
- Congratulations to the BCHS Archery team for competing in the KyNASP State Championship on Saturday. The team fell short of qualifying for Nationals by just 47 points with a score of 3053. Congratulations to Claire Garrett who shot 3 perfect 50's and placed 29th out of 1567 HS girls. Job well done to all our archers for a great season!
- The Berea Tennis team opened up their season with a 5-2 win over Danville Christian. The Boys won 3-0 and the girls tied 2-2.
- On Monday March 16 we will introduce our New Head Football Coach Lee Atkins to our returning players and any up-and-coming players. We will call them down to the Singleton Gym at 11:15 for a brief introduction.
- On Thursday March 19 we will introduce our New Head Boys Soccer Coach Jake Partin in Singleton Gym at 11:15.


This week, we're celebrating James Lunsford!
James has been a Berea student for 13 years. During his time here, two of his favorite teachers have been Ms. Newton and Ms. Mills. One of his favorite memories is going undefeated in 8th grade and defeating Model in a penalty shootout during the championship match.
After graduation, James plans to attend college and continue working toward his future goals.
Let's all wish James the best of luck with his plans after graduation, we can't wait to see all the great things he accomplishes!

Congratulations to our outstanding High School JAG students who recently competed in the State Career Development Conference! These exceptional students have earned the opportunity to compete at the national level in Utah this year:
Gabby Harris 3rd place for Outstanding Chapter Event
Laeya Rose, Jackie Stephens, Absady Baker & Nehemiah Hackett: 1st place in Project Based Learning
We're so proud of these Pirates, and all of the hard working students in our JAG program for applying themselves and investing in their future through leadership, career passion, and teamwork, in their JAG classes and beyond. That's the Pirate way!






2nd Place-Chapter Service Project Portfolio: Samone Burgess, Layla Lady, Neveah Coleman
3rd Place-Nutrition and Wellness: Mya Burgess, Mary Francisco, Story Nunn-Bonta
3rd Place-Interior Design (Level 2): Riley Cooley, Aadrianna Rodgers, Trinity Thomas
3rd Place-Interior Design (Level 3): Marley Burgess, Yarely Ramos
3rd Place-Focus on Children: Michael Winkler, Adalyn Gilbert
5th Place-Sports Nutrition: Olin Perry, Wyatt Richardson
Way to represent Berea FCCLA!

- Congratulations to Finley Blevins, Wiley Reed, Avery Plessinger and Kadee Stepp for making All 11th Region Honorable Mention for their hard work throughout the regular season. Finley Blevins was also named to the Boys All Academic Team.
- Senior Lady Pirate Avery Plessinger was also named to the 11th Region All Tournament Team.
- The BCHS Archery Team had another historic weekend! At the Bobcat PreState Warmup, the HS team placed second against Boyle and Garrard Counties with a score of 3112. This is the highest recorded score for a BCHS team at a NASP tournament. Claire Garrart placed 1st in the HS girls with a score of 286 and was the Top Overall Female and Tyson Baker placed 4th in the HS boys with a score of 281. Congratulations to all our Archers.
- Good Luck to our HS Archery Team this weekend. For the first time they will take the entire HS team to compete at the NASP State tournament in Louisville KY.







KUNA (KY United Nations Assembly) is a student-driven conference sponsored by the YMCA of Kentucky. The two-day event simulates the United Nations General Assembly, where schools will select a country to represent during the event. This year, Berea Community has selected Brazil as it's country and submitted a resolution regarding efforts to combat deforestation.
Their resolution passed out of voting committee, received the endorsement of the Secretary General, and was awarded an Outstanding Resolution award, the first for the program. Resolution sponsors were Lucas Marshall, Luke Campbell, and Jackson Schill.
For the first time, we put forward an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) to provide expert testimony for resolutions. Mary Francisco represented Doctors Without Borders.
Opal Bailey and Yarely Ramos portrayed lawyers for Israel and Palestine in the International Court of Justice.
In the Security Council, Travis Harris, Colin Derringer, and Nick Short represented China. These three debated concerns about artificial intelligence and pandemic preparedness. China's proposed response to a crisis scenario received the award for Best Crisis Response.
In addition, Travis Harris received Outstand Delegate for the Berea chapter.
On the whole, Berea received a Premier Delegation Award for exhibiting the values and standards of the YMCA of Kentucky.
We are incredibly proud of these students for their leadership, diplomacy, and dedication. The leaders of tomorrow, right here at Berea Community Schools! π






On February 19th, Pirates packed into Singleton Gym to recognize all of our amazing senior athletes on their Berea Pirate Boys Basketball Senior Night. It was a night to remember!
Letβs hear it for our outstanding senior athletes, Liam Brewer, Jake Mills, Finley Blevins, Wiley Reed, Travis Harris, Brayden Eversole, and Michael Winkler, along with our senior cheerleaders, Jasmine Abrams and Morgan Davis. These Pirates have been cornerstones of the program and role models for their teammates, setting the standard through their hard work, dedication, and Pirate pride.
We're so proud of these student athletes for everything they've accomplished throughout their BCHS careers.
Donβt forget to come out and support our Lady Pirates TONIGHT at the Regional Tournament at EKU! Theyβll take on Franklin County at 9:15 PM in the first round.
Let's go, Pirates! π΄ββ οΈπ₯










π Itβs Read Across America Week! π
All week long, weβre celebrating our favorite books, discovering new ones, and reminding ourselves of the power of reading. To mark the occasion, weβre spotlighting staff picks from educators across Berea Community Schools!
Our first feature comes from Mr. Christopher Preece, who chose the first volume of Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz's 2011 Change is Constant comic run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This initial 4-issue story arc reestablishes the Turtle's origin and kicks off IDW Publishing's acclaimed run of the series (the longest-running TMNT comic series in history).
Mr. Preece shares:
"Reading the TMNT by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz published by IDW is a long standing series for the turtles that rejuvenated their comic run with reference to the original 1984 run with bring a modern day sense of storytelling that elevates the turtles to a whole new level. This series comes at you piping hot and delivered on time."
Our second spotlight shines on Ms. Susie Harris, who recommends The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. Ms. Harris was also just named March Educator of the Month by WBON TV! Her nomination stated, "When the JAG (Jobs for Americaβs Graduates) program faced elimination last year, Susie stepped up. She organized fundraisers and secured community sponsors to ensure the program could continue serving students. Through JAG, she teaches essential life skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and communicationβpreparing students for success beyond the classroom." We'd like to send her a huge congratulations for this amazing accomplishment.
Ms. Harris explains:
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens has been an important resource in my classroom because it gives students practical, real-world strategies they can immediately apply to their lives. I recommend it because it encourages personal responsibility, goal setting, and positive relationships, all of which are essential for success in school and beyond. Reading in general helps students build critical thinking skills, expand their perspective, and grow both personally and professionally."
A huge thank you to these outstanding educators for sharing their recommendations! Have you read either of these books? Stay tuned for more staff picks throughout Read Across America Week! π




Due to last week's school closures, our Track & Field Parent Meeting has been rescheduled to today at 5 PM in the front atrium!
If you have a 7th-12th grade student interested in participating in High School Track and Field this season, we hope you'll join us fro our parent meeting this evening at 5:00 PM in the front atrium.
Track and field is a great way to build community, improve physical, mental and emotional well-being, and stay conditioned for Fall Sports.
We hope to see you there!

- The 44th District Runner-Up Berea Lady Pirates move on to the Regional Tournament this week at EKU. They will take on Franklin County on Tuesday March 3 at 9:15 in the first round. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online with Hudl. I will send a separate email with LINK. I have attached the full bracket for everyone. Good luck Lady Pirates!
- Congratulations to Avery Plessinger, Cora Reed, Kadee Stepp, Wiley Reed and Jake Mills for being named to the 44th District All Tournament team.
- Congratulations to Avery Plessinger and Kadee Stepp for making All 11th Region Honorable Mention for their hard work throughout the season.
- Senior Football player Treyshaun Davis will sign his letter of intent to play college football with Midway University on Thursday March 5th. The signing will take place at 11:30 in the Singleton Gym. Congratulations Trey!
- Berea Archery performed exceptionally well in their first 3D Tournament on Saturday. Despite the tough competition of Madison Central and Frederick Douglas, the HS team placed 3rd out of 4 teams with a score of 1576. Austin King placed second for the HS boys with a score of 279. Tyson Baker placed 6th for the HS boys with a score of 274, missing 5th place by one 10. Claire Garrett placed 6th for the HS girls.

A new Computer Science Program is coming to BCHS!
If you're interested in technology, software development, or cybersecurity, this program might just be for you!
This free, year-long virtual course is available to students who successfully complete the interview and acceptance process, giving you access to high-quality instruction, real-world skills, and valuable experience at no cost.
Join us for our Student & Parent Informational Meeting to learn how you can get involved:
-Wednesday, March 4
-11:00 AM
-Kennedy Theater
Donβt miss your chance to be a part of this exciting new program. We look forward to seeing you there!

This morning, our Fire Science students took turns behind the wheel of a first responder vehicle driving simulator, experiencing what itβs like to navigate real emergency situations.
This state-of-the-art mobile driving trainer from the Kentucky Fire Commission simulates the experience of operating different types of ambulances and fire trucks while driving through a virtual city and responding to live emergency scenarios. Their instructor, Lieutenant Billings, controls the simulation, adjusting weather conditions, vehicle type, traffic patterns, and obstacles to challenge each student driver.
Thereβs only one of these simulators in the entire state, and this week, itβs parked at Berea Community Schools, giving our students unmatched, real-world training experience.
Weβre proud to offer a premier Fire Science program that puts students in authentic, hands-on learning environments led by experienced professionals.
A huge thank you to Mr. Billings and everyone who makes this incredible program possible!









This morning, our Fire Science students took turns behind the wheel of a first responder vehicle driving simulator, experiencing what itβs like to navigate real emergency situations.
This state-of-the-art mobile driving trainer from the Kentucky Fire Commission simulates the experience of operating different types of ambulances and fire trucks while driving through a virtual city and responding to live emergency scenarios. Their instructor, Lieutenant Billings, controls the simulation, adjusting weather conditions, vehicle type, traffic patterns, and obstacles to challenge each student driver.
Thereβs only one of these simulators in the entire state, and this week, itβs parked at Berea Community Schools, giving our students unmatched, real-world training experience.
Weβre proud to offer a premier Fire Science program that puts students in authentic, hands-on learning environments led by experienced professionals.
A huge thank you to Mr. Billings and everyone who makes this incredible program possible!








For what is likely the first time in Berea Archery history, our entire team has qualified for this yearβs KY NASP State Tournament! We couldnβt be more proud of these incredible athletes for their hard work, dedication, and skill. The team will compete at State on March 14th, and theyβre ready to aim high!
We would also like to recognize the five BCHS archers who competed in this weekend's All A Classic State Tournament, featuring 275 of the top archers in Kentucky. The tournament gathered the best of the best 275 archers from the state. The top score was a 295 and there was only a 6 point spread in the top 10. Claire Garrett placed 7th overall with an outstanding score of 290! All five BCHS archers represented Berea with excellence and proved they belong among the best in the state.
Join us in congratulating these Pirates on all of their incredible accomplishments, and be sure to wish them the best of luck at KY NASP State next month! πΉ


- Claire Garrett placed 7th out of 275 archers with a score of 290. The top score was 295 and there was only a 6-point spread in the top 10.
- Congratulations to Senior Boys basketball player Finley Blevins on recently becoming the all-time assist leader for the Pirates surpassing a record that stood for 46 years by former Pirate Jeff Johnson.
- Senior basketball player Wiley Reed had a triple double on Senior Night with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Congratulations!

Recent winter weather has led to a critical shortage of some blood types, so help is needed! Donations help support both your community and a scholarship for a BCHS Senior. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be made up until the day before the drive. Photo ID is required.
Contact lori.mccay@berea.kyschools.us or kybloodcenter.org to schedule your appointment!

This week, we're celebrating the one and only Alana Sexton.
Alana has been a Pirate for 12 years, and her favorite memories are her time spent in our music classrooms with Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill, who she says are "always there for us and very supportive." She says her time in band and choir always goes by quickly, "and while it is full of work, it is also full of laughter and joy."
Itβs no surprise that music has played such a meaningful role in her journey. After graduation, Alana plans to attend EKU to major in music education. We have a feeling it wonβt be long before she's the one standing at the front of a music classroom of her own! π΄ββ οΈπΆ
Let's all wish Alana the best of luck with her plans after graduation, we can't wait to see all the amazing things she accomplishes! π

If you have a 7th-12th grade student interested in participating in High School Track and Field this season, we hope you'll join us for our our parent meeting on Friday, February 27th at 5:00 PM in the front atrium.
Track and field is a great way to build community, improve physical, mental and emotional well-being, and stay conditioned for Fall Sports.
We hope to see you there!

Letβs hear it for our three outstanding senior athletes, Cora Reed, Avery Plessinger, and Kadee Stepp. These leaders have truly been cornerstones of the program and role models for their teammates, setting the standard through their work ethic, dedication, and Pirate pride.
Their senior night was filled with cheers and excitement, from the makeshift ESPN table in the student section, to the thunderous pep band, to the crowd of parents and friends, everyone in the gym made sure the night was unforgettable.
We're so proud of these student athletes for everything they've accomplished throughout their BCHS careers.
Don't forget to come out TONIGHT for the boys Senior Night game against Bluegrass United.
Let's go, Pirates! π΄ββ οΈ









