The Academy of the Holy Angels is an all-female Roman Catholic college preparatory high school located in Demarest, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The Academy of the Holy Angels draws students from North Jersey, Rockland County, New York, and surrounding areas.
As of the 2015-16 school year, the school had an enrollment of 594 students and 55.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 10.8:1. The school's student body was 69.4% White, 12.6% Asian, 7.6% Hispanic, 6.1% Black, 0.2% American Indian / Alaska Native and 4.2% two or more races.
The Academy of the Holy Angels is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.
Video Academy of the Holy Angels
Mission
"Rooted in the conviction of the School Sisters of Notre Dame that 'the world can be changed through the transformation of persons,' education at the Academy empowers each young woman to reach the fullness of her potential spiritually, morally, intellectually, socially, and physically, so that she, in turn, may share her gifts with others. The vision of a new global community based on gospel values permeates life at the Academy, impelling each young woman to embrace generous leadership."
Maps Academy of the Holy Angels
History
The Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private school in Bergen County. Founded in 1879 by Sister Mary Nonna Dunphy, one of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the school was opened in Fort Lee, New Jersey as a boarding and day school for girls from kindergarten to twelfth grade. In 1890 it was incorporated as Holy Angels, Collegiate Institute for Young Ladies and Preparatory School for Little Girls. Its motto was then and remains now "Vitae Via Virtus." The Holy Angels Board voted to change the name of the school to the Academy of the Holy Angels in 1934 when Sister M. Angeline Hughes was Principal. The school accepted a developer's offer for the school's location in Fort Lee and purchased a large property in Demarest. The school had operated a grammar school in addition to the high school for decades and many graduates were known as "12 year Angels." The grammar school was discontinued completely in 1964 prior to the move from Fort Lee. Building commenced and the school relocated to its current location in Demarest in 1965.
Awards and recognition
During the 1999-2000 school year, the Academy of the Holy Angels was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.
The Corporation for National Service selected the Academy of the Holy Angels as a National Service-Learning Leader School, due to its excellence in service learning. Holy Angels is one of two Catholic high schools nationwide to receive this honor.
Middle States accreditation
The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools, one of six regional accrediting, peer-administered organizations that offers institutions protocols for evaluation and improvement. AHA chose Accreditation for Growth, a strategic planning method in which diverse constituent groups participate in discussions, which are then used as a method for growth and improvement, both academically by the students, as well as by the institution.
Technology
Since 2007, upon entering the school, each student is required to buy a Fujitsu Tablet, which students use these tablets during school and at home to complete assignments, access the internet for research, take notes, as well as communicate with the faculty. Equipped with a pen and with a screen that can function as a notebook, students are able to use these tablets for all subjects such as History and Math. Features such as the Dropbox and Student Commons allow students to access notes and papers from the teachers on the school network, as well as place their own completed assignments within the folders on the network and, in effect, decrease the amount of paper used.
In addition, AHA is currently using Turnitin, a website that scans finished papers and assignments for plagiarism and helps prevent it as well. Beginning with the class of 2011, AHA has recently introduced LiveText, an online storage site in which each student is able to upload their best papers and projects, ultimately creating their own 'online resume.' With this new addition, each student is given an edge that many students from other schools do not have as this program allows each student to create their own video introducing themselves to prospective colleges.
Art
Holy Angels is a top-performing Bergen County school in Fine Arts. In 2014, AHA was the only Bergen County Catholic High School to receive Gold and Silver Regional Awards in the prestigious Scholastic Arts Competition. A total of 41 Scholastic Awards in diverse areas of fine arts, including Painting, Photography, Drawing, Digital Art, Jewelry, and Architecture were awarded to AHA students, as well as a Gold National Scholastic Art Award for Photography. In 2015 a student was awarded the National Scholastic American Visions Award in Drawing & Illustration. In recent years, students have also been the recipients of the Pentel Art Award, the Papermill Playhouse Award for Best Graphic Design, and the Bucknell Art Department Art History Scholarship. Fine Arts courses at AHA include Graphic Arts, Digital Design, Painting, Photography, Color & Design, Drawing, Visual Arts I and II, AP Studio Art: 2-D Design, AP Studio Art: Drawing, and AP Art History. A special portfolio course, Studio I Honors, is also offered to art-track students. AHA facilities include four art studios and a lab for digital media. Winter and Spring Art Shows are held annually to feature artists. The school also has an active chapter of the National Art Honor Society, Art Club, and Photography Club.
Activities
The Academy of the Holy Angels provides a range of clubs and organizations that students can join based on their own interests and availability. In addition to after-school activities, the schedule of AHA allows a 45-minute activity period at the end of the day once a cycle, during which students can participate in in-school clubs and organizations. There are two cycles that alternate, and students can, therefore, choose two in-school activities to participate in.
In-school activities
After-school activities
Honors Societies
- National Honor Society
- Mu Alpha Theta (National Mathematics Honor Society)
- Thespian Honor Society (Performing Arts)
- National Science Honor Society
- Società Onoraria Italica (Italian Language)
- Societas Latina Honoris (Latin Language)
- Société Honoraire de Français (French Language)
- Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish Language)
- Tri-M Honor Society (Music)
- Rho Kappa (National Social Studies Honor Society)
- NBEA (National Business Honor Society)
- National Art Honor Society
Athletics
The Angels of the Academy of the Holy Angels compete in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Prior to realignment in 2010, the school competed in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, which consisted of public and private high schools located in Bergen County.
The Academy of the Holy Angels has a long-standing rivalry with fellow Catholic school, Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township.
The cross country team won the Non-Public A state titles in both 2006 and 2009.
Basketball coach Susan Liddy was recognized in the fall of 2008 for having reached a milestone 600th win.
Sports offered to students at AHA include:
- Fall sports
- Cross country running
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Bergen Catholic Varsity Cheer
- St. Joseph's Varsity Cheer
- Winter sports
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Fencing
- Indoor track
- Spring sports
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Softball
- Track and field
Alma mater
The official alma mater for Holy Angels was written by Margaret Mary Powers Gidez (Class of 1942). The original lyrics of the first two lines were, "With stately dome arising high and golden cross above." When the Academy relocated to Demarest in 1965 lyrics were changed to reflect the move.
References
External links
- Academy of the Holy Angels
- Data for the Academy of the Holy Angels, National Center for Education Statistics
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