At this month's MS/HS Faculty Meeting, teachers and staff came together for a festive holiday cookie swap. Safe to say, every bite was enjoyed thoroughly!
Between cookies and conversations, Middle School Teacher Mr. Guevara gave a wonderful presentation about the importance of ELL/ESL support in the classroom, and discussed ways teachers can ensure no students are left behind during lessons.
These meetings strengthen communication around school initiatives, curriculum, and student support, but moments like this go beyond the agenda. They give our staff the opportunity to connect outside the classroom, as teammates and as a Pirate family, for the shared mission of creating a safe, innovative learning environment where student success is inevitable.
We couldn't wish for a stronger team of educators to bring that mission to life!
Let's give it up for out amazing MS/HS Faculty and Staff! 👏
JAG Student State Leader Takes Washington, DC! 🇺🇸
Berea JAGKY Student State Leader, Jackie Stephens, was recently invited to attend the National Student Leadership Conference alongside JAG students from across the country. Jackie visited the White House and met with national leaders to advocate for JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) programs.
We are incredibly proud to see our JAG leaders stepping up, speaking out, and showing firsthand the impact of investing in students’ confidence, communication, and leadership skills. These Pirates are the next generation of lawmakers and administrators, but they're already stepping up to be the difference they want to see!
It's clear how much of an impact our JAG programs have had on our students, thanks to the dedication and leadership of our amazing educators, Susie Harris and Nikki McHenry. Their classrooms are spaces where students build both soft and hard skills that prepare them for success beyond high school every single day.
We couldn’t be more proud of our outstanding teachers and student leaders for representing JAG at the national level and carrying their passion all the way to Capitol Hill!
Ms. Cveticanin’s art students had their incredible work on full display last week during the Winter Concert! 🎨✨
From creative self-portraits to vibrant quilt squares and underwater scenes, these beautiful pieces truly lit up the gym and caught the eye of everyone who walked by.
The Winter Concert isn’t just a celebration of our talented musicians, it’s a celebration of our entire creative student body. Whether students are expressing themselves through song, an instrument, or a paintbrush, everyone has a place in Berea’s creative programs, and we are continually amazed by their hard work and talent.
What a special group of Pirates. It's amazing to see the work our talented students have put together so far this year, and we can't wait to see what they create next!
- MS Volleyball will celebrate 8th Grade night on Thursday Dec. 18. Come out and support them on this special night.
- Our HS Boys Basketball team will be hosting the Berea Holiday Classic in multiple gyms Dec. 19-21. Come out and support them in their annual fundraiser.
Due to winter weather, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Monday, Dec. 15th.
This will be our third NTI Day.
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
Families that utilize the FRYSC for food pickup can pickup from 10AM - 1 PM if needed at the white tent across from the football field and Berea city pool.
Stay warm and safe, Pirates! ☃️
Kennedy Theater was packed on Tuesday night as excited families, alumni, and staff gathered to enjoy our Middle and High School Winter Choir performances.
From Fleet Foxes and Frozen II selections to timeless seasonal classics, our singers showcased an impressive range of material, with some standout 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. As a touching way to close out the night, Mrs. Barnhill invited alumni choir members in attendance to join the group on stage for their annual performance of Carol of the Bells, a truly full-circle experience, and a symbol of this program's legacy in our community.
The winter 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 fall semester, we look forward to it every year. We couldn’t be more proud of these talented singers, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this spring!
Our bands brought the house down at this year’s Winter Concert! 🎺🎶
On Tuesday evening, students, staff, alumni, and community members filled Singleton Gym for a warm night of music and community, watching the outstanding performances from our 6th Grade, 7th & 8th Grade, and High School bands.
Directed by Mr. Barnhill, our musicians delivered a fantastic program featuring classic winter standards alongside bold, contemporary pieces, and the crowd loved every minute.
Many of these students from our 6th Grade band had never picked up an instrument before Mr. Barnhill's class began in August. In just a few short months, they learned the fundamentals and confidently wowed the crowd with a number of recognizable tunes. There's nothing quite like the aptitude of a Pirate!
For one lively section, seniors Felix Reyes and Cassi Wright jumped on electric guitar and bass, adding a splash of rock & roll to the evening. And as the band wrapped up the concert with the beloved annual performance of Sleigh Ride, Mr. Barnhill invited the youngest audience members to step up to the podium and conduct the band themselves. Looks like we might have some young conductors in our future!
The winter 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 fall semester, we look forward to it every year. We couldn’t be more proud of these talented musicians, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this spring!
Our BCHS Academic Team completed their league season last Saturday at the Lake Cumberland Academic League, and our Pirates showed out!
🏅 Rose Ramsay - 2nd place in Arts & Humanities Assessment (JV)
🔬 Elliot Windland – 5th place in Science Assessment (JV)
⭐ JV Team MVP - Gage McClees
⭐ Varsity Team MVP - Brayden Morris
🌟 All-League Team Selection - Elaina Kirby (her first selection!)
Give it up for these increadible Pirates on the buzzer, showing everyone what Berea is made of.
The team will be back in action on Saturday at the inaugural Capital Academic Tournament (CAT) at Frankfort Christian Academy. Let's cheer them on!
We want to send a HUGE thank you to some amazing community partners for donating gift certificates and prizes to our Middle School and High School faculty, staff, and students this year:
Raising Cane’s – Richmond, KY
Texas Roadhouse – Richmond, KY
Domino’s – Berea, KY
Our MS/HS Culture Committee has worked closely with these local businesses to make this possible, helping us bring more recognition, celebrations, and positive moments to our schools.
These prizes will be used throughout the school year for award ceremonies, student recognition, and special staff shout-outs.
Thank you for investing in our kids, our staff, and our school community — we appreciate you! 💙🐻📚
Today, our High School and Middle School Choirs took over Kennedy Theater to rehearse for tomorrow night’s performances! If you listened closely, you could hear their voices filling the halls with holiday cheer. We're all very excited to sit back and watch the show, and we hope you're planning to join us!
Event Schedule:
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
Can’t make it in person? Don’t worry! The concert will be live-streamed on our official YouTube channel so everyone can enjoy the incredible work of these talented Pirates!
Four swimmers represented Berea at the Whitley County Classic this Saturday at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY. Three of our athletes competed in five events, and out of eight teams, Berea earned an impressive 4th place!
3 senior swimmers were recognized: Michael Winkler, Travis Harris, and Lucas Marshall.
What a great group! So respectful and such hard workers. We're proud to have these Pirates representing Berea Community.
- Austin King placed 1st in HS boys and was the Top Overall Male archer with a score of 288 this weekend at the Kingston Winter Classic.
- Berea Swim team placed 4th out of 8 teams at the Whitley County Classic at the University of Cumberlands. 7th Grader Graham Ramsey was awarded the Bronze (3rd) - 200 freestyle, 7th - in the 100 freestyle. Senior Travis Harris won Bronze (3rd) - 50 freestyle out of 17 swimmers
and placed 6th in the 100 freestyle. Senior Michael Winkler was 4th in the 200 freestyle.
- Congratulations to our MS Volleyball team as they swept all 3 games against Danville Christian last week.
- Also, Congratulations to our HS Boys Basketball team as they picked up their first win of the season on Saturday against Eminence.
Don't forget to join us on Dec. 9th for an evening filled with beautiful music, holiday cheer, and plenty of Pirate Pride!
You’ll enjoy performances from our Middle School and High School Choirs and Bands, plus a special student art gallery on display in the gym. It's shaping up to be a night to remember!
Event Schedule:
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
We can't wait to see you there! ❄️
Congratulations to this year's All-State Choir selections! 🎉🎶
- Jonah Hill — KMEA Senior High SATB All-State Chorus
- Vincent Pickle & Elizabeth Tait — KMEA Junior High All-State Treble Chorus
These students were chosen from hundreds of taped auditions to be among the top young singers across Kentucky. We couldn't be more proud to have them representing Berea Community on the statewide stage. This is a huge honor, and a testament to our student's musical talent and dedication. Our Pirates keep knocking it out of the park! Let's give them a HUGE round of applause for this amazing accomplishment! 👏🏴☠️
Our HS Boys and Girls Basketball teams kick off the regular season this week. 🏀
Both have home games, so a great chance to check them out!
Good luck to ALL of our teams and coaches this week. Go PIRATES!!
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!
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! 🏀
