Create an Ad: Imperial PoolsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:37PM / Wednesday, July 30, 2025 | |
LENOX, Mass. — Fourth-grade students at Morris Elementary School participated in our Junior Marketers Create an Ad series. Just weeks ahead of summer vacation, students in Ashley Scherben's class brought their daydreams of the cool pool under the hot summer fun to life as they created advertisements for Imperial Pools. In their drawings the students demonstrated family fun, which is what pools are all about, said Keith LaFrance, owner of Imperial Pools. Richard LaFrance opened Imperial Pools in Adams in 1963 and moved the business to Lanesborough a decade later. In 1986, it expanded for a third time, constructing its present building at 760 Cheshire Road in
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BCC to Celebrate 65 Years| 10:52AM / Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) invites all for a free Community Fest 2025, celebrating the College's 65th anniversary, on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The celebration will take place on BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. Community Fest honors BCC's accomplishments over the years, from new academic buildings and programs to an accessible quad and a new One Stop Enrollment Center. Community Fest includes Build a Bear workshops (the first 200 children can build a free BCC Falcon stuffed animal), a "touch a truck" activity, face painting, arts and crafts, a community >> Read More |
Teacher of the Month: Cindy DickinsonBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:48PM / Saturday, July 26, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — School is out, but learning continues at Hancock Shaker Village. For the past 10 years, Cindy Dickinson has served as the museum's education director, developing engaging educational materials for the museum's visitors, which has earned her the iBerkshires.com Teacher of the Month designation. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. "I'm proud to reflect a 65-year tradition of educating the public … I've always loved museums growing up, and as I became interested in >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee Delays Flag Policy VoteBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:33PM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee needs more time with the proposed flag policy before a vote.
On Wednesday, they forwarded it back to the policy subcommittee for more discussion. Legal counsel was concerned that allowing "flags commemorating significant events or causes consistent with the school district's official sentiments" could open the doors for a lawsuit.
"We can say this isn't a public forum, but if the School Committee gets to put up whatever it wants to, and nobody else can, I think we're open to charge that we're giving preferential treatment to certain political or policy perspectives," Chair William Cameron
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BCC to Offer AI Essentials Training Course | 08:03AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents a hands-on, beginner-friendly AI course on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Aug. 26 through Nov. 13. Sessions will be held from 5:45-8:45 p.m. To apply for the course, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/ai and complete a workforce trainings application form. The course is designed for adults looking to develop career-ready skills by effectively integrating AI into learning and work. Participants will explore the evolving world of artificial intelligence in an accessible and practical way, gaining a strong foundation in AI concepts while focusing on safe and responsible AI usage. Throughout the course, >> Read More |
Federal Grants Withheld from Pittsfield SchoolsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:09AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several hundred thousand dollars in federal grant allocations are being withheld from the Pittsfield Public School District.
On Wednesday, interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips told the School Committee that the district will know if they are receiving the funds in August or September. For now, school officials are "in a holding pattern" and hoping the Title grants come through.
"When you all adopted the district budget, we had an expectation of what the federal allocations would be, and we have recently been notified that there are federal grant allocations being withheld," Phillips said.
Current federal grant
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Taconic High School Opens New Track With Ribbon CuttingBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
Improper drainage had been a serious concern of the old track and the school could not hold track meets there. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Taconic High School track is officially open for the community and Pittsfield High and Taconic athletes. On Thursday morning, track coaches from both high schools got to cut ribbons with their respective school colors to symbolize the opening of the new track. "This is amazing. It's beautiful. It finishes our campus. We were so fortunate that Pittsfield is invested not only in Taconic, but in this whole site. So, this was one of the last things we were looking at to upgrade," said Taconic Principal Matthew Bishop, who's been
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Pittsfield Designates Lower, Upper Middle Schools in Grade RestructureBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:52AM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips attends her first School Committee meeting. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee has voted that Herberg will house Grades 5-6 and Reid will be home to Grades 7-8 when the middle schools restructure.
"It's an exciting opportunity, actually," Committee member Sara Hathaway said.
Last month, they made a historic vote to create an upper elementary school for Grades 5-6 and a junior high school for Grades 7-8 by the 2026-2027 academic year. A stipulation was added that if goals in the Middle School Restructuring Committee's timeline are not met by the December meeting, it will be delayed one
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Pittsfield School Committee to See Flag OrdinanceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:52AM / Tuesday, July 22, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will decide a policy to keep flag displays consistent with the district's sentiments.
On the agenda for Wednesday's meeting is a first reading of a "Flag Protocols on School Property" policy similar to an ordinance adopted by the City Council the prior week. It allows Pittsfield's flag, the United States flag, flags of other nations recognized by the U.S. government, and flags commemorating significant events or causes consistent with the school district's official sentiments.
Last week, the Policy Subcommittee forwarded it to the School Committee with an amendment to have flag decisions made
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Berkshire Community College Announces New Staff Members, Promotions | 03:47PM / Saturday, July 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College has added two new staff members and made two promotions. Matthew Kenny joins BCC as dean of science and business. He brings 25 years of experience as a professor of biological sciences and as program coordinator and division chair of massage therapy at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, N.Y. Kenny has a strong background in program assessment, curriculum development, faculty mentorship, community partnerships and evidence-based teaching and learning practices. His leadership with Achieving the Dream at Columbia-Greene reflects his ability to build collaboration and drive student-focused, equity-centered >> Read More |
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