The Academy of the Holy Angels is an all-female private middle school and college preparatory high school located in Demarest, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in sixth through twelfth grade.[8] The school is a sponsored work of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.[9] The Academy of the Holy Angels draws students from North Jersey, Rockland County, New York, and surrounding areas.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 531 students and 48.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. The school's student body was 67.0% (356) White, 13.7% (73) Asian, 8.9% (47) two or more races, 7.0% (37) Hispanic, 3.0% (16) Black, 0.2% (1) American Indian / Alaska Native and 0.2% (1) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander.[2]
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.[11] The former site was replaced by Mediterranean Towers South at 2000 Linwood Avenue, on the northeast corner of Main Street and Linwood Avenue.
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.[14]
Middle States accreditation
The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.[4] 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.[15]
Technology
Since 2005, upon entering the school, each student is required to buy a Fujitsu Tablet. Students use these tablets during school and at home to complete assignments, access the internet for research, take notes, and 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 began to use LiveText, an online storage site in which each student is able to upload their best papers and projects, ultimately creating their own 'online resume.'
Art
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.
The AHA Dance Team competes annually at the UDA National Dance Team Championship, hosted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL. The squad has won five National Titles in Small Varsity Hip Hop as well as placed in the top 3 in Small Varsity Pom for the past three years.[16]
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.
The Angels of the Academy of the Holy Angels[3] compete in the Big North Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[18] 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.[19] With 866 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[20]
The Academy of the Holy Angels has a long-standing rivalry with fellow Catholic school, Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township. In 2018, the varsity soccer team beat the Eagles 1-0 for the first time in history.[21]
The cross country team won the Non-Public A state titles in both 2006 and 2009.[22]
Basketball coach Susan Liddy was recognized in fall 2008 for having reached a milestone 600th win.[23]
The tennis team won the Non-Public A state championship in 2015 (defeating Eustace Preparatory School in the final match of the tournament) and in 2018 (vs. Pingry School).[24] The 2015 team ran their record for the season to 16-0 after winning the Non-Public A state title over Bishop Eustace 4–1 in the tournament finals at Mercer County Park.[25]
The bowling team won the Group II state championship in 2015.[26]
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, the lyrics were changed to reflect the move.[28]
Herb Cohen (born 1940), fencing coach, two-time Olympian[32]
In popular culture
In the 1947 noir film Kiss of Death the Academy, then located in Fort Lee, was the setting of an orphanage where main character Nick Bianco (played by Victor Mature) visits his daughters. The film was directed by Henry Hathaway and the nun in the orphanage was portrayed by Eva Condon.[33]
References
^Our Principal, Academy of the Holy Angels. Accessed March 12, 2022.
^Chessari, Joe. "AHA, IHA Ready To Rekindle Budding Rivalry", The Record, February 14, 1999. Accessed October 26, 2007. "It's a friendly rivalry, this one between the girls' basketball teams of Academy of the Holy Angels and Immaculate Heart Academy."
^"Holy Angels girls tennis beats Bishop Eustace in Non-Public A for first title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 15, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2021. "For the first time in school history, the Holy Angels girls tennis team, No. 11 in the NJ.com Top 20, is a state champion after a 4-1 victory over Bishop Eustace in the Non-Public A final at Mercer County Park.... Holy Angels is now 16-0 on the season and beat No. 12 Oak Knoll and No. 16 Pingry in the North Jersey, Non-Public A sectional tournament just to make it to the Non-Public A state championship match."
^Nita Naldi, Hollywood Walk of Fame. Accessed December 17, 2024. "She was named for her great aunt, Mary Nonna Dunphy, who founded Academy of the Holy Angels in Ft. Lee, New Jersey. She would attend the school in 1910."
^Zimmer, David M. "Susie Wiles, the first woman White House chief of staff, is from New Jersey", The Record, November 13, 2024. Accessed December 17, 2024. "As a teenager, Wiles attended the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, a private all-girls school founded in 1879. She graduated from the academy in 1975 before moving on to the University of Maryland."
