Holland Hall (or Holland Hall School) is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and the Episcopal Church. Founded in 1922, the school is named after the first Headmistress, Winnifred Shureman, who was of Dutch background.
The campus is 162 acres (0.66 km2) consisting of athletic buildings, as well as the Walter Arts Center and a number of athletic facilities. Each of the three divisions has its own library. The school currently enrolls over 1,000 students.
The school's professed "A cubed" philosophy values academics, athletics, and the arts.
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Holland Hall provides a challenging, comprehensive educational experience grounded in a rigorous liberal arts, college preparatory curriculum that promotes critical thinking and life-long learning. A PreK-12 Episcopal school, we seek to foster in each student a strong moral foundation and a deep sense of social responsibility.It is a multi-gender school.
It strives to offer a rigorous college level academic program. The curriculum is enriched by creative electives, outdoor education, competitive athletic opportunities for all students, community service and a multitude of meaningful learning experiences.
Graduation Requirements include: English, 4 credits; Foreign Language, 3 credits; Mathematics, 3 credits; Science, 3 credits; Social Studies, 3 credits; Religious Studies, .5 credit; Fine Arts, 1 credit; Athletics, 3.5 credits; Additional non-departmental requirements include: Wellness (Ninth and Twelfth grades) - one semester class dealing with social and emotional health; Junior Seminar - one semester class dealing with college selection and application process; A 40 hour senior internship/shadowing experience; A minimum of 21 credits is necessary for graduation.
Holland Hall offers multiple foreign language possibilities. Beginning in primary school, students learn Spanish. In sixth grade, students take a language of their choice, either French, Latin, or Spanish. Students who need extra enrichment take LAS, Language Arts Strategies, to help with study skills in place of one year of language in middle school. In upper school, students choose between French, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese. Exchange trips and class trips are offered.
Holland Hall is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest; is recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Episcopal Schools, National Association for College Admission Counseling, Great Plains Association for College Admission Counseling, College Board, Education Conservancy and since 1968, Cum Laude.
Holland Hall has been recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for superior college preparation.
Holland Hall is one of only three Oklahoma educational institutions to belong to the Center for Academic Integrity. Holland Hall is one of four independent schools to participate in the College Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA) project. The scores of Seniors in the Class of 2007 were comparable to the top 25% of college freshmen who took the exam at the end of their first year of college.
Holland Hall's upper school has a unique schedule. The students' schedules are based on a six day cycle: A day through F day. Each day is divided into eighteen twenty-two minute mods. Classes are generally two or three mods long. Each class meets a set number of days per cycle. Freshman Wellness, for example, meets two days per cycle, while an English class would meet five of the six. Most of the primary classes (English, math, science, history, foreign language) meet five times per cycle.
Founded in 1922, the school's longstanding reputation for academic excellence is reflected in the accomplishments of the students, outstanding teachers, an innovative curriculum, unparalleled facilities and a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, all of which ensures a very personal education for approximately 1,000 students.
The Walter Arts Center (WAC) at Holland Hall School is a multi-venue facility used by both the school and the community at large. The Branch Theatre is named in honor of a former headmaster and has a proscenium-thrust stage with seating for over 1200, a full suspended fly-gallery, and state-of-the-art electronics. The WAC is also home to a large studio theater (the Newman "Black Box"), an art gallery, a black-and-blue photo lab, a digital imaging studio, a ceramics workshop, a dance studio, an orchestra/band rehearsal hall, a choir room, and a painting studio.
Arts are emphasized from an early age at Holland Hall, where children in grade school are no strangers to performance based activities. Beginning in the Middle School, students are given the opportunity to audition for the annual Middle School student/faculty production. While such productions have traditionally consisted of musicals, recent selections have included Shakespeare and other dramas.
In the Upper School, students are required to participate in a number of arts programs to satisfy graduation requirements, though many choose to continue their involvement in the arts long after this has been fulfilled. Several of the more popular disciplines include orchestra, choir, jazz band and modern dance, though the visual arts are also very strong.
Holland Hall School belongs to the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the National Association of Independent Schools. The athletic teams, known as The Dutch, compete in the Southwest Preparatory Conference in 12 different sports. Beginning in grade six, the students have a sports requirement rather than a physical education requirement. The Athletic Director of the school is Steve Heldebrand, who came to the school in 2006.
The boys' soccer team won the 2008 SPC Championship with a 5-3 win over St. Mark's School of Texas. The girls were 2nd place in Division II.
The boys' soccer team also won the 2009 SPC Championship with a 2-0 win over John Cooper School. They finished the season 21-0-1 and were ranked #8 in the nation in the ESPNRise national winter soccer rankings.
The boys' soccer team also won the 2011 SPC Championship in a penalty shootout against St. Mark's. They finished the season 18-0-1.
The football program exhibits one of the better football traditions in the SPC. The team is currently led by Holland Hall alumnus Tag Gross and played in the last five SPC Division I Championship games, including winning the 2005 championship 24-10 over St. Marks School of Texas. This was the conclusion of a 10-0 season, including regular season victories over Cascia Hall and Casady. Their rival in the Southwest Preparatory Conference is the St. Mark's School of Texas Lions, which have beaten Holland Hall to win the SPC Division I football championship the past two years.
The football program was led by Coach Charlie Brown until he retired in 1999 to continue as Holland Hall's athletic director. Brown was replaced by Steve Heldebrand as athletic director in 2006 and remained on staff as the athletic director emeritus and assistant to the headmaster for special projects. The 2007 coaching staff currently includes four former University of Tulsa football players, including former Buffalo Bills guard, Jerry Ostroski, and Brian Underwood.
The boys' golf team, led by Coach George "Sparky" Grober, won three consecutive championships in 2003, 2004, and 2005. The girls' team, led by Coach Brian Underwood, won their first title in 2005.
Notable alumni include actor Tim Blake Nelson, TV & film writer/producer Max Burnett, Leslie Berlin, author of The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley, author Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Major League Baseball pitcher Steve Sparks, actress Heather Langenkamp, and musicians Neal Tiemann and Andy Skib.
| Preceded by Saint Thomas Academy |
National Academic Championship champion 2005 |
Succeeded by Byram Hills High School |