Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Statement

Diversity is interconnected to our mission and that of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The Academy welcomes students from many different communities, ethnic backgrounds, and religious affiliations, appreciating the uniqueness of each individual.

The critical work of diversity, equity, and inclusion requires a deep, sustained partnership across all areas of our academy and community. Building a culture of inclusion within the Academy and elevating (highlighting) issues of inequity supports the goal to create an optimal learning environment and community in which all individuals can reach their full potential.

The Academy of the Holy Angels strives to be a community to which all members feel a sense of belonging and which supports each member in being their authentic self. The Academy is dedicated to helping students understand and explore what it means to think critically and to use those skills in making a more equitable and inclusive environment. We work to create awareness of the individual and collective biases that impede those goals and to help students develop the necessary skills to acknowledge and dismantle them.

Each member of AHA shares a responsibility to build an inclusive world, a task that involves time, effort, and perseverance. In order to address the needs of all members of our community, we pledge to abide by the Community Norms*, welcome challenging inquiry, and craft/design sustainable solutions and initiatives.

Developed by A. Jang ’23, M. Chang ’24, K. Walsh, J. Connelly, D. Holmes

Community Norms:

Speak from the “I” perspective.
Be fully present.
Be self-responsible and self-challenging.
Listen to understand.
Accept respectful conflict as a necessary catalyst for change.
Suspend judgment.
Be comfortable with silence.
Make mistakes and let go.
Lean into discomfort.
Respect confidentiality. Respect the candidness of others as a gift.

Events and Clubs:

Armenian Club
Asian American Cultural Club
Baltic & Slavic Cultural Society
Black & Hispanic Cultural Society
Café con Leche
Celtic Club
Equality Now
Celebration of Lights
French Club
Holi celebration
Italian Club
Jewish Cultural Society
Solidarity with Haiti
Real Talk
Self Care Fair
Vigil for Ukraine
AHA-Don Bosco Dialogue Room Collaboration

Guest Speakers:

Christophe LaFontant– 2023 Awareness Day Speaker, New Jersey Magazines Influencer of the Year 23′
Ms. Theresa Flores – is a social worker and author of The Slave Across the Street and an American survivor of and campaigner against sex trafficking
Ms. Traci Chee – author of The Reader and Printz Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist We Are Not Free.
Mr. Asad Dandia and Dr. Jacob Labendz – Outreach and Partnerships manager at Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and Director of Gross Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Ramapo College
Father James J. Martin, SJ – author of Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity
Dr. Linda Terry – psychologist, Awareness Day 2022 keynote speaker on the topic of anxiety
Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals – one of the Little Rock Nine, author of Warriors Don’t Cry
Dr. Jennifer Jimenez Marana – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Professional, Trainer, and Consultant.
Ms. Edlyn Thompson-Mettle – Director of High School Enrichment Programs at Stevens Institute of Technology.