of a presentation like this, and that full-circle moment is a meaningful experience—both for our students, and the educators who get to watch these kids grow and change over the years.
A huge thank-you to Mr. Billings and his Fire Science class, as well as all our Kindergarten teachers and staff, for giving our students this valuable opportunity right outside their classrooms!
🍁🍂Fall Festival🍂🍁
This Thursday evening we'll be holding our Fall Festival for BCES from 5:30-7:30 PM! Stop by to enjoy fun games, cake walks, raffles, and more!
Admission is $5, and there will be additional concessions and raffles for purchase! This will be a cash-only event.
We can't wait to see you there!
Join us tonight from 5:30–7:00 PM for our Middle and High School Parent/Teacher Open House!
This is a great opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, ask questions, and learn more about their progress and classroom experience. Feel free to pop in and say hello, we look forward to seeing you there!
The evening kicked off with a hype-filled introduction of this year’s teams, followed by a series of intense, fast-paced scrimmages that had the crowd on its feet from start to finish.
A huge shoutout to this year's Pirate Basketball Teams! If this preview was any indication, we’re in for an explosive winter sports season. We can’t wait to see YOU in the stands the next time our Pirates hit the court! 🏀
A look back at Homecoming Week 2025... through our students’ eyes 👀📸
Last month, we sent out a couple students with point-and-shoot cameras to capture all the Homecoming week activities from their own perspective. Safe to say, the results did not disappoint, they took the idea and ran with it!
From the Homecoming Bonfire to the "Under the Sea" themed dance, they snapped candid moments, funny faces, and school spirit in full swing. We pulled their photos together into one big collage with our Homecoming King front and center (by popular demand- since he hadn't been featured during Homecoming Week 👑) a snapshot of what it means to be a student at BCHS.
This is Berea. This is students connecting with their school community and celebrating their Pirate traditions. They're excited about their school, and so are we!
A Pirate for 13 years, Jayden 's favorite memory at Berea has been spending time with friends. Her favorite teacher has been Mrs. Jones, who she says has helped her a lot in school. After graduation, Jayden plans to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Everyone give a hand for Jayden Alewine 👏
We can't wait to see what's next for you! 🎓
Let’s give a big round of applause to our incredible Academic Team Seniors, who were recognized at Tuesday’s Senior Night before their matchup with Madison Central. They were acknowledged for their contributions to the team, including their efforts in facilitating Berea's first time at NAQT's Small School National Championship Tournament.
These students show us every day what it means to be a leader, a trailblazer, and a scholar. They set the bar high for our Academic Team, and our school, and we're proud to have them representing our student body. Everyone give it up for Elaina Kirby, Cerra Miller, and Mady O'Bryan!
📢 School Closure – Friday, Nov. 14
Berea Community Schools will be closed Friday, Nov. 14, so our staff and students can attend the Celebration of Life for Dr. Eef Fontanez, who served our district for over 30 years.
➡️ Classes resume Monday, Nov. 17. Make-up day TBD by the Board of Education.
🍎 Families in need of food assistance during the closure can email Natasha Johnson, FRYSC Director, at natasha.johnson@berea.kyschools.us for support.
ALL extra-curricular activities for Friday November 14th are still scheduled to be played as normal.
We appreciate your understanding as we honor Dr. Fontanez’s legacy.
