Angels on the Move Virtual 5K Unites School Community

Hosting community events is a challenge these days, so the Academy of the Holy Angels brought everyone together with a virtual 5K. AHA Physical Education and Health Department Chair Tara Nordsvan developed the fitness and unity initiative that became Angels on the Move.

“I had to think of a way I could keep the kids socially distant and active, but not lose the connection of the class and the sense that we are in this together,” Nordsvan explained. “So, while I was out for a run with a friend, I came up with the idea of doing this together in all our classes.”

She recruited her colleagues Sue Liddy and Erin McGee, and the three researched easy 5K running plans. They mapped out the program based on a beginner’s 5K training program, and the students began preparing for the big day when school started in September.

“Our aim was to have all our students working toward a common goal as a community,” Nordsvan explained. “We wanted to have students set goals for themselves, helping and supporting each other in class virtually and in school through our run/walk plan. It was also an opportunity for the students to be social while at a distance in our classes.

“Along with the physical components, students were asked social and emotional questions at the beginning of the class to reflect on their enthusiasm, encouragement, fears, motivation, and growth mindset (a concept that posits, in part, that people can learn anything with practice).”

Students were asked to find a safe route around their neighborhood and include people with whom they would like to accomplish their goal, whether they planned to run, walk, or run/walk. Some ran in local parks, some ran at the shore, some ran on treadmills, and others chose to walk their routes, including a student who was recovering from an injury. Each Angel tracked her personal progress, whether she ran alone or with a friend or family member.

Seniors Camille Rivas of Guttenberg and Julia Oakley of Union City teamed up for the 5K.

“After the 5K, I feel much more accomplished,” Rivas said. “I know I can now set and complete more fitness goals. It gave me a lot of confidence!”

Oakley added, “I honestly never believed I would be able to run a 5K because I do not like running or exercise in general. To my surprise, I completed the 5K and enjoyed it, too! This was a great experience that showed me how much hard work and practice really do help.”

Some students made Angels on the Move a mother-daughter event.

“The 5K was a lot of fun, and an amazing thing to do during this pandemic,” said AHA senior Samantha De Martino of Nutley, who ran with her mom, Stephanie De Martino. “It was a good bonding experience with my mom (and) got us moving and out of the house!”

Each class voted on their favorite motivational songs, and Nordsvan assembled and posted an official 5K playlist based on the students’ choices.

Selections included tunes from various decades, including “Dynamite,” “Electric Love,” “Walk This Way,” “My Girl,” and “One Thing.”
“They all finished as a community. They truly have been working so hard,” Nordsvan concluded.

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious high school serves young women from a broad spectrum of cultural and religious backgrounds. Over time, thousands of women have passed through AHA’s portals. Many go on to study at some of the nation’s best universities, earning high-ranking positions in medicine, government, law, education, public service, business, arts, and athletics. The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.