Gill St Bernard S School

Gill St. Bernard's school has been the best investment we could have made in our children's future. Both started in the lower school. Our son is in 10th grade and our daughter in 8th grade. Each and every day, they are challenged academically and have great friends. The teachers in both the Middle school and the Upper school are there in the morning before classes and after school to help answer any questions. Both my kids are strong students and competitive athletes. This school has provided a wonderful balance between the student and the athlete.
My son is extremely well prepared for college with a strong college guidance program guiding him.
We consider GSB a partner in our quest to provide the best student/athlete experience for our kids.

Gill St. Bernard's School is in fact the best independent school in the area.

I have two children who both started in the lower school. One will be a senior next year and the other a freshman. I have many friends whose children go to various types of schools, Catholic,  public and other independent schools. When I compare the academic work, the student lifestyle, and the atmosphere the other schools have to offer, GSB by far ranks #1.
 My son who is a junior is very well prepared for college with Honors and AP courses already under his belt for college admission. At Gill he has learned to organize and maximize his time to fit in sports and a high demanding curriculum, where only the right teachers and school could stress the importance of being well prepared.
My 8th grader loves to be a part of the school community, has made wonderful friends, old and new. Her writing skills are phenomenal, and with persistence from her teachers, she overcame her fear of math to be one of the top student in her grade. She is well prepared for high school.
Every year my husband and I re-evaluate the school, compare it with others, and every year we renew our contract.
It has not always been easy keeping up with tuition demands, but we feel so strongly about this wonder school, we always figure out a way.
There is no substitute for an excellent education, and GSB has been a wonderful partner in helping us educate our children.
GSB is the best investment we have made for our children to date.

My two children have attended Gill for 5 years with our son starting in the Lower School (2nd grade) and our daughter starting in the Middle School (6th grade). They are now in 6th and 10th, respectively. We have experienced it all through the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. While each school has its own director and different needs; they all share the same common goals. Our experience with each of the schools has been positive and rewarding. At Gill our children have flourished into well-rounded and self-confident indivduals. The nurturing environment of the campus has allowed our children to grow academically and socially. The school community has encouraged them to be socially conscious and responsible. The small classroom environment and conference table seating in the upper school classrooms do not allow any child to hide in a class. Everyone is an active participant; every viewpoint counts no matter what the subject or the grade level. Most important, students are taught how to study and how to be disciplined enough to handle rigorous workloads. Each year Gill offers more responsibility and new challenges and if you stumble, Gill provides help that is always available (teachers, as well as fellow students) whether it's early in the morning or after school.

The Gill campus is a respectful and friendly place where all are accepted equally. Five and a half years ago when we were fortunate enough to have choices for our children in the switch from our local public school to private school, we chose Gill. The Gill community made it an easy decision. Our children did not experience any transition issues; they felt at home from day one and have never looked back.

Another major attribute to Gill is their commitment to challenge themselves (administrators, teachers, and students) to seek new ways to improve the school in both scholastics and athletics. This is not a static community. We will continue to highly recommend Gill to any prospective parents.

Gill St. Bernard's School has been a great school for our son and daughter. Both kids went to public school for 9 years and did very well. Yet both chose to switch to GSB for High School where they have THRIVED. Our son is a Senior who has truly come into his own in the school community at Gill. In academics, he has excelled. Scored 5s on all his AP Tests and was accepted ED at his first choice, a great fit, which is very competitive. The College Guidance is top notch. Extremely knowledgeable and personable. Class sizes are small, opportunities abound for participation in sports, theatre, community service, etc. Gill has somehow created an environment that has been rigorous but not the least bit cut throat. The students are truly are supportive of one another. If there is one word to describe GSB it's: BALANCE.

I couldn't agree less with the previous review.  My daughter has been at GSB for 6 years and is thriving academically and socially.  The teachers are outstanding and great role models for the kids.  GSB is a wonderful place to go to school and the kids attending here are very lucky to be surrounded by greatness each day.  It may be a large financial commitment but it it worth every penny.  

Our children are in the lower school and are thriving. They can't wait to get to school and are excited about learning.  The staff at Gill has always answered any questions or concerns we might have had. Its a lovely community.  

lee amoroso: I moved all three of my kids from public school to gsb and could not be happier with the acdemics and I am in a position to compare. All of my children are bright and were in gifted programs in the public school but the gifted work did not even come close to what is regularly taught here. As a matter of fact my daughter got into her first choice school, NYU early decision just last year as a result of her rigorous training at GSB. . Even if the academics were on par with the public school I would still send my kids to GSB for the nurturing and upbeat environment. My kids love attending this school and thank my husband and I regularly for sending them here. If you are a prospective parent tHen please come visit the campus and decide if GSB is a fit for your child. The experience is amazing in this community from academics, to a strong arts program and to a wonderful sports program. All this and a beautiful campus!!

GSB is a truly nurturing school where all aspects of your child are embraced and encouraged to succeed. The curriculum is outstanding as it encourages a love for learning and prepares them for the challenges ahead. Academics are a priority but not at the expense of the arts (award winning theater program), sports (top 20 ranked basketball team) or service clubs (Gill gives back to the community in numerous ways school wide and year- round). This school is about so much more than just grades; it's about who these children are and want to be and helping them get there.

Current Parent: An exparent bashing the school...what a surprise.  If you want to know the real story, come speak to a CURRENT parent!  From the minute we walked into GSB 13 years ago, we knew that this was a special place.  Whether it be academically, athletically or socially, my children are challenged every day to be the best person that they can be by teachers, coaches and staff members.    Not sure who said we have no sports programs.  That might be the old GSB!  Take a look in the local papers and read about the successes of our current teams!!  Students are taught to be socially responsible, productive and caring members of their community.  The community service projects at GSB are all voluntary.  Students participate because they want to, not because they have to.  They want to make a difference.  As a parent, I am proud to be part of a school that helps children become confident, intelligent individuals with a desire to make a difference on society.  No college list?  Again, old news.  Our college guidance department is second to none.  We have 3 full time counselors working with our seniors to get into the school that is right for them.  Not a school that will bolster any list (which is impressive as well)  Try getting that at your local public school!

My daughter started at Gill in the 6th grade. She is very bright and while she was occasionally in our neighborhood public school, she was bored a lot and other students in her class were disruptive. It was a difficult decision for us. We want to support public education. We're going on 4 years at Gill and our experience has been very positive. Our daughter is in 3 honors classes, including math, though she had to catch up in middle school. She's involved in writing for the student newsletter, fencing and her team won the tennis tournament. She's happy, confident and the balance of challenging classes and letting students be active in other things seems perfect. We made the right decision.

The latest college list includes acceptances at Havard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, and MIT. I do not think there is any question about the quality of the school's college list.  Also the boys basketball team is nationally rank in the top 25.

exparent: also, parent who said Gill meets the needs of academic challenged or gifted kids has no idea what they are talking about. This place turned down our requests to help our kids numerous times. We moved them to another school to get the remedial instruction they needed, and are now doing so well. Another ex-GSB parent with really smart kids moved to the public school system, because this school didn't offer them anything either. Those parents were in the lower school and one was going to the middle school, so we can't really go by why they left except what they told us, but our kids were in the middle school and no way did we want to stay here for high school. It may be great small sizes in a classrom but the education is identical to what my neighbor's kids are learning at public schools. Don't believe the lies they tell you at the school tour, waste your money here for a year or two and find out for yourself. The only people who stay at Gill either don't care or their kids were rejected by other schools.

School bills itself Liberal arts but lacks that along with everything else. Puts on plays or musicals twice a year, beyond that there is overall lack of education. Kids go to art class, spend 4-5 classes working on the same project, for total of 3 or 4 projects a year. Kids in local public schools do better. We wasted upwards of $50,000 for this. Parent reviewer below can't even spell. Says a lot about the quality of parents here. Moneyed but little else. Girls are REALLY NASTY. Bullying, plus college placement stinks. They just want your money. Bad reviews on other websites like greatschools get deleted. Yes, there are LOTS of bad reviews, just ask the parents who leave.

Great school!!! Nurturing, small class rooms, great academics,sports are competitive but in a way that all students are included, etc....
The campus is berth taking!!! This is a school that takes al aspect of a child development in consideration including food. There cafeteria is beautiful, clean, and the most important part is the healthy food they served and the variety, no other independent school has that.

Awesome school!  Lacking arrogance present in other local independent schools.

My children are current students and have attended Gill, Pre-K through 9th.  They have tested in the upper bands of the ERB and ISEE. Thus Gill has been academically challenging.
The Teachers and staff are extremely approachable, as they have always been responsive to my concerns or requests.

Middle School is extremely strong and keeps getting better. The High school offers unparallel individual attention.  If your child needs extra attention due to academic challenges or gifted abilities they will meet their needs.  Ideal for a family with children with different talents.

Have you checked out Gill's High School Soccer or Basketball teams?  

P.S.  I am NOT a donor and my children have still received great teachers, including the ones with British Isle accents.

I think that the "parent " who said "no sports, junior colleges and no science or math might be thinking about a different school. My son, a recent graduate is at an Ivy and received 5s on all his AP tests including   Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, AB Calculus and BC Calculus.

jlo: Arts here gets a thumbs up! My daughter can perform before an audience. They put on plays all year and it's a great show to watch! Some of the kids can really act! Stone Soup Day we sing the Stone Soup song, gather around a big pot, add ingrediants and everyone shares soup. When my daughter graduates those are the things that will stay with her.

I don't know what the previous two "reviewers" were talking about...The campus is awesome, teachers excellent and the athletic teams are outstanding.  The school is much more diverse than other independent schools in the area and you get much higher value for tuition. The college list is just fine and the school places a premium on getting its graduates into the school that is right for them as opposed to the "right" school.  Very down to earth place and lacking the arrogance that you find in some other places. Very grounded school that is on the rise.

Gina: Pros: Excellent learning environment, dedicated and very competent teachers,warm, welcoming kids,terrific athletic program, a culture of compassion, idyllic setting, good food...a small gem.

Cons: very little to complain about.  Would be nice if language classes in middle school were offered every day, no school band

Pros: picturesque campus
Cons: no sports, below-average curriculum, teachers not trained in newer or cutting-edge methods, year-round memos sent ad-nauseum for donations to the school, students segregated into class sections by very wealthy/slightly wealthy/un-wealthy with very wealthy getting the better teachers for obvious reasons. Small class size does nothing to make up for inadequate classroom instruction. College placements speak for themselves - mostly local area (non-Ivy League) colleges and junior colleges, or obscure liberal arts schools. Science and Math is largely absent.

Pros: nice campus, small classes, pretty good curriculum
Cons: very high tuition, drug problem in upper school, lack of athletic achievements and opportunities, unimpressive college placements. Not very good faculty in lower school (teachers hired from the British Isles for their posh accent rather than their educational credentials)
For the same price, put your kid in nearby Pingry.