BERKSHIRE SCHOOL
Dear Parents and Friends:
While some of us bid you farewell, others come together to embrace and guide us toward new beginnings. Many of us have witnessed and participated in the challenges; the devastation and rebirth of our community.
Thirty years ago, a family from Massachusetts arrived here with their very own vision of education and found the perfect setting to see it realized; they named this dream "Berkshire" as a tribute to a very beautiful tree that stood in their native land. They cultivated it, nurtured it, and saw it bear fruit.
Those small beginnings with a few students, families, staff and teachers; with hard work and the grace of God, we were able to expand our territory, grow and consolidate our dream into a work of art. Through the years, "Berkshire" witnessed noteworthy athletic victories, as well as accomplishments among our graduates who are now heads of families and valued members of our community.
We were also victims of the devastation left by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the closing of the Homestead Air Force Base, a pillar of this community.
Today, a new army of developers, contractors, architects, engineers and laborers are invading our surroundings. New residential and commercial zones are springing-up all around us. New neighborhoods, job opportunities, and projects bring hope and revival. They are a welcomed contrast to those more difficult and dark days, now left behind. While they left sad memories and scars, they also left us with positive lessons, challenges and inspirations for the future.
As a result of this urban development and expansion, we have not gone unnoticed and have received many attractive offers for our land and buildings. However, we have wanted to stay true to our original educational mission and purpose, and insist that it continue. For this reason, we have been careful and selective in choosing from among several suitors an
established educational organization like as LINCOLN-MARTI. We are confident they will assume, continue and expand our educational dream.
Surely, many of you are familiar with the name LINCOLN-MARTI. If not, we invite you to visit their web site at www.lincolnmarti.com. Founded in 1968, they are inspired by the idealism of Abraham Lincoln and José Martí. Today, they have thirty centers in operation and 7 in construction in Miami-Dade, including a solid presence in our vicinity, in Homestead, Perrine, Palmetto Bay, and Goulds-Cuttler Ridge, as well as in Miami, West Miami and Hialeah.
In addition to serving a multiethnic and multi-cultural population, they coincide with our mission and the belief that while equality is important, more important is striving to bring out the uniqueness in each individual child.
With this announcement, we trust you see this move, as we do, a step forward and request that you place your trust, enthusiasm and support in our successors. They have assured me that they will not let us down.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Farrell
Administrator
