The Monthly Newsletter for Gill St. Bernard’s School

STUDENT LIFE RECAP

Middle School Students Contribute to “Run for the Roses” Quilt Middle School students grades five through eight spent the morning of November 14 drawing on squares for what will become a quilt representing the Gill St. Bernard’s School’s tight knit community. An annual tradition for more than 20 years, the quilt-making process begins with a group of parent volunteers who meet in the beginning of December to choose the best 20 squares clearly depicting the year’s theme such as Run for the Roses. These 20 Alexander Roch ’18. squares are then used to create a quilt that is raffled off at GSB’s annual auction. This year’s auction will take place on April 27, 2013 at The Westin Governor Morris in Morristown, N.J.

Fourth Grade Students Display Inventions at “Brainiac” Event The Lower School Science Department hosted a “Brainiac” fair for fourth grade students in Evans Hall on November 16. With parents and teachers in attendance, this event allowed students from the Class of 2021 to display their very own Jason Savas ’21. inventions as well as “market” each project to a live audience. Such inventions included an umbrella coat by Isabel Orazietti, Lego picker-upper by Brian Young and robo mower by Michael Fritzlo.

Students Rely on Outsider’s Perspective to Better Understand Education as it Relates to Author Thoreau

December 2012

the purpose and value of education while participating in a panel discussion with Headmaster Sid Rowell and Director of Studies Peter Schmidt on November 19. In a lesson whose original idea developed from a passage in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, both Rowell and Schmidt first shared their individual thoughts on education, and later reconvened to address several follow-up questions in a group setting approximately one week later. “The ultimate goal of this project was for students to listen to what both Mr. Rowell and Mr. Schmidt had to say, and then come up with questions that would not only engage each further, but also elicit possible diverging opinions,” said Lutz. While Rowell and Schmidt’s responses were more similar rather than opposing, topics of discussion during the panel included students’ responsibilities for making the most of each learning experience, as well as ways in which education should change to mirror an ever-evolving world. According to Rowell, teachers should encourage students to become independent thinkers. Likewise, Schmidt said that teachers must be accessible and promote learning beyond the classroom. Rowell also expressed his opinion that schools should make accommodations to coincide with changing cultures, demographics and economies. Schmidt agreed that the world’s current way of learning may limit one’s capabilities. Aside from meeting with Rowell and Schmidt, additional methods suggested by Lutz to help students better understand Thoreau’s Walden ranged from temporarily giving up material possessions that may cause a distraction to separating oneself from society when completing written projects.

top: Corrine Chowansky ’15 listens to a response from Director of Studies Peter Schmidt. bottom: (L. to r.) Lauren Small ’15 and Shane Burchard ’15 listen and take notes during Headmaster Sid Rowell’s response. Alexander Roch ’18.

Sixteen students from Andrew Lutz’s 10th grade American Literature course gained an outsider’s perspective on Gill St. Bernard’s School • St. Bernard’s Road • Gladstone, NJ 07934

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