Lowdown on Oahu private schools? (Honolulu: fit in, to rent, house)

[expat123]

What grade is your daughter going into? From my research, some grades are space-available only (meaning there needs to be someone leaving the grade).

Here is a link that might help: https://www.city-data.com/forum/hawai...ols-avoid.html

I am sure you have looked at the Greatschools site and the HonoluluMagazine.com private school report.

I think you will find anywhere in the US that if you want public schools with good test scores you will have to pay more for housing.

Let me know what you find out. We are in the same boat- wanting the best for our kids but going on very little information. Someone must know, but I don't know how to find those people!!

[binkybarnes]

Thank you. Our daughter is going into 3rd grade for the 2010-2011 school year. It seems that many privates have rolling admissions, so it is perhaps not too late to apply.

[expat123]

I emailed a number of Catholic schools in Nov/Dec and none of them indicated any deadline. All but one responded right away. I am sure that admission of my kids will depend on whether they have spots available in my children's grades, but at least they are willing to accept applications. It can get expensive to apply. I have three children and applied to three schools each, with application fees between $40-$100. We missed the December priority deadlines for most of the expensive schools. Many do accept late applications but I have to wonder whether late applicants have much of a chance?? Many of the more expensive schools require the SSAT test for our older kids (going into 5th and 7th), so that requires advance planning for which we didn't have the luxury to prepare. Remember to check each school's starting date, since schools in HI often begin late July/early August.

Since you have only one child, you might consider a same-sex school. I want my younger two (boy/girl) to go to the same school, so using same-sex schools doesn't work so well as us. Sacred Hearts (girls K-12) which is downtown Honolulu seemed like they would accept applicants at this stage.

Having said all that, I must mention that I have never been to HI, so this is just what I have to go on from internet research! Good luck!

[binkybarnes]

Hi expat123 - thank you! I have never been there either, although my husband has and loves it. I just ordered my daughter's school records, and hope to submit an application to Sacred Hearts and some others soon - she is young, so fortunately no need for SSAT...but still, we will be very late in the game. I sometimes wonder if they accept late applications, just to get the fees, knowing full well they will not admit the late-comers. I hope this is not the case.

Are you moving to Honolulu or another part of Oahu? Where are you now?

[melaniej65]

I can tell you that if an applicant is acceptable and there is space in the class a student will be accepted mid or even late term. I am an SHA grad and currently have cousins who are currently attending. It is an excellent school for girls and there is such a lack of pressure to 'dumb down' in order to let the boys feel smart (since there are no boys!).

The uniforms are the same ones from 1909 and if they were embarrassing back in the 80s I am pretty sure they are still embarrassing the girls! The uniforms are French school girl sailor suits from the early 20th century.

Excellent academics, terrific teacher to student ratio and the teachers are VERY carefully screened. The SHA girl is well rounded and our motto is "Orare et Labore" "to work and to pray".

SHA is a lovely campus in Kaimuki and it has students from around the Island. This is a very sheltered school and rather strict. My old History teacher is now the Principal of the school. The HS students very rarely interact with the lower grades (exceptions being some Masses and school functions- very rare). While all Faiths are welcomed all students are expected to attend Religion classes as well as Mass (not required to participate, but must be a respectful presence in Chapel).

Please feel free to contact the Admissions Office to speak with a person if you have more specific questions that are not answered by the on line site..

As for other schools I can only speak from second hand (friends, relatives) knowledge, but I think that I gave a pretty clear overview in my first post. Good luck!

[expat123]

I hope they aren't accepting the late applications just for the fees.... January doesn't seem too late to me, but what do I know? I just have to hope that at least my rising 2nd grader and rising 5th grader get into the same school. I expect my rising 7th grader will be at a different school from his siblings. I can handle 2 schools, but not 3 different ones (I had to do that for one year, and hope to avoid doing it again!)

Last school year we were in one of the top rated schools in FCPS, so I know where you are coming from! I think that Honolulu has public schools that are "good" by Hawaii standards, but you have to realize that each state sets its own standards, so a top rated Hawaii school does not necessarily equal a top rated Virginia school. When we moved to VA, we paid "extra" (over what we could afford) to live in a good school zone. We considered that it was like paying extra for a private school. I am pretty sure that we can't afford the "extra" needed to live in a top Honolulu public school zone, and even if we did I don't know if that school would be comparable to FCPS. We are will be hopefully living in the Honolulu area by next summer.

[binkybarnes]

Thanks, MelanieJ. Where is Kaimuki? I will be working at the Prince Kuhio Fed Bldg - if my daughter goes to SHA, would this be a reasonable commute for me? How long? I presume there are no private school buses?

[melaniej65]

The Federal bldg is right in the middle of town- by mileage it is not very far but during peak traffic times it could be a hassle (although as I said girls attend from around the Island). There is always the possibility of car pools or even of her taking The Bus (which a great majority of the students DO).

It really depends upon where you will be living. If you will be coming from the East side (Hawaii Kai, Niu Valley, Aina Hina, Kahala (and the other communities on that side)- then Kaimuki would be on the way to town- making it easy to drop your daughter off at school without any back tracking.

It would behoove you to look at a map of Oahu. SHA is on Waialae Ave on the corner of 6th Ave. It is very near Manoa, McCully, Makiki and surrounding communities.

I know that it seems strange that young, school aged children would take a City bus to school- but it has always worked here and children as young as the first grade can, have and DO go to and from school in this manner. If you do decide that this is an option I would encourage you to plot the route and escort your daughter along that route several times until both of you are comfortable in capabilities. I know that there are after school programs at SHA that may also help.

You could also find a baby sitter (for before and after school care) close to the school and arrange for transportation to be a part of care. I do hope that you and Expat both are able to find schools that are suitable for your circumstances.

[expat123]

Melanie,
You have been most kind and helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!

If you don't mind, I have a question about religion in schools. I am Catholic, so I am of course comfortable with the Catholic schools. However, if we opt for one of the many "Christian" schools like Punahou or Mid-Pac, will my Catholic kids feel uncomfortable? Basically, I know little about non-Catholic Christian churches-- I assume they vary in how conservative they are (and how anti-Catholic their position may be), so I am wondering how much or how little religion the HI Christian schools have in their curriculum? I know that even public schools have "character education" (responsibility, honor, self-discipline, respect, etc), so that much is to be expected and pretty prevalent in schools.

[Balad1]

My experience is that most Christian schools have a good dose of religion. How they work that with kids of different faith I don't know.