St. Andrew’s Priory School

As a graduate of Priory and a new college graduate, I can say now that attending St. Andrew’s Priory was the best decision my mom ever made for me. I was a bit apprehensive about coming to the school when I first started in the 9^th grade, but I can see now how much the school has helped me to become the person that I am and succeed in my college and job related experiences. Priory is a small and close-​knit community that truly wants you to feel like a part of the family and succeed in all you do. In that it is such a small school, I was able to have a wide array of experiences I would not have had at a larger school — I was able to be an officer of my class student council, a member of the choir, take a variety of art classes, and be on the school paddling team to name a few. In my time at Priory, I was able to get to know each one of the wonderful girls in my grade and made life long friends that I still keep in contact with and visit even when on the mainland. I know that Priory has prepared me well for life and that my Priory ‘ohana is always there if I need them.

A unique opportunity to have your daughter succeed. Did you know that many female world leaders went to all-​girls schools? The distraction and just volume level typical to coed schools, just isn’t there and what else can your girls do but focus on the beautiful art of learning! I have taught at this school so I can really tell you how wonderful it is.
Girls do everything at St. Andrew’s Priory. Girls are class presidents, team captains, valedictorians. No dream is denied by your child’s female gender. One girl has to get the job, so why not it be your daughter! Like the motto, «Kulia i ka nu’u,» go ahead and strive for the highest girls!
What a unique opportunity to participate in amazing Hawaiian traditions too! Due to competitiveness of just getting in, or race restrictions, other great schools of Hawai’i are just not a reality for many applicants to participate in. The Priory may be gender-​restricted but many girls whose parents can somewhat afford the tuition (there are scholarships/​tuition assistance available), get a chance to get in to the school and keep the same friend base for all 12 years.
Oh yeah, and the rate of graduates going to college is 100%. Is there really anything else, as parent, you would want to invest in with regards to shooling, but the guarantee that your will have an academic future?

Great school! Wonderful traditions, teachers, and students. The students come home happy and the school focuses on educating the whole child.

Of course this school is going to get 5-​stars from me because I’m an alumnae! Woo hoo! Girls rule & boys suck!
Camille Harris, my best friend in the 6^th grade, was going to Hawaii Baptist Academy the next year so I asked my Dad one day «Hey Dad. Am I going to have to go to public school next year? Because Camille is going to private school.» I really didn’t know what it meant to go to private school. I just knew that Camille was going, and she had the Barbie dream house, therefore I wanted to go! So my parents sent me to the Priory. 1) Because it was all girls and my Mom was deathly afraid I would one day start liking boys and therefore become pregnant. Yes my Mom is kind of crazy. 2) Because my Dad’s cousin worked there and they had someone to keep an eye on me. I’m sure there was a better reason but I didn’t know what it was.
I went to the Priory from 7 – 12 grade and totally LOVED it! I hated boys when I started at the Priory so not having to deal with them at school was really awesome! More awesome than you’ll EVER know!!! Great thing about the Priory is that the class sizes are very very small so you get a lot of 1-​to-​1 attention and tons of leadership opportunities. I graduated with 38 girls in my class so I got to be class song leader, class secretary, cheer captain, track team, band geek, prom princess, choir soloist, and a ton of other weird things I probably wouldn’t have done in a regular school. You wear a uniform so getting ready in the morning is really easy. I wish regular life was that. Not having to choose an outfit every morning really would make things so much simpler!
The Priory nowadays has obviously changed since I’ve been there. It’s got a huge gym (finished the year I graduated, no thanks!) and it’s very technology focused with every kid in school loaded up with a MacBook. I’m thinking about sending my daughter there one day but we’ll have to see if she’s boy crazy!!!

Opened by Hawaiian Queen Emma as a girls’ school to complement Iolani (formerly boys’ school). Run by Episcopal nuns for a very long time.
K-​12 school, with the entire school population 500 – 700 students.
The coolest thing about Priory: Ascension Day traditions. The juniors decorate the «Coral Cross» with fresh flowers in a surprise design.
I’ve heard tuition runs over $ 10,000. Priory is good for science, english, art, music (band, orchestra, choir), and computer technology.