Williams Elementary Receives National DesignationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:26PM / Wednesday, October 02, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Williams Elementary School has received national recognition for its performance.
It has been designated as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The award program honors high-performing schools and institutions making great strides in closing achievement gaps.
"There are very high expectations at Williams and a belief that all children can succeed but that is also matched by the families at that school," Superintendent Joseph Curtis told the School Committee last week.
Only eight other schools in the state have received the designation this year, 356 nationally. According to state assessments, Williams scored in the top
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PHS Graduate Departs to Colombia With Peace CorpsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:37PM / Sunday, September 29, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 2018 Pittsfield High School graduate is dedicating her next couple of years to service in the Peace Corps. Earlier this month, 24-year-old Kennedy Merriam departed to Colombia where she will serve as a co-English teacher for two years. She found her voice while studying Spanish in Pittsfield Public Schools and has made a career of it. "I feel like right now, there is no better time than for me to give back and to learn from others, to work with others, and I think my biggest reason to serve would be to be able to grow myself with helping others but also having others help me grow and expand my knowledge, my beliefs," she >> Read More |
Pittsfield Police Arrest Maine Murder SuspectBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:09PM / Friday, September 27, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police arrested a man on a warrant for murder in Maine after a pursuit Friday that prompted Pittsfield schools to enact a brief lockdown. Keith Thorpe, 42, of Bangor is wanted in the homicide of 39-year-old Virginia Cookson, who was found dead in her home Wednesday. Police posted on social media that officers were actively tracking a stolen vehicle from in a neighboring state earlier in the morning. Thorpe was caught near Euclid Avenue after making contact with a cruiser. Thorpe is also being charged with numerous motor vehicle offenses and is expected to be arraigned at Pittsfield District Court and to extradited to Maine. "As a precaution during the >> Read More |
BCC to Hold Community Tag Sale | 08:05AM / Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a community tag sale of surplus inventory on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 11 am to 3 pm. The sale will take place in the North parking lot on the main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. In accordance with policies set forth by the Commonwealth, property considered no longer relevant or needed by the College may be declared surplus by the State Surplus Property Office (SSPO). Surplus property typically includes used equipment and furniture, such as desks, chairs and file cabinets. Only cash will be accepted. All items must be picked up by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the tag >> Read More |
Wahconah High Mold Remediation Complete; Investigation OngoingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:21AM / Monday, September 23, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The mold remediation in the Wahconah High School auditorium is complete, and the air levels are safe and meet the state standard. During last month's School Committee meeting, it was announced that penicillium, a type of mold, was growing on the auditorium's walls. The mold was "in different places" in the auditorium, but anyone would have to have been "pretty observant" to see it," said Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis during last month’s meeting. "It's not something that, if you just walked in, you would see right away." Now that the mold has been remediated, the >> Read More |
Free community college a boon for students, workforce and local economyLinda Clairmont & Lori Moon , Guest Column
02:31PM / Friday, September 20, 2024 | |
 It's no secret that the rising cost of college tuition, together with unprecedented increases in the cost of living, creates a barrier for many people seeking to better themselves through higher education. It's also no secret that this barrier can be even harder to overcome for historically marginalized people. At Berkshire Community College (BCC), we strive every day to break barriers and make quality education accessible to all. Thanks to two programs launched by the Commonwealth, MassReconnect and MassEducate, getting an associate degree or certificate at BCC is more accessible than ever. The programs can provide free tuition and fees, and even an allowance for books, to >> Read More |
Pittsfield Schools' New Cell Phone Policy Effective So FarBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The revised cell phone policy has shown positive results so far for the Pittsfield Public Schools.
"I feel like we have reversed time. My students are engaging with me, engaging with others. I have had no issues with cell phones at all," one teacher reported to the administration.
Matthew Bishop, interim assistant superintendent of instruction, assessment, education, and engagement, shared an update on cell phone infractions with the School Committee last week.
With 13 instruction days left in the month, there have been 156 referrals with a tightened policy that holds students' phones in the main office on a second infraction. There were 989
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BCC to Hold Annual Harvest Run| 10:39AM / Wednesday, September 11, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s annual Harvest Run will be held Saturday, Oct. 19. The event, led by Integritus Healthcare, includes a 5K trail run and 1-mile Fun Run for kids. Bib pickup begins at 8:30 am at the Paterson Field House, located on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street in Pittsfield. The 5K run begins at 10 am, and the Fun Run begins at 10:45 am. This year's theme, 1990s Nickelodeon cartoons. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes. In addition, there will be a cook-off competition, kids' activities and a craft table. Race fees are $25 for individual 5K registrants by Oct. >> Read More |
BCC Introduces New Culinary Apprenticeship Program | 08:18AM / Thursday, September 05, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces a new culinary apprenticeship program that combines instruction in the classroom and in a teaching kitchen with professional work in the field. The certificate program begins this fall, and applications are being accepted now. Student apprentices are paid — and, thanks to the Commonwealth's MassEducate program, students of all ages can qualify for free tuition and fees. The Culinary Arts apprenticeship program blends hands-on, practical training with systematic accompanying education, combining instruction in the classroom and teaching kitchen with professional work in the field. >> Read More |
Teacher of the Month: Cindy ChevettBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:04PM / Saturday, August 31, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County Head Start preschool teacher Cindy Chevett has been selected as the August Teacher of the Month. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will run for the next nine months and will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. To Chevett, the best part of being a teacher is seeing her students achieve even just the little things, such as writing the letter E or their name. "It is the best job ever," she says with a smile and tears in her eyes as she says, "I love seeing them >> Read More |
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