Gill St. Bernard's School

Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school located in the Gladstone section of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, United States, serving students in primary (3- to 4-year-olds) through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1979.[4]

Gill St. Bernard's School
Location
Peapack-Gladstone
,
Somerset County
,
New Jersey

United States
Coordinates40.7334°N 74.6708°W / 40.7334; -74.6708
Information
TypePrivate
MottoSchola Mundus Est
"The World is Our Classroom"
Established1900
NCES School ID00869058[1]
HeadmasterSid Rowell
Faculty86.5 FTEs[1]
Enrollment657 (plus 32 in PreK, as of 2017–18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio7.6:1[1]
Campus208 acres (840,000 m2)
Color(s)  Blue
  and
  White[2]
Athletics conferenceSkyland Conference
NicknameKnights[2]
Tuition$43,900 (9-12 for 2020-21)[3]
Websitewww.gsbschool.org

Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of and accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.[5] In 2014, Gill St. Bernard's was ranked the number four private high school in New Jersey by national ranking service Niche.[6]

As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 657 students (plus 32 in PreK) and 86.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.6:1. The school's student body was 74.4% (489) White, 12.5% (82) Asian, 5.5% (36) two or more races, 4.6% (30) Hispanic and 3.0% (20) Black.[1] Class sizes average fourteen to seventeen students, depending on the 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. One hundred percent of the graduates attend a four-year college or university.

Campus

The campus has three divisions: the lower school (Cox Building), middle school (Conover Building), and upper school. The upper school contains the Chapin Science Complex, the Hockenbury Building (Student Center, Library, and Humanities Classes), and Founders Hall (Art, Lunch, and Language, and Dining Hall) as well as the newly built Matthews Theater (music, drama, performing arts etc.)

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, print shop or on the farm. Regular attendance at religious services was required.

Rev. Robert L. Clayton Jr., Headmaster in the 1940s, brought a broader vision of operation to the school with an emphasis on scholarship, along with physical well-being, discipline, personal industry and a full college preparatory program was instituted.

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, as at least two hours each day was spent outdoors. In 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. In 1956, boarding at St. Bernard's School was discontinued.

In 1972 St. Bernard's School merged with Miss Gill's School to become Gill St. Bernard's School. At this time the religious affiliation of St. Bernard's was discontinued. The new school hosted grades K–8 on the old Gill campus in Bernardsville and grades 9–12 on the St. Bernard's campus in Gladstone. The two divisions consolidated in 1997 on the Gladstone campus. Sid Rowell became Headmaster in 2001.

Today, there are three divisions—Lower, Middle and Upper—located on 208 acres (840,000 m2) which span the Somerset-Morris County line between the Boro of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township.

The school acquired Hi-Hills Day Camp in 2002, which had previously operated on the campus since the late 1960s. A new athletic center opened in fall 2004 that includes three full-sized basketball courts, administrative offices, and Brueckner Hall.[7] The Hockenbury Academic Center, a 33,000-square-foot (3,100 m2) academic building, opened in March 2009 and includes Upper School classrooms, student center, conference room and a school store.[8] An addition to Founders Hall was completed in 2012 that included additional dining space and art studios. A new turf field was constructed in summer 2013. The school also features five playing fields, a track, seven, tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool, and a low ropes course.

Extracurricular activities

The Gill St. Bernard's Knights[2] compete in the Skyland Conference and is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[9] With 277 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[10]

Athletic facilities include a field house, athletic center, seven all-weather tennis courts, outdoor track, two full size basketball courts, sport court, lacrosse wall, as well as soccer and ball fields. Programs include fencing, basketball, cross country, volleyball, baseball, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track and field, swimming and tennis.

Gill St. Bernard's offers 24 different opportunities for interscholastic sports, including 12 competitive athletic programs for boys and 13 for girls in the Upper School.[11] In the three years through 2013, every varsity team qualified for the NJSIAA post-season, and many advanced to sectional semifinals and finals. GSB teams have won 35 conference championships since the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year.[12] Since 2007, five GSB varsity teams have been ranked in the "Top 20" in New Jersey,[13] a state with over 450 public and non-public schools.[14] The girls' basketball,[15][16][17] boys' tennis,[18][19] boys' soccer,[20][21] boys' basketball,[22] and girls' tennis[23] teams have won Non-Public B North Sectional Championships. The girls' basketball team won the Somerset County championship in the 2008–2009, 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 school years, and was the smallest school in Somerset County to ever win a county championship in a team sport. Several coaches have been named Coach of the Year by various media outlets.[24][25]

The school was awarded the ninth annual ShopRite Cup in the Non-Public B Division in 2012 as the most outstanding school.[26] In 2013, Gill St. Bernard's School was runner-up.[27]

The girls tennis team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2007 against runner-up Moorestown Friends School in the final match of the playoffs.[28]

The boys soccer team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2009 (defeating runner-up St. Rose High School in the finals), 2013 (vs. Montclair Kimberley Academy), 2016 (vs. Hudson Catholic Regional High School), 2018 (vs. Rutgers Preparatory School) and 2019 (vs. Moorestown Friends School).[29] The 2009 team won the program's first state title in 2009 with a 2–0 win against St. Rose in the finals of the Non-Public B tournament.[30] The team won the 2013 Non-Public B title with a 2-0 wn against Montclair Kimberley Academy, having lost to MKA in the Non-Public B finals in 2011 and 2012.[31] In 2016, the team won the Non-Public Group B state championship with a 2–0 win against Hudson Catholic to finish the seasosn 17-4-1.[32] After starting the 2018 season with two wins in its first nine games, the team won 12 of its final 13, capped off with a 7–0 win against Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public Group B championship game.[33] The team finished the season with a 20–3 record after winning the 2019 Non-Public B title with a 3–0 win against Moorestown Friends in the championship game.[34]

The girls cross country team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2011.[35]

The girls spring track team was the Non-Public Group B state champion in 2011.[36]

After losses in the Non-Public B finals to Trenton Catholic Academy in 2010 and 2011, the girls basketball team defeated Trenton Catholic by a score of 82–70 in the finals of the sectional playoffs and then went on to win the 2012 Non-Public Group B state championship, the program's first, after defeating runner-up Morris Catholic High School by a score of 69–50 in the tournament final.[37][38]

In 2019, the boys basketball team won its fifth straight Somerset County Tournament championship with a 73–53 win against Watchung Hills Regional High School in the finals.[39]

The school offers additional extracurricular activities for Middle and Upper School students in the areas of the arts, community service, student government, and academics. The Upper School performing arts program won the Paper Mill Playhouse Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical in 2008 and 2012 for The Secret Garden and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, respectively, in addition to multiple Outstanding Achievement and Rising Star nominations and awards.[40]

Film director Sean Baker

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Gill St Bernard's School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  2. St. Bernard's School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Tuition and Fees, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed October 1, 2020.
  4. Gill Saint Bernard's School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary Secondary Schools. Accessed October 1, 2020.
  5. Gill St. Bernard's School, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed January 13, 2017.
  6. Napoliello, Alex. "Study ranks top 10 private schools in New Jersey", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 5, 2014. Accessed November 12, 2014.
  7. Athletic Center Archived September 25, 2013, at Archive.today, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  8. Hockenbury Academic Center Archived September 25, 2013, at Archive.today, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  9. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  10. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  11. Gill St. Bernard's School: Primary through 12th Grade in Gladstone, NJ, youtube.com. Accessed September 10, 2013
  12. Athletics Championships, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  13. Athletics Upper School Overview, Gill St. Bernard's School. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  14. New Jersey Public Schools Fact Sheet, www.state.nj.us. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  15. Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2009-10 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, North B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  16. Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2010-11 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, North B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  17. Girls Basketball, High School Sports Girls Basketball - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  18. Boys Tennis, High School Sports Boys Tennis - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  19. Boys Tennis, High School Sports Boys Tennis - 2013 NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  20. Boys Soccer, High School Sports Boys Soccer - 2009 NJSIAA Tournament - North, Non-public B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  21. Boys Soccer, High School Sports Boys Soccer - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  22. Boys Basketball, High School Sports Boys Basketball - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  23. Girls Tennis, High School Sports Girls Tennis - 2012 NJSIAA Tournament - Non-Public, South B, NJ.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  24. Somerset County girls basketball season in review, 2011-12, nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  25. Girls cross-country: Somerset County season in review, 2011, nj.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  26. Ninth Annual ShopRite Cup, 2011-2012 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  27. Tenth Annual ShopRite Cup, 2012-2013 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  28. History of NJSIAA Girls Team Tennis Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  29. NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  30. "St. Rose falls in final", Asbury Park Press, November 18, 2009. Accessed November 24, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Playing without arguably its best player in Dylan Marx, who sat out due to a violation of school policy, and absorbing shot after shot from its opponent in the second half, there was a sense of impending doom surrounding the St. Rose boys soccer team during the NJSIAA Non-Public B final on Tuesday evening. After the Purple Roses dodged several shots from close range by Gill St. Bernard's to start the second half, they simply could not keep up with what turned out to be a barrage by the Knights. The flood gates opened up midway through the second half as Freddie Mundt and Karl Schroeder scored goals within a span of 50 seconds and Connor Milanaik scored six minutes later as the Knights ran away from the Purple Roses, 3-0, at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.... Gill St. Bernard's, which outshot St. Rose 12-2 in the second half and 18-7 for the game, claimed its first state title in just its second trip to a state final."
  31. Meacham, Kevin. "Gill foils Cougars' three-peat bid", Montclair Times, November 21, 2013. Accessed November 24, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "The flash of disappointment hit the Montclair Kimberley Academy boys soccer team when the referee's double-whistle ended Monday night's NJSIAA Non-Public B group championship game. But that moment of discouragement figures to pass, MKA coach Jordan Raper said following the Cougars' 2-0 defeat to Gill St. Bernard's at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. It was the third consecutive Non-Public B title tilt between the schools, but the first victory for Gill."
  32. Knego, Lauren. "Gill St. Bernard's boys soccer crowned Non-Public B champions", Courier News, November 13, 2016. Accessed November 24, 2020. "The state title drought for the Gill St. Bernard's boys soccer team is over. The Knights defeated Hudson Catholic 2-0 in the NJSIAA Non-Public B Tournament final on Sunday at Kean University to win their first title since 2013 and third overall.... Gill St. Bernard's (17-4-1) experienced quite a turnaround from the start of the season."
  33. Knego, Lauren. "Boys Soccer: Gill St. Bernard's wins Non-Public B title", Courier News, November 11, 2018. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Despite a 2-6-1 start to the season, head coach Tony Bednarsky knew that the Knights were capable of winning a state title, and they came through in a big way. Gill St. Bernard's (14-7-1) made a spectacular push at the end of the season, winning 12 of its last 13 games and capped it by winning the NJSIAA Non-Public B Tournament title with a 7-0 victory over Rutgers Prep (12-11) on Sunday afternoon at Kean University."
  34. Mendlowitz, Andy. "NJ Soccer: Gill St. Bernard's cap historic season with Non-Public B boys title", Courier News, November 20, 2019. Accessed November 24, 2020. "In between, the Gill St. Bernard’s boys soccer team made enough memories to fill several scrapbooks in an historic season. Sunday, the Knights defeated Moorestown Friends 3-0 to repeat as NJSIAA Non-Public B champions at Kean University.... The Knights (20-3) claimed their fifth title this season also having won the Skyland Raritan Division championship and the Somerset County, Prep B and the North Non-Public B Tournaments."
  35. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  36. NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  37. NJSIAA Girls Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  38. "Morris Catholic (50) at Gill St. Bernard's (69), NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Non-Public B - Girls Basketball", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 10, 2012, updated August 25, 2019. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Vitalis had posted a game-high 19 points and 15 rebounds, Taylor Rooks had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Linnett Graber contributed 12 points and seven assists when Gill St. Bernard’s, No. 12 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, swept past Morris Catholic, 69-50, for its first Non-Public B championship in Toms River.... The past two seasons Gill St. Bernard’s lost to Trenton Catholic in the Non-Public B final. After a relocation to the South Jersey bracket, the Gladstone school saw Trenton Catholic in the sectional final and won, 82-70, on Tuesday."
  39. "No. 3 Gill St. Bernard's wins 5th straight boys SCT championship (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 23, 2019, updated August 22, 2019. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Still stewing over a January loss that had already been avenged, Gill St. Bernard's, No. 3 in the NJ.com Top 20, won its fifth straight Somerset County Tournament title Saturday by defeating Watchung Hills 73-53 at Montgomery High School."
  40. Papermill Announces Rising Star Award Winners nj.broadwayworld.com. Accessed September 10, 2013.
  41. "GSB Alumni Magazine: Winter 2016". Issuu. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  42. Waters, Mike. 'Why Syracuse recruit Tyus Battle switched schools ... high schools, that is", The Post-Standard, November 13, 2015. Accessed February 2, 2017. "Last summer, Battle decided to transfer to St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen, N.J., after spending the previous three years at Gill St. Bernard's School."
  43. Staff. "Mine Hill's Tim DiBisceglie commits to soccer at Scranton", Neighbor News, January 24, 2013, backed up by the Internet Archive as March 19, 2017. Accessed October 16, 2017. "The 6 foot, 2 inches tall defensive midfielder for Gill St. Bernard's High School first met Scranton's head coach, Matt Pivirotto, in November of 2011 at a soccer showcase in Bethesda, Md., after DiBisceglie sent the coaching staff his highlight video."
  44. La Gorce, Tammy. "Greek Actress Elena Kampouris is True to Her Roots; The star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Bridgewater native talks about her Greek upbringing and spending weekends at the mall.", New Jersey Monthly, August 25, 2016. Accessed December 10, 2017. "Working alongside Nia Vardalos and John Corbett in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 has been the biggest thrill in the seven-year acting career of Bridgewater Township’s Elena Kampouris.... Kampouris recently attended her senior prom at Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone even though she didn’t graduate with the class of 2016—she has had a private tutor since last year—and she still finds time to hang out at the Bridgewater Mall."
  45. Carino, Jerry. "Hall's Jaren Sina transferring to George Washington", Asbury Park Press, April 22, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2017. "After considering a broad range of options, from Holy Cross to Michigan, former Seton Hall guard Jaren Sina will continue his college basketball career at George Washington. The Gill St. Bernard's graduate committed to the Colonials, who earned an NIT berth and finished 22-13 this past season, on Wednesday. He will sit out next season per NCAA transfer rules and have two years of eligibility remaining."
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