About Us
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Equity and Inclusion Statement
St. Bernard’s School lives its mission to instill a good heart; this mission requires a diverse community that fosters openness to all identities, cultures, and perspectives. The school should be a supportive place for a boy to develop his identity and learn from others. Our motto, Perge Sed Caute, encourages us as individuals, and as an institution, to proceed with an awareness and willingness to stand up for what is right when confronted with prejudice and bias. St. Bernard’s acknowledges that systemic racism and inequity pose fundamental threats to individual and collective progress in our community and in an increasingly complex world. We believe that equity and inclusion must be foundations for a St. Bernard’s education in order for the boys to be able to cultivate fairness, responsibility, and justice. We endeavor to be a diverse community of students, parents, faculty and staff, where every individual is equally valued and has a sense of belonging.
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Good Heart Program
Kindness, honesty, consideration for others, and responsibility to one’s community have been pillars of St. Bernard’s since its founding in 1904. To formalize the teaching of these qualities the school has created a comprehensive program of character development. Designed with the help of teachers, parents, psychologists, and administrators, the Good Heart program aims for each student from Kindergarten through Grade IX to become more aware of his identity, wants and needs, strengths and vulnerabilities, and to appreciate these things in other people. Good Heart lessons take place every Thursday morning in the Junior and Middle schools, and they are integrated into weekly Upper School advisory meetings. -
The Admissions Office
St. Bernard’s admissions officers work with many organizations to help to enrich our student body. Some of the organizations which are instrumental in placing students and educating parents about independent schools that St. Bernard’s depends on include Early Steps, Prep for Prep, A Better Chance, and Jack and Jill.
St. Bernard’s does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, religion, color, national, or ethnic origin. A financial aid program provides assistance for qualified families from many different backgrounds and circumstances. -
Board of Trustees Diversity Committee
The Board of Trustees, assisted by the Board's Diversity Committee, supports and periodically assesses all aspects of equity and inclusion – mission statement; admissions, hiring, and retention practices; financial aid; curriculum; and community life – in order to promote St. Bernard’s equity and inclusion values.
The committee encourages communication and collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Faculty & Staff Diversity Committee, the Old Boys Diversity Council, and the Parents Association Community Gathering Committee, regarding strategic goals and objectives which promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The committee is comprised of trustees, the Head of School, and the president of the Parents Association. -
Faculty and Staff Diversity Committee
The administrators, teachers, coaches, and staff members who serve on this committee are dedicated to identifying, implementing, and supporting diversity related initiatives at the school. They collaborate to recognize challenges, set goals, implement objectives, and create opportunities as well as form sub-groups that focus on particular topics. Its members organize and support affinity and interest groups. -
Parents Association’s Community Gathering Committee
The St. Bernard’s Community Gathering Committee (CGC), under the support of the Parents Association, was founded in 2012 The committee seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse backgrounds and cultures within the St. Bernard’s community. CGC plans and hosts several events for parents throughout the school year, featuring a range of relevant topics and group discussions relating to the boys’ and families’ experiences. In hosting these events, the committee hopes to bring greater education and awareness around issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our community. -
Parents Association’s Multicultural Fair Committee
This group’s mission is to increase the awareness of the various cultures within the school community by organizing the Multicultural Fair, an annual school event when the entire student body and faculty come together to learn and celebrate different cultures of the world. -
Old Boys Diversity Council
The council’s mission is to encourage and participate in diversity and inclusivity within the extended St. Bernard’s family. The Old Boys Diversity Council is inclusive to individuals of any race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sex, and gender identity. The council believes diversity is at the heart of our shared experiences as alumni and makes our shared experiences richer and St. Bernard’s a fuller space. The OBDC will support St. Bernard’s via outreach programs, mentorship efforts, and professional networking events. The council looks forward to developing sustainable best practices for advancing equity work and inclusion in our school.
Wearing the school blazer is a point of pride for every St. Bernard’s boy and the Old Boys Diversity Council hopes to provide all of our boys with this opportunity. With help from members of our community, St. Bernard’s will purchase new blazers from Lands’ End for families who may need assistance. Please click here to learn more.
DEIB Online Resources
Faculty, staff, Old Boys, and parents compiled a collection of online material for the adults in our community to learn about a variety of topics related to anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
SCHOOL LIFE & PROGRAM
Our Junior School boys learn to appreciate the diversity among themselves. Using the books they read and guided discussions with their teachers, they learn to appreciate varied cultures and perspectives. In the Middle School, boys focus first on defining their own identities and then on becoming better, more active citizens of the world. A social justice class in Grade V gives boys the chance to explore complicated issues, such as the Civil Rights movement, that affect them in particular and society in general. In the Upper School, boys are part of small advisory groups that meet weekly with a faculty advisor to discuss current topics. The Upper School also has a Social Justice prize for a piece of writing concerned with questions of equity, opportunity, and fairness.
St. Bernard’s cultivates a community which shows respect for others and an eagerness to embrace diversity and mutual understanding in its students, families, teachers, administration, and staff.
Middle and Upper School boys are invited to join affinity groups that meet regularly throughout the year. This offers a safe space for them to discuss issues related to their identity and their experiences in and out of school. There are also affinity groups for the faculty and staff.
St. Bernard’s cultivates a community which shows respect for others and an eagerness to embrace diversity and mutual understanding in its students, families, teachers, administration, and staff.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Challah-brate and Twist
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history and culture of the Jewish people. At St. Bernard's, we were thrilled to honor this tradition with the first-ever Challah Twist Breakfast.Read More >
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Eid al-Fitr Breakfast
The sounds of the Oud playing as you walked through the red doors of St. Bernard’s School echoed through the stairwells like a soft whisper. St. Bernard’s was celebrating the end of Ramadan with its first Eid al-Fitr Breakfast.Read More >
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Celebrating the Lunar New Year While Honoring Old Traditions
Read More >St. Bernard's School was thrilled to celebrate the Lunar New Year, or Seollal, with a captivating Samgomu drum dance performance on February 14, 2024. This traditional Korean dance, characterized by its intricate rhythms and synchronized movements, had all eyes glued to the stage and left the audience amazed by their talent.
SPECIAL EVENTS & TRIPS
Our boys’ education is enriched by speakers and performers from a variety of cultural backgrounds who visit during class, assembly, or special scheduled events. Students in Grades VIII and IX annually attend a greatly anticipated class trip abroad to experience and learn a different part of the world. Recent classes have gone to Cuba, Japan, Morocco, Ecuador, and India. Teachers enjoy the opportunity regularly to incorporate cultural lessons and activities into school life. In addition, our students engage in community service and public purpose projects that nurture respect and understanding of the people and communities they serve.
The Parents Association Community Gathering Committee meets to discuss relevant topics, to invite speakers, and to plan workshops and activities. The school also organizes lectures and other events for the students throughout the year. Most recently, groups have visited the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Apollo Theater, the Jewish Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York.
The Parents Association Community Gathering Committee meets to discuss relevant topics, to invite speakers, and to plan workshops and activities. The school also organizes lectures and other events for the students throughout the year. Most recently, groups have visited the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Apollo Theater, the Jewish Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York.
COMMUNITY BOOKS
Each summer, boys in grades V-IX and the faculty are asked to read a the same book and return to school in September ready to discuss the book as a community. The Community Book inspires rich conversations about different cultures and perspectives.
DIVERSITY PARTNERS
Faculty and staff attend diversity events, workshops, and conferences for professional development including the annual NAIS People of Color Conference and the NYSAIS Diversity Conference. The Equity & Inclusion Team researches speakers for presentations and develops workshops that foster ongoing dialogue about diversity amongst its members. We are honored to collaborate with and attend the events of the following organizations.
COMMITMENT
St. Bernard’s School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
