St. Bernard's School
Encyclopedia
St. Bernard's School, founded in 1904 by Francis Tabor and John Jenkins, is a private all-male elementary school
on Manhattan
's Upper East Side
. St. Bernard's offers motivated young boys of diverse backgrounds an exceptionally thorough, rigorous, and enjoyable introduction to learning and community life. The school "aims to inspire boys to appreciate hard work and fair play, to develop confidence in themselves, consideration for others and a sense of citizenship, and to have fun while doing these things." (Source: St. Bernard's official website; see link below). St. Bernard's educates boys from grades K-9, and is seen by its students, faculty and friends as a bastion of old-fashioned values (in terms of education and teaching methods), which are often very British in tone. St. Bernard's alumni, known as Old Boys
, tend to go on to attend some of the nation's finest secondary schools (with some going away to prestigious boarding schools, and other attending top ranked high schools in New York City). There has also been a number of students who go on to English boarding schools, most commonly Eton
, Harrow
, and Winchester
, which can be attributed to both the high number of students with English parents and the overall Anglophilia of the school.
The school shield depicts an eagle (representing the United States of America), a lion (representing Great Britain
), a book (symbol of education), and a cross (representing a tradition of Episcopalianism
; the school is secular, however.)
Although the school's name is spelled (though not pronounced) the same as that of the breed of dog, which is also its mascot, it was in fact named for the rue St-Bernard in Brussels, Belgium, where a relative of one of St. Bernard's founders had also founded a school.
The school's yearbook is named the Keg, and is edited each year by Grade 9.
The schools has three divisions: the Lower School consists of grades K through 3, the Middle School grades 4 through 6, and the Upper School grades 7 through 9. Mondays through Thursdays, boys in the Lower School must wear St. Bernard's polo shirts (polo shirts with the school shield emblazoned upon the chest) in either red, white, or blue, khakis, and a blazer. Boys in the Middle and Upper Schools may wear any collared or polo shirts of their choosing, accompanied by khakis and blazers as well. On Fridays, all boys wear jackets and ties (with the exception of the Kindergarteners).
Many team sports are played at the school, including soccer, basketball
, lacrosse
, baseball
, and track
. Fencing
has recently been re-introduced after a long hiatus. Furthermore, sports such as bombardment (a form of dodgeball
) and capture the flag
are played in gym class.
The school has an unusually high endowment for an institution of its nature, and its Development Office continues to be the envy of most other New York City
private schools; Old Boys
tend to possess an enormous sense of gratitude towards the school and hence are ready to support it financially. The tuition is currently $33,270.
The current headmaster of the school is Stuart H. Johnson III (b. August 14, 1954). A graduate of Yale University
, he previously taught at St. Bernard's, and at Groton School
, before becoming headmaster in 1985.
New York City°N date=December 2010°W
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
. St. Bernard's offers motivated young boys of diverse backgrounds an exceptionally thorough, rigorous, and enjoyable introduction to learning and community life. The school "aims to inspire boys to appreciate hard work and fair play, to develop confidence in themselves, consideration for others and a sense of citizenship, and to have fun while doing these things." (Source: St. Bernard's official website; see link below). St. Bernard's educates boys from grades K-9, and is seen by its students, faculty and friends as a bastion of old-fashioned values (in terms of education and teaching methods), which are often very British in tone. St. Bernard's alumni, known as Old Boys
Old Boys
The terms Old Boys and Old Girls are the usual expressions in use in the United Kingdom for former pupils or alumni of primary and secondary schools. While these are traditionally associated with independent schools, they are also used for some schools in the state sector...
, tend to go on to attend some of the nation's finest secondary schools (with some going away to prestigious boarding schools, and other attending top ranked high schools in New York City). There has also been a number of students who go on to English boarding schools, most commonly Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, and Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, which can be attributed to both the high number of students with English parents and the overall Anglophilia of the school.
The school shield depicts an eagle (representing the United States of America), a lion (representing Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
), a book (symbol of education), and a cross (representing a tradition of Episcopalianism
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
; the school is secular, however.)
Although the school's name is spelled (though not pronounced) the same as that of the breed of dog, which is also its mascot, it was in fact named for the rue St-Bernard in Brussels, Belgium, where a relative of one of St. Bernard's founders had also founded a school.
The school's yearbook is named the Keg, and is edited each year by Grade 9.
The schools has three divisions: the Lower School consists of grades K through 3, the Middle School grades 4 through 6, and the Upper School grades 7 through 9. Mondays through Thursdays, boys in the Lower School must wear St. Bernard's polo shirts (polo shirts with the school shield emblazoned upon the chest) in either red, white, or blue, khakis, and a blazer. Boys in the Middle and Upper Schools may wear any collared or polo shirts of their choosing, accompanied by khakis and blazers as well. On Fridays, all boys wear jackets and ties (with the exception of the Kindergarteners).
Many team sports are played at the school, including soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
has recently been re-introduced after a long hiatus. Furthermore, sports such as bombardment (a form of dodgeball
Dodgeball
Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit themselves. This article is about a well-known form of team sport with modified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured...
) and capture the flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
are played in gym class.
The school has an unusually high endowment for an institution of its nature, and its Development Office continues to be the envy of most other New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
private schools; Old Boys
Old Boys
The terms Old Boys and Old Girls are the usual expressions in use in the United Kingdom for former pupils or alumni of primary and secondary schools. While these are traditionally associated with independent schools, they are also used for some schools in the state sector...
tend to possess an enormous sense of gratitude towards the school and hence are ready to support it financially. The tuition is currently $33,270.
The current headmaster of the school is Stuart H. Johnson III (b. August 14, 1954). A graduate of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, he previously taught at St. Bernard's, and at Groton School
Groton School
Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
, before becoming headmaster in 1985.
Traditions
St. Bernard's is home to a number of traditions. The most noteworthy (and oldest) of these is the annual Shakespeare Play, performed by the entire eighth grade. Other important traditions include:- The Budget - a biannual student-edited literature magazine with poems, essays, compositions and photographs of artwork of boys from every grade.
- The Keg- the school's yearbook edited by the ninth grade.
- Friday Assembly - each Friday, the entire school gathers in the small gym, during which sports scores are announced, school news is related, the Alligator is given away, one homeroom performs a play, and hymns and school songs are sung. By the end of the academic year, each homeroom will have performed once at Friday Assembly. This tradition teaches boys to be comfortable speaking in public from an early age.
- The Alligator - At each Friday assembly, a taxidermal baby alligator is presented to the neatest classroom by the class which held it the previous week. This ceremony usually involves an elaborate skit.
- School Songs - a number of school songs, most of them written by one of the school's founders, and collected in a beloved "Red Song Book" are sung regularly. The songs vary from descriptions of life in each of the school's divisions ("The Lower School Song", "The Middle School Song", "The Upper School Song") to an exemplification of values the school deems important ("The Sportsmanship Song"), to a celebration of some of the sports played at the school ("The Baseball Song", "The Football Song"--which refers not to American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, but rather soccer.) - Sports Day - once a year, the entire school gathers in Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
to engage in a fun day of athletic competitions, sports games and races. The day used to include events that have subsequently been canceled as they are no longer appropriate in 21st century America (e.g. a chauffeur's race) and which indicate the historic socio-economic status of St. Bernard's families, which has remained largely unchanged. - The Debate Society - the entire eighth grade engages in a Lincoln-Douglas style debateLincoln-Douglas debateLincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
once every other week during the second semester of the year. Topics range from questions of national interest such as the legalization of marijuana to those of more local interest, such as the abolishment of the school's dress code. - Christmas Carols - on the last day of classes before the ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Recess, the entire school gathers at a church on Madison Avenue (the location sometimes varies from year to year) to sing a number of traditional Christmas carols. Students, faculty and friends of the school tend to participate regardless of religious affiliation, as the event's major purpose is to celebrate the values of Christmas (and, by extension, unity as a school) rather than specific Christian events. Historically, however, most of the school's students have nevertheless been Christian, although the number of students of different religions is on the rise. - The Singers & Special Singers - there are two boys' choirs, the Singers and the Special Singers, both of which are selective in terms of admission. The Special Singers have performed at Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and some boys have sung children's roles at the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. The group of singers from the 7th through 9th grades is called the Glee Club. - "Britishness" - the school has a British tone and feel to it, and historically many of its faculty have been (and continue to be) British. This aspect of the school is accompanied by a respect for old-fashioned methods of education. In fact, St. Bernard's now has a short exchange with The Dragon School in Oxford, a prestigious English prep school. Students are often called lad; the school is very proper.
- The Raffle - every year the school has a raffle, often with over one hundred prizes. It is organized by several St. Bernard's parents and members of the faculty. At the end of a three week or so span, the prizes are drawn, and the class with the most tickets sold will win a trip to a New York Yankees' baseball game. There are other prizes for classes that sell a lot of tickets. Many of the prizes are provided by St. Bernard's parents who might work in the business of the prize. This event is enjoyed by many "St. Bernard's Boys."
- The Shakespeare play - every year the eighth grade performs a different Shakespeare play for which they rehearse for much of the school year.
Notable alumni
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- screenwriter/director/producer of motion pictures and television - James Ingram Merrill - notable American poet
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External links
New York City°N date=December 2010°W