Berkeley Parents Network: Holy Names High School

Berkeley Parents Network

Holy Names High School

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > Holy Names High School

Feb 2008

We are considering enrolling our 13 year old daughter at Holy Names High School. What have you heard/experienced, both positive and negative, about Holy Names? jlh

My 16 yr old daughter went to HNHS for 9th through half of 11th. (She left because her interest in stagecraft drew her to Skyline HS in Oakland where the set up was recently renovated). HNHS was a great experience from the stand point of the all female environment truly giving the young women there the opportunities to grow in ways that they might not in a co-ed one, the small size of the school has the advantage of letting each student know they make a difference. The religion classes while perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, give the students the opportunity to discuss topics they don’t often come across in their everyday social world, listen to differing points of view and through that exposes them to belief systems other than their own. The student body is very diverse and certainly reflects the Oakland demographic more than I would have expected. Generally a very positive place for girls to learn. Some of the negatives might include: a curriculum could use a little update--the texts in the English courses are the same ones I read in high schooll; the faculty is good, but as in any small school when one leaves, it is felt more than in a large urban school. Hope that helps some in your decision making. Oakland mom

Our daughter attends Holy Names High School. She is a smart, motivated and self-directed girl. It was her choice to go there. I was skeptical because it is very small, didn't have the rah-rah reputation of other high schools and there were no boys (not that I want her boy crazy, mind you.) Also, her grade school teachers thought she was ready for a bigger pond. All I can say is that she is so at home there and doing very well. The school recognizes her abilities and has placed her in honors and AP classes. We too heard good and bad about the school, but we heard good and bad about almost all the high schools. In the end we conceded to our daughter's wishes and it has been a very positive outcome. I should add though that she is a student who would have done well wherever she went. HNHS Mom

2001

Re: Violin Lessons
Holy Names College has an excellent preparatory music program (private and group lessons). My daughter is studying Suzuki violin from Wendy Reid, who is calm and understanding, and who relates very well to our 8 year old and her quirks. Another good teacher is Dorothy Lee. I also believe Holy Names provides lessons for other instruments. Holy Names Prep Music dept. can be reached at 436-1224. Trish

March 1998

I am a graduate of Holy Names High School in the Oakland hills, and both of my brothers are graduates of St Mary's high School in Berkeley (one before it went co-ed and one since.) In addition, I have been volunteering with the high school students at church and so I have been keeping up on Salesian as well as O'Dowd.

It seems from the schools you listed that you are mostly interested in a co-ed school, but I would really encourage you to consider Holy Names if you have a daughter. In fact my family feels a great sense of loss that the closest single sex school for boys is out at De La Salle in Concord. I really enjoyed my time at Holy Names, my older brother was very relieved that St Mary's didn't go co-ed until after he was graduated, and my younger brother as well as some of the current students I know all feel a real sense of loss now that the school is mixed.

I know that there are a lot of girls that think that they will never meet guys if they are in an all girls school, but that is not true. In fact many of the girls I started Holy Names with had made deals with heir parents that if they were unhappy after the first year they could transfer out, and none did. High school was a more laid back experience socially for us because we didn't "have to worry about boys all day". In addition Holy Names and St Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda are the only High schools that require uniforms (I think) which eliminates the clothing and social status problem that so many high school students face. (It is also a lot cheaper because we didn't "have to worry about boys all day". In addition Holy Names and St Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda are the only High schools that require uniforms (I think) which eliminates the clothing and social status problem that so many high school students face. (It is also a lot cheaper for the parent of a teen.) I felt that the single sex environment really helped us all feel more confident and free to speak out in class and to achieve academically. I encourage all girls to really consider Holy Names. The school has a very academic program. All students take 4 years of English and religion, 2-3 years of lab science, 3-4 years of math, 4 years of history/government and econ., 2-4 years of music or art, 3-4 years of foreign language and 2 year of PE as well as a semester of computers with a top computer lab. In addition the school has many sports teams and extra curricular clubs. most schools no longer offer 7 subjects, but holy names does. They have several Open Houses a year, and I really encourage parents and students to check it out..

From my experience ant the conversations that I have with current students I think that the most academically challenging catholic schools right now are Holy Names and O'Dowd. Holy names has a lot of diversity. O'Dowd has more of a prep school feel to it. There is a lot more money at O'Dowd so the kids tend to dress really expensively and a lot have cars. St Mary's and Salesian are also pretty diverse although St Marys has become less diverse since it went co-ed.

St Marys is improving its academics, but there have been constant changes in the administration since the school went co-ed, and there is just not the same wholesome attitude that there was at the school. We have been quite unhappy that the school seems much more interested in academic achievement (although they only offer 6 subjects now), at the expense of their previous emphasis on educating the whole student. In addition, in the past the school used to give preference to applicants from catholic schools and to siblings of current students, and they pretty much gave that up when they went co-ed so that they could attract more Berkeley prep school students.

It seems to me that it is a long process for a school to go from single sex to co-ed, and Salesian and St Marys are still working on it. Since Salesian went co-ed a while ago, they are a little further along.

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