Two 9th Grade Students Recognized by Lenox School Alumni Association

Ninth graders I. Ciaburri & I. van der Meulen were recognized at the MS/US Morning Meeting today by the Lenox School for Boys Alumni Association for their service to BCD.  Every year, the Lenox School Alumni Association recognizes two 9th graders with $1,000 scholarships in their name to BCD for exemplifying the Lenox School’s motto: “Not to be served, but to serve.” Presenting their scholarship award were Jim Fawcett, BCD English teacher formerly of The Lenox School for Boys; Bob Sansone, President of the Lenox School Alumni Association; and Lenox School alumnus Charlie McGee.

When BCD was founded in 1946, it was housed on the campus of The Lenox School for Boys, an independent secondary school located on what is today the home of Shakespeare & Company. The school closed its doors in 1971 but alums stayed connected and in 1987 formed an active alumni association, which raises money to give out scholarships each year in the names of students at BCD and Miss Hall’s.

5th Annual BCD Kindergarten Poetry Assembly

Mrs. Patel and the Kindergarten Class shared their year-long celebration of poetry by reciting some of their favorites by such poets as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Ogden Nash, among other. Video to be posted shortly.

Annual Board Meeting Presented a State-of-the-school Update

At last night’s Annual Board Meeting, Board President Claire Pollart and Head of School Paul Lindenmaier shared many positive stories about the work of the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty this past year.  Committee chairs also presented information and reports from the Admissions/ Marketing Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee, Committee on Trustees, Development Committee, and Finance Committee.

If you missed the Annual Board Meeting but want to find out what was presented, Paul Lindenmaier will be holding a second presentation on Friday, May 28 at 8:00 a.m.in Peseckis Hall (Tim Gore’s Science Lab. At that meeting, he will review highlights from the past eleven months, share some information about the work accomplished by several faculty and Board committees, and present some initial plans for the approaching school year.

Sports Update 

The fourth and fifth grade JV Boys played two games against much older opponents.  We lost both games but felt we won in spirit.  The JV 5, 6 and 7 grade boys lacrosse team played one game against IMS and won 5-3.  According to Coach Gore, both teams played well.

Third Grade Biography Presentations

From Dr. Seuss to Harry Houdini, George Washington to Barack Obama, Third Grade students had history covered with their biography recitations.

Thank you to the many parents who answered the call on Monday during our Phonathon for the Annual Giving Fund. Your donations and pledges to the campaign have brought us closer to our goal of 100% parent participation. We are pleased to report that several classes are just 1 or 2 parents away from 100% participation and the $1,000 additional donation from our anonymous donor:

B3s – Only 2 parents to go!

Pre-K – Only 1 parent to go!

Kindergarten – Only 1 parent to go!

Grade 1 – 4 parents to go

Grade 2 – Only 1 parent to go!

Grade 3 – 7 parents to go

Grade 4 – 5 parents to go

Grade 5 – 5 parents to go

Grade 6 – 3 parents to go

Grade 7 – 8 parents to go

Grade 8 – 3 parents to go

Grade 9 – Only 1 parent to go!

Please support your class and your school by making a donation to the Annual Giving Fund by June 30, 2010. You can make a donation online at BCD’s web site or you can drop by the Development Office or Business Office with your check. Every dollar – every family – brings us closer to our goal. Thank you for your support.

This summer, BCD is offering two camps for children ages K–6:

Summer Day Camp
June 14–18 and June 21–25
Monday-Friday 8:30-3:00
Grades K-6

This day camp will begin and finish its day on the beautiful BCD campus. We also will take full advantage of the hiking trails and all the surroundings. Children will engage and participate during the two camp weeks. Enjoy Nature exploring, yoga, gardening, hiking, cooking, living skills, art, gymnastics, ultimate sports, storytelling, music, field trips, picnics and more! Please click here to download a registration form.

Summer Theater Camp
June 14–18
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Grades 3–6
Contact David Librizzi for more information

Librizzi and Hiam’s collaborative approach encourages original material coming from a genuine place in each student. The week is an opportunity for self-expression, confidence, creativity, fun and teamwork. The week will culminate in a performance of the original ensemble-created play at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 18. Click here for more information.

CALENDAR NOTE: Pre-K – Grade 3 Music Concert

Friday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. in the Furey Hall Music Room.

UPCOMING CALENDAR NOTE: Annual Board Meeting

Thursday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Furey Hall Music Room

Preschool Celebrates Mother’s Day

How special would it feel to be celebrated by your Preschool student? Our Preschool Mothers found out today!  Mrs. Atwater, Ms. Guerette and the BCD Preschool students worked hard to prepare a special day for their Mothers by baking muffins, creating beautiful centerpieces and designing brightly colored necklaces for the special ladies in their lives.

Annual Giving Fund Phonathon

Please answer the call on Monday, May 10 when our parent volunteers call to ask about your donation to the Annual Giving Fund. BCD depends on the Annual Giving Fund to bridge the gap between the revenue raised through tuition and the total cost of educating every child – your child. While every family is asked to give as much as they can, participation in the campaign is as important as how much someone can give. Thank you for your participation as we strive for 100% parent participation!

Sixth Grade Science Fair

Everything from the science behind recycling to solar powered cars was on display yesterday at the Sixth Grade Science Fair. Click here to see some of the presentations.

All BCD parents are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees on Thursday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Furey Hall Music Room for a state-of-the school report, an update on the work of the various Board Committees, and the opportunity to ask questions of the Trustees. We look forward to seeing you there.

BCD at the Movies: An Earthday Tale

Movie night, a joint venture between the Environmental Club and Student Council, was a great success.  Over $200 was raised to buy motion sensor light switches for the campus.  Kudos to Grace for spearheading the effort.  She was assisted by Kelt, Sam, and Jasper.  Other students pitched in to help with clean up.   The event was well attended by both older and younger students.  Disappointingly, there was a technical glitch at the end with the DVD, but the overall night was lots of fun.  Great job Student Council and Environmental Club and thank you to all who came out in support. 

Dancing Days at BCD

As part of Arts Month, students in the Lower and Middle School participated in Dancing Days, a celebration of dance organized by Sharon Smullen. Students in Grade 6 learned Brazilian Capoeira with Joyce Schneider, Grade 4 learned Jazz Tap with Stefanie Weber, Grade 3 learned Hip Hop with Kat Gurley, Grade 5 learned Salsa with Kat Gurley, and Grades 1 and 2 had the opportunity to enjoy dance and movement with Kristine Waterman. Click here to view pictures from Dancing Days.

A Thank You from Haiti

Back in January, BCD students, parents, faculty and friends participated in a project spearheaded by BCD Parent Tina Petricca to create receiving blankets for the relief effort in Haiti following their devastating earthquake. Volunteers sewed and prepared over 200 blankets that were delivered to Haiti by Sister Eunice, the Creator of Haiti Plunge. She and her team of volunteers delivered the blankets to babies in the mountain village of Desab. Sister Eunice sent her heartfelt thanks for all our efforts that, “brought comfort and smiles to the children of Haiti.” Our school community should feel very proud in the role we played and continue to play in the relief efforts in Haiti.

Partners in Health Acknowledge BCD’s Gift

The BCD student body also came together in January and February to plan and execute bake sales and coin drives to help raise money for Haiti relief efforts. Last week, we received a letter from Partners in Health thanking the BCD community for our gift of $2,216.16. The letter in part reads: “It is your belief in our work that enables us not only to provide world-class medical services, but also to tackle the root causes of poverty by providing access to food, clean water, education, housing, and jobs for thousands of people in need in the wake of this disaster.”

Save the Date

The Parents’ Association is is pleased to announce that Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown, author of the books “Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing our Daughters from Marketers’ Schemes” and “Packaging Boyhood: Saving our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes,” will be speaking at Berkshire Country Day School on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Furey Hall Music Room. Dr. Brown will be giving a talk entitled “Packaging Childhood: Saving our Kids from Marketers, Schemes, and Stereotypes.” This talk is free and open to the public so please feel free to invite friends and neighbors.

Save the Date

All BCD parents are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of the BCD Board of Trustees on Thursday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Furey Music Room. This is an opportunity to hear from Trustees about the state of the School and the work of the various Board committees, and get your questions answered.

 Pre-K & Kindergarten Class Visits Hancock Shaker Village

On April 21 the Pre-k and Kindergarten classes visited Hancock Shaker Village to see the baby animal exhibit (incuding the day old pigs), bees making honey, milk a “cow,” weave on a loom, and make Shaker crafts. A great day was had by all! 

Tuesday night, April 20 was a wonderful celebration of the Arts at BCD! Parents and students enjoyed viewing the gallery of student artwork in Fitz while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and sparkling cider courtesy of the Parents’ Association (a special thank you to Sarah Novak and Paige Orloff). Then, it was off to the Furey Hall Music Room for live performances by the vocal ensemble,  and Caribbean Music and Improvisational Theater students. The evening concluded with families visiting the various art rooms to view, among other things, the Sol Lewitt exhibit and the work of the graphic design students. Thank you to Marilyn Cromwell and all of our Arts teachers for an inspiring evening.
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