Saint Louis School
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- This article is about the catholic school in Hawaii. For the catholic school with the same name in Hong Kong, see St. Louis School, Hong Kong.
Saint Louis School on 3142 Waiʻalae Avenue in the hillsides of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi is a historic Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys founded in 1846 to serve the needs of early Hawaiʻi Catholics in the former Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. It is currently affiliated with the Society of Mary, a religious order of brothers and priests called Marianists. Its most famous graduate is the late Governor of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns, credited with securing statehood and developing the modern State of Hawaiʻi.
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[edit] Establishment
Saint Louis School was originally located in Windward Oʻahu as the College of ʻĀhuimanu, founded by the Fathers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1846. In 1881, it moved to downtown Honolulu, adjacent to Washington Place, the home of Liliʻuokalani, who would become Queen of Hawaiʻi in 1891. When it moved to downtown Honolulu, the school was called the College of Saint Louis, named after the patron saint of Louis Maigret, Bishop of Honolulu.
Marianists assumed control of the school and determined a need for the expansion of facilities to meet the needs of the burgeoning Hawaiʻi Catholic population. In the 1920s, the Marianists purchased land in Kalaepōhaku, a hillside division of Honolulu's Kaimuki community. Kalaepōhaku opened in September 1928 as Saint Louis School where it continues to serve Hawaiʻi Catholic and non-Catholic boys today.
[edit] Development
In 1949, Saint Louis School dropped lower grade levels one at a time and eventually became exclusively a high school serving grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. In 1980, grades 7 and 8 were reinstated. In 1990, grade 6 was reinstated and it joined grades 7 and 8 to become a separate middle school within Saint Louis School. Most recently, grade 5 was reinstated and added to the middle school. Like most institutions of academia, Saint Louis School adopted a formal Mission Statement, Purpose Statement and Philosophy Statement.
[edit] Mission
- The Mission of Saint Louis School is to educate and challenge students of various religious, ethnic and economic backgrounds that they may achieve a quality education and become gentlemen in character, reaching individual potential through the Catholic Marianist tradition of spiritual, academic, physical and emotional maturity.
[edit] Purpose
- The outstanding characteristics one finds at Saint Louis School is the excellent quality of education for all of its students, with a varied curriculum designed to fill a wide range of educational and personal needs. Our principal concern is instilling truths and values that are carried over into students' lives that go beyond Saint Louis. We strive to teach and to develop a sense of family, the "Saint Louis Family" - faculty, students, parents, administrators - working together to build an awareness of individual dignity and spiritual worth.
[edit] Philosophy
- Our curriculum is firmly rooted in the Catholic faith, welcoming and respecting other beliefs. We seek to meet the varied needs, talents and abilities of our students through academic programs of critical thinking and experienced learning designed for general, advanced and college preparatory students.
[edit] Academics
Saint Louis School is fully accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). It offers three distinct curricula that students and parents can choose from.
- An accelerated college preparatory program for students planning to attend very selective colleges or universities.
- A college preparatory program.
- A general program for students planning to attend trade or business schools, two-year community colleges, or enter the military or work force.
[edit] Athletics
Saint Louis School plays competitively in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) and the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA). Sometimes it fields members in the Pac-5, an alliance of Honolulu-area private academies.
Lacking professional sports teams in the state has made Hawaiʻi high school teams extremely popular. Several generations of Hawaiʻi residents have become avid fans of Saint Louis School athletics, especially its football team. It has often been hailed by the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspapers as Hawaiʻi's Team as it has played in prestigious invitational tournaments throughout the world. Whoever assumes the position of head football coach has over the years become a celebrity in the state.
Saint Louis School also fields teams in air riflery, bowling, cross country, kayaking, tennis, water polo and volleyball in the fall. In winter it competes in canoe paddling, basketball, soccer, swimming and diving, riflery, tennis and wrestling. In spring it competes in baseball, golf, judo, tennis and track.
[edit] Notable Students
- James "Duke" Aiona, Lt. Governor of Hawaiʻi
- John A. Burns, Governor of Hawaiʻi
- Samuel Wilder King, Governor of Hawaiʻi
- Benny Agbayani, professional baseball player
- Dominic Raiola, professional football player
- Olin Kreutz, professional football player
- Harold S. Wright, attorney