Gill St. Bernard's School is a private,

nonsectarian Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Many North American universities identify themselves as being nonsectarian, such as B ...

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

al,

college preparatory A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily design ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

located along the

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia * St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Man ...

county line between the

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

section of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. Established in 1900, 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. The school serves students in primary (3- to 4-year-olds) through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. The school has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, also referred to as the Middle States Association or MSA, is an accreditor in the United States. Historically, it has accredited schools in the Mid-Atlantic states region of the northeas ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1979 and is accredited until January 2028.Gill Saint Bernard's School

Commission on Elementary Secondary Schools. Accessed December 27, 2022. Gill St. Bernard's School is a member of and accredited by the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...

and the

New Jersey Association of Independent Schools The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) serves independent school, independent elementary school, elementary and secondary school, secondary schools throughout the state of New Jersey. The Association consists of 70 member schools ...

. In 2014, Gill St. Bernard's was ranked the number four private high school in New Jersey by national ranking service Niche. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 575 students (plus 15 in PreK) and 93.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 6.1:1. The school's student body was 68.3% (393) White, 8.5% (49) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, 8.2% (47) two or more races, 5.6% (32) Black, 7.3% (42) Asian and 2.1% (42) Hispanic.School data for Gill St Bernard's School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed November 1, 2023.

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), Founders Hall (Art, Lunch, and Language, and Dining Hall) and Matthews Theater (music, drama, performing arts etc.)

History

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. In 1956, boarding at St. Bernard's School was discontinued. The Gill School was established by Miss Elizabeth Gill in 1934 as the Wychwood School. In 1940 Miss Gill's School moved to Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. 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 which span the Somerset-Morris County line between the Borough 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. The Hockenbury Academic Center, a academic building, opened in March 2009 and includes Upper School classrooms, student center, conference room and a school store. 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 KnightsSt. Bernard's School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Skyland Conference which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Somerset and

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

counties and operates under the supervision of the

(NJSIAA). 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). 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 sports 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. 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. Since 2007, five GSB varsity teams have been ranked in the "Top 20" in New Jersey, a state with over 450 public and non-public schools. The girls' basketball, boys' tennis, boys' soccer, boys' basketball, and girls' tennis 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. The school was awarded the ninth annual ShopRite Cup in the Non-Public B Division in 2012 as the most outstanding school. In 2013, Gill St. Bernard's School was runner-up. The 2007 girls tennis team won the Non-Public Group B state championship, defeating

Newark Academy Newark Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Livingston, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in sixth through twelfth grades. It was the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Ba ...

in the semifinals and knocking off runner-up

Moorestown Friends School Moorestown Friends School (MFS) is a private, coeducational Quaker day school in Moorestown, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 652 students (plus 43 in PreK) and 74.5 classroom teachers ...

5-0 in the final match of the playoffs.Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023

, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024. In each of the three years from 2006 to 2008, Doug Smith won the individual Non-Public Group B cross-country running championship, making him the sixth runner in state history to earn three individual state titles.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions

. Accessed May 1, 2023. 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 Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) is a co-educational private school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade located in Montclair, New Jersey, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

), 2016 (vs.

Hudson Catholic Regional High School Hudson Catholic Regional High School is a regional four-year co-educational University-preparatory Catholic high school in Jersey City, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was established in 1964 by the Roman Catholic ...

), 2018 (vs.

Rutgers Preparatory School Rutgers Preparatory School (also known as Rutgers Prep or RPS) is a private, coeducational, college preparatory day school established in 1766. The school educates students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, located on a campus along t ...

) and 2019 (vs.

).NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer

. Accessed May 1, 2023. 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. The team won the 2013 Non-Public B title with a 2-0 win against Montclair Kimberley Academy, having lost to MKA in the Non-Public B finals in 2011 and 2012. In 2016, the team won the Non-Public Group B state championship with a 2–0 win against Hudson Catholic to finish the season 17-4-1. 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. 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. The girls cross country team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2011.NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions

. Accessed May 1, 2023. The girls spring track team was the Non-Public Group B state champion in 2011.NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles

. Accessed May 1, 2023. After losses in the Non-Public B finals to

Trenton Catholic Academy Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy (formerly Trenton Catholic Academy) was a Catholic school in Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It served students in pre-kindergarten ...

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.Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024

, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. 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 Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional comprehensive high school, comprehensive state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset County, New Jerse ...

in the finals. 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 ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...

'' and ''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirm ...

'', respectively, in addition to multiple Outstanding Achievement and Rising Star nominations and awards.

Notable alumni

* Sean S. Baker (born 1971, class of 1989), ''

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

'' and four-time Academy Award winning film director best known for ''

Anora ''Anora'' is a 2024 American romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Sean Baker. It stars Mikey Madison as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from New York who marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch played ...

'' and ''

The Florida Project ''The Florida Project'' is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Sean Baker, written by Baker and Chris Bergoch, and starring Bria Vinaite in her film debut, Brooklynn Prince, and Willem Dafoe, with Valeria Cotto, Christopher ...

'' *

Stevo Bednarsky Stevo Bednarsky (born August 8, 1998) is an American Association football, soccer player who plays for New York City FC II in the MLS Next Pro. Early life Bednarsky grew up in Hackettstown, New Jersey. His father was the boys soccer coach at G ...

(born 1998, class of 2016),

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

soccer player for New York City FC II * Tyus Battle (born 1997, class of 2016), college basketball player for the

Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East ...

Greg Best Gregory Alan Best (born July 23, 1964) is an equestrian competitor and coach in the sport of show jumping who won two silver medals for the United States in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea riding the famous Gem Twist. In 199 ...

(born 1964, class of 1982), equestrian competitor and coach in the sport of show jumping who won two silver medals for the United States in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games * Edie Clark (1948–2024), nonfiction author who was known for her writings with ''

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...

'' magazine and books on

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

lifeManochio, Matt
"Gill St. Bernard's marks centennial with lecture series"
'' Daily Record'', October 18, 1999. Accessed March 10, 2025, via

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

. "Some GSB alumni: Albert Van Duzer, 1936, Episcopal bishop of New Jersey; William Pote, 1951, president of Flexicon Microwave and inventor of coaxial cable; William Speck, 1959, former CEO of New York Presbyterian Medical Center; Edie Clark, 1966, senior writer/fiction editor, Yankee magazine; Valerie Sarantos Cruice, 1974, author and contributor to the New York Times; Greg Best, 1982, winner of two silver medals for equestrian show jumping in 1988 Olympics; Page McConnell, 1982, member of Phish (piano)." * Tim DiBisceglie (born 1994, class of 2013), professional soccer player for the

Philadelphia Atoms The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors ...

Ella Fajardo Ella Patrice Totengco Fajardo (born March 15, 2003) is a Filipino college basketball player who plays for the Iona Gaels of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). She represents the Philippine national team in international competitions ...

(born 2003),

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

for the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights women's basketball team who has represented the Philippine national team in international competition * Elena Kampouris (born 1997), actress who appeared in '' My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2'' *

Page McConnell Page Samuel McConnell (born May 17, 1963) is an American multi-instrumentalist, most noted for his work as the keyboardist and a songwriter for the band Phish. McConnell joined Phish in 1985, and is the only member of its long-standing quartet li ...

(born 1963, class of 1982), multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work as the keyboardist and a songwriter for the band

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...

* Mackenzie Mgbako (born 2004), basketball player,

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

for the

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...

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(born 1994),

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

player who played for the

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and

George Washington Colonials The George Washington Revolutionaries are the athletic teams of George Washington University of Washington, D.C. The Revolutionaries compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conf ...

* Laura Sydell (born 1961, class of 1979), former senior technology reporter for

Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programmi ...

's ''

Marketplace A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from ...

'', and a regular reporter on for

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'', ''

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'', and ''

Weekend Edition ''Weekend Edition'' is a set of American radio news magazine programs produced and distributed by National Public Radio ( NPR). It is the weekend counterpart to the NPR radio program ''Morning Edition''. It consists of ''Weekend Edition Saturday ...

''"Township students honored"
''The Item of Millburn and Short Hills'', June 14, 1979. Accessed October 13,2021, via

. "Laura Sydell, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Phillip Sydell of 81 Mohawk Road was the recipient of a departmental award in English and history at the Gill-St. Bernard's School commencement exercises June 9." * Albert W. Van Duzer (1917–1999, class of 1935), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, serving from 1973 to 1982

References

External links

School websiteCamp websiteData for Gill St. Bernard's School

{{Authority control 1900 establishments in New Jersey Private elementary schools in New Jersey Private middle schools in New Jersey Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Private high schools in Somerset County, New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1900 Chester Township, New Jersey Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey