I attended co-ed parochial school for grade school and junior high, and then Sacred Hearts Academy for 9-12 (the most prestigious school for girls on the island! ), so I experienced both.

To be honest, I miss it a lot. The Academy would gather every morning for flag raising and prayer (all 1200 of us in JK-12) in the courtyard, devotions in the oratory, we wore berets on Mass days. The Academy was founded by French Catholic missionaries and our uniforms resembled French sailor suits:




Aside from the tie that'd get stuck on doorknobs and desks, I thought our uniforms were unique and not your typical plaid.

I still attend the school fair every year so I keep in touch with former teachers. We also have an alumnae luau at the end of every school year that's fun -- last year I met our oldest living graduate...she graduated in 1919!

Once I start banking in the $$$ I'll probably start sending checks to the scholarship fund.

My nieces and little cousins now attend the Academy, following the tradition. My hope, is that one day if and when I have daughters, I'll be able to send them to the Academy. It was such a fine institution when I was there, and I'm sure it'll be even better in the years to come.