Pine Cobble Names Head of School

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Pine Cobble School in Williamstown has appointed Dr. Alana Harte, a longtime educator, head of school as of Jan. 1, 2024, according to a December announcement sent to the school community by its board of trustees.

Dr. Harte joined Pine Cobble in 2020 and served, most recently, as acting head of school, and prior to that, assistant head of school, dean of students, and reading specialist.

She earlier held various positions in other schools, including eleven years as a middle school English teacher, and previously served as an equity consultant and qualitative researcher. She received an EdD in Educational leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University, an MSEd in supervision and administration from Southern University and A&M College, and a BA in English language arts from Hunter College in New York City. 

In the board's announcement, Leticia Haynes, chair of the board of trustees, wrote of Dr. Harte:

"Her instructional expertise will be invaluable as we move Pine Cobble forward with a vision for greater curricular strength and deeper integration of the character pillars with values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She will continue to enhance the school's traditions of engagement with nature, the arts, and sports and community building, while ensuring Pine Cobble provides outstanding academic and character education for all of our children."

"I am honored to have been selected as the next head of school at Pine Cobble School," Harte said. "I am drawn in particular to the school's commitment to strong academics, to community, and to upholding character pillars for its students, as well as its being an equitable and inclusive space. I'm looking forward to us connecting with the greater community meaningfully and frequently."

Menorah Lighting Begins 8 Days of Hanukkah, Thoughts of Gratitude

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
01:14PM / Thursday, December 26, 2024

Rebecca Wax gets some helping light as she works the controls. The full ceremony can be seen on iBerkshires' Facebook page. 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — With a boost from her dad, Rebecca Wax on Wednesday turned on the first candle of the more than 12-foot tall menorah at the Williams Inn. 

 

Around 40 people attended the community lighting for the first night of Hanukkah, which fell this year on the same day as Christmas. They gathered in the snow around the glowing blue electric menorah even as the temperature hovered around 12 degrees.

 

"We had a small but dedicated group in North Adams, so this is unbelievable," said Rabbi Rachel Barenblat of Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams. "This is honestly unbelievable."

 

Barenblat had earlier observed the lighting of the city's menorah in City Hall, which the mayor opened briefly for the ceremony. 

 

In Williamstown, Rabbi Seth Wax, the Jewish chaplain at Williams College, with his daughters Mia and Rebecca, spoke of the reasons for celebrating Hanukkah, sometimes referred to as the Festival of Lights. 

 

The two common ones, he said, are to mark the single unit of sacred olive oil that lasted eight days during the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem and the military victory over the invading Greeks.

 

"For the rabbis of antiquity, who created and shaped Judaism, these two events were considered to be miracles," said Wax. "They happened not because of what humans did on their own, but because of what something beyond them, what they called God, did on their behalf.