president’s message

First, welcome to the new St. Bernard’s Catholic School website. Thank you to Jason Douglas of Douglas Consulting, Director of IT Kriss Buihner and the team behind the scenes for putting together the new website.

Paul Shanahan – Dean of Academics

Second, a question I pose that may be of some interest to a prospective student curious about attending St. Bernard’s or an alumnus wondering about the current character of their alma mater; what does it mean to be a Knight or a Crusader? As an alumnus myself (Class of 1998) and for other alumni that’s probably an easy question to answer. For me, to be a Crusader means a sense of belonging to a family of Crusaders not just of those students in your class but of the thousands of Crusaders, going back to the Pioneer Class of 1957, who’ve come before you and those that have since counted themselves as graduates of St. Bernard’s. To be a Knight is no different. This sense of family, this sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself, is engrained in the St. Bernard’s experience today and will always be. Its a big part of what makes us unique and sets us apart from other schools.

As alumni we can’t help but look back on those teachers and administrators who made an incredible positive impact in our life. Whether it was a teacher who took the time to make sure you understood the lesson or pushed you to new heights, a principal who also gave his time to coach your sport, or a Sister who taught you how to play the piano and also how to live a life of love and prayer. These elements remain today, even the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange who founded our school 100 years ago. It’s this character of being selfless, of care and compassion and of a belief in God and a greater purpose that fosters a sense of family that lasts long after one graduates and provides the values and lessons we carry with us in our adult life.

Being a Knight or a Crusader brings with it the expectation of becoming a well-rounded student. Through our core values of faith, intellect and service students will discover talents and abilities of theirs that will lay the foundation of a lifetime of success. Whether that means a deepened spiritual awareness, a passion for life-long learning, or the new-found ability to throw a curveball on the baseball mound all these lessons and many others go together to form a Knight or a Crusader.

Many students have wondered what it would be like to be a Knight or a Crusader. Those that have taken that journey through St. Bernard’s have discovered more than just what it means to be a Knight or Crusader. They’ve discovered themselves and the lessons that will lead them to college and to a lifetime of happiness and success. I encourage prospective students to do the same… to take that first step in this journey. And to our alumni who we haven’t seen in a while we welcome you back and encourage you to reflect upon the values and lessons you learned as a Knight or Crusader.

Please continue to view our website and to forward questions and comments to me at sharp@saintbernards.us

God Bless, David Sharp, Class of ’98 President