Upper School

Empowering Future Leaders in the Heart of Honolulu

In the Upper School, students dive into real-world learning through our signature Global Leadership program, downtown internships, and one-on-one college guidance.

We continue to be the only high school where every student has a life coach, a career mentor, and a college counselor. 100% of our students have an authentic work experience (internship) before graduation through our College and Career Exploration and Development Program.

The 2025–26 school year will mark the final cohort of our all-girls Upper School, as St. Andrew’s transitions to a fully co-educational model beginning in Fall 2026. Throughout this transition, our focus on leadership, purpose, and academic excellence will remain at the heart of every student experience—so each student can reach their highest potential.

Curriculum

School Profile

Want a professional mentor to help you learn about careers?

Upper School students work with industry professionals to learn inside information about what careers are really like and what skills employers are looking for in their fields.

Want a career and life coach?

Upper school students have a career coach to help them connect their college, career, and life goals.

Want to do real work on real-world issues or projects?

Upper school seniors have the opportunity to intern at a professional workplace and design a project that supports their internship interests and goals.

Nationally Recognized in Female Diversity

The College Board named St. Andrew’s Schools among the forward-thinking schools earning the 2023 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. The award recognizes female representation among high school test takers of the college-level AP Computer Science Principles.

TRADITIONS

Ascension Day

Ascension Day is a feast day in the Episcopal Church, celebrated 40 days after Easter to commemorate the ascension of Christ into heaven. The celebration is also Founder's Day at St. Andrew’s Schools; Queen Emma Kaleleonālani founded St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls on Ascension Day in 1867.

Decorating the Coral Cross for Ascension Day has been a beloved tradition for the junior class for many decades. After a chapel service in the Cathedral of St. Andrew, the Coral Cross dedication ceremony is a special time that connects the junior and senior classes.

Queen Emma's Birthday

Each year in January we commemorate the birthday of Queen Emma with a chapel service in the Cathedral of St. Andrew followed by the presentation of hoʻokupu – an offering given as an expression of love, gratitude, and respect. Students from each grade level present gifts of flowers and lei to honor Queen Emma.

UPPER SCHOOL NEWS

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Celebrating Alumna Rachel Handlin ’15: Breaking Barriers Through Art

In Loving Memory of Mr. William Rauckhorst

Honoring Legacy and Creativity: Ascension Day and the Coral Cross Ceremony

POINTS OF PRIDE

Experienced and caring faculty committed to personalizing student learning
Schoolwide focus on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Academic rigor: A college preparatory curriculum including honors and AP courses
All students engage in independent research and exhibit their learning to an authentic audience

College and Career Ready

The St. Andrew’s Schools College and Career Counseling Program guides each student to make an informed decision regarding their post-secondary education. Through an individualized approach, and utilizing research-based methods, the College Counselor and Priory in the City Director coach students to understand who they are and how they wish to contribute to the world. Students learn about a wide variety of career and college options so they can find success at the post-secondary level. The College Counselor provides guidance, support, encouragement, opportunity, and expertise throughout the college search process fostering independence and individual growth. Students engage in college guidance classes and family meetings with the College Counselor which guide them through the college application and selection process.

Learn more about our College and Career Counseling Program

Performing Arts

Playing in the orchestra or band, singing in the choir, performing in a play or musical, and dancing hula for May Day are wonderful ways for our students to express themselves creatively. But they are also meaningful learning experiences as students rise to the challenge of performing for an audience. St. Andrew’s Schools is committed to giving all our students a variety of opportunities to participate in the performing arts from preschool through senior year.

Wellness in Mind, Body and Spirit

Students at The Priory walk onto campus and are welcomed by name; they are known by faculty and staff alike and encouraged to bring their full selves into the community. Social and Emotional Learning is an integral thread in curriculum and daily programs. Our faculty strive to integrate SEL benchmarks into their courses and understand the developmental needs of students. St. Andrewʻs Schools is in partnership with Yaleʻs Center for Emotional Intelligence, R.U.L.E.R. program. We believe that implementation of this evidence-based approach supports our students in their development of a positive sense of self and the skills necessary for managing lifeʻs inevitable challenges. Additionally, students in grades 7-10 participate in One Circle Foundation, Girls Circle. At The Priory, we understand that academic achievement and long-term success outcomes improve when students receive quality, direct instruction in the field of social and emotional learning.

Global Leadership Program

The Global Leadership Center (GLC) provides guidance and support for our students to engage the world thoughtfully, with purpose, and with integrity. Firmly rooted in our school's mission, vision, values, and aims, the GLC sponsors travel, academic, and extracurricular opportunities to prepare our students to engage in a complex and changing world. Students who are passionate about becoming a global leader may pursue the Distinction in Global Leadership, an honor conferred upon graduates who complete a series of rigorous coursework, leadership, and service requirements.

Learn more about the Global Leadership Center

Visual Arts

St. Andrew’s students learn to sculpt, paint, draw, weave, cut, paste, construct, and – most importantly – use their imaginations. Teaching is grounded in the fundamentals of art education: aesthetic perception, creative expression, art history, the study of world cultures, and inspiration. The Upper School’s art studio is a place of discovery and every student's perspective is honored as they explore different media such as ceramics, photography, and printmaking. Throughout the creative process, students learn how to analyze, interpret, and critique their own and others’ works of art.

Inquiry-Based STEAM Learning and Research

Our downtown campus is a vibrant learning environment in which students can discover and pursue their passions in the STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math). Essential to their learning is independent inquiry: Students investigate a central question of their choice through an iterative process of inquiry, critical thinking, problem-solving, self-reflection and creation. An important component is presenting to an authentic audience for feedback, which students accomplish through participation in the middle school Science Fair and the high school Academic Fair and Exhibition Fair.

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