T H E M AGA Z I N E O F G I L L S T. B E R N A R D’S S C H O O L
Middle School Leader Huber Celebrates Retirement Gill St. Bernard’s School has experienced significant growth and development over the past two decades. In the early ’90s, the campus was more rural; there were haystacks for farming where the playing fields now are, and many of today’s main buildings such as the Athletic Center, Cox Lower School and Hockenbury Academic Center did not exist. Matthew Huber, a man with a deep love of schools, is one among several long-time leaders credited for contributing to the rise of GSB and its prominence today. He says of his passion for education, “Being around schools, making a difference in them and creating a place where children feel comfortable and do well is what drives me.” After spending a combined 23 years as director of admission and assistant headmaster at Fairfield Country Day School in Connecticut, Huber joined the GSB community in the summer of 1992. For two years, he directed students and Matthew Huber with his teachers grades pre-k through six on the Stronghold campus in Bernardsville, NJ. granddaughter, Alyssa McGuirl ’26, Then, in 1994, he became GSB’s inaugural Middle School director—a position at Stone Soup Day in 2013. founded on the premise that the school’s overall structure should be comprised of three independent academic divisions: a Lower, Middle and Upper School. “The Middle School age group is terrific; it’s challenging and still leaves plenty of opportunity to make a real difference in each child’s life,” Huber says. Huber, whose educational background includes a Klingenstein fellowship with the Teachers College of Columbia University, a Master of Liberal Arts Studies from Wesleyan University, and both an M.A. in education and B.A. in English from Fairfield University, has also fulfilled the role of Latin teacher throughout his 22-year tenure at GSB. He considers moments inside the classroom as some “of the nicer times of the day, when you can really interact with the kids and remember what it’s all about; why we are doing this.” Middle School teacher Donna Butler has worked alongside Huber as part of the Middle School Latin program for the past 20 years. She says, “Matt has always been eager to give the kids the best chance to succeed in their studies and grow as individuals. He’s helped them become familiar with the basics of Latin and has presented a host of skills in organizational tactics, note-taking and time management.” As with Butler, Huber has established a mutual respect among all faculty members at Gill St. Bernard’s School. Middle School science teacher Teri Cosentino affirms that, as a leader, “Matt has found the perfect balance between being a professional and personal friend. He’s a master of deflating an intense situation, whether with his amazing sense of humor or immense empathy, and he’s been a joy to work with.” Butler adds, “The Middle School has thrived due to his leadership. He’s done a great job of making the Middle School an excellent place to prepare students before heading to our high school.” Considering the Middle School’s current enrollment status and curriculum offerings, Huber sees no better time than now to retire. “I’m very happy with where the school is and the direction it’s going in,” he says. “Many schools around us have been resting on their laurels for far too long and we’ve become more competitive because of this. Now is the perfect opportunity for someone new to take it over and continue moving forward.” As he retires, Huber says he will most miss the inclusive, warm and rigorous environment found campus-wide at Gill. He comments on the rare opportunity to live in Henshaw House for six years with his wife Nancy and their two children, Jennifer ’97 P ’26, ’29 and Robert ’01. “It was nice to raise my own children right here on campus, to have the entire school be their backyard; that was a good feeling.” Former Middle School Director Matthew Huber.
In his retirement, Huber says he and his wife plan to spend more time with their grandchildren, two of which will be enrolled at Gill St. Bernard’s School during the 2014-15 academic year. 22