Families Begin Catholic Schools Week at AHA Middle School Open House

Local families started Catholic Schools Week 2023 at the Academy of the Holy Angels, filling every available seat at the AHA Middle School Open House.

Prospective sixth graders and their families gathered in the Learning Commons, where they learned about the benefits of an all-girl education, how AHA students and alumnae are encouraged to use their education to transform the world, and a brief history of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who founded and sponsor the Academy. Speakers included AHA President Melinda Hanlon, AHA Middle School Dean Traci Koval, Director of Mission & Ministry Joan Connelly, Academic Counselor Michael Statile, and Admissions Director Michèle McGovern.

Each family enjoyed a personalized campus tour presented by an Angel Ambassador from the upper school and a current middle school student. Every ambassador knows all about daily life at Holy Angels, and is ready to answer questions about a wide range of topics.

One future AHA family asked about athletics, how a student could launch a club, and what AHA Middle School’s new Women in Science and Engineering group is studying. This family had the perfect match, since Allison, their middle school tour guide, is a WISE participant. Allison explained that the program, which is a collaboration with Columbia University, is a research and mentorship opportunity for aspiring female scientists.

Guests enjoyed connecting with other AHA families, and learning more from the administration, faculty, staff, AHA alumnae and parents, and the Angels. Highlights also included visiting students who found friends they met during the AHA Summer Experience. 

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 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.