Classroom Spotlight
Physics with Mike Dalton
The Bears learned about frictional forces—those forces that oppose motion—in Mr. Dalton’s physics classes this week. In an exercise on the ice in the Jack, two sleds were used to determine the coefficient of friction of the sleds on ice, which is the ratio of the frictional force to the normal force. Students hypothesized which sled would be faster (the old fashioned “Yankee Clipper" with two metal runners or a cheap, plastic sled) and then put their guesses to the test.
In this demonstration the students were able to determine that the two sleds had coefficients of friction of 0.029 and 0.022, which is quite low (compared 0.80 for a rubber tire on a dry concrete surface). The takeaway is that sometimes frictional forces are good, eg: car tires on the road, and sometimes those forces are bad, eg: poorly waxed skis. The students seemed to enjoy getting on the ice.” —Mike Dalton
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HANDS-ON LEARNING
I always enjoy Mr. Dalton’s interactive experiments, like building water bottle rockets and the egg drop. From the sled experiment, the accuracy of the outcomes in comparison to the starting weight surprised me the most. We learned that as the weight and force increases, the kinetic friction and applied force also increases.” –Cata Cisneros '23
Honoring Dr. King
On January 17, the Berkshire community came together to remember, honor, and learn about the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a full day of programming around the theme, "Real People, Not Good People, Equity and Justice are Habits of Mind, not Hashtags."
Writer and speaker Feminista Jones led the community in exploring the changing contexts in the struggle for equity and freedom with her talk, “Where is the Dream of Martin Now?” We then welcomed faculty and local Berkshire County community leaders to facilitate breakout sessions in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
On Friday, January 14, Zeynep Lal Kara ‘23 treated the community to a recital in the Berkshire Hall Atrium featuring works by Mozart, Bach, Chopin, and Piazzolla. Born in Antalya, Turkey, Kara started playing piano when she was four years old. She succeeded in the entrance exams of the Mediterranean University State Conservatory Piano Department at age seven, and has been performing in piano competitions, solo recitals, and benefit concerts since, most recently earning Honorable Mention in her age category in the Adana Rhapsody International Piano Competition.
Brava Zeynep!
New Gallery Exhibit
Time and Place: Paintings by KK Kozik
January 14 - March 5, 2022
The Warren Family Gallery is pleased to announce a new exhibit by Berkshire parent KK Kozik. On display are 14 of Kozik’s evocative landscape paintings, many of them large in scale and rich in storytelling. A resident of nearby Sharon, Conn., Kozik shares:
When I moved from Brooklyn 16 years ago, landscape as a central topic for painting was the furthest thing from my mind. But as I looked out my window and drove, hiked, skied and gardened, the beauty of where we live made me surrender. My work became less cerebral and more organic, intuitive, and physical. The visual pleasure of where we live is a big part of my affection for it. I look at it, cultivate it, derive pleasure from it and want to take care of this specific place, my home.”
A closing reception for Kozik’s work is planned for the first week of March. To schedule a visit, please contact Arts Department Chair Paul Banevicius at pbanevicius@berkshireschool.org or (413) 229-1265. All campus visitors must be vaccinated and masked.
Fifth Form College Program
The College Counseling Office is excited to welcome families of the Class of 2023 to the Fifth Form College Program on Wednesday, February 2nd. This virtual event is designed to demystify the college admission process and provide valuable insights from college representatives.
Meet Your College Counselor!
Fifth formers will be meeting with their college counselors multiple times between now and spring break as the admission process begins in earnest. If interested, families are welcome to sign up for an introductory meeting with their child’s college counselor during the week of January 30th to get to know them better and strengthen their relationship moving into the process.
Erin Lyman: elyman@berkshireschool.org
Kelley Bogardus: kbogardus@berkshireschool.org
Andrea Bowler: abowler@berkshireschool.org
Paul MacKenzie: pmackenzie@berkshireschool.org
Coming Soon!
Webinars on Test Prep, Athletic Recruiting, and Financial Aid
IT'S GAME DAY!
For Berkshire's athletic schedule, click here. And, don’t forget to follow @BerkshireBears on Twitter for athletic scores, news, and more!
#GoBears
Spectator Policy
Spectators are allowed at all athletic contests at Berkshire School but must be vaccinated and masked at all times in both the Soffer Athletic Center and the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. We will have designated spectating areas within each space. While we will be using the honor system, spectators should carry proof of vaccination.
Heads Up for Concussion Awareness
Our goal is to promote a safer sports culture, provide educational resources for ALL of our Berkshire Bears, and enhance concussion evaluation protocols and accessibility.” –Meredyth Joly, Assistant Athletic Trainer
Berkshire is teaming up with Concussed, a nonprofit started by Cait Ward '08, and the Headway Foundation, to increase awareness of major traumatic brain injuries and concussions during Concussion Awareness Week, January 30th–February 5th.
Activities planned throughout the week include discussion sessions focused on student-athlete wellbeing and resilience, mindfulness and meditation, journaling, and more. Proud to be #NewTough.
Congratulations to Mohamed "Mo" Omar '18 on being selected 23rd by the Colorado Rapids in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. A former soccer captain at Berkshire and at Notre Dame, where he helped the Irish capture the team's first-ever ACC Championship and reach the NCAA Men's Soccer Final Four last fall, Omar is the latest Bear to reach the professional ranks.
At Berkshire, Omar was a two-time NEPSAC Class A Boys Soccer champion (2014, 2016) and served as All-School President.
I went to Berkshire, I left home. My parents and I discussed it, and we thought that it would be a better fit in terms of balancing both academics and soccer. We took a chance, it was a big leap of faith but I couldn't be more thankful for the journey I've been on because I think it's made me who I am." –Mo Omar '18
Last Call: Student Photos!
The deadline to order your Fall 2021 school photos from Highpoint Pictures has been extended to Feb. 15, 2022.
Seniors should have received an email from Highpoint with their proofs this fall, and underformers who didn’t pre-order photos should have received a reminder with their proof in the mail. If you have any questions, please contact Highpoint directly at (914) 738-5500 or staff@highpointpictures.com.
The Hub
Want to know what's happening on campus, Bears? Check out student activities on The Hub on the Student Portal or by scanning the QR code above.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
8:30 PM | Karaoke Night & Ice Cream Social | Fentress
8:30 PM | FIFA Tournament | Shawn's Place
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Coming Soon ...
Winter Carnival & Lunar New Year
From the Admission Office
Thank you to all students who submitted applications to Berkshire for the 2022-23 academic year! January 15th was our deadline and we are gearing up to read roughly 1,350 applications over the next month and a half. We look forward to being in touch with families on March 10th to release our admission decisions.
Alumni Spotlight
Amanda Cooley Donaldson ’03
Any time you build a new house, you're going to consume a lot of resources. We wondered if we could do it with as low of an impact as possible.” –Amanda Cooley Donaldson
Amanda Cooley Donaldson ’03 and her husband were passionate about constructing the most sustainable home possible when they decided to leave downtown Austin, Tex. for a home with more space. Soon, they embarked on a journey that included purchasing land, assembling a design and build team, and immersing themselves in all aspects of green building.
A Virtual Evening With Archivist Bebe Bullock '86: The Founding of Berkshire
February 3, 2022 | Zoom at 5:30 (EST) & 5:30 (PST)
Alumni Basketball Game
Saturday, February 12, 2022 | 12:30 PM
Alumni Hockey Game
Saturday, February 26, 2022 | 4:30 PM
Berkshire is a vaccinated school, therefore all guests attending events must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a negative PCR test within 48 hours.
Note: We continue to monitor the fluid situation of the pandemic and appreciate your understanding should we need to reschedule an in-person event.