Academics
Upper School | Gr. 9–12
Student Life

Student Leadership Opportunities

In the Peer Leadership Program, seniors help underclassmen navigate the academic, social, and co-curricular commitments at Gill St. Bernard’s. Peer Leaders pay specific attention to ninth grade students, helping them to manage the transition into the GSB Upper School. Peer Leaders will regularly mentor freshman advisory groups and are selected by the Office of Student Life. The application process involves a formal application, an essay, an interview and a review of the applicant’s experience to date at GSB. On and off campus, Peer Leaders are expected to model the school’s core values: courage, integrity, respect, compassion and excellence.

Student Government is important to the success of each school year. Working with the Office of Student Life, an active, responsible student government offers its members opportunities for leadership and provides the rest of the student community a forum in which to address issues of concern. Membership in the student government includes a president from the senior class and a vice president from the junior class, to be decided by a student vote, as well as three members from each grade level, elected by the respective grades. Meetings are held weekly and it is expected that student representatives will provide regular updates to their respective grade-level deans. On and off campus, elected students are expected to model the school’s core values: courage, integrity, respect, compassion and excellence.

Student Government President & Vice President

C.J. Licata was elected president of the GSB Student Government for the 2017-18 academic year. His extensive array of community involvement includes speaking at Admission events and helping to organize a toy drive for the Newark YMCA. C.J. is also an accomplished student-athlete, earning state and national recognition in Track and Field.
 
Anna Tulenko has been a member of student government for two years and was elected vice president for 2017-18. She has been an active participant in the Gender Equality Club since her freshman year and is a founding member of the GSB Gay/Straight Alliance. Anna has also been selected as a co-captain of the Gill varsity cheerleading squad.

Student Government Representatives

Grade 12:
Lila Birnberg, Nyla Mulcahy, Kelly Schiesswohl

Grade 11:
Nour Marzouk, Will Orazietti, Noah Steinbaum

Grade 10:
Andree Aloise, Mark Giordano, Anna Tulenko

Grade 9:
Robert Brandl, Adrian Meyers-Massuet, Teresa Zimmer

Honor Board

To support the honor system and the values inherent to it, Gill St. Bernard’s has established a student/faculty Honor Board in the Upper School. This Board hears individual cases concerning specific disciplinary allegations and, in a larger context, serves to educate the community about the importance of our core values. The Honor Board is comprised of the following people: the Dean of Student Life; one additional representative from the Office of Student Life; the Upper School Director; a grade-level dean; five senior students chosen by the Office of Student Life. Student members of the Honor Board are selected after a process that involves a formal application, an essay, an interview, and a review of the applicant’s experience to date at GSB. On and off campus, members are expected to model the school’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, Compassion and Excellence.

In addition to impeccable academic resumes, all of the student members of the Honor Board have been actively engaged in and make critical contributions to all aspects of life at Gill St. Bernard’s School.

Honor Board Members

Jessica Abowitz has earned featured roles in the GSB Theatre Program and in several select choral groups. She is also an active participant in the Gender Equality Club, help found the Gay/Straight Alliance, writes for the Literary Magazine, and is a captain of the Robotics team. Jessica is also an accomplished fencer, earning several accolades for her efforts.
 
Emily Cavanaugh is involved with several organizations at Gill, including choir, Mock Trial, and the social committee. With our athletic program, she has participated in Track and Field and she is the manager for boys’ soccer. Emily also does great work outside of Gill as a volunteer firefighter in Chester and with the Morris County Public Safety Academy.
 
Amanda Lazar is a four-year starter on our girls’ soccer team, recently taking on a leadership role. She helped found and now directs the For the Love of Animals club, managing several of their fundraising efforts. Last year Amanda was inducted into the National Latin Honor Society and she participates in several other service activities as well.
 
Catherine Quan-Shau is a peer leader, admission ambassador, and a volunteer at the GSB Writing Center. She participates in several clubs and activities at Gill, including For the Love of Animals, Gill for Diversity, and the Gender Equality Club. Catherine also gained valuable leadership experience at Camp Invention this summer as a leadership intern.
 
Shane Shannon is an active participant in the Model United Nations Club, the Gender Equality Club, and the Academic League. Outside of school he is a lead summer camp counselor and a volunteer at Vacation Bible School. Shane is also heavily involved in his church youth group and he played the first doubles position on our varsity boys’ tennis team.

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 vigorous, meaningful and age-appropriate curriculum, and all students benefit from the environmental learning opportunities that exist on our 208-acre campus.