Hello future bears! We’re Nathalie and Emmanuel, and we’re your All School Presidents for the 2025-2026 school year! We’re so excited to meet you all under the Mountain this Fall! To help get you acclimated to life as a Bear, we wanted to introduce ourselves through a Day in the Life at Berkshire. 

Time to Get Up!

While Emman gets up at the crack of dawn, 6 a.m. to be exact, Nathalie loves her sleep. She wakes up at 7:30 a.m., which gives her 20 minutes to get ready before heading to breakfast. 

Emmanuel: Since I was young, I've always maintained an early schedule thanks to my mom. I continue this same habit at Berkshire, falling asleep by 10 pm. I hit the gym in the morning because afternoons get a bit busy. Then I head to breakfast where I enjoy three fresh sunny-side-up eggs and some pancakes with a fresh bowl of fruit prepared by Chef Pablo around 7:15 AM (sometimes I go for seconds). I walk back to the dorm and prepare for the busy academic day. 

Nathalie: I go to Breakfast most days of the week. My favorite breakfast consists of two eggs over medium, cheffed up by the master egg chef, Pablo, a bowl of Greek yogurt with berries and honey, and a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes whenever it's on the menu.

Academic Weapons

Classes start at 8:30, or if you’re feeling particularly grindy, Office Hours begin at 8:00, before first period. A school day consists of 5 classes. Depending on your free period(s), you may or may not have a class to attend during each class period. If you have a free period, you can go back to your dorm, study in the library, grab a snack at Shawn’s Place, or hang out in the student lounge until your next class begins. On Monday and Thursday, we additionally have an All-School Meeting period where everyone gathers in Allen Theater to hear the rundown for the week, led by us, the Head Prefects, and the Senior Class Presidents. An average class day ends at 3:00 pm. Every Wednesday, and every other week when we have Saturday classes, we have a half-day schedule, starting at 9:00 am and ending at 11:35.

Emmanuel: Most days, classes start at 8:30 and run until 3:00, with a lunch break. On Mondays and Thursdays, we kick things off with an All-School Meeting in Allen Theater, which Natalie and I help lead as ASP. Wednesdays are my favorite—we start later, end by 11:35, and spend time with our Advisory groups checking in on life and school. 

Nathalie: Lucky for us, Berkshire offers a ton of programs that you can explore during your time at Berkshire. A few fan favorites are Aviation, Advanced Math and Science Research (AMSR), Advanced Humanities Research (AHR), Astronomy, and many other exploratory and independent research classes. Check out our website for the full course list!

Done with School!

After classes are done, everyone heads to their afternoon activities before dinner!

Emmanuel: The afternoon programs at Berkshire are one of my favorite parts of the day. You can stick to the sport or activity you love—or try something totally new. I’ve been playing soccer my whole life, and it’s actually how I first discovered Berkshire. I'm varsity captain and love being part of the team,  but I’ve also stepped outside my comfort zone. When I first arrived, I took a ceramics class with Ms. Dahari. I wasn’t much of an artist then, but that class inspired me to take art as my afternoon activity this Spring. That’s the great thing about Berkshire—you’re encouraged to explore. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll try the dance team… I’ve heard it might be my hidden talent!

Nathalie: 

I can attest to those dance skills! Similarly, my favorite thing about Berkshire is the supportive environment that encourages trying new things. I love being active, but not necessarily devoting my life to sports. That's why joining our Thirds teams was perfect—they offer a fun way to try new sports, while still playing at a competitive level. The one sport I do LOVE is skiing. I’ve skied my whole life but had never been a part of a ski team until I came to Berkshire. Winter is now my favorite season at school due to my newfound love for ski racing! Catamount, our local ski mountain, is only 15 minutes from school, so we get to ski every day!

Dinner!!!

After practice, the rest of the day is yours! Dinner is served from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in Benson, our dining hall. If you're not feeling the hot food on the menu, there are plenty of other options from our various food stations: salad bar, sandwich bar/panini press, soups of the day, rice bowls, etc.

Emmanuel: If you’re not feeling any of the food upstairs, you can head downstairs to Shawn’s Place in the student center for more options, or even order from one of the local restaurants nearby.

Nathalie: Dinner is a great time to catch up with friends you don’t see as often! It can also be a time to meet with clubs you may be a part of. Emman and I meet with the rest of the Student Council for dinner every Monday. Our two a cappella groups, Greensleeves and Ursa Minor, often meet during this time as well.

Wrapping up the Day

Now it's time to wind down and get some homework done. After dinner, boarders have to check in with their dorm parents on duty in their dorms by 7:45. Study hall hours are from 8-10. If you are an incoming freshman, you'll attend a more structured study hall in one of our academic buildings twice a week (opposite days from your roommate, so whoever is studying in the dorm on a given night has the room to themself). 

Nathalie: I typically have an early dinner, around 5, so I can get back to my dorm and finish as much homework as I can before study hall. I try to get in bed early to watch a show or if I don't have much homework, my friends and I love to play Mario Kart in the common room before going to bed! My routine on Tuesdays, however, is a little different because my friend, Molly, and I have our radio show on WBSL 91.7 through Berkshire’s Radio Club from 9-10. If you love music, be sure to join next year to have your own show, too!!

Emmanuel: If I'm not in my room during study hall hours, I’m probably in the language resource center, helping with French. Personally, I like to study in the comfort of my room, but there are other great spots on campus too, like the Geier Library, which is quiet and perfect for getting things done. Once it hits 10:00 pm, study hall is over, and it's time to go back to your dorm for 10 o’clock check-in. I end each day by brushing my teeth and getting in bed around 9:50 pm!

We hope this gave you a good sense of what a day at Berkshire is like. Scroll for more information written by your very own Prefects for next year. Stay tuned for more throughout the summer. Can’t wait to see you all under the Mountain!

Hi, New Bears! We’re Maeve and Elysia, two prefects for the 2025-2026 school year, and we’re so excited to meet you in the fall! We know you’re probably wondering about what the weekends look like here at Berkshire, so we wanted to share some highlights with you!

What does a typical weekend look like? - Maeve

Berkshire operates on a bi-weekly schedule, meaning we have Saturday classes every other week. Wednesdays and Week One Saturdays are half-days, with classes starting late at 9 am and ending at 11:35 for lunch, but on Week Two Saturdays, we get to sleep in!! Scattered throughout the year, however, we have For Life programming on Saturday mornings. Some previous examples include lectures from various speakers, community service projects, college counseling events, and more!

Following Saturday classes or programming, it’s lunchtime! Saturdays are big game days, so some sports teams meet for team lunch before heading to the locker rooms to get ready. 

Sports games and matches are often staggered so you can watch multiple games throughout the day, and teams will announce various home games throughout the week at All-School Meetings or Community Dinner to rally fans. Whether you’re on a thirds, jv, or varsity team, your friends and classmates will definitely show up to your games to support… It’s a Berkshire promise!! Throughout the year, our Green and Grey Captains organize special spirit events with face paint, pom poms, and snacks to rally support for big games.

After sports games, dinner, and some relaxation in the dorm, it’s time for the Saturday night activity! These events are hosted by various groups on campus, including the Student Activities Committee, Student Council, and Green and Grey! Ranging from Dances to volleyball tournaments, Saturday night events are some of the most fun times on campus, and they are a great way to get out of the dorm and meet new friends (Elysia talks a bit more about what some of these activities look like)! These events end around 11 pm, when it’s time to check into the dorm for the night… which leads us to dorm snack!!! Every Saturday night, dorm parents make delicious food for residents to enjoy as a post-check-in snack; my personal favorite is Ms. Perkins’ buffalo chicken dip or Mr. Howard’s ice cream sundays. Lights-out are later on Saturday nights, so there’s time to hang out with friends before bed. Some people watch movies, spend time in the common room, play video games, or simply talk with their friends. In general, Saturday nights are super fun times on campus!

Sunday morning is for sleeping in (at least, definitely for me)! However, students must check in by 12 pm, either in their dorm common room or at brunch, to get their day started. Sunday brunch is definitely a highlight of the week. Students flock to the dining hall to enjoy the delicious brunch food! Whether it be a yogurt bowl, a specially-made omelet, or a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, Sunday brunch is definitely a favorite meal on campus. Most people use Sunday afternoons as a time to do homework, working in the library or in our new campus center. It’s also a great time to reset! Many people clean their rooms, do laundry, or spend time outside. If none of those options appeal to you, a Sunday afternoon is a great time to take a town trip to Great Barrington!

Weekends at Berkshire are some of the best times on campus when the community comes together in so many special ways. Whether that means spike ball on the turf in the Spring, snowball fights in Buck Valley, or grilling outside of the dorms, weekends at Berkshire are truly something to look forward to. We can’t wait to have you here on campus to enjoy them with us!

What are some Saturday night activities? - Elysia

Starting off on Saturday, from spikeball tournaments on the turf to our very looked forward to neon dance, the possibilities are endless. As Saturday mornings often start with a sports game or Saturday classes, there is always something fun as the evening starts.

Open Ice skating with music: In the snowy seasons when the ice is down on the rink, whether you're a varsity hockey player or have never skated before…open skate is so much fun! The music is booming, and snacks are always provided. It is so much fun to get out there on the ice and show everyone your skating skills. 

Dances: About once a month, it's time to get your groove on. A professional makes an appearance at the Soffer athletic center to spin music, and for the night, the gym gets transformed into a dance floor. Some themes we've had include: tropical tango, neon dance, Valentine's dance, spring fling, western dance, and the Green and Grey ball.

Sports games under the lights: On special occasions, the lights will shine bright, and some of our all-star soccer and football athletes will take to the turf or field. Face paint is given out by our Green and Grey captains, and the crowd goes wild!

Sports tournaments: Spikeball, Volleyball, Cornhole, Man-hunt, dodgeball... make a team or join in on the spot! Outside of our new Student Center, the activities committee sets up for a night full of fun, SoCo creamery ice cream is included as a fun treat to cool you down as your playing skills are heating up.

Hanging with friends in the dorm: Saturday nights are the best in the dorm at 11 pm check in at the common room when everyone's back, our amazing dorm parents put out a dorm snack for everyone, you can put on a movie, or my personal favorite, get competitive playing some Mario Kart (courtesy of Nathalie Fenton: all school president for the ‘25-’26 school year). You can bring out a board game or a deck of cards, and everyone in the dorm gets really close, so it's fantastic to have this community within greater Berkshire.

Casino night: Best dressed gets a prize, so suits, gowns, feather boas galore, whether you're in black tie or gold head to toe, as long as you have your poker face on, casino night is one for the books. With student-run card tables, get into a game of blackjack, or for beginners who still want the high stakes, grab a deck of cards and play a game of spoons. In the student center with sweet and tangy mocktails, this Saturday night activity is unforgettable. 

Movie night in the Allen Theater: When at boarding school, it is hard not to miss your hometown movie theater, but fear not, because our versatile Allen Theater is ready to project a movie of your choice on the big screen. From defying gravity ski films to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, claim a comfy seat and relax for the night of popcorn and fun ahead. 

Fall and Spring Carnival: When the weather is just right on that Saturday night, all of our Berkshire community heads down to the football field for bouncy castles, hay rides, and face painting. You can bring some friends, but it's also a great way to meet new ones! 

Hanging out in Shawn’s place, and karaoke: With our new Student Center built, Shawn’s place is always bustling with our community. Join in on a game of pool, ping pong, Jenga, or foosball, and around you, you'll hear students yelling, “I've got a winner!”. If you're tired after a long day of sports games or practice, there is something for everyone: comfy couches, a big screen TV. You can go up to the counter and order a burger or milkshake to satisfy those late Saturday night cravings. 

Town Trips: At boarding school, there are so many great things to do on campus, but sometimes it feels so nice to go into town and explore a different atmosphere.  All you have to do is sign your name on the Student Life Office list, and you're good to go! A bus will pick you up near deWindt dorm and take you down the road to Great Barrington town. You can go and get nails done, shop till you drop at the many boutiques, grab a nice dinner, or simply walk around and chill.

Welcome, all new Bears! We’re excited to have you, and even more excited for you to be a part of the traditions that make Berkshire, Berkshire. Each of these traditions shape our community, and eager participation from students and faculty is part of what makes Berkshire such a welcoming place. Here are some of the main Berkshire traditions (these are definitely the ones you should know about even before you arrive on campus):

Costume Contest

Every year at Halloween, we hold a costume contest. Students compete in the contest amongst different pools of people. Each grade has a contest for solo costumes, there's another for group costumes, and the entire school even has a large group costume contest. Although the grade-wide contests are a hit, the highlights come from the faculty costumes in both the solo and group categories. We love that our faculty gets into the fun just as much as students do. There's a big rivalry between academic departments, and they always try and one-up each other!

Senior Seal

This is one of those fun traditions that stays with you even after you graduate! There's a big, brass seal in the floor of the Berkshire Hall lobby, and only seniors and faculty members get to step on it. It is bad luck (and a bad look) to step on the Berkshire Seal before you are a senior. One of the favorite things our alumnae like to do when they're here for reunion is to (re)step on the seal!

Dorm Snacks

This is one of the oldest Berkshire traditions (dating back to WWII!), where the dorm parent on duty in every dorm provides a Saturday night snack for the entire dorm. Every dorm has their favorites, of course (shout out to cereal night in Buck!), but some go-to classics include grilled cheese and brownies, meatball subs, crockpot meals, ice cream bars and sundaes, sushi, or chips, queso, salsa and guac. The best part of every Saturday night is when the students return to the dorm at 11:00 to gather in the common room for a dorm snack. 

Mountain Day

Is it even Berkshire without Mountain Day?! This is probably the best-known tradition of all here at Berkshire. This is a surprise day off school that happens once every fall and spring, announced by our head of school, Mr. Mulder. He always seems to find an exciting way to announce it, like this past fall, when Mr. Mulder announced Mountain Day by running through our form meetings in a bear suit! In the spring, he rode into an All School Meeting on a scooter to make the announcement. No matter how it's announced, we spend it outdoors and usually take advantage of hiking trails that lead up Mount Everett or along our own portion of the Appalachian Trail! We love hiking to Guilder Pond or the reservoir (and jumping into the water!) and South Pinnacle (with a scenic overlook).

Winter Carnival

Our favorite weekend in the winter is Winter Carnival, which is packed full of dorm competitions like trivia, tug-o-war, sled raced, and themed costumes. The culminating event each year is the dorm skits, which are always themed and always performed in front of the entire school on the ice rink after a raucous parade through campus. This past year, the theme was childhood movies. Winter Carnival is a BIG DEAL, and a win in each event earns points for your dorm! Each year the male-identifying and female-identifying dorms with the highest point total over all the Winter Carnival events wins bragging rights (the biggest of deals) and a prize (usually involving yummy food and treats).

Pink Out / Skate For Her Games

Every winter, the Berkshire boys varsity hockey team battles it out against Taft in the Lucille D’Arco Memorial Cup (known as the Pink Out game). The annual Pink Out game raises money for cancer awareness in Berkshire County, and Berkshire students go all out with pink clothes and accessories. Its location switches between Berkshire and Taft each year, and the student body from the away school gets bussed to the game to support their team! The Pink Out game is a fantastic representation of the school spirit on campus! There is also a 'Skate for Her' event every January hosted by our girls varsity hockey team that's super fun and exciting. It's a blast celebrating the strength of our girls teams, and it's always touching to see which female-focused charity we contribute to each year.  

Pro Vita

At the end of February, Berkshire ends the second trimester early and dedicates a full week to experiential learning called Pro Vita Week! Pro Vita Week is based on Berkshire's motto, "Learning--not just for school, but for life." We learn hands-on life skills with over 60 courses to choose from and tackle cool and unique learning 'for life' moments, including amazing off-campus field trips or even out-of-the-country travel. Some recent examples include marine biology at the Island School in the Bahamas, dog sledding in Minnesota, and ice climbing in the Adirondacks! Student can even teach a class of their own (assisted and supported by a member of our faculty, of course). You will no doubt discover a new hobby or passion during Pro Vita Week.

Last Bear Standing

Every student can sign up for Last Bear Standing. Usually, 350+ students sign up. At the beginning of the game, students are assigned a card that has the name of another student. The objective is to Bear-Hug the person on your card while also protecting yourself from being Bear-Hugged. In the first round, you are safe within arms length of someone else. As the rounds continue, players need to link arms with other students to stay safe. If you fail to get your person out before the round ends, you’re also out. Rounds continue until there is only one person left who hasn't allowed themself to be Bear-Hugged, and that person is the Last Bear Standing.

College Sweatshirt Day

Every year in the last week of classes, seniors wear their college sweatshirt to class. It is a great way to show future-school pride and show others where you’re headed. Also, it gives students a chance to talk to faculty who may be alumni of the schools they're going to.