Gill St. Bernard's School

Infobox School
name = Gill St. Bernard's School
motto = The World is Our Classroom
established = 1900
type = Private
religion = none
headmaster = Sidney A. Rowell
city = Peapack-Gladstone
state = NJ
country = USA
campus = 72 acres
enrollment = 687 (as of 2008-09 in K-12)
faculty = 86 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 9.0
information = 908-234-1611
colors = Blue/White
nickname = Knights
homepage = [http://www.gsbschool.org/

Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school located in the Gladstone area of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, United States, serving 645 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Class sizes average fourteen to sixteen students, depending on grade and subject. The school has 96 faculty and administrators. 70% of Upper School faculty have advanced degrees, 41% of Middle School and 40% of Lower School.

As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 687 students (in K-12, plus 26 in pre-K) and 86 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 8.0. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3409660&ID=340966001104 Maple Shade High School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 7, 2008.]

Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and New Jersey Association of Independent Schools [http://www.njais.org/listing.html] . Accessed July 29, 2008.]

History

Gill St. Bernard's is the result of the merger of two Somerset Hills institutions — St. Bernard's School for boys in Gladstone and The Gill School for girls in Bernardsville.

St. Bernard's School was founded in 1900 by the Rev. Thomas A. Conover. It was his vision to establish a school for farm and village boys in which they could be educated at the same time as they learned a trade. The first group of boys came to St. Bernard's in September 1900. The boys were charged $100 a year for their room and board — about the same amount Rev. Conover felt their parents would spend on food if they were living at home.

In the early days, academic classes alternated with work in the carpentry shop, the print shop or on the farm. Daily attendance at religious services was required. In 1912 the highest award for a student was established, and has been given ever since. The Julian T. Brown Cup was given to the school by Brown's mother in memory of her son who died shortly after leaving St. Bernard's. The actual silver cup was inherited from an ancestor who owned the plantation next to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Tradition stated that the author of the Declaration of Independence had drunk from the cup. Recipients of the award have their names engraved on the cup, which resides in a place of honor at the school.

In 1945, Rev. Robert L. Clayton, Jr. was named Headmaster. He brought a broader vision of operation to the school. It was under his leadership that St. Bernard's moved to a concept of academic excellence. The emphasis now was on scholarship, with an aim being the integration of the education program with the needs of industry. The emphasis of the work program on physical well-being, discipline and personal industry still played a large role in the philosophy of the school, while a college preparatory program started to gain momentum.

The Gill School was established by Miss Elizabeth Gill in 1934 as the Wychwood School. Her educational philosophy was based on the value of the individual and she sought, through small classes and direct teacher-student relationships, to establish a "rich school experience" for the pupils. The physical development of the individual was not neglected — at least two hours each day was spent out-of-doors. The first graduating class consisted of three students.

Three years later the school moved to Mendham and changed its name to Miss Gill's School in the Mendham Hills. The physical facility was only rented, however, and in 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. The building was dedicated by the spiritual advisor of the Gill School - Rev. Thomas A. Conover, who was also rector of St. Bernard's School.

In the early 1940s, a coeducational middle school was added to the all-girls boarding high school. In 1956, boarding was discontinued.

By the 1960s and 1970s, coeducation was becoming more fashionable, and in 1972 St. Bernard's School combined with Miss Gill's School to become Gill St. Bernard's. At this time the religious affiliation of St. Bernard's was dropped. The new school had lower grades on the old Gill campus in Bernardsville and upper grades at St. Bernard's in Gladstone.

The merged school soon began using an unusual schedule known as the "Unit Plan." Under the Unit Plan, students took one class at a time, studying that subject all day, every day, for a period of about seven weeks. The Plan allowed for greater immersion in a subject and was considered particularly useful in such areas as foreign languages and history. The Unit Plan was largely abandoned in 1982, although the school still continues to schedule one abbreviated Unit at the end of each school year, in order to facilitate special projects and to allow for travel programs.

The two divisions consolidated in 1996 in Gladstone. Today, there are three divisions - a Lower, a Middle and an Upper School- located on 72 acres which span the Somerset-Morris County line between the Boro of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township. The school today consists of seventeen buildings which include separate buildings for the Upper, Middle and Lower schools, two athletic centers, an art center and three administrative buildings. There is also a field lodge, five playing fields, a track, five tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.

Mr. Rowell became Headmaster in 2001.

Athletics

Sports facilities include a gymnasium and athletic center, five all-weather tennis courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, two full size basketball courts, professional soccer and ball fields. The school fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, ice hockey, soccer, softball, track and field, swimming and tennis.

The 2007 girls tennis team took the North B state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over Villa Walsh Academy in the tournament final. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=242871&tclass=North%20B 2007 Girls Team Tennis - North B] , NJSIAA. Accessed October 26, 2007.] The team moved on to win the 2007 Group B state championship with a 5-0 win over Moorestown Friends School. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=242871&tclass=Non%2DPublic%20Group%20Finals 2007 Girls Team Tennis - Non-Public Group Finals] , NJSIAA. Accessed October 26, 2007.]

The 2008 baseball team is one of the best in the school's history winning its first ever Somerset County Tournament game in school history while holding the 13th seed in defeating Pingry 5-2. In the second round they defeated Bridgewater-Raritan 13-3 in a major upset. Bridgewater held the 5th seed.

Facts & Figures

*GSB is a college preparatory day school serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.
*The total enrollment is 687students from 11 New Jersey counties.
*Class sizes average fourteen to seventeen students, depending on grade and subject.
*There are 96 faculty and administrators. 70% of Upper School faculty have advanced degrees, 41% of Middle School and 40% of Lower School.
*GSB offers Honors and Advanced Placement courses in English, History, Mathematics, Foreign languages, and the Sciences.
*The campus is composed of 72 acres and 17 buildings in Somerset and Morris counties in central New Jersey.
*The collegiate style setting includes separate Lower, Middle and Upper School buildings, gymnasium, athletic center, theater/art gallery, classroom and various administrative buildings.
*A wide variety of extracurricular activities is available for Middle and Upper School students in the areas of the arts, community service, student government, liberalism, and academics and sports.
*GSB offers an extended-day program of supervised play, special activities, and homework for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Supervised study hall is available until 5:30 for Middle School students.
*Two summer camps are offered for children ages four through fourteen. GSB Summer Camp runs the last two weeks of June. Hi-Hills Camp has eight, six, and four week sessions. Both camps offer an extended day option.
*A variety of other summer programs are available.

References

External links

* [http://www.gsbschool.org/ School website]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00869058&ID=00869058 Data for Gill St. Bernard's School] , National Center for Education Statistics