This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne
PITTSFIELD — Forty-six students, including 22 students from Berkshire County and nearby communities, graduated on Sunday, June 2, during Miss Hall's School's 126th Commencement.
The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the School's Holmes Road campus and was shared worldwide via Hudl.
Hosted by Miss Hall's Head of School Julia Heaton, the ceremony included remarks from Senior Class President Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia; School President Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia; School Vice President Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield; and Miss Hall's School Board of Trustees President Nancy Gustafson Ault, Class of 1973.
This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne, who was introduced by 2024 Miss Hall's graduates Lila and Zadie Juska, of Great Barrington. Mary is the author of many award-winning children's books.
Local graduates are Brianna Babcock, of Pittsfield; Kate Butler, of Pittsfield; Malena Carraro, of Stockbridge; Molly Casey, of Lee; Ella Cohen, of Great Barrington; Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield; Margaret (Margot) Dionne, of New Lebanon, N.Y.; Honey Fields, of New Marlborough; Sophie Gentleman, of Lenox; Ruby Hauck, of South Lee; Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield; Isabella Hennessey, of Lenox; Lila Juska, of Great Barrington; Zadie Juska, of Great Barrington; Revan (Revvie) MacQueen, of Lenox; Juliana Mills, of Pittsfield; Alida (Hypnos) Perri, of Pittsfield; Kyla Rosales-Gore, of Great Barrington; Ella Tawes, of Williamstown; Madeline Tillem, of Lenox; Sophia Tillem, of Lenox; and Elise Tyler, of Lenox.
The following awards were also bestowed on members of the Class of 2024:
• Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Kate Butler, of Pittsfield, and Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
• Margaret Witherspoon Award: Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia
• Christine Fuller Holland '33 Service Prize: Welmerly Maria, of Methuen, Massachusetts
• Faculty Commendation Award: Molly Casey, of Lee
• Meus Honor Stat Keys Awarded for MHS Core Competencies:
Vision: Sutra Chakma, of Khagrachari, Bangladesh, and Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
Voice: Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield, and Oumou Sidibe, of Bamako, Mali
Interpersonal Efficacy: Naomi Wager, of Cooperstown, N.Y., and Jiaying (Lily) Yao, of Shenzhen, China
Gumption: Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield, and Kyla Rosales-Gore, of Great Barrington
• Sylvia “Rusty” Shethar Everdell '38 Prize: Kate Butler, of Pittsfield
• Paul C. Cabot, Jr. History Prize: Sophie Gentleman, of Lenox
• Senior Prize in Engineering and Tech Innovation: Isabella Hennessey, of Lenox
• Iive Rouse Science Award: Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia
• James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield
• Horizons Award: Welmerly Maria, of Methuen, Massachusetts
• English for Speakers of Other Languages Award: Ayako Ogawa, of Tokyo, Japan
• Mansfield E. Pickett Latin Prize: Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield
• Spanish Award: Ella Tawes, of Williamstown
• Monique Jalbert French Prize: Nathania Williams-Jack, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Virginia Breene Wickwire '67 Reading Prize: Madeline Tillem, of Lenox
• Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
• Photography Award: Honey Fields, of New Marlborough
• Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Jiaying (Lily) Yao, of Shenzhen, China
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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis.
Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report.
During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report.
"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions. As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday.
"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements."
He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report.
"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote.
Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.
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