This year, the school's art students took home three gold and two silver medals at the Hawai'i Scholastic Arts Competition. In April, the Louis Pohl Gallery will showcase Priory girls and faculty members in its first show featuring student art.

The school focuses on getting girls excited about science from the time they enter kindergarten. Students not only show off their skills at the Priory's science fair, but they also made a strong showing at the last Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools science fair, taking several top awards.

The school's size makes it easy for teachers to focus on students' individual needs. With 500 students in grades kindergarten through 12, most classes have around a dozen students, except for physical education and orchestra classes.

"We're just the perfect size for a lot of our daughters," said head of school Marilyn Matsunaga.

What are you most proud of? "We are most proud of our students and the strong tradition of academic excellence at the Priory. Students thrive in our all-girls environment and small class sizes," Matsunaga said.

Best-kept secret: "Our dynamic performing and visual arts program. We have the only all-girls orchestra in Hawai'i. We also have a comprehensive K-12 visual arts program and a School for Visual Arts for college-bound art majors. Many of our students are award-winning artists," Matsunaga said.

Everybody at our school knows: "Everybody else! The school specializes in individualized attention, so students and faculty really get to know each other and feel like 'ohana," she said.

What we need: "As a private school, we strive to offer our students as many opportunities for scholarships and tuition grants as possible. Much of our annual fund and fund-raising efforts go toward scholarship aid for students," she said.

Special events: Mauna 'Ala and the annual science fair are major school events.

"Each year, the Priory celebrates the birth of our founder, Queen Emma. Students, faculty and Priory friends gather together at the Mauna 'Ala royal burial grounds in a tribute of prayer, music and dance," Matsunaga said.