St. Bernard’s Catholic  School was opened on September 17, 1958, with grades one, two and three. The south side of the school was left undivided and served as a Parish Hall until 1960 when work was started on the gymnasium.

The faculty consisted of four Daughters of the Cross. The congregation, whose Mother House is in Liege, Belgium, still serves the school, parish and diocese. The superiors had signed a contract to send out one sister a year until the school was complete, and by 1963 all eight grades were in existence. The school operated in this way until June 1966. At that point lay teachers began to join the faculty. Now it is staffed almost entirely by lay teachers. The school currently serves approximately 300 children, the majority of whom are from the parish.

In 1964, the school playground was enlarged. In 1968, an extension was built onto the hall and included locker rooms and showers, a coach's room and offices for C.C.D. In 1975, a separate C.C.D. building was erected to provide more office and meeting space. The original rooms off the hall are now used for storage.

In 1981, the front room of the convent was converted into a classroom for kindergarten. Because of the size of the room it was decided to have split sessions. The children used the sisters' back yard for their play area and playground equipment was installed.

In 1984, the staff room was enlarged and the convent garage was extended and converted into a computer lab. It also contained a large screen TV and a VCR. That room has now become the present site of the kindergarten classes and the front room of the convent is now a chapel; the computer lab has been moved to a room which housed the former library; the library has moved to a room which was used for art.

In 1999, the Parent Teacher Club purchased and installed air conditioning throughout the school. In 2001, the faculty room was extended south to provide a larger meeting room for the staff.

In December 2008 the kindergarten classroom underwent extensive renovation. The room was expanded by converting storage space located on the west side into a new second room. The original room for kindergarten also received new tile flooring, cubbies, upper cabinets, and paint. A new heating/air conditioning system was installed in the room and additional desks were brought in. This allowed enough space for the kindergarten students to extend their day by combining the morning and afternoon kindergarten sessions into one class. Library, computer lab, music and physical education classes were added to the kindergarten curriculum and the school day was extended from 3 hours to 5.5 hours.

St. Bernard's has a strong tradition of providing quality Catholic Education. This fact was born out in 2003-04 when the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) conducted an evaluation for accreditation for St. Bernard's and awarded it the maximum 6-year accreditation.

St. Bernard's motto is “Learning with God's Guidance” a statement that has reflected the attitude of staff and students who have attended St. Bernard's the past 46 years; and it is a statement which will continue to influence the learning atmosphere at this institution dedicated to educating the whole child: soul, mind, and body.

Education at St. Bernard's Catholic School is a three-way partnership between the parents, school, and students. This partnership is critical to the overall success of our students. We consider it a privilege to work with parents in the education of their children because we believe parents are the primary educators of their children. Therefore, it is every parent's right and duty to become the primary role models for the development of their children's lives—physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. Choosing St. Bernard's Catholic School involves a commitment and exhibits a concern for helping your child to recognize God as the greatest good in his/her life.

Once parents have chosen to enter into a partnership with us at St. Bernard's Catholic School, we trust that they will be loyal to this commitment. During these formative years (K to 8), children need constant support from both parents and the school faculty in order to develop their moral, intellectual, social, cultural, and physical endowment. Neither parents nor teachers can afford to doubt the sincerity of the efforts of their educational partners in the quest of challenging, yet nourishing, the students to reach their potential. Mutual respect between parents and teachers will model good mature behavior and relationships for students.

Students are naturally eager to grow and learn. However, sometimes in the process of maturation new interests may cause them to lose focus. As this natural process occurs, the student needs both understanding and discipline. At times, children may perceive discipline as restrictive. However, such boundaries and limits provide a young people with essential guidance and security. Children must take responsibility for the grades they earn and be accountable for all assignments, from homework and quizzes to long-term assignments and service projects.

The partnership between parents, school and student is critical to the overall success of our students. We all have a stake in assuring that our students are prepared for high school and beyond. Together, we can support one another in helping children to become the best people they are capable of
becoming.

Student Learning Expectations

St. Bernard's Catholic School Student Learning Expectations (SLE's) demonstrate what all students of our school must know, do, and value, by the time they graduate. SLE's are incorporated into lesson plans and rubrics throughout the school year.

Our Curriculum

Any student's education at St. Bernard's Catholic School is a three-way partnership between the parents, school, and students. This partnership is critical to the overall success of our students. We all have a stake in assuring that our students are prepared for high school, which will in turn lead to them to the college of their choice. We strive to educate the whole child, and have designed a curriculum that carefully balances academic and non-academic programs:

Religion - Religious instruction forms the basis for the total development of the student. All students are required to participate in all regular religion classes, liturgical preparation and school oriented church services during school hours.

Language - English, Reading, Spelling, Phonics and Writing provide the basic tools for gaining knowledge and understanding of the spiritual, educational, social and vocational experiences of life. These skills are correlated with all other subjects.

Math - Our Math program is designed to help each student learn the basic mathematical structures, language and principles in order to develop skills in computation, use of vocabulary and symbols, reading and interpreting data, measuring and solving problems.

Science and Health - The Science program gives students an understanding of the basic truths of nature and man's relationship to them. Health imparts to the students an understanding of the importance of physical well being.

Social Studies - The goal of this program is to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes necessary for effective citizenship in our society.

Physical Education - Physical Education is a necessary extension of the Health program. It provides an opportunity to learn the importance of exercise to maintain a healthy body.

Art and Music - These programs are provided to develop creative potential.

Technology- This program teaches computer literacy and software applications to help prepare students for a high technology future.