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.
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!
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.
🔥 Homecoming Bonfire Prep!
This morning, Mr. Billings’ Fire Science class was hard at work on the front lawn, getting everything ready for tonight’s Homecoming Bonfire!
We're so excited to reintroduce this tradition to a new generation of Pirates, it'll be a night to remember!
The bonfire will light up the front lawn right after the Homecoming Parade, all high school students are welcome to attend. Don’t forget to bring a jacket, it might be chilly!
All week long students have been gathering after school to work together on their parade floats for tonight's Homecoming Parade! Despite some windy challenges, our Pirates pulled through and put together some amazing floats for us all to enjoy tonight.
Join us tonight at 6 PM to celebrate their hard work and cheer them on in the Homecoming Parade! We can’t wait to see you there!
🔥 Chili Cook-Off This Friday Night! 🔥
Join us during the Homecoming Football Game for a legendary Chili Cook-Off starting at 7 PM!
Bowls will be $5, and all proceeds go to the senior class trip!
🌟 One pint of blood can save up to THREE lives, and your donation funds a scholarship for a graduating senior.
Adults and students 17 years or older may donate, 16 year olds may donate with a signed parent consent form.
For more information contact Lori McCay, lori.mccay@berea.kyschools.us or sign up at https://my.kybloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/88088.
Let’s make a difference - one drop at a time! ❤️
If you’re interested in helping make this event unforgettable, please reach out to Mr. Joseph Caudill at joseph.caudill@berea.kyschools.us.
Cloe has been at Berea for 2 years, and one of her favorite memories is meeting her best friend on the very first day of class. She also gives a special shoutout to one of her favorite teachers, Mrs. Jones, for making a lasting impact.
We can't wait to see all the amazing things Cloe's future holds!🎓
🎉 Introducing our Official 2025 Homecoming Court Candidates! 🏴☠️👑
Join us in congratulating these outstanding Pirates who represent the spirit and pride of our school! 🖤💛
During our Homecoming Parade on Oct. 23rd you'll get to cheer them on from the sidewalk, before the announcement of the King & Queen at the Football game on the 24th.
Get ready for a Homecoming Week packed with tradition pride, and unforgettable memories. This one’s shaping up to be legendary!
Our students participated in team-building exercises focused on respect, sportsmanship, leadership, and even responsible social media use. They explored a range of important topics and gained valuable insights to bring back and share with their teams and the broader student body.
Huge thanks to the incredible team at the KHSAA Student-Athlete Group for hosting such a meaningful event and taking great care of our students. We’re grateful for the opportunity to grow, lead, and represent BCS on such an impactful platform!
Armed with paint rollers and brushes, the Class of 2026 set to work transforming their assigned parking spots into colorful, personalized works of art. A big thank you to Natasha Johnson and Marilyn Benton from FRYSC for facilitating this opportunity, not just a fun creative outlet, but also a meaningful chance for our seniors to collaborate and connect outside of class.
Students plan to continue refining their designs over Fall Break, ensuring that by the time they return on Oct. 14, this vibrant tapestry of artwork will be ready to shine in all its glory. We can’t wait to see how the project comes together!
Meet the BCHS Majorettes, a talented team of enthusiastic Pirates, whose baton-twirling choreography brings the crowd to life during any halftime show or parade here at Berea Community.
Their uplifting energy means a lot to our school, "I never used to really have school spirit until I joined majorettes." says Abigail Gamble, "Now, that kind of thing is kind of a big deal to me (...) I want people to come to the games and have fun, I want to see people having a good time. For me, dancing around in a sparkly costume with my friends is my way of having fun, and I want to spread that joy to other people." No doubt, that joy goes a long way towards bringing students together!
Watching them perform, you can tell they have a real bond. As said by Natalie Lynkins, " We haven't known each other that long, yet we are all good friends with each other and enjoy a common hobby (...) most importantly over everything else, we are a family.” "The BCHS Majorette team is a safe space" says Gamble, " nobody is going to judge you if you look, dress, or act differently, because our differences don’t matter here. We came here to twirl baton, and there’s probably a lot of different reasons we’ve each stayed, but in the end, we’re all here, and we all love each other and this group.”
Claire Caudill, now team captain, joined the Majorettes as a sophomore, and has seen it transform "from a small group into a supportive sisterhood". She says the team's success is thanks to the dedication of the members, sustained interest from the student body, and the continuous encouragement from leaders like Coach Andrea McCracken, who pushes them to learn and improve.
The BCHS Majorettes are a shining example of our student body's enthusiasm for their school and community. Now that's what I call Pirate Pride!
