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Founded in 1879 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame

September 2020

Dear AHA Families,

Welcome back! I hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy. As we look forward to the opening of this school year, I remind everyone to review AHA’s Return to School Plan. I am grateful to our school’s task force - a committee of school administration, AHA board members, faculty and staff and school parents including educators, physicians and nurses. The committee’s work was based on two guiding principles; emphasizing physical health and safety while maximizing student engagement. Every member of our school community will play an important role in our safe and successful return to campus.

Our theme for the coming school year is “Sharing our love, faith and hope.” This simple phrase is taken from You Are Sent, the constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. We chose this theme at a time in our school’s history when we are recommitting ourselves to building greater equity and inclusivity within the Holy Angels community. Through meetings and communication with our alumnae, students and school families, we have learned we should and can do better in the areas of diversity and inclusion. Our administrative team is committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all. This summer, school administrators began participating in DEI training with Olive Branch Educators. Recognizing that culture cannot be changed through emails and letters but through our relationships and conversations, we will be extending this training to our faculty and staff. Our Middle States Colloquium will focus on improving cultural competency. Our faculty IDEAL Council and Student Diversity Council will be important partners in this work. Throughout the school year, I will keep you informed as to our progress.

When you return to campus, you will note many physical changes. In addition to the installation of many safety measures, we are completing two important capital improvement projects. The first is the installation of air conditioning throughout the classrooms on the main floor of school. The second is the replacement of the roof in the school gym and the breezeway. These projects were led by the Board’s facilities committee as part of our ongoing capital maintenance program.

The last several months have presented all of us with unforeseen challenges and I remain very thankful for the support of our school families. The AHA faculty and staff and our students have all done an extraordinary job. Our success this fall will require the collaboration of each and every member of the AHA community. Be assured of my prayers, I am grateful for yours.

Be well,

Melinda A. Hanlon, Ed. S.
President

July 15, 2020

Dear AHA Families,

I hope this finds you staying well and enjoying the summer. Today I am writing to share an update regarding the opening of school in the fall. As you are aware, Governor Murphy announced that schools will be reopening on campus this fall and that each school will be responsible for developing their own plan for reopening. Following his announcement at the end of June, our AHA task force began meeting to develop plans for our return. This group, comprised of administration, faculty, parents and board members have been working to develop options for our return to classes and the safe operation of school. As we can clearly see from the news each day, this is a very fluid and frequently changing situation. Please know we are working to create several options for September. At this point, it is still too soon to know our exact plans for September or what additional directives we may receive from the Governor’s office or the NJDOE. Our intention is to share our plans for the return to classes in mid-August.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenges. Stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Melinda Hanlon, Ed.S.
President

April 24, 2020

Dear AHA Families,

In light of Governor Murphy’s decision for schools to remain closed until at least May 15th, we have made the decision to keep our campus closed for the remainder of the school year. During the Easter Break, our faculty and administration were busy planning for the upcoming weeks of remote learning.

We’ve spoken with teachers about making the academic load lighter for their students. Moving forward, they will continue to teach during the normal schedule but will reduce the amount of information that they need to disseminate to the students. Please note these calendar dates:

April 27th-30th - Spirit week (You may see your daughter or her teachers dressed a little oddly!)
April 30th - School closed
May 6th - School closed This was to have been Service Day so optional service project ideas will be offered on our Powerschool page for students who are interested.
May 15th - School closed
May 18th - Senior Retreat. Classes in session for underclassmen.
May 19th - Seniors’ last day.
May 21st-25th - School closed Memorial Day Holiday
June 8th-11 - Exams for underclassmen. Last day of school is June 11th unless students have make-up exams.
June 12th - Make-up exams for underclassmen.

An abbreviated version of exams will occur in June, with the exception of seniors who are ALL exempt from finals. All exams will be one hour in length. The exam schedule will be shared with students next week. We have chosen to continue with final exams because we believe in honoring the work the students have accomplished throughout the entire school year. Teachers have received instructions that final exams should offer students an opportunity to share what they’ve learned from the course, not what they’ve missed. The format of the exams will include open ended questions, offer student question choice, and in some courses, students will be able to use textbooks and notes. This culminating assessment gives students an opportunity to write, to share the knowledge they’ve gained and to improve their average. It also provides a clear closure to the school year. Please know that this decision was made after careful consideration of pedagogical research and with input from educators, psychologists and college representatives. Our decisions are made with the best interests of our students in mind, not based on what other schools may have decided. We believe our decision will best position Holy Angels students moving forward.

The last two months have been a challenging and at times, a traumatic experience for all. Let us help our students remember that trauma is a lens, not a label. It is not a destiny. Here at Holy Angels, we will continue to adapt, grow and thrive. Thank you for the trust you have placed in us and for the partnership we share in the education of your daughters.

God Bless you all. Stay safe and healthy,

Sincerely,

Melinda A. Hanlon , Ed.S.
President

Jean Miller
Principal

March 2020

Dear AHA Families,

First and most importantly, I hope this finds everyone well. As we continue to work, teach and learn remotely, I must take a moment to say how much I personally miss being on the school campus seeing my colleagues and our students. I look forward to the day when we will all return to school.

Today as I write to you, my overwhelming emotion is one of gratitude. I am grateful to our faculty who on very short notice adjusted their teaching methods, plans and schedules and seamlessly transitioned to online instruction. Each day, our students are participating in a full day of real-time instruction from 8AM to 2PM. I am in awe of our Angels, who have truly risen to the occasion, arriving on-time, fully prepared and engaged in their classes. I am so proud of all of you.

I would also like to thank all our employees who have adapted their departments to function remotely- Office of Academic and College Counseling, Registrar, Technology, Admissions, Advancement, Finance, Communications, Campus Mission and Ministry, Maintenance and Secretarial Staff. I congratulate all of you for your creativity, flexibility and perseverance. Our students and teachers would not be so successful if not for your support.
I am indebted to our administrative team- Jean Miller, Francesca Tambone-Puzio and Andrea Beyer- who have been working tirelessly with me to anticipate and respond to a myriad of challenges daily. They are truly servant leadership in action, working for the good of all our school community.

To you, our AHA families, thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these uncharted times. I hope to be able to communicate good news about the school calendar after the Easter break, but for now we will continue to comply with Governor Murphy’s mandate to remain closed.

In the meantime, remember that “Love is the bond that unites us.” We have all chosen Holy Angels because we believe in and value the transformative power of education. Yes, our daily destinations may have changed but our connection remains as strong as ever. As we continue our Lenten journey towards the promise of Easter, be assured of my prayers and in turn I ask for yours.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon , Ed.S
President

Lent 2020

Dear AHA Families,

We began the season of Lent as a school community with a prayer service and distribution of ashes. During Lent, students will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation here at school. In addition, we continue to offer the opportunity for daily Mass every Wednesday morning at 7:15AM in our Kelleher Hall chapel for our students, faculty and staff. This Lenten season, we join with the School Sisters of Notre Dame in a journey of fasting and prayer with a focus on their four commitments- water, human trafficking, immigration and Haiti- and bear prophetic witness to “that oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent” (SSND Directional Statement.) To borrow from the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si, “Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of His creatures.”

With this letter, we are moving to a different format for our monthly communications. You will continue to receive monthly letters from Mrs. Miller which will include an overview of important dates and events. I will be sharing letters on a quarterly basis to provide you with news and perspective from my office.

As we look ahead to the next school year, we are excited to welcome the Class of 2024! This talented group of students have already brought energy and excitement to Holy Angels with every visit and interaction. Registration inquiries should be directed to our Admissions Office.

Last month, I attended the annual SSND Atlantic Midwest Leadership meeting along with Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Tambone-Puzio. This yearly gathering gives us the opportunity to meet with the leadership of the SSND sponsored works throughout the province and the Provincial Council. The keynote speaker was Sister Roxanne Schares, SSND, the newly elected General Superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. S. Roxanne traveled from Rome to be with us and share her message of mission leadership in challenging times. She encouraged us to foster communion in our own communities and witness hope as we lead for transformation to bring peace and harmony to our world.

Please join us for this year’s Angelic Evening gala on Friday March 20th at the Edgewood Country Club as we celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Academy of the Holy Angels. This year’s honorees are S. Mary Maher, SSND, AHA Class of 1968 and Audrey (AHA Class of 1964) and Bob Luckow and Stephanie (AHA Class of 2002) and Adam Hawkinson. Each of our honorees has played an important role in AHA’s history. I look forward to seeing you there as we raise funds for the much-awaited renovation of our school auditorium and music wing. This project is moving towards a reality for us because of your ongoing and generous support. Thank you for all you do for all of us at Holy Angels.

Be assured of my prayers for you and your families as we journey together towards Easter,

Melinda Hanlon
President

January 2020

Dear AHA Families,

Happy New Year! May the coming year be blessed with good health and happiness for you and your families. Welcome back to our faculty, staff and students. I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas holidays and a well-deserved break. As the Christmas season continues, we will gather for our Epiphany liturgy on Wednesday January 8th.

On Friday January 10th, we look forward to welcoming our College Angels back to campus for a reception and visit. Please visit our website to register, we hope to see many of our young alumnae here on campus.

We have been very impressed by the applicants for AHA’s Class of 2024. Decision letters will be mailed on January 16th with our acceptance video going out the next day. The Admissions office is hosting a “Coffee and Conversation” for prospective families at 6PM on Wednesday January 29th and looking ahead, our Accepted Students Reception is on Monday evening February 3rd. Please see our website for details and contact our Admissions department with any questions. Our Finance department is also available for help with financial aid applications and to assist with any questions you may have. Our goal is to help make a Holy Angels education a reality for deserving students.

Along with Catholic schools across the country, Holy Angels will mark Catholic Schools Week later this month. A full calendar of events is available on the school website. We will celebrate our CSW liturgy on Wednesday January 29th. In addition to academic excellence and the opportunity to maximize the benefits of a growth-mindset approach to learning, our students thrive in a culture of service and social justice learning. We appreciate the trust and commitment our families place in us at Holy Angels and we celebrate the achievements of all our Angels and alumnae.

On New Year’s Day, Pope Francis shared his message of peace as a journey of hope. He reminds us that, “Day by day, the Holy Spirit prompts us in ways of thinking and speaking that make us artisans of justice and peace.” In 2020, as we look ahead to a new decade, let us pray for peace in our hearts and in our world remembering that our theme for this 140th anniversary year “Love is the bond that unites us.”

Blessings,
Melinda A. Hanlon
President

December 2019

Dear AHA Families,

As we begin the Advent season, may you be blessed with peace, love and joy. I hope this time will give us all the opportunity prepare for the coming of Christmas. We will gather as a school community for our Advent prayer service in early December. As a reminder, our faculty and students also have the opportunity to attend weekly school Mass on Wednesday mornings at 7:15AM in the Chapel in Kelleher Hall. Mass intentions are available from Mrs. Sylvester in our Campus Ministry office.

Our school magazine, Tidings, went to press last month and I hope you have time to enjoy all the school news and updates about our alumnae, current students and school happenings in this issue. The magazine also includes our 2018-19 Annual Report to donors. We are very grateful for the many ways the members of our school community continue to support us at Holy Angels.

The month of December is filled with many traditions here at AHA including the Christmas Tree Blessing, Junior Ring Ceremony and our annual Christmas Concert. The students in our performing arts programs bless us with a beautiful concert each year so I hope you can join us on December 13th for their program. A reminder that our Christmas break begins with an early dismissal on Friday December 20th. School offices will be closing that day at 1:00PM and will reopen on Monday, January 6th.

December has already brought us the first snowfall of the season. The decision to close or delay school is always a challenging task for administrators and we thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Safety remains our first priority; please make your own travel decisions to school based on what is best for your individual situations.

As we await the celebration of Christmas, let us reflect on these words from our foundress, Blessed Theresa and remember that “Love is the sign by which the world will know you believe in Jesus.”

Wishing you and your families all the blessings of the Christmas season!

Melinda Hanlon
President

November 2019

Dear AHA Families,

November brings many opportunities for our school community to join together for prayer, celebration and to showcase the accomplishments of our students. Our annual PAA Beefsteak will be held on Saturday November 2nd when we will welcome the AHA 2009 Cross Country Team into the Athletic Hall of Fame. We are looking forward to our fall production of “Twelve Angry Jurors” on the weekend of November 8, 9 and 10. On Sunday November 10th, we will host our annual Alumnae Tea Party which includes a dance class presented by our national championship dance team. Later this month, we have the Sports dinner, Kairos retreat weekend and parent conferences.

The AHA Admissions calendar is busy with our entrance exam on November 2nd; an Angels Showcase Day on November 7th and Angel for a Day visits. We continue to welcome interested students and their families to Holy Angels and our administration and admissions staff are available to answer your questions as you make this all-important decision for your daughter’s future.

In this our 140th anniversary year, we look forward to celebrating our annual Angelic Evening Gala on Friday March 20, 2020 at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. This year we will be honoring several special members of our school community. Sister Mary Maher, SSND, AHA Class of 1968 will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award. The Legacy Award will be presented to the Luckow Family-Audrey Spiotto (AHA Class of 1964) and Robert Luckow and Stefanie Luckow (AHA Class of 2002) and Adam Hawkinson. Planning is well underway for this event and our advancement/alumnae office will be sharing information regarding tickets, ad journal and sponsorship opportunities.

This year also finds us celebrating the 186th anniversary of the establishment of the order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Our commitment to the SSND mission remains strong and our students are living their faith through the many works of service they share with both their local and global communities. This was affirmed for us last week when we celebrated Foundation Day and Alumnae Homecoming Weekend. As the Sisters stood before us renewing their vows and offering the blessing of Mother Theresa, I was reminded once again how here at Holy Angels we are part of a much larger community of faith and service. As our Foundress Blessed Theresa wrote, “With the dear Lord what we do is less important than how we do it. Through a good intention and a pure motive, everything becomes divine service.”

In this season of Thanksgiving, be assured of our prayers of gratitude for all you do for us at Holy Angels. Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

October 2019

Dear AHA Families,

It is a month of celebrations here at Holy Angels. October begins with the Feast of the Holy Angels on October 2nd. We marked our Feast Day and the 140th anniversary of the founding of AHA at our first Mass of the school year. Father James Heuser from Don Bosco Prep was celebrant and he also commissioned our student Eucharistic Ministers. Our Feast Day gives all of us at the Academy the opportunity to honor the vision and courage of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The pioneering spirit of Sister Nonna Dunphy and the group of Sisters who founded our school in 1879 continues to inspire all of us.

We are hosting two important recruitment events this month- our first Open House will be held on Sunday October 6th, please invite your families and friends to join us. There will be a reception for our Legacy Families at 10AM that morning. On Wednesday, October 9th we are having an Angel Showcase Day, please see our website for details and registration.

On Monday October 7th school is closed to allow our faculty and staff to gather for our annual retreat day. We look forward to sharing that day and learning more about the SSND’s new directional statement, “Love Gives Everything.” We also look forward to honoring the School Sisters as we celebrate Foundation Day later this month.

October is a time for homecoming and we look forward to welcoming our alumnae home for our annual Alumnae Weekend events which include our Foundation Day program on Friday October 25th and Homecoming Mass and Dinner on Saturday October 26th. We will be inducting Kate McSherry Collins into our AHA Alumnae Hall of Fame following our homecoming Mass. I hope to see many of our alumnae there!

Plans are already underway for this year’s Angelic Evening to be held on Friday March 20, 2020, at the Edgewood Country Club. We are having two kick-off meetings on Thursday October 17th at 8AM and Tuesday October 22nd at 7PM. The planning for this event is definitely part of the fun so I hope you will join us for one of these meetings and learn how you can become involved and meet other Angel parents.

Our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger wrote in You Are Sent (from the Prologue of the Constitution of the SSND’s), “The Triune God impels us into the heart of the world to be women of peace, hope and love.” Let this be our prayer for all our Angels- past, present and future- here at AHA.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

September 2019

Dear AHA Families and Friends,

Welcome back! I hope the summer was a time of relaxation and renewal for all of us. The coming school year promises to be an exciting one at AHA as we celebrate our 140th anniversary year. You will be seeing the tagline “We fly as one #140yearsstrong” which I believe truly describes who we are as a school community. Our theme for the coming year is “Love is the bond that unites us,” sage advice from our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger. This year, I hope we will grow as a community recognizing all we hold in common and improving communication and understanding for one another.

We extend a warm welcome to the Class of 2023 and their families. I hope you are already feeling at home at Holy Angels and finding opportunities to become engaged in our school community. I look forward to meeting you at one of our many Fall events - the Art Auction, Open House, Beefsteak Dinner or Fall Drama. Our administration, faculty and staff are here to help you and your daughters every step of the way on their journeys as Angels.

Each new school year brings changes. Earlier this summer, we learned Dr. Barbara Fallon would be retiring after more than 20 years at Holy Angels. We wish her good health and happiness in the future. This month, we are pleased to welcome Ms. Rachel Jackiewicz as the Director of our Academic and College Counseling Office. Ms. Jackiewicz resume includes more than 20 years of experience in academic, college and career counseling at both the secondary school and college levels. In addition, she brings with her an enthusiasm that will serve all our students well.

In May, we celebrated the Class of 2019 at their commencement exercises at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica. These extraordinary young women earned more than 28 million dollars in scholarships at our nation’s top tier colleges and universities. In addition, they contributed 23,000 service areas both locally and nationally- living their faith as true Angels. We wish them many blessings in all their future endeavors.

As always, the summer brought its usual work to update security here on campus and to refresh the building exterior and grounds. Our facilities committee met throughout the summer to further define the plans for the auditorium renovation. We look forward to your partnering with us this year as we strive to make this project a reality for all of us.

As I begin my sixth year as President here at the Academy, I continue to feel blessed and privileged to be in this role. AHA is indeed a very special place and I look forward to sharing this 140th anniversary year with all of you. To borrow from the words of St. Francis de Sales, “Any action done for love is love itself.” I pray this new school year we will all focus on acts of love for one another and our world as we continue to educate the young women our world need most.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

June 2019

Dear AHA Families,

Congratulations to the Class of 2019! This accomplished group of young women became the first AHA graduates to celebrate their Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement at the Sacred Heart Basilica. It was an extraordinary day for all of us at Holy Angels. Our Senior Class has earned more than $28 million in scholarships and will be attending some of our nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, University of Notre Dame, NYU, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Fordham, Fairfield, Syracuse, Penn State, US Naval Academy, Northeastern, Providence, College of NJ and more. We are proud of all our graduates and wish them many blessings in the future.

As the school year comes to a close, I commend all of our students for their accomplishments this year- in academics, arts, athletics and service- our young women are fulfilling their potential and becoming leaders. We look forward to welcoming our newest Angels to the Class of 2023 when they join us for orientation and a welcome barbeque on June 26th.

The main school offices will be closing at the end of June. Admissions office inquiries will be responded to throughout the summer. The school’s business offices remain open in July and August, if you need assistance please contact us via phone or email.

All of us at Holy Angels are grateful for your fidelity and support during this school year and we wish all of you a restful summer break. In the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa may we learn, “Where there is love, there is God, and where God, there is heaven- in our hearts and in our homes.”

Have a wonderful summer!

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

May 2019

Dear AHA Families,

May is the month when we honor our Blessed Mother and we offer our prayers to Mary, a model of faith and hope for us all. This one of the busiest months in the school year, filled with many year-end celebrations and closing activities. On Friday May 3rd, we look forward to celebrating our Easter Liturgy and Grandparents Day. Always a favorite day here at Holy Angels, our freshmen and juniors will be joined by their grandparents for Mass, lunch and classroom visits.

Our school calendar includes an annual school-wide Service Day on May 8th; our Spring concert on May 10th; our Alumnae Mother Dinner on May 15th; AITA’s Arts Appreciation Dinner on May 21st; and an inaugural International College Fair for area high schools to be hosted here at AHA on May 28th. Graduation celebrations for the Class of 2019 begin with Senior Family Night on May 29th at school followed by our Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation on Friday May 31st at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica in Newark. Information for all of these events is available on the school website and we look forward to honoring the many accomplishments of our graduating Seniors with the students and their families.

I am delighted share news that AHA was chosen to receive this year's STEM Award to be given at the Center for Catholic School Leadership and Faith-Based Education's annual Executive Leadership and Awards Dinner at Fordham University later this month. Congratulations to our faculty and students for this honor!

As we prepare to congratulate our graduates, I am reminded of these words Pope Francis shared in a TED talk. “To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope.” I can think of no better hope for all of than to watch our young women graduate from Holy Angels. As they carry their convictions, optimism and faith with them, let us hope that they will also take with them our love and prayers and our hope for the future. May they become the leaders our world needs. Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2019, in the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa, “May God be the way you walk, the truth you follow, the life you lead.”

Blessings,

Melinda Hanlon
President

April 2019

Dear AHA Families,

We begin the fourth week of Lent here at Holy Angels with a Reconciliation Prayer Service. I am grateful to our Campus Ministry department for organizing this opportunity for our students to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is good for all of us to take the time to reflect during Lent, to seek forgiveness and pay it forward when we in turn offer forgiveness and love to others. We look forward to celebrating our Easter liturgy as a school community on Friday May 3rd.

March was a very busy month for all of us here at AHA. Our Angelic Evening gala was a success in all ways and I wish to extend my thanks and congratulations to our Advancement office, our parent volunteers, our sponsors and donors. Thank you to everyone for their support and contributions. It was wonderful to see so many of our families and friends there for our sell-out event and plans are already underway to return to the Edgewood next year.

On March 28th, we hosted our Middles States Colloquium. I am so proud to be part of the AHA learning community and congratulate all our faculty, staff, parents and students for a spectacular success. The “day” was the culmination of years of data collection and planning and special thanks go to Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Tambone-Puzio, Mrs. Beyer, Dr. Weinstein and Mrs. Quinones for their leadership throughout the process. We were honored to welcome Dr. Henry Cram, President of the Middle States Association along with Mr. Patrick Preveduto to our school. It was a great day for all of us here at Holy Angels!

As we continue our journey to Easter, let us remember these words of our foundress Blessed Theresa, “All the works of God proceed slowly and in pain; but then, their roots are sturdier and their flowering the lovelier.” Wishing you and your families a Happy and Blessed Easter season,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

March 2019

Dear AHA Families,

It is good to look forward to the arrival of Spring later this month. The weather has presented us with some challenges recently and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. March also brings with it the beginning of Lent and we will come together as a faith community on Ash Wednesday for a prayer service and distribution of ashes. All students will be offered the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday April 1st here at school. I would also like to remind everyone that we continue to gather each Thursday morning at 7:15AM for Mass in the Kelleher Hall chapel. Mass intention cards are available from Mrs. Sylvester in the Campus ministry office.

As mentioned in my letter last month, our AHA Board of Trustees along with the administrative team and board committee members met in February and drafted our Strategic Plan “Legacy of Excellence”. This document will provide direction for our school community through 2023 in the areas of academic programs, mission and Catholic identity, advancement and finances, facilities, and marketing and enrollment strategies. The board plans to review and approve the document in April. I am grateful to all the participants in this process and look forward to working with everyone to bring this plan to fruition.

On Friday evening March 22nd we will gather at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale for our Angelic Evening celebration. We look forward to celebrating with our alumnae honorees, Patti McGovern Hill ’78 and Colleen Corbett Staff ’89. The new venue is beautiful and a sell-out crowd is expected. I look forward to seeing you there. Please contact Barbara Burklund in our events office for ticket information. All the proceeds from the evening will benefit the plans for our auditorium renovation. Our “Take-A-Seat” initiative will be debuting that evening. More details about this opportunity to purchase seating in the auditorium will be available following Angelic Evening.

As we journey through this Lenten season together, let us reflect on the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, “Follow the star which has arisen in you; it will certainly lead you to Jesus.” Be assured you will be in my prayer intentions during Lent.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

February 2019

Dear Holy Angels Families,

Our celebration of Catholic Schools Week will begin with Mass celebrated by Bishop John Flesey on Monday February 3rd. We also look forward to welcoming our families during the open house visiting hours posted on our website. This week is a time to honor all the good work that occurs every week at Holy Angels. I want to thank our administration, faculty and staff for all they do to offer our students a safe, nurturing and challenging learning environment.

We’ve been busy welcoming the newest members of our school community, the Class of 2023. We look forward to partnering with our newest Angels and their families as they receive their wings. Registrations are due by February 9th and our admissions staff are available to help with the registration process.

Our Board of Trustees will gather this month for their strategic planning retreat. The board will be coming together to create a document that will set goals and direction for AHA for the next several years. I look forward to sharing the results of their work with you.

Plans are underway for this year’s Angelic Evening program to be held on Friday March 22nd at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. This year we are honoring two of our alumnae, Patti McGovern Hill ’78 and Colleen Corbett Staff ’89 for their fidelity and service to AHA. Proceeds from the evening will benefit our auditorium renovations. Information about tickets, ad journal and sponsorship opportunities are available on our website. I hope to see you there!

Our theme this year, “Love gives everything” seems most appropriate for February. Please know how grateful we are for the many ways you support us here at Holy Angels. As our foundress Blessed Theresa wrote in Trust and Dare, “Love is the bond that unites us with one another and with God.”

Blessings,

Melinda Hanlon
President

December 2018

Dear AHA Families,

Last month’s surprise snowstorm brought us our first taste of winter. Now with the arrival of Advent, the calendar is filled with the spirit of the season. Students will gather for our Advent prayer service and blessing of the Christmas tree here at school. I hope you plan to join us for our Christmas Concert on Friday, December 7th. I am always grateful to spend an evening enjoying the beautiful music of Christmas performed by our student choral members and musicians. We also look forward to presenting our Junior class with their school rings on Thursday, December 13th. On Sunday, December 16th we will welcome many of our alumnae athletes back to AHA when we dedicate “Lid’s Court” in honor of AHA coach and teacher, Sue Liddy.

The admissions season is well underway and we have enjoyed welcoming so many prospective families and all our Angel-for-a-Day visitors this fall. Applications for the Class of 2023 are being processed and we look forward to mailing our decision letters in January. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact our admissions team.

As educators, we frequently talk about best practices for our teachers and students. Recently at Mass, the homilist at my parish spoke about Jesus’s best practices as a teacher. He used St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the well-known “Love is...”to describe Jesus the teacher as follows:

“Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. He does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. Jesus does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered. Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Our foundress, Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger wrote, “Go to school to Jesus and learn from him, not to create worlds or work miracles but to become humble and gentle.” Let us pray that this will be our “best practice” during this beautiful season of love.

Wishing you many blessings at Christmas and always,
Melinda A. Hanlon

November 2018

Dear Friends,

Our faculty and staff will gather for our annual retreat day on the Feast of All Saints. The day will begin with Mass in our beautiful chapel here in Kelleher Hall where we will be praying for the intentions of all our AHA alumnae both living and deceased. The chapel has also become the site of weekly Masses offered on Wednesday mornings at 7:15AM for interested faculty, staff and students. Mass intention cards are available from Kathy Sylvester in our Campus Ministry office.

We have several important and fun events on our calendar this month. Our annual PAA Beefsteak is set for Saturday evening November 3rd. I hope you will join us as we honor two of our alumnae athletes, Jessica O’Neil Leto, ’02 and Christie Fredericks, ’09 and welcome them into the AHA Hall of Fame. The beefsteak is a wonderful opportunity to share fellowship, enjoy the food and win some amazing prizes. I’ve invited my family and friends to join us that evening and I hope you will do the same. AHA’s fall drama, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” will be performed on the weekend of November 9-11. The students and Mrs. Collins have been hard at work to prepare for this show and I’m sure we are in for a wonderful evening of theater. Tickets are available via our website box office.

I look forward to our Alumnae Mother-Daughter Tea on Sunday November 11th and our first ever Alumnae Sip and Shop event on Wednesday November 14th. Please check out both events on our website or contact the alumnae office.

We are hosting two very important Admissions events this month. The first is our Admissions Information Night for prospective families on Wednesday November 7th. On Thursday November 8th, we have our Angel for a Day Showcase Day for prospective students. Information about both of these can be found on the admissions page of our website.

November is a month of remembrance and Thanksgiving. Our world can be a challenging place for all of us especially our young women. I remain grateful to be a part of a faith community where service and the SSND commitment “to educate, advocate and act in collaboration with others for the dignity of life and the care of creation,” (SSND 24th Directional Statement), remains at the core of our mission as a school. Together we are united to work against any signs of hatred and bigotry and pray that a spirit of love, compassion and goodness will be present in all our hearts. May Thanksgiving be a time of peace and love for everyone in our Holy Angels community. Together let us pray the words of Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, “May the dear God who helped us so well this year, be our help and strength.”

Wishing you and yours many blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

October 2018

Dear AHA Families,

October is a month filled with many milestones for all of us. On October 2nd we celebrate our feast day and our school’s 139th birthday! Holy Angels has certainly traveled a long way from its founding in Fort Lee in 1879, when Sister Nonna Dunphy and a small group of School Sisters founded the first Catholic college preparatory school for women in Bergen County. The move to Demarest in 1965, along with the expansion of our student body and our course offerings, are all signs of our school’s progress. Yet the mission and vision of the SSND’s to transform our world through education remains as strong and current today as at our school’s inception and that is what we celebrate today.

On October 2nd, you will have an opportunity to participate in our annual Giving Day as we join together to raise funds for a new curtain as part of our plans to renovate the school auditorium. Please visit our website to participate and for more information please contact our advancement office. Thank you for your support! You can also learn more about our future plans for the campus and school programs by joining us at our town hall meeting on Wednesday, October 3rd at 7PM in the Learning Commons at school.

We are hosting our first Open House of the year for incoming students and their families on Sunday, October 14th from 1-4PM. You can ALL be Angel Ambassadors and invite your friends and neighbors to come and learn about the advantages of a Holy Angels education. Registration is available for our Open House and our Angel for a Day visits on our website.

This year the School Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate their 185th anniversary. In 1833, Caroline Gerhardinger took the religious name of Mary Theresa of Jesus and established the congregation of the SSND’s, grounding the community in poverty and dedicating it to the Blessed Virgin Mary. So it seems fitting that our Alumnae Reunion Weekend will begin with our Foundation Day program on October 19th. This year we are delighted to welcome the chair of our Board of Trustees, Sister Sharon Slear SSND, as our keynote speaker. Sister Sharon will be sharing her experiences working with teachers in Haiti with our student body and visitors.

This year’s Alumnae Reunion will be held on Saturday, October 20th. Alumnae are invited to join us as we honor Elyse Deublein Harney ’48 with a Lifetime Achievement Award and induct Barbara Smith Costigan '68 into our Athletic Hall of Fame and Meaghan Fennessy Keeley '83 into our Arts Hall of Fame.

On Saturday, October 27th, I am looking forward to traveling with Dorrie Voulgaris to Washington, D.C. for our DC Angels Event to be held in Georgetown. Details for all of our alumnae events can be found by visiting the alumnae page of our website.

I hope you will join us for our annual Beefsteak Dinner and Athletics Hall of Fame to be held on Saturday, November 3rd when we will welcome Jessica O'Neill Leto '02 and Christie Fredericks '09 into the AHA Athletic Hall of Fame. The Beefsteak is always a fun evening and a great way to meet other parents all while supporting programs at our school.

As I mentioned in last month’s letter, our Angelic Evening 2019 will be held on Friday, March 22nd at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. This year we are honoring two members of our AHA community, Patti McGovern Hill ’78 will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award and Colleen Corbett Staff ‘89 will be presented with AHA’s Legacy Award. Plans are already well underway for this very special event, please join us for the kick off meeting on October 11. I hope you will consider supporting this important fundraiser for our school. Please visit Angelic Evening 2019 for more information.

I hope the coming month will bring us all many reasons to celebrate and give thanks that we are part of the AHA community. In the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa, I pray:

“May Jesus deliver you from all harm; may He be the way you walk, the truth you follow, the life you lead.
May the Holy Spirit preserve you in love and grace. May Mary take you into her loving, motherly heart and stand by you always.”

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

September 2018

Dear AHA Families,

Welcome back! I hope the summer was a time of rest and rejuvenation for everyone and I look forward to seeing you here on campus. We are delighted to welcome the Class of 2022 and their families to Holy Angels and pray their high school years will bring them much happiness and success. Please join me in congratulating our principal Jean Miller who was married in August. We wish Jean and her husband Keith many blessings!

The coming school year offers great promise and opportunity for our school community. We are excited to embark on phase two of our “Legacy of Excellence” campaign as we work towards renovation of our school auditorium and music wing. These enhancements will provide all students with updated facilities for school assemblies and programs, liturgies and prayer services and performing arts productions. This campaign’s success will require the participation of all of our AHA stakeholders- current families, alumnae, past parents and loyal supporters. It will give each of us the chance to make a positive contribution to our school’s future and allow us to grow closer as a community while working together towards a common goal. I hope you will join us for one of our town hall meetings to be held on Saturday September 22nd at 4:00PM or Wednesday October 3rd at 7:30PM in the student commons so you can learn more about the future plans for our school campus.

Please be sure to Save the Date for our important annual fundraiser Angelic Evening 2019. This year’s celebration will be held on Friday March 22, 2019, at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. I will be sharing more details about the evening’s program in my October letter.

Our first priority as school administrators is to provide our students with a secure campus and safe learning environment where all members of our community feel respected. Here at Holy Angels, we continuously monitor our security programs including regulations regarding background checks and safety drills. We maintain a collaborative partnership with local law enforcement. Our faculty and staff receive ongoing training regarding best practices in school security.

Our theme for the coming school year is “Love gives everything” taken from the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger. As we partner together in the coming school year, I hope we will all grow in community, unity and love.

As we begin the school year let us keep all members of our community in our prayers. I share with you an SSND blessing, “I commend you to the Holy Spirit through the powerful intercession of the most blessed Virgin Mary and entrust you forever into her blessed hands.”

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon
President

May 2018

Dear AHA Families,

As we approach the end of the school year, the month of May promises to be filled with many of the traditions we enjoy here at Holy Angels. On May 1st, we will gather for the annual Mother-Daughter Fashion Show and celebrate our Seniors and their moms. On May 15th is our AHA Alumnae Mothers dinner, an opportunity for our AHA alumnae who are also the mothers of Angels to enjoy an evening together. The Arts Appreciation Dinner will be held on May 21st as we honor the accomplishments of all our Angel artists and performers. On May 23rd, we look forward to welcoming the Class of 2022 and their families with a barbeque dinner here at school. Details for all of these events can be found on our school website.

Congratulations to the Class of 2018! We look forward to celebrating with our Seniors and their families at the Baccalaureate Mass to be held here at school on Wednesday, May 30th at 7:00PM. Diplomas will be conferred at our Commencement exercises on Thursday, May 31st at 7:00PM at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. Details for graduation events are available at https://www.holyangels.org/graduation.

We are very proud of the accomplishments of our graduating class and welcome our newest Angel Alumnae. Remember that you will always have a home here at AHA. As you take with you the many experiences from your high school years, I pray you will also take time to remember the success of perseverance, the pleasure of working, the value of time, the worth of character and the power of kindness. May God bless you always.

Our foundress, Blessed Theresa wrote, “Where there is peace, there is God; where God, there is every good.” Be assured that here at Holy Angels we remain committed to her vision and that of the School Sisters of Notre Dame to transform our world through education and work to promote peace in our community and in our world.

Happy Mother’s Day blessings!

Melinda Hanlon

President

April 2018

Dear AHA Families,

Happy Easter! In the words of our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, “May the peace and grace of the Lord be with us all.” (Trust & Dare, April 17th) On April 12th, we will celebrate our Easter liturgy and welcome the grandparents of our freshmen and junior classes. Grandparents’ Day is always one of my favorite events here at Holy Angels and I look forward to sharing this special day with our families.

Just before the break, we enjoyed Angelic Evening and began our efforts to raise funds for our auditorium renovation. Many thanks to the many members of our school community and beyond who worked so hard to make this evening a success!

Let us hope that April will mean the end of snowstorms! The last month has proven to be very challenging for all of us with snow days and delays and I thank everyone for their patience and cooperation. The decision to close school is never an easy one but it is always made with the safety of our school community in mind.

The month of April and the arrival of Spring, is a busy one for us at AHA. Once we return from our Easter break, our calendar includes Grandparents’ Day (April 12th), Alumnae Tea (April 15th), Spring Open House (April 18th), AITA Food Truck (April 22nd) and our Spring Concert (April 27th). Details for these and all school events can be found on our website.

Spring is also the season of college acceptances and I congratulate our Class of 2018 on their impressive accomplishments. Congratulations are due to the AHA College Counseling Office and to our faculty as well!

As we begin the last quarter of this school year, I would like to share the following Easter prayer for all of us here at Holy Angels:

Lord, the resurrection of Your Son
has given us new life and renewed hope.
Help us to live as new people
in pursuit of the Christian ideal.
Grant us wisdom to know what we must do,
the will to want to do it,
the courage to undertake it,
the perseverance to continue to do it,
and the strength to complete it.

Amen.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

March 2018

Dear AHA Parents and Guardians,

As school security concerns remain in the forefront of our minds and the news, I am writing to provide you with an update of the security audit completed earlier this year. We contracted with the security firm of ASSA ABLOY to conduct an independent audit of our security policies and practices and an evaluation of our entire campus here at Holy Angels. The results of the audit were shared with the school administration and AHA board of trustees. We received a very positive report and high grade from ASSA ABLOY. The report also included recommendations for enhancing our security and we have begun to implement these as part of our ongoing efforts to monitor and improve our campus security. Every member of our school community plays a key role in maintaining a safe school environment. The students, faculty and staff participate in drills and our safety procedures are reviewed regularly. There are two areas where we are asking for your cooperation. First, please be sure to follow our visitor protocols when arriving on campus for a meeting, appointment or to pick up your daughters. Second, please follow the drop-off/pick-up procedures as directed by our administration and staff. All students should be dropped off and picked up in the back of the main school building to allow for safe passage of the school buses in the front of the school.

The recent events in Parkland, Florida, have once again left us with a profound sense of sadness and loss. It is difficult to understand the mystery of such evil and we are all challenged as we struggle to help our young people understand such senseless violence and make sense of it ourselves. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and we continue to work and pray for peace in our world. As we journey together through Lent, let us all remember the gift of reconciliation Jesus brought to all of us. Together, let us strive to increase our faith, our hope and our charity of heart so as to love all of our neighbors. May this month of March be a peace-filled time for all of us as we prepare for the joy of Easter. In the words of our foundress, Blessed Theresa, “Let us look upon one another as members of one body; hasten to each other’s aid; be built up by one another.”

On Friday March 23rd, we will gather as a school community to celebrate with an Angelic Evening at the Palisadium in Cliffside Park. Invitations have been mailed and information is available on our school website for this important school fundraiser. The proceeds from this year’s event will be used towards improvements to our school auditorium. Our goal is to provide all our students with an enhanced and beautiful space for school liturgies and gatherings and to provide updated lighting and sound equipment for our performing arts programs along with comfortable seating for our audiences. Our advancement office and parent volunteers have been hard at work to arrange a wonderful evening for us and I look forward to seeing you there.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

February 2018

Dear Holy Angels Families and Friends,

Catholic Schools Week was an opportunity to welcome many visitors here to AHA. It was a pleasure to have many of our parents visit our school and our classes. Pope Francis has said of Catholic School teachers, “Let us thank all those who teach in Catholic schools. Educating is an act of love, it is like giving life.” We are grateful to all our faculty and staff for their service to Catholic education and for all the ways they give life to us at Holy Angels. A highlight of our Catholic Schools week celebrations was Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s visit to our campus. Cardinal Tobin toured our classes and celebrated Mass for our school community. In his homily, he reminded us of our connectedness to one another and to those in our world who are in need. He commended our students for their service especially for the people of Haiti and Puerto Rico. The Cardinal concluded his visit by granting a Bishop’s holiday for us on March 28th as he proclaimed that “Angels fly higher!” We enjoyed Cardinal Tobin’s visit very much and hope he will return again soon.

We have also been very busy welcoming our incoming freshmen class, the Class of 2022, as they register here at AHA. We look forward to partnering with our newest Angels and their families as they receive their wings and learn how women leaders start here. Our admissions staff are available to help with the registration process.

Plans are well underway for our annual Angelic Evening program to be held on Friday March 23rd at the Palisadium in Cliffside Park. There are many ways to support this event including ads, sponsorships and our new Angelic Wings Raffle. All information for this event can be found on our website at Angelic Evening 2018.

In January, Ms. Mullooly, Mrs. Tambone-Puzio and I attended the annual leadership meeting with the SSND Atlantic Midwest Province. At this meeting, we learned about the new directional statement from the recent General Chapter of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, “Love gives everything.” Blessed Theresa wrote, “Love gives everything gladly, everything again and again, daily.” We believe this spirit of generous service is a hallmark of a Holy Angels education and are proud of the many ways that our students are living their faith. May we follow the example of the School Sisters to trust that all will be well as we dare to do what is needed and respond to the needs of our world.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

January 2018

Dear AHA Families and Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you and your families enjoyed the Christmas holidays. As we welcome everyone back to school, we will continue our celebration of Christmas with our Epiphany liturgy. On January 5th, our College Angels are invited to back to campus. The day’s program includes lunch, visiting with faculty and a chance to see the new spaces in Kelleher Hall and the STREAM lab. Registration is available on our website.

Acceptance letters will be going out for members of the Class of 2022 in mid-January and we invite our accepted students and their families to join us on the evening of Monday, January 22th for our Class of 2022 Reception. Administration, faculty and students will all be on hand to share information about the registration process and answer any questions you may have about AHA.

Catholic Schools Week begins January 29th. We are very excited to share that Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, will be visiting Holy Angels to celebrate Mass for Catholic Schools Week. It will be the Cardinal’s first visit to our school and we look forward to welcoming him here on February 1st.

Pope Francis in his homily on January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, encouraged the faithful to entrust their hearts to Mary, looking to her as our mother and to see her as a messenger of hope. January 1st is also the World Day of Peace and as our Holy Father offered his wishes for peace to all peoples and all nations on earth he challenged us to be mindful of the less fortunate among us particularly migrants and refugees. As we begin a new year, let us ask our blessed mother Mary, a powerful woman of faith to intercede for us and bring peace to our families, our community and our world. In the words of our foundress, Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, let us pray:

“May the dear God, who helped us so well this year, be our help and strength in the coming year as we confidently hope and pray for this. Amen.”

May we be blessed this year with peace, hope and joy.

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

December 2017

Dear AHA Families and Friends,

We begin this beautiful season of Advent with a prayer service here at Holy Angels and our intentions are for peace in our hearts, our homes and our world. Our school community has been working very hard to share peace and love with the people of Puerto Rico through their many fundraising efforts and drives. We are truly a community of believers at AHA and I am so proud of the many ways we live our Catholic faith.

Christmas is indeed a time to reflect on the blessings of the last year. We are grateful to all of you for the many ways you have supported us and brought our hopes and dreams for Kelleher Hall and the newly opened STREAM Lab to fruition. Our many visitors including prospective students and their families have been most impressed by the renovations to our campus and more importantly the improvements and expansions to our programs. As we look forward to decision day next month for the incoming Class of 2022, we stand poised to offer our young women stellar academic opportunities as part of a faith based program of studies here at the Academy of the Holy Angels.

We look forward to Christmas, placing our hopes in Jesus our Savior and praying for peace, a peace we can share with all we meet. We seek to find joy in everyday experiences and ask that the light of Jesus’ love will shine in our hearts. May you and your families be blessed with His love at Christmas and always. With the words of our foundress, Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, we pray, “Let us conduct ourselves in peace.”

Merry Christmas!

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

November 2017

Dear AHA Families,

We began the month of November with our Faculty Retreat Day on All Saints Day. As we celebrated Mass together in our beautiful new chapel, I was reminded of the many blessings our school community has received from our alumnae, families and friends and my prayers were filled with gratitude. Throughout the month of November you will see a Book of Remembrance on display in our school’s main lobby where all members of our AHA community can enter the names of deceased family and friends to be remembered in our prayers.

Our new spaces in Kelleher Hall are now buzzing with the sights and sounds of school. The first floor classrooms are filled with faculty and students hard at work, the chapel is often used for Religious Studies classes and the student work on display in the new Art studios is amazing. Our business offices have all moved back to Kelleher Hall. The tuition office is located on the first floor and you will find the Advancement/Alumnae, Communications, Facilities and Finance offices along with my office on the second floor. On the first floor you will also find our office of Mission and Ministry.

November is filled with many events here at Holy Angels. On Monday night, November 6th, we will host an evening Open House beginning at 6PM. I invite you to ask your families and friends who are looking at high schools to join us. On Wednesday, November 8th, we invite our alumnae to join us for a “Sip and Paint” gathering in our new Art studios. The fall drama, “And Then There Were None” will be performed throughout the weekend of November 10th, 11th and 12th and our PAA hosts their annual Beefsteak dinner on Saturday November 4th when we will honor Howard Schuman our track coach. I look forward to seeing you here at school.

As we celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, be assured of my prayers for you and your families. In the words of Blessed Theresa, “No angel is able to count the blessings which even on a single day God gives to a person.” Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving filled with the company of family and friends.

Blessings,

Melinda Hanlon

President

October 2017

Dear AHA Families and Friends,

October 2, 2017, marks an extraordinary day in the history of Holy Angels. On this date one hundred and thirty eight years ago, Sister Nonna Dunphy founded our beloved school in Fort Lee. Over fifty-two years ago AHA began a new chapter here on the Demarest campus and now we look forward to a future filled with great promise as we dedicate Sister Genevieve Kelleher Hall. On this our Feast Day, we gather to honor that history and celebrate our future.

St. Matthew wrote, “Whatever you ask in prayer, your will receive because of faith.” Sister Genevieve Kelleher Hall has become a reality because of faith. The faith of the School Sisters of Notre Dame who established this school in a small white frame house in Fort Lee so many years go and the faith of all the Sisters who served this Academy as administrators and teachers for the last 138 years. The faith of our benefactors who are truly prayers answered for all of us at Holy Angels.

I am most grateful to all those who supported this project and worked to ensure its completion:

The generous support of the School Sisters and the Atlantic Midwest Provincial Council.
AHA’s Board of Trustees, facilities committee members Ed Malley and Tom Kohli and our board chair Sister Sharon Slear.
Our administrative team Jean Mullooly, Francesca Tambone-Puzio, Andrea Beyer and George Ballane. Special thanks to George Ballane who served as the day to day administrator of this project.
Our architects from DiCara & Rubino Jerry Rubino and Jake Sentchak.
Glenn Vanas and Gene Patterson from Vanas Construction.
Turner Construction and Kevin McMahon.
Our advancement team- Dorrie Voulgaris, Joe Branciforte, Patti Hill and Theresa Shubeck and our campaign cabinet for their leadership.
To our parents past and present parents, our many friends and most especially our alumnae who contributed to this campaign.

Sister Mary Maher, SSND, the General Superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and an AHA alumna, shared the following words on this occasion:

“AHA is my beloved alma mater. I carry its vision in my heart, and have drawn on all that it gave me during my life. I am confident that this dedication today is the beginning of a new future for the Academy as it continues to grow and evolve to meet the challenges of preparing young women for life in a rapidly globalizing world.”

It is indeed a wonderful time to be at the Academy of the Holy Angels.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

September 2017

Dear AHA Families and Friends,

Welcome back! I hope the summer was a time of rest and relaxation for you and your families. A special welcome to all our new Angels and their families. It has been wonderful to see our Class of 2021 here at orientation. As I write this letter, the work on Kelleher Hall is nearing completion. It has been a very busy summer and we anticipate having this beautiful new space ready for students in September. Our Angels will find two new art studios, new classrooms and Mac Lab. Kelleher Hall is also home to the new SSND Heritage Suite, a gift from the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the beautifully restored Chapel where our religious studies classes and Campus Ministry department can meet. We are planning to move our business offices to the second floor of Kelleher Hall later in September, so I will keep you posted as to our new locations. Work continues on schedule for our new STREAM lab on the lower level of the main school building and should be completed by mid-October. This state-of-the-art space will enhance our science and math programs.

We look forward to welcoming Bishop Flesey here on October 2nd as we dedicate Kelleher Hall on our feast day, the Feast of the Holy Angels, and embark on this new chapter in AHA’s history. The theme we have chosen for the coming school year is “We seek what they sought.” To our leadership team, this means our goal is to continue the work of the SSNDs and transform our world through the education of others. We are sincere when we say that “Women leaders begin here,” and we are dedicated to providing all of our students with a challenging and safe environment where they can both define their goals and find the support to achieve them. This promises to be a very exciting year here at Holy Angels, and I invite our families to find ways to become involved in our school community. Please be sure to check out our parent organizations and join us for a meeting of the Parents' Guild, Angels in the Arts (AITA), or Parents Athletic Association (PAA). As a parent, I know only too well how fleeting our children’s high school years can be. Community is at the heart of Christian education not simply as a concept to be taught but as a reality to be lived (To Teach as Jesus Did, USCCB). I look forward to seeing you at school events throughout the year.

Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger teaches us in Truth and Dare that “During your vacation you have gathered yourself together in God; therefore, you will go to your daily work renewed in spirit and with holy zeal.” Let us allow these words to be our prayer as together we ask God’s guidance on another school year.

Blessings,

Melinda A. Hanlon

President

June 2017

Dear AHA Families,

As we arrive at the end of the school year here at Holy Angels, we can look back with great satisfaction. This has certainly been a transformative year for all of us with a new administrative team and the renovation of Kelleher Hall. Our faculty and students can look forward to returning in September to many new and exciting improvements to our campus. I believe we have all learned the importance of collaboration and community this year as we faced the challenges of the school renovations. Our faculty and students were very accommodating as we juggled schedules and classrooms to allow for the work on campus. Throughout the summer, the work will continue on Kelleher Hall and with the completion of the new STREAM lab in the former Little Theater space. We will also be completing upgrades to flooring in the athletics wing of the school along with the usual summer maintenance work.

We are all looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2021 as they join the AHA community in September and wish our newest Angels and their families God’s blessings as they begin their high school journeys. This month we bid farewell to the Class of 2017 and congratulate them for their extraordinary accomplishments during their years here at Holy Angels. To our newest alumnae I would like to share the words of St. Ignatius Loyola, “Go forth and set the world on fire,” but always remember you have a home here at AHA.

I wish everyone in our Angels community a happy, healthy and restful summer vacation. May we all find time to enjoy the company of our families and friends along with time for personal reflection and rest. I share with you the following words from our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, “Prayer is the most necessary element for our souls, as water is for fish.”

Blessings,

September 2020

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