Private K-12 School on Big Island, Hawaii

Hawaii Preparatory Academy:
Founded in 1949, Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) is one of the premier independent, co-educational college-preparatory boarding and day schools in the Pacific Region offering a full range of academic and extracurricular opportunities for 575 students in grades K-12. The school is located in Waimea on two campuses encompassing 228 acres in the heart of world-famous Parker Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii. HPA offers a boarding option for students in grades 6-12, and draws its diverse student body from the Hawaiian Islands, 16 other states and U.S. territories, and 12 other countries.

Co-Educational Day & Boarding School Programs: 

Lower School (K-5):
The Lower School provides a rich learning environment that holistically nurtures the intellectual, social, emotional, and moral growth of each child. Staffed by caring and professional educators, dedicated to helping all children reach their potential, the school's educational program is both challenging and enriching. Classroom teachers work collaboratively with specialists in the visual and performing arts, music, physical education, computer and library science, and with administrators and staff, to deliver high-level, integrated instruction in a supportive, safe, and respectful environment.

Middle School:
The Middle School program serves the needs, interests, and abilities of children in grades 6, 7, and 8 whose educational goals include college-level academic work. The program is designed for students who seek a challenging learning environment with behavioral expectations at the same challenging level. The Middle School provides a transition through the period of physical, emotional, and intellectual development between childhood and early adolescence.

The school's program serves the dual role of preparation for the immediate and well-defined future of the next grade and the largely unknown years to come. The school attempts to include in its offerings, experiences that help individuals accept changes in themselves and others. As a result, academic development and personal development go hand-in-hand as equal partners.

Upper School:
A student must earn a minimum of 22 credits to qualify for graduation from HPA. Credits are awarded for successful completion of required outlined course expectations. If a student does not fulfill the required course credit at time of graduation, a certificate will be issued in place of a diploma.

Students are strongly encouraged to explore as many disciplines and offerings as possible. If particular department requirements already have been satisfied, students are urged to enroll in more advanced courses within that department. More selective colleges admit candidates who have challenged themselves throughout high school.

English:
At the Upper School, students begin with an emphasis in English essentials with steadily increasing exposure to literature and culture. Sophomores and juniors continue to hone their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills so they can become productive and important members of their community. The department offers interested juniors and seniors advanced placement courses in literature, language, and composition. Seniors and interested underclassmen take electives in courses ranging from creative writing to the modern short story.

Math:
The goal of the HPA Math Department is to offer a curriculum that is student centered. Each class is steeped in the essential skills and nurtures the growth of problem solving strategies. The curriculum is heavily laced with the inquiry and discovery methods.

Modern Languages:
The philosophy of our department is summed up in the belief that we must educate our students to be linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and the multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural world community. In our language courses, we guide our students in the joyous and fascinating discovery of Spanish, French, and Japanese. Extensive vocabulary and careful explanations of intricate grammatical concepts are introduced at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels and communication skills are practiced actively in class daily.

Athletics:
Students at our lower, middle and upper school participate in sports through regular physical education classes. In addition there are a variety of afterschool sports programs within HPA, and within the Waimea Community that they participate in too.