PITTSFIELD — One might think not a lot of learning would get done on the last day before a two-week winter vacation.

But Pittsfield High School, spending the day in a student-led summit hitting big-picture issues in the “Portrait of a Graduate” vision, had more productive plans in mind.

In about 40 minutes, the student body packed 10,000 meals and 1,000 personal hygiene kits for their neighbors. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips stopped in for a visit and, donning a hairnet and gloves, joined the students assembling meal kits.

During the annual Student Voice Summit at PHS, students fill around 1,200 bags of personal care and hygiene items for people in need.

It was part of the second annual Student Voice Summit at PHS — an opportunity for students to take ownership of their educational experience by voicing their concerns about their experience and environment, making constructive suggestions, and taking part in community service.

Two hundred bags filled personal care items that were donated by the United Methodist Church of Lenox, Carr Hardware and Dr. Yantovsky DMD, are packed by Pittsfield High School students during the annual Student Voice Summit at PHS.

It’s one way the school embraces the “Portrait of a Graduate” vision adopted by the district, laying out the skills and qualities it wants to promote.

Principal Lynn Taylor, in her first year at Pittsfield high, said the event highlights the school's commitment to valuing students and helping them feel comfortable speaking up about their needs and concerns. She noted a quote the school's Portrait of a Graduate team used during a staff training: "Nothing about me without me."

"I think that really speaks to if we are giving them an opportunity to tell us what they would like to see different, then maybe the changes that we can make can have a bigger impact and can really reflect their needs, and what they want for this school," Taylor said.

A core group of seven student organizers spent the past two months training for the event. On Friday, they were joined by about 70 student facilitators. Those students all wore PHS purple T-shirts emblazoned with the theme for the day: “Together, we speak for change.”

A core group of seven student organizers spent the past two months training for the event. On Friday, they were joined by about 70 student facilitators who helped coordinate the breakout sessions and community service projects.

The T-shirt message and theme were a deliberate choice by students, teachers and administrators, student organizer Sienna Maruli said in an interview Thursday.

“We thought it was very powerful to really show it’s us, including teachers and administrators, working together to solve problems that exist,” said Maruli, a junior.

In Room 129 on Friday morning, questions posed to students focused on their goals, who they look to for advice about their futures, and what challenges get in the way.

While the students all had their own spin on the challenges they face, there were some common themes. One was that the school's guidance counselors are among the most trusted advisers in the building, but finding time to see them can be "kind of messy" given their workloads. Another is that it's hard to stay motivated over a full year of seven-hour days that start to feel like Groundhog Day.

Students running the questions said the process was more productive than it was in 2024.

“Last year, I was also a facilitator, and it was our first year doing it, and no one really spoke up,” said Gionnah LeVardi, who led the questions in Room 129. “So this process was a lot better for us … we've been preparing for like two months, and to just come in here and have everyone comfortable with us was amazing.”

Then, with the answers compiled, the facilitators created a poster with concerns and potential courses of action.

In breakout sessions, students engage in conversations about how they think instructional and administrative changes can be made within their school environment to best enhance their learning and real-world competency during the annual Student Voice Summit at PHS — part of the "Portrait of a Graduate" initiative.

"We're going to take these posters and bring them to like the principal and the vice principal — basically the people who run the school —  so we can put the changes that the students have [suggested] into action," student Kara Wong explained.

Mary Morrison, a math teacher at the high school, is also the site lead for the "Portrait of a Graduate" vision. She said the program has been one of her best experiences at Pittsfield High, "because we get to see students making change in our building, and I think that's the most important aspect of our work. And if we're not here for that, I don't know why we're here."

Student organizers said they got involved for the opportunity to help their school make positive changes, as well as boost morale and school spirit.

"It's not just students complaining, it's supporting the school in a way to make it better," senior Koby Hall said Thursday. "We're partnering with the adults to collaborate and make this day happen."

"I got involved because I thought there was a lot of improvements that could be made to PHS," said Maruli, a junior. "I have a little sister who's going to be in PHS next year. I want her to experience PHS to the best it can possibly be. I want to be part of that change to help her have the best high school experience possible."

In breakout sessions, students engage in conversations about how they think instructional and administrative changes can be made within their school environment to best enhance their learning and real-world competency during the annual Student Voice Summit at PHS — part of the "Portrait of a Graduate" initiative.

The Berkshire Portrait of a Graduate vision adopted by the Pittsfield Public Schools promotes six core competencies: communication skills, global citizenship, individual preparation, lifelong learning, critical thinking and personal responsibility. It's an initiative of the Barr Foundation, facilitated through Berkshire Educational Resources K12, a nonprofit organization supporting education across the county.

Portrait of a Graduate "has changed the way that we teach and the way that we view things, and it's all of the things that our community wants from our students," Morrison said. "It's huge — it's the most important thing for us to be doing."