| Gill St. Bernard's School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Peapack-Gladstone, NJ, USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Religious affiliation(s) | none |
| Established | 1900 |
| Headmaster | Sidney A. Rowell |
| Faculty | 91.0 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Enrollment | 655 (as of 2009-10, plus 24 in PreK)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 7.2[1] |
| Campus | 72 acres (290,000 m2) |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and White |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Website | 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 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.[2]
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.[1] 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[3]
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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 (290,000 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 33,000 sq ft (3,100 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.
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.