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Connection, Curiosity, and Community: Fall Moments Across the Hilltop

Education flourishes when students step beyond traditional classroom walls, engage directly with their environment, and build meaningful relationships across generations. From hands-on local environmental study to milestone outdoor adventures, Berwick Academy’s Pre-K–Grade 12 campus provides continuous opportunities for connection, student autonomy, and community pride.
Celebrating Women in STEM Across All Divisions
On October 16, Berwick Academy celebrated its annual “Women in STEM” Day, an inspiring tradition modeled after Ada Lovelace Day, which is globally recognized on the second Tuesday of October. The initiative originally launched in the fall of 2025 after Calculus students Lucia Happ '26, Ella Smith '26, and Emmy Lord '26 completed a research project highlighting brilliant women whose contributions to mathematics went historically unrecognized, presenting their findings to the Middle and Upper Schools.

This year, the entire Pre-K–Grade 12 community engaged in tailored activities to honor female trailblazers:
  • Middle & Upper School: Students tested their knowledge during interactive "Myth or Fact" assembly games, while Women in STEM Club members visited math classes to introduce lesser-known female pioneers.
  • Lower School: Young learners enjoyed stories about pioneering female engineers, third graders welcomed special guest speakers into science classes, and all students gathered in the library for a curated exhibit celebrating women in science and math.
  • Campus-Wide Spirit: The Hilltop marked the occasion with a purple dress-down day to show solidarity and enthusiasm for women in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Hands-On History & Environmental Stewardship
In the Lower School, learning is deeply rooted in place-based exploration and authentic discovery.
  • Grade 4 History & Stewardship at Vaughan Woods: On September 17, our fourth graders visited local Vaughan Woods for a hands-on history lesson on 17th-century Native American and English settler history, led by Faculty Emeritus Brad Fletcher. Adding to the special nature of the outing, parent chaperone Devon (Rodonets) Richardson '00 joined her fourth-grade daughter on the trip, reuniting with one of her own favorite former Berwick teachers.
Welcoming Prospective Families & Future Bulldogs
Fall is a vibrant season for opening our doors to the broader Seacoast community and showcasing life on the Hilltop:
  • Lower School Fall Forest Fest: On Sunday, October 18, prospective Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade families gathered in Berwick Academy’s Forest Classroom for a festive afternoon celebrating Early Childhood outdoor learning. Wearing fall costumes, young visitors followed a festive Halloween Story Walk along the wooded trail, collecting nut-free treats from older Berwick Early Childhood alums and teachers along the way. Families experienced firsthand how Berwick uses the forest as a natural extension of the classroom, ending the day with open play on our Outdoor Exploration Space playground and connecting with our vibrant Early Childhood community. Check out a photo gallery here.
  • Youth Lacrosse Clinics: Our athletic fields have been buzzing with prospective student-athletes! Following a successful Boys Lacrosse Clinic on Sunday, October 17, Berwick coaches and players are excited to host local student-athletes for our Girls Lacrosse Clinic this upcoming weekend on Sunday, October 25.
Young Bulldogs & Cross-Divisional Connections
Berwick’s Pre-K–Grade 12 campus structure creates natural, daily opportunities for older and younger students to interact and inspire one another.

Through our Young Bulldogs program, Lower School students participate in convenient on-campus after-school activities, including Dance Company, Odyssey of the Mind, Outdoor Recreation, and Multi-Sports. These afternoon offerings bring Upper School student helpers and Lower School participants together in shared spaces—giving Upper Schoolers valuable mentorship experience while reminding them of the pure joy of play, teamwork, and discovery.
Milestones & Student Ownership
  • Climbing the Hilltop Night: Upper School students took the lead in this interactive format showcasing their academic work, arts and athletics pursuits, leadership roles, clubs, travel experiences, and other enriching aspects that make their time on the Hilltop uniquely transformative. Parents of students in Grades 7 & 8 were able to ask questions and have organic, one-on-one conversations with our students to dive deeper into life in the Upper School.
  • Grade 8 Hulbert Trip: Middle School students recently returned from their outdoor adventure trip to the Hulbert Outdoor Center. Designed to foster independence, resilience, and group problem-solving, this milestone experience brings the eighth-grade class together as community leaders before their transition to Upper School.
  • Lower School Back-to-School Night: Ownership in learning was on full display during our Lower School Back-to-School Kickoff. Students took the lead in guiding their parents through campus, showing off their learning spaces, and introducing their families to their teachers—strengthening the vital home-school partnership that supports every child's growth.
Present in the Moment: Over 15 Years as a Cell-Phone-Free Campus
In a world increasingly dominated by screens, Berwick has proudly maintained a cell-phone-free academic environment for over 15 years.

Director of Wellness Kim Kryder recently shared reflections on Instagram highlighting how this longstanding commitment impacts daily student life. By removing digital distractions during the school day, Berwick students connect more deeply with their peers, engage fully in classroom discussions, and experience the unfiltered joy of face-to-face community on the Hilltop.
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Berwick Academy

31 Academy Street
South Berwick, Maine 03908

Contact:
Admission | 207.384.6300
Main Office | 207.384.2164
Berwick Academy, situated on an 80-acre campus just over one hour north of Boston, serves 520 students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and Postgraduates. Berwick students are from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and several countries. Deeply committed to its mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge, Berwick Academy empowers students to be creative and bold. Berwick strives to graduate alumni who shape their own learning, take risks, ask thoughtful questions, and come to understand and celebrate their authentic selves.

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