Gill St. Bernard's School
Encyclopedia
Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian
, coeducation
al day school
located in the Gladstone
area of Peapack-Gladstone
, New Jersey
, United States, serving students in primary (3-4 year olds) through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1979.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 655 students in grades K-12 (with an additional 24 students in pre-K), and 91.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.2. Class sizes average fourteen to seventeen students, depending on grade and subject. The school has 96 faculty and administrators. 90% of Upper School faculty have advanced degrees, 41% of Middle School and 40% of Lower School.
Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
St. Bernard's School was founded in 1900 by the Rev. Thomas A. Conover. 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.
Rev. Robert L. Clayton, Jr., Headmaster in the 1940s, brought a broader vision of operation to the school. The emphasis now was on scholarship, along with physical well-being, discipline and personal industry 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.
In 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. 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 younger grades on the old Gill campus in Bernardsville and upper grades at St. Bernard's in Gladstone.
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 (291,373.9 m²) 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, a 33000 sq ft (3,065.8 m²). Academic Center and library, an art center and three administrative buildings. There is also a field lodge, five playing fields, a track, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
Mr. Rowell became Headmaster in 2001.
Gill St. Bernard's offers 11 competitive athletic programs for boys and 11 for girls in the Upper School. Over the last three years, all our varsity teams have qualified for the NJSIAA post-season, many advancing to sectional semifinals and finals. GSB teams have won 16 conference championships over the last three years. Since 2007, five GSB varsity teams have been ranked in the "Top 20" in New Jersey, a state with over 450 schools. The 2007 girls tennis team and the 2009 boys soccer team won the NJSIAA State Championship. The girls basketball team won the Somerset County championship in 2009 and 2010, the smallest school in Somerset County to win a county championship in a team sport. Several coaches have been named Coach of the Year by various media outlets.
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
, coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
located in the Gladstone
Gladstone, New Jersey
Gladstone is an unincorporated area within Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07934....
area of Peapack-Gladstone
Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey
Peapack and Gladstone is a borough in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,582...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, serving students in primary (3-4 year olds) through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1979.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 655 students in grades K-12 (with an additional 24 students in pre-K), and 91.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.2. Class sizes average fourteen to seventeen students, depending on grade and subject. The school has 96 faculty and administrators. 90% of Upper School faculty have advanced degrees, 41% of Middle School and 40% of Lower School.
Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools serves independent elementary and secondary schools throughout the state of New Jersey. The Association consists of 70 member schools with a total enrollment of approximately 26,000 students...
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.St. Bernard's School was founded in 1900 by the Rev. Thomas A. Conover. 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.
Rev. Robert L. Clayton, Jr., Headmaster in the 1940s, brought a broader vision of operation to the school. The emphasis now was on scholarship, along with physical well-being, discipline and personal industry 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.
In 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. 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 younger grades on the old Gill campus in Bernardsville and upper grades at St. Bernard's in Gladstone.
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 (291,373.9 m²) 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, a 33000 sq ft (3,065.8 m²). Academic Center and library, an art center and three administrative buildings. There is also a field lodge, five playing fields, a track, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
Mr. Rowell became Headmaster in 2001.
Athletics
Sports facilities include a gymnasium and athletic center, seven 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, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track and field, swimming and tennis. There is no football field.Gill St. Bernard's offers 11 competitive athletic programs for boys and 11 for girls in the Upper School. Over the last three years, all our varsity teams have qualified for the NJSIAA post-season, many advancing to sectional semifinals and finals. GSB teams have won 16 conference championships over the last three years. Since 2007, five GSB varsity teams have been ranked in the "Top 20" in New Jersey, a state with over 450 schools. The 2007 girls tennis team and the 2009 boys soccer team won the NJSIAA State Championship. The girls basketball team won the Somerset County championship in 2009 and 2010, the smallest school in Somerset County to win a county championship in a team sport. Several coaches have been named Coach of the Year by various media outlets.
Facts & Figures
- GSB is a college preparatory day school serving students from primary (ages 3–4) through grade twelve.
- The total enrollment is 700 students 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 (291,373.9 m²) 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,academic center, library, 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, 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 Fun Camp runs the last two weeks of June.Hi Hills Day Camp runs from the last week in June until the end of the second week of August. Both camps offer an extended day option.
- A variety of other summer and academic programs are available.
External links
- School website
- Data for Gill St. Bernard's School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...