The Green and Gold we will e'er uphold, and ever to our school be true.

Connect with Berkeley Alumni

Congratulations Somerset!

Alumni and staff of The Berkeley Institute participated in the annual cup Match Classic playing on both sides!

Photos via Bernews.com

Have a great photo from your days at The Berkeley Institute?

Email us at lee.stephanie@berkeley.bm along with a short description.

It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we recognize the devastating news of the untimely passing of two of our recent graduates, Razi Garland and Amon Robinson, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Both Razi and Amon were cherished members of our graduating Class of 2023, and their loss has profoundly impacted our entire school community.

This tragedy is especially heartbreaking as Razi is the son of one of our esteemed teachers. Words cannot express the depth of our anguish for our colleague and both extended families during this incredibly difficult time.



We offer our sincerest condolences to the Garland and Robinson families. This tragedy has rocked our school community, and there are no words to adequately convey our sorrow. We are committed to supporting our colleague and each other through this painful period and honoring the memories of Razi and Amon.

Keisha L. Douglas

Principal

The Berkeley Institute

I am writing this note, grieving the loss of two young men whose lives were cut short, as I come off a vacation that in part of which was designed to help deal with and manage my own grief journey. Every single person has had to say good-bye to a loved one. These people have made an impact in the lives of those they influenced. All of us are left to deal with the ache of the loss, yet revel in their memory. A concept that has helped me wrap my head around loss and grief, and that I share in hopes that it brings a semblance of peace to all in their own grief journey.

Grief is love with no outlet. The love we have for that person can no longer be given to their physical form, so it wells up, looking for a way to be expressed. Love is energy. Memories are eternal. Redirecting that energy into something new does not replace the person you grieve, but instead honours their name, their memory, their impact in your life, and the world. In this way, their memory continues; the love for them is shared with the world in a different way.

As the manager for Berkeley Alumni Relations, we say good-bye to alumni every day. Part of this role is to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of our Alumni, but also recognize them and celebrate their life after they depart this world. We are working on programmes to honour alumni, and continue their legacy, so that future generations of Berkeleyites can know the impact of those who came before them.

We encourage you to share the stories of alumni, especially our seniors and deceased. Their lives contain lessons we can adapt even in this rapidly changing environment. Their experiences can help us navigate whatever the future holds.

To all who are grieving, I offer my deepest condolences and sympathies. If you find yourself struggling with your grief, I implore you to reach out to helping services in the community. Here are a few resources that offer PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL support.

• Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute Mainline: 239-1111, which connects to a 24-hour Mental Health crisis line, or call 236-3770.
• Red Cross Psychosocial First Aider: Call 236-8253 between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
• Women's Resource Centre offers a grief support group every 4th Wednesday of the Month. Contact them wrc@wrcbermuda.com, or 441-295-3882.
• MASC offers individual and group counseling and support groups for men aged 13+. For more information or to register contact them at (441) 601-6272 or contact@mascbda.com
• Bermuda Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offers a variety of services including counselling , workplace intervention critical incidences and more. Speak with your employer or contact EAP directly to see if your organization is a member. Confidential 24 hour Phone line: +441 292-9000 or info@eap.bm
• The Family Centre offers resources and support for parents and children experiencing grief. They provide a Grief Support Tip Sheet for Parents, covering topics such as creating a supportive environment, memorial activities for children, talking about a tragic death, managing fears and anxieties, recognizing and addressing grief in children, and seeking professional help. To access therapeutic grief support for children between the ages of 4-18 years old, please call the Family Centre at 232-1116 and ask to speak with a screener.

Stephanie Lee

Class of '06

Development & Communications Officer

P.S. I am aware that some of our Alumni may not have email or computers in order to receive the regular updates and information sent to alumni about the activities and programmes Alumni can support. Expanding to more traditional communication activities is a work in progress. In the meantime, please share information with your family and friends. If persons say they have provided their email and still are not receiving messages from us, here are a few options to pursue that may rectify the situation.

• Check their spam/junk mail box.
• They may have unsubscribed from receiving emails from us. They can re-subscribe by contacting the Development & Communications Office.
• Emails are not able to be delivered.
• The inbox is full.
• The email address on file is no longer active. To correct, contact the Development & Communications Office.
• The email in the system is incorrect. To correct, contact the Development & Communications Office.

Physical copies of previous newsletters can be collected from the Development & Communications Office at The Berkeley Institute.

Celebrate Good Times!!

The Berkeley Institute Class of '94 have begun their 30th Anniversary Celebrations with a gathering at Barr's Park.

Planning a 5 or 10 year reunion? Email lee.stephanie@berkeley.bm to share!

Though the beginning of the school year looms, we always keep in our hearts our beloved motto: 'Keep The End In View'. Completing highschool and graduating is a major life milestone, but as we know, time presses on. As we welcome the incoming senior class that will become the graduating Class of 2025, we are reaching out to previous graduating classes looking to highlight and celebrate their own graduation anniversaries. Whether you are planning a reunion, offering scholarships, or have stories to share about your time at The Berkeley Institute, The Development Office would like to support you however we can.

• Class of 2020 (5)
• Class of 2015 (10)
• Class of 2010 (15)
• Class of 2005 (20)
• Class of 2000 (25)
• Class of 1995 (30)
• Class of 1990 (35)
• Class of 1985 (40)

• Class of 1980 (45)
• Class of 1975 (50)
• Class of 1970 (55)
• Class of 1965 (60)
• Class of 1960 (65)
• Class of 1955 (70)
• Class of 1950 (75)
• Class of 1945 (80)

Celebrating our Students!

The Graduation Committee did an awesome job with our first-class Graduation showcase at the National Sports Center (Flora Duffy Stadium) on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Additionally, we held our traditional Cotillion Ball at Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Here are our graduation results:

We had a total of 126 Graduates.

101 of our graduates have been accepted at Colleges and Universities, in the USA (65), UK (20), Canada (13) and International Schools (3). 58 of the graduates plan on attending the Bermuda College, 15 are joining the workforce while the remaining 10 are truly undecided at this time.

It gives us great joy to recognize and celebrate our three (3) Dual Enrolment students, who graduated from the Bermuda College on Thursday, May 16, 2024:

1. Chiaje Rudo- Associate of Arts and Science with Distinction along with the Academic Awards for Most Outstanding Arts and Science Graduate and the Distinguished Dean’s Award. Additionally, Chiaje was named as the 2024 Outstanding Teen which is a remarkable accomplishment
2. Anna Carr- Associate of Arts with Merit
3. Joshua Fleming- Certificate in Applied Science Technology along with the Academic Award for the Most Outstanding Materials & Mechanics Student

We had 7 students who completed their Nursing Assistant Certifications as part of the Bermuda College’s APACE programme (Zha-Lei Looby, N’Kobi DeRosa, Sienna Furbert, Aaliyah Harvey-Colon, Emoy Holdipp-Lynch, Mackaylin Simmons & Mariana Swan). We wish them continued success as nurses are truly needed globally!

Additionally, we had 30 students receive Scholarships and Awards at our seventh annual Scholarships and Awards Ceremony held on Saturday, June 22, 2024 totaling approximately $112,000. Thank you sponsors and community partners for helping to offset University fees for our graduates. Further, our students have received numerous coveted scholarships from the private sector from companies or entities such as- Centennial Bermuda Foundation, Deloitte, PWC, Ernst & Young, Appleby & BELCO to name a few. In addition, our graduates have received offers of university and college admission scholarships totaling approximately $3,962,850.00 to date. As an example, Moriah Bridgewater has received an offer of $68,000 ($17,000 for 4 years) from Howard University, $5000 from The Berkeley Educational Society’s Alumni Award, and $1,000 for the BELCO- Liberty Group Limited Mathematics Award totaling $74,000. This is just one of many examples of our students’ success with scholarships to offset the cost of tertiary education.

8 students- Chiaje Rudo, Moriah Bridgewater, Kenya Smith-Woodley, Sanaa Berkeley, Skyah Walker, Mariana Swan, Chelsea Almeida & Keimani Trott were awarded Advanced Honours- Summa Cum Laude;

3 students (Aydin Arouzi, Tejah Bean & Jonah Trott) will be awarded Advanced Honours- Magna Cum Laude;

3 students (Laila Trott, Ayinde Bulford and Tyler Correia,) will be awarded Advanced Honours- Cum Laude.

This is our eighth year awarding Advanced Honours Certificates.

109 of our 126 graduates received The Berkeley Institute Certification having maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.25 and above.

118 of our 126 graduates received the Bermuda School Diploma (BSD) having maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and above.

7 students received the Bermuda Alternate School Diploma (BASD) from our Functional Academics programme.

1 student received his certificate from our ASD Programme. The success of our ASD programme is one of our greatest accomplishments as a school.

Additionally, we celebrated twins- Tejah & Tanje Bean, who were classified as S3 students, and graduating a year ahead of their peers!

On Graduation Day, the Class of 2024 Graduation Rate was- 98.4%...We now stand at 99.2%

The Graduating Class consists of:



55 Men of the Years to Come and 71 Women of the Future

There were 57 young men in the year group; therefore 96% of our young men graduated

There were 71 young women in the year group and 100% of our young women graduated

Do you have a great story to share about yourself or another Alumni? Email lee.stephanie@berkeley.bm to be considered for the next feature!

As mentioned, The Alumni Association has been working to prepare a full calendar of programmes and activities designed to reconnect with Alumni. We are looking to host an information call on Wednesday, August 14 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In this call, we will review the upcoming activities and areas requiring your support. From there, you can choose which of the committees you would like to support.

RSVP: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclduCgrz8pEtbu40TyLfnr9IUls8KHKzZq

Please share with your peers and family! We require at least 3-5 persons per committee. At this time, we are looking to establish four (4) committees.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative, in co-ordination with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, is offering a special BizCamp at BEDC’s headquarters from Monday, August 12, to August 16.

Electronic applications are available at www.yei.bm, or e-mail BizCamp@yei.bm. Participants will be admitted on a rolling basis until both sessions are full.

Location:

BEDC’s Headquarters, 48 Church Street, Hamilton

Timeline:

• August 12 to 16, 2024
• Beginning at 9:30am and finishing at 3:00pm daily.
• Lunch is provided each day at the program site for a total cost of $50 per participant per week.

Back to School Basics

Thursday, August 15, 2024

6:00 PM 8:00 PM

The WRC Training Room 48 Church Street, 2nd Floor - Sofia House Hamilton Bermuda (map)

Back to School Basics

For busy moms! Come and learn some practical tips to help you establish or reestablish a healthy routine for your child.

Learn science-based tools to support your child through their socio-emotional development.

This session is FREE!

Facilitator: Chardoñae Rawlins, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Specialist.

Spaces are LIMITED so register today!

Register now!

The Berkeley Institute 127th Anniversary Opening Reception

Friday, September 6, 2024

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship will takes place this November 11 -17th at Port Royal Golf Course. Each year, they offer a volunteer programme in collaboration with BF&M in which supporting organizations receive $200 per individual that volunteers with them. We are asking for persons to volunteer for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on behalf of The Berkeley Institute. Funds are used to further enhance and develop the programme offerings at The Berkeley Institute, to provide a well-rounded experience for our students.

Are you a recent high school graduate or university student considering a break from your studies?

Applications are now open for Conyers Gap Year Programme in Bermuda.

Apply now for a dynamic 3-6 month paid internship with our Gap Year Programme. Immerse yourself in an opportunity to apply your skills in a real-world setting and through meaningful work experience, while gaining an understanding of the legal industry. Positions available in business services include compliance, marketing, trust services, corporate services and finance.

Email: careers@conyers.com

Application Deadline: 13 September 2024

Berkeley, dear Berkeley, Children of thine are we...

Tuesday, September 10, we welcome students back to campus. As is our tradition, we invite alumni to welcome the newest class of students to The Berkeley family. If you are available, please join us on campus on Tuesday, September 10 between 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. to create a welcome line for our students!

Let's do our part to show the current generation that they are supported as Berkeleyites wherever they may roam.

On Monday, October 6, 1879, the Founding Committee consisting of six men, first met with the intention of establishing a school where ALL Bermuda's students could get a secondary education. Now, 145 years since this auspicious meeting, The Berkeley Institute stands as a testament to these ideals, having helped shaped the framework of Bermuda.

Stay tuned for more information on the 145th Anniversary of The Berkeley Educational Society activities, Fall 2024.

A parenting seminar being hosted by the Hamilton SDA Church is being held on Wednesday, August, 28th from 5:30 p.m. Light Refreshments and giveaways for students returning to school will be available. For additional information or to register contact the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists.

Does your business, company, or organization you are affiliated with have work experience, internships, or job opportunities, especially for young adults seeking entry into the workforce, to share with fellow Berkeleyites, near and far! Email the opportunity details to smith.cindy@berkeley.bm CC lee.stephanie@berkeley.bm.

Do you have something you'd like to share with your fellow Berkeley Alumni? Advertise it here! A special event or activity, your business product or services, a job opening, or anything in between. Email lee.stephanie@berkeley.bm with your request and for pricing.

The Department of Culture recently released a film titled 'Heart of the City' in which they explore the significance of Court Street and the surrounding area which is commonly referred to as 'Back of Town'.

The Berkeley Institution welcomed its first set of students into the Samaritans Lodge in 1897, which was located on Court Street.

This project was proposed by two current student Berkelyites, Yaesmin Cummings and Azi Goater (Class of 2027), to bring to light the history and economic impact this area has for Black Bermudians specifically, past and present.

The four main interviewees are Berkeley alumni: Dr Norma Astwood, Wayne Perinchief, Dr. June Hill and Dale Butler. Dr. Hill is a direct descendant of Samuel David Robinson, one of the Founding Fathers, and a current member of the Management Committee of The Berkeley Educational Society. The Williamses who are mentioned in the film are Robinson descendants as well. Norma Astwood was also actively involved with The Berkeley for many years.

Saving Historical Landmarks