Grade VI spent the morning with a visitor from 17^th century Plymouth.  

St. Bernard’s has many unifying threads that carry on year after year and one of those is the singing of a familiar song. 

The faculty had the opportunity to work with Dr. Gene Batiste, a leading diversity consultant, for two days before the boys returned to school in September.  

October 4 marks the birthdate of St. Bernard’s School.  On that momentous day, Francis Tabor sent a letter of good cheer and best wishes to Headmaster Jenkins to mark the start of what we now know to be an extraordinary 115 years that followed.

In Mr. Clements’s Grade VIII homeroom, on his desk, sits an inconspicuous item.  A silver-colored woven basket was given to Mr. Clements by a student, Jelani Day ’00, twenty years ago.

The PA Community Service Committee and the Community Service Club have organized a new volunteer opportunity for boys and their families with Citymeals on Wheels on various Saturday mornings.

The Community Gathering committee seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse backgrounds and cultures within the St. Bernard’s community.  The committee works closely with the school’s Diversity Coordinator to organize events and discussions on topics pertaining to diversity and inclusion as they relate to the boys’ experiences.

In science this semester, third graders looked closely at potential threats to the environment, such as pollution, non-renewable energy sources, deforestation, plastics, and climate change.

St. B’s second graders had the chance to be urban planners on recent trips to the Museum of the City of New York.  Their final destination was the Future City Lab at the museum, where they were met by an educational guide.

Year after year, the St. Bernard’s Admissions department prides itself on accepting exceptional boys from a wonderfully diverse group of families.  The current year’s crop of new families is no exception.  One of the parents in the kindergarten class, Jane G., had an extraordinary childhood, and she was delighted to tell her story to our Upper School boys.

On May 3, 2019, a group of seventh graders (“the Spaniards”) led by Mr. Rodiño, Mr. Kitson, and Mr. Barrientos enjoyed traditional foods from Spain at the newly renovated La Nacional restaurant on 14th Street and Eighth Avenue.

St. Bernard’s was thrilled to welcome New York Yankees pitcher, Adam Ottavino, to school this week.  Mr. Ottavino spoke with Middle and Upper School boys in a special morning assembly and then met with Junior School students for their morning assembly.

Conversation flowed freely at the River Club on Monday, April 29, at the annual gathering of St. Bernard’s Mothers of Junior Old Boys. Amid canapés and cocktails, mothers of St. Bernard’s graduates from the preceding eight years enjoyed conversation, camaraderie and, no doubt, the occasional reminiscence. 

On a beautifully warm and sunny day, Saturday, April 13, approximately fifty St. Bernard’s boys, siblings, and parents traveled downtown for a historic walking tour of Chinatown, one of New York City’s oldest neighborhoods, led by the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).

On April 24 and 25, fifth graders took a break from the classroom and visited the American Museum of Natural History.

St. B’s eighth graders embark on a cartographic journey that begins in late winter and extends into the spring.  Each eighth grade student memorizes and draws a map of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the countries of the Caucasus, on a desk-size pieces of paper that are printed only with lines of latitude and longitude.

To whom much is given, much is expected.  The tagline of The Millionaires’ Unit resonated with audience members during a St. Bernard’s screening on April 16.  Over forty Old Boys, alumni parents, current parents, and students met to watch a special one-hour version of The Millionaires’ Unit.

Last fall St. Bernard’s piloted the Good Heart, a character development program that encourages self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness.  The goal of this program is to formalize a curriculum around core values that are important to the school.

The St. Bernard’s Archives is a growing collection….especially when it comes to all things digital.  Each year digital images make their way into the archives, including documents, news items from the school website, newsletters, and various items all fashioned from pixels.

Kindergarten boys took advantage of the sunny spring weather and visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 10 and April 11.  They visited the Egyptian collection and enjoyed customized tours created just for them by their Kindergarten teachers.

On Friday, April 5, St. B’s boys were transported to Australia for the annual Multicultural Fair. 

On March 13, 2019, St. Bernard’s celebrated science with the annual Science Fair.  With nearly fifty Middle and Upper School boys participating and all 377 students in attendance, the small gym was bustling with activity all morning.  Parents and teachers joined in the fun and visited the many booths throughout the fair.

The ninth grade had a fascinating trip to Cuba. Our itinerary started in Havana and involved travel to the Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santa Clara.

Did you know that Merce Cunningham taught at St. Bernard’s?  Ms. St. Germain, St. Bernard’s School archivist, found an excerpt from our school publication in 1939 that announced a new course taught by Mr. Mercier Cunningham. 

For the first time in many years, St. Bernard’s Great Skate took place in March!  Although the morning began with a snow storm, the evening of March 4 turned out to be perfect weather for our annual skating party.  

On a frosty February day, the fourth grade and some selected parents went to the Liberty Science Center.  The center is located in Jersey City and is an interactive museum where you learn science while having fun. 

Kindergarten students visited the United Nations on Monday, February 25, 2018.  Upon arrival, everyone gathered under the portraits of former United Nations Secretary-Generals and learned that the United Nations was founded in 1945 to prevent world war and keep peace among nations. 

Last week the ninth grade visited the Guggenheim with their art teacher Ms. Meigs.  They were lucky to enjoy a sunny day and walked from school to the museum.  They arrived just as the doors were opening and met their educational guide in the rotunda.

St. Bernard’s welcomed beloved author and illustrator, Roxie Munro on February 13, 2019.  Ms. Munro spoke with Junior School students about the non-fiction books she has written and illustrated for over thirty years. 

An important aspect of the St. B’s experience is the daily interaction between younger and older students.  While much of this happens naturally in a school shared by all school levels, there are also some structured activities that encourage collaborations between different age groups.  A favorite among many students is the buddy program.

In keeping with tradition, Old Boys, faculty, and former faculty come together to celebrate St. Bernard’s on the third Thursday in January at the annual Old Boys Dinner.  On January 17, Old Boys near and far came back to St. Bernard’s for the most anticipated Old Boys event of the year.

I glanced at the clock on the score board. The score was tied, and the bright red lights on the board glowed with the fearful number of five seconds. 

On January 30 third graders visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and enjoyed guided tours through the Egyptian collection.  The boys are currently learning about ancient Egyptian civilization and were delighted to see concrete examples of many things they have discussed in their classrooms.

St. B’s students were treated to a visit from illustrator and author George O’Connor on Friday, January 18. 

On Tuesday, January 8, boys in grades VI, VII, and VIII took the MATHCOUNTS exam.  While at first glance this appeared to be a typical standardized test, it was actually the first phase in a national math competition. 

In the final days before winter break, fifth graders finished up their unit on volcanoes with a science class period filled with volcanic eruptions. 

On the first Sunday of the year, January 6, Chapin and St. Bernard’s hosted a professional networking event at the New York Academy of Medicine.  Attendees filled the room for a panel discussion followed by one-on-one tabling with leaders in various career fields.

On December 18, 2018, the eighth grade took part in a St. Bernard’s tradition established in 1910 and performed a play written by William Shakespeare.