Academics
Upper School
Grade Level Courses & Faculty
Recent Upper School News
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Gill's Upper School is a place where all students are deeply engaged, both in the classroom and through co-curricular activities. Our rich and varied academic program prepares students for top-tier colleges and universities, while still allowing for a balanced Upper School experience—with room to explore and discover new interests. We offer rigorous academic coursework, including AP and honors classes, and our teachers encourage students to continually challenge themselves academically. Faculty, however, also offer the support to enable students to thrive. That balance allows our students to offer their best work, grow in confidence and act with integrity.
Gill is committed to being an engaging, inclusive and supportive community. We know and value one another and respect the contributions that each person brings to campus.
A Day in the Life of an Upper School Student
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Sample Upper School Schedule
The Upper School curriculum provides students with opportunities to pursue rigorous academic coursework, choose from dynamic elective options, feel comfortable taking academic risks, and find their own balance between challenge and success. Due to the number of course offerings in the Upper School and the diversity of talents and interests our students bring to the division, daily schedules can vary considerably from student to student. Each class meets four times per week. Depending on the day, students will have five or six classes, ranging from 45-70 minutes in length. Below you will find a sample schedule, indicating what a typical day might look like for a student in the Upper School at GSB.8:15-9:10 Latin V 9:15-10:10 Portfolio Development 10:15-10:25 Advisory 10:30-11:05 Meeting 11:10-12:20 AP Calculus AB 12:25-1:10 AP European History 1:10-1:45 Lunch 1:50-3:00 Honors World Literature
Upper School Director
Dr. Joel Coleman has more than two decades of experience in teaching, coaching and independent school leadership, serving most recently as Upper School Head at St. Paul’s School in Maryland. In that role, he led several curriculum initiatives, including spearheading changes to the school’s International Baccalaureate program, creating and implementing a K-12 departmental review cycle, and overseeing updates to the upper school’s science, math, arts, and philosophy curricula. As part of this work, he partnered with upper school faculty to create a portrait of a graduate and better define standards of teaching excellence at each grade level. In addition, Dr. Coleman piloted K-12 instructional coaching and mentoring for the faculty and worked to further align curriculum and faculty development with the school’s mission.
Gill St. Bernard's School
Gill St. Bernard’s is a private, coeducational day school for students age three through grade 12, located in suburban New Jersey. Each of the three school divisions provides a rigorous, meaningful, and age-appropriate curriculum, and all students benefit from the environmental learning opportunities that exist on our 208-acre campus.