While there are many reasons to pursue a Gill St. Bernard's School education, some are of particular importance for Upper School students. Gill provides a safe and secure environment in which students learn to take intellectual risks and make healthy choices. Our students enjoy coming to school each day; they know they will be challenged, inspired, and part of the conversation.
With an average class size of 14, our students receive individualized attention and better connect with faculty members and peers alike, as they explore new concepts in the classroom.
For nearly 50 years, the Unit program has reflected the school’s motto, “The World is Our Classroom.” Unit courses are held for two weeks each May, and students to explore an area of particular interest, typically outside the range of traditional academic coursework. Whether traveling abroad, SCUBA diving in the Florida Keys, or improving the lives of special needs children through equine therapy, the Unit offers students the chance to work collaboratively, to explore the larger world, and to serve others.
Our 208-acre collegiate-style campus, which includes the 128-acre Home Winds farm, provides a beautiful backdrop for our Upper School. Facilities that include state-of-the-art academic buildings, a theater, two athletic centers, turf and grass playing fields, a track, tennis courts, farm, and garden offer unique opportunities to complement the academic curriculum and student life experience.
We offer over 100 courses at the standard, honors, and advanced placement levels. Our rigorous and varied college-preparatory curriculum is constantly evolving across disciplines based on student interest and campus advancement, with recent course additions including animal science, biomedical ethics, graphic design, and Russian literature.
Our Office of Student Life is modeled after the college/university experience, where each grade has its own Dean with formal responsibility for student supervision. The Grade Dean is an essential “point person” for contact with parents and students. They coordinate grade-specific activities and promote regular interactions across all grades.