Berkshire Country Day School Reimagines Traditions in Response to Pandemic

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BCD's Grade 8 Students attending a virtual "Celebration of Gratitude"

STOCKBRIDGE/LENOX, MA (11/25/2020) (readMedia)-- Berkshire Country Day School (BCD) announces a reimagining of a beloved tradition in response to Pandemic. On the morning of Tuesday, November 24, 2020 BCD invited students and faculty to participate in a Celebration of Gratitude. Each grade level-age 2 through Grade 8-came together as a class with their homeroom teacher to engage in dialogue about the word "gratitude," what it means to them and what they are grateful for.

In the past BCD has hosted a "Thanksgiving Soup" the day prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday. This event was created for members of the BCD community (parents, alumni, grandparents and current students, faculty and staff) to come together, reconnect and share a meal. In response to the current Pandemic this year's "Thanksgiving Soup'' was canceled. "Just because the event needed to be canceled does not mean that community and connection are canceled" said Head of School Jenifer Fox. Recognizing this need, BCD created a virtual Celebration of Gratitude. "It's imperative we continue to offer touch points of connection for our families, students, faculty and staff. The nourishment of community is an essential to our lifeblood" said Fox.

Leading up to the event, each homeroom teacher worked with their students to understand the meaning of gratitude. Understanding this word is part of the social-emotional learning that BCD offers.The virtual event consisted of three parts. The first, a Google Meet video gathering for each homeroom. The second, an invitation for students to finish the sentence "I am grateful for...". The third, students were asked to publish their responses on a Padlet board, a tool that allows all students to participate in a variety of ways including: uploading photos, writing narratives, creating videos, drawing images, etc. Dean of Academics Kate Skivington, said "We felt that it was important to give students of all ages a creative outlet while simultaneously utilizing a teaching tool."

On November 24, BCD's Age 2 through Kindergarten students joined their Google Meets with their parents, guardians, siblings as well as grandparents. Whereas Grade 1- Grade 8 students joined independently with their teachers. The event was a success as students proudly shared what they were grateful for. One student in the Grade 1 & 2 cohort summarized this event "I am grateful for my really cool new school, new friends and for my best teacher ever-Ms.Hollander. I am also grateful I am not hungry all the time. Some kids are and this makes me sad. I love my family, my pets and our house."

Berkshire Country Day School is an independent school for preschool through eighth grade that exists to inspire the individual promise of every student, that each may become an exemplary citizen of the world. BCD opened new facilities in 2017 including the Kevin Hirt Library and Learning Commons, and the Kim and James Taylor Music / Performance Room, dramatically impacting the historic Stockbridge campus. The natural 27-acre campus also includes art studios, science building, full-sized gym, and learning commons. BCD's pedagogical program blends proven methods, emerging best practices and follows the Reggio Emilio approach for its preschool program launched in 2017. Established in 1946, the school serves families in Berkshire and Columbia Counties and is located at 55 Interlaken Road, Stockbridge, MA. In 2020 it was voted the "Best Private School in the Berkshires'' by readers of The Berkshire Eagle for the fourth year in a row. www.berkshirecountryday.org