Bingo For Books At Wander

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As summer winds down and families prepare to head back to school, Drag Story Hour Berkshires is bringing the community together for one last afternoon of summer fun with Bingo For Books, a family-friendly fundraiser taking place Saturday, Aug. 22, from noon–2 p.m. at Wander Berkshires.

The event will feature four rounds of bingo hosted by storytellers: Poppy DaBubbly, Bella Santarella, Vuronika Baked, Sativo Green, and Hairy Debbie.

A bingo card covering all four games costs $5, and guests can purchase as many cards as they can bingo. Prizes will include books signed by beloved local authors and acclaimed, nationally recognized writers, along with school supplies and backpacks to help families get ready for the new school year.

The event will also feature local authors on hand with their books, offering attendees the opportunity to meet writers from the community and discover new stories. Indie Readery & Records will also join the festivities with a special pop-up market featuring books and more for attendees to browse and shop.

The afternoon will culminate in a mini dance party.

All proceeds benefit the ongoing work of Drag Story Hour Berkshires, supporting inclusive, literacy-focused programming that brings families together through the joy of books, storytelling, and community.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Schools See Better Building Utilization, Continued Choice Outs

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students return to school in two weeks; Pittsfield will have one less elementary school and around 100 fewer students. 

The School Committee was updated on enrollment for the 2026-2027 academic year during last week's regular meeting. 

At this time, the Pittsfield Public Schools had 4,586 students, compared to 4,682 at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent Latifah Phillips said this has been the district's trend for years and is not surprising. 

"Across all of these grade levels, we have a decrease. I believe of about 80-90 students. I think it's at eighth grade that we're going to look into and make sure that our data is accurate," she said to the School Committee last week. 

"But otherwise, the enrollment is following the trends that we have expected in probably the last decade." 

With this school year comes the closure of Morningside Community School and the middle school restructuring that sends Grades 5-6 to Herberg Middle School and Grades 7-8 to Reid Middle School. 

Fifth grade enrollment was subtracted from last year's elementary enrollment, and these reflect the reassignment of Morningside students to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams. 

Phillips pointed out that this process has increased the use of school buildings, as underutilized buildings were one of the concerns that led to institutional changes. 

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