9th Grade Leadership Retreat: On September 11th, the 9th grade was driven by Mr. Bingham to the Incarnation Center in Ivoryton Ct. accompanied by class advisors Ms. Brentano and Mr. Dreger. The 9th Grade Leadership Retreat weekend is designed to help students set goals for the coming year, create class unity, and discuss their roles as leaders of the school. After two hours of travel time the kids were ready to don bathing suits for swimming and boating in the beautiful lake. Highlights of the aquatic excursion include Bea B.’s gymnastic no-handed dive off the dock and Harrison N.’s  David Hasselhoff impersonation swimming to shore after overturning his kayak. Everyone then scurried over to a gigantic water slide for more screaming fun. Even Mr. Dreger whizzed down the shoot for a dramatic foot-first entry into the water. Everyone dried off for a game of dodge ball, then there was a group effort at a gourmet meal that included firehouse chicken parmesan and Julian M.’s risotto with sous chef Casey P. The meal was devoured under the stars atop a long banquet table decorated with small vases of sunflowers. Later, Skylar W. impressed one and all with his fire building skills and everyone enjoyed a warming campfire in the cool night air. S’mores, ghost stories, and a great deal of sharing into the wee hours, then a raucous game of Celebrity preceded a wickedly late bedtime. Students were greeted in the morning with a tasty breakfast after which they enjoyed a vigorous (to say the least) hike led by Mr. Dreger. Exhausted and bedraggled, they filed onto the school bus for the return trip with lunch sandwiches in tow and a boatload of memories.

MS/US back-to-School Night: BCD’s campus was alive with activity Tuesday night as parents turned out for Back-to-School Night. After being welcomed by Head of School Paul Lindenmaier and Associate Head Carmen Dockery Perkins, parents sprinted off to meet their child’s teachers and learn more about their classes, schedules, and plans for the year.

MS/US Clubs: Students in Grades 5-9 had a chance to gather in their clubs on Wednesday to talk about the year ahead and make plans for their projects and program.

Campus Master Facilities Planning Process: As announced in July, Berkshire Country Day School is creating a Campus Master Plan this year to guide future improvements of its facilities. Our architects from Centerbrook Architects and Planners of Essex, CT, have just finished spending two full days listening to the thoughts and ideas of every employee, some students, and the Board of Trustees. Now it is your turn. All parents are invited to participate in the planning process by being part of a Workshop Committee comprised of various community members including faculty, parents, students, and alumni. Your participation will involve a commitment to attend three two-hour evening planning workshops during October and early November. The purpose of these workshops is to make your ideas and observations known to our architects. They are interested in your thoughts about the school’s goals and culture and its site and facilities. More information about these workshops, the dates, and how to RSVP can be found on Paul Lindenmaier’s MyBCD blog. We look forward to your participation.

Butterflies are free: Kindergarten was all a-flutter this week welcoming new guests to their classroom. What a great model this guest was and what a great way to get ready for a field trip to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory! Watch what happens:

Coming Up at BCD

  • Tuesday, September 21 – International Peace Day gathering
  • Tuesday, September 21 – Theater production required meeting for parents
  • Wednesday, September 22 – G5 soccer plays Indian Mountain School
  • Wednesday, September 22 – Junior Varsity soccer plays Indian Mountain School
  • Thursday, September 23 – Back-to-School Night for Preschool & Lower School parents
  • Friday, September 24 – Pizza Friday!!!!
  • Friday, September 24 – Varsity & Junior Varsity soccer play Indian Mountain School
  • Saturday, September 25 – See us at the Lenox Apple Squeeze & Lee Founders Day

For a more detailed list of upcoming events, please consult the School calendar at the top of this page.