The Boarding Life

Why do people choose to go or send their children to St. Bernard as a boarding student?  The answer can be as varied as many boarding schools are. Perhaps, the parents are overseas for work and want their children to have an American education.  Some parents have discovered that their child needs order in a way he or she can’t get at home. Sometimes it is a legacy for the family. A parent or grandparent went, and so on down the generations. Some students choose St. Bernard because they envision a special world that they’ve seen in movies or in books.  Most important to us here at St. Bernard is that our boarding life encompasses the Benedictine motto of body, mind, and spirit. All three are important to the development of the whole person. We are on the Rock of ancient tradition which transcends any divisions of the Christian Faith, and students of all backgrounds are welcome.

Whatever the reason for attending boarding school, a student can expect to receive a unique education that will take them beyond just classroom success.  The boarding school life teaches students how to live in community and to be leaders. While there is a dorm director who acts in loco parentis, “in place of a parent,” as necessary, the students are responsible for themselves from the moment they get up until the time they go to bed.  Yes, they do have some free time, but the overall structure and order enables a child to know what he or she has to do to succeed.

No bell is rung to tell them to start their day, nor a parent standing at the door telling them to get up.  They get themselves up, dress appropriately, and are ready to take on the day. They get themselves to meals, class, sports, and evening study hall.  They do chores, wash their own clothes when necessary, and are ready for headcount, announcements, and prayers at the end of the day. They turn in their electronics before Lights Out so they can have a good night’s rest.

Our students come from various countries and states with the understanding that they will have consistency, faith, and fairness in their community life leading us to believe that a St. Bernard boarding school education enables students to take on their next step of independence, college, with confidence and success.